Louisville beats Florida State 44-20 after FSU fourth-down failure

Florida State fell to 3-3 on the season after suffering a 44-20 defeat against the Louisville Cardinals on Friday night at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the Seminoles and extended an ongoing road drought for Mike Norvell.

The Fourth-Down Turnaround That Shaped the Game

Early in the second quarter, Florida State held a 14-0 lead and faced a fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Norvell elected to go for the touchdown rather than kick a field goal to extend the lead to three scores. The ensuing pass to freshman receiver Jasen Lopez failed to gain yardage.

On the very next play, Louisville running back Isaac Brown sprinted 97 yards for a touchdown. That play shifted momentum entirely. The Cardinals added another score before halftime to tie the game at 14-14, then outscored the Seminoles 30-6 in the second half.

Louisville Scores Three Touchdowns to Beat Florida State

Louisville capitalized on FSU’s defensive vulnerabilities after the intermission. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz scored on two short touchdown runs in the third quarter. Running back Braxton Jennings added a 44-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 35-14.

Despite facing a Louisville defense ranked among the statistical worst in college football, Florida State stalled repeatedly. The Seminoles punted on five consecutive possessions following the critical second-quarter fourth-down stop. Ashton Daniels connected with Micahi Danzy on a 2-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter, supplementing Danzy’s 25-yard scoring reception from the first quarter. Brown answered immediately with a 68-yard touchdown run, finishing the night with 235 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries alongside a 71-yard kickoff return.

Florida State Continues Road Losing Streak Before Miami Game

The defeat drops Florida State to 1-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, while Louisville improves to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the conference. Under Norvell, the Seminoles have not won a game away from Doak Campbell Stadium in nearly three years, stretching an 0-13 record in road and neutral-site contests since the 2023 ACC Championship Game.

Florida State now travels to face Miami next Saturday. The Hurricanes enter the matchup with a 5-0 record and a No. 4 national ranking.