Florida State football was up 14-0 on Louisville, looking good, then they completely collapsed, allowing 35 unanswered points en route to a brutal 44-20 blowout loss. That defeat on Friday night at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium didn’t just sting, it extended the Seminoles’ nearly three-year-long road losing streak, making it 13 straight losses away from home, including neutral-site games. They haven’t won a game outside of Doak Campbell Stadium since the 2023 ACC championship against Louisville. Ouch.
That Fourth Down Gamble Torched Their Lead, Fast
The game started with FSU looking strong, building that 14-0 lead. Then came the decision that flipped everything. On the two-yard line, with goal to go, they went for it on fourth down. Coach Norvell rolled the dice, calling a screen pass to Jasen Lopez, but it got blown up, resulting in a turnover on downs. At that moment, you’re thinking, “Okay, defense is still in a favorable spot,” right? Wrong.
Louisville running back Isaac Brown immediately ripped off a mind-blowing 97-yard touchdown run, completely swinging the momentum. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, FSU decided to bring it out of the end zone instead of taking the touchback, starting their drive from the 12-yard line. They went three-and-out, with back-to-back runs for a loss of yards. Louisville didn’t waste any time capitalizing, marching 59 yards in seven plays, ending with a Marquise Davis six-yard score to tie the game at 14. After that fourth-down stop, Louisville just went off, rattling off 35 unanswered points and scoring 44 total to storm back for the win. FSU collectively shut down after that turnover on downs, and the Cardinals’ comeback was eerily similar to what FSU did to Virginia just last week.
Isaac Brown Went Off, And FSU’s Defense Had Zero Answers
Louisville running back Isaac Brown was an absolute nightmare for FSU’s defense, racking up an insane 313 total yards. That included a 71-yard kickoff return to open the second half and two long rushing scores that just broke FSU’s spirit. In total, Louisville rushed for a staggering 397 yards, which is the most FSU’s program has ever allowed. Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz was efficient, going 11-for-15 for 140 yards.
On the FSU side, quarterback Ashton Daniels had a roller coaster of a night. He started the game with what was described as his 10th rushing touchdown of the game, capping off a 14-play, 75-yard drive that looked easy. It seemed like he was set to build off his record-breaking five rushing touchdowns against Virginia. He did find success on the ground, rushing for 45 yards on 13 carries. But his struggles throwing the football were painfully obvious. There was hesitation and indecisiveness in the pocket, stalling plays, and when he did get the ball off, accuracy was at a premium. Add in a case of the drops from FSU’s wide receivers, and their aerial attack simply never got going against the Louisville secondary. Daniels finished the night with one touchdown pass, a throw behind Micahi Dazny that actually required an impressive one-handed snag from the receiver. He ended up 21-for-37 for 209 yards and that pair of touchdowns alongside an interception. He never looked confident after that fourth-down stop on the play to Lopez, and even though he didn’t turn the ball over until the game was already out of reach, Daniels struggled, completing only 9 of his 19 passes in the second half.
After letting a 14-0 lead vanish in a nightmare 35-unanswered-point avalanche, FSU is now sitting at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the ACC. That nearly three-year road losing streak, now at 13 games, is going to be a heavy monkey on their back as they look to turn things around. They’ve got a lot to clean up, especially on defense and in the passing game, if they want to get this season back on track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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