EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW (2026): Louisville v. Florida State

Pregame Prep: Things to Know Before the Game

Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET (Friday)

TV / Radio: ESPN / 93.9 The Ville

Uniforms:

Last Time These Two Met:

Louisville and Florida State last met in the 2023 ACC Championship Game, the first (and so far, only) appearance for the Cardinals since joining the conference in 2014.

Florida State came in at 12-0, and despite starting a third string quarterback, their defense led the way that night. The Seminoles had seven sacks and held the Cardinals to just 188 total yards. Trailing 10-6 in the fourth quarter, Louisville’s Jack Plummer had a pass intercepted in the end zone that thwarted a potential go-ahead touchdown drive for the Cardinals, leading to a 16-6 win for Florida State. Despite winning the ACC and going 13-0, Florida State would controversially be left out of the College Football Playoff that season.

Notable Numbers:

• FSU leads the all-time series 18-6.
• Louisville has given up over nine yards per pass attempt in three out of five games so far. Allowing 266.8 passing yards per game, they are 130th in FBS in pass defense as of October 8th.

First Down: Meet the 2026 Florida State Seminoles

After being left out of the College Football Playoff in 2023, FSU would enter a massive tailspin. First came the mass exodus of key players between the CFP announcement and the Orange Bowl, resulting in a 63-3 blowout loss to Georgia.

Then came the 2024 and 2025 seasons, which left Mike Norvell in arguably the hottest seat in the entire ACC heading into 2026. 2024 saw the Seminoles go from being named preseason favorites to win the ACC, to a 2-10 record. Despite upsetting Alabama in the season opener and climbing to as high as eighth in the AP Poll, FSU finished 5-7 last season.

After suffering back-to-back losses against SMU and Alabama, FSU has since won two straight, entering Friday’s contest with a 3-2 record. The Seminoles are coming off a 38-7 win over Virginia, which saw FSU log ten sacks.

Second Down: Florida State Offense

Florida State is in their third straight season with a transfer starting at quarterback, with newcomer Ashton Daniels leading the team in 2026. Daniels will be a familiar face for Louisville fans in recent years; he was the starter in Stanford’s upset win over Louisville in 2024, throwing for a season-high 298 yards and three touchdowns.

For those who are unfamiliar, Daniels is another dual-threat quarterback. He can scramble and get yards in bunches. Florida State will likely use him in that capacity more than teams like Ole Miss, SMU, and Wake Forest used their quarterbacks as runners. While he’s struggled with taking care of the ball (28 career interceptions), he has the playmakers to stretch the field vertically against a Louisville defense that has struggled immensely containing the passing game.

Starting things off is running back Ousmane Kromah, who might be the most talented back that Louisville faces in conference play this season. He’s on pace for well over 1,000 yards, runs through contact and he’s an incredibly tough runner to bring down. He also has the ability to bounce runs outside and pick up yards, which makes his ability to shed tacklers more dangerous. FSU also brought in Tre Wisner this offseason to spell Kromah; he had over 1,000 yards in 2024 and spent the last two seasons as the leading rusher at Texas, he adds a speed element to FSU’s backfield.

Where FSU may thrive, though, is with their wide receiver position. 6’6″ Duce Robinson is a matchup problem for any defense in the country; he’s big and physical as a receiver, and he is a proven vertical threat when Daniels throws it downfield (averaging 19.2 yards per catch in his collegiate career). Micahi Danzy (15 rec., 243 yards) is another dynamic playmaker that can make plays vertically, he has track speed as an ACC Champion in the 400-meter dash (44.38 seconds).

Players to Watch:

• RB Ousmane Kromah (81 carries, 477 yards, five TDs)
• WR Duce Robinson (15 receptions, 280 yards, two TDs)

Third Down: Florida State Defense

Florida State’s defense is coming off a banner day against Virginia, logging ten sacks and 12 TFLs against the Cavaliers. They’ll be looking to do the same against a Louisville offensive line that has had struggles in the first half of the season (ten sacks allowed, T-91st in the FBS). They’ll bring pressure and send multiple guys on blitzes.

Texas A&M transfer Rylan Kennedy leads the team in sacks, and he is part of a solid front four that the Seminoles have this year. Mandrell Desir (7.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks last season) returns alongside his brother Darryll after a brief foray in the transfer portal last offseason, with Jalen Anderson (two sacks) adding depth as another edge rusher.

Florida State made a huge addition in the offseason with adding Chris Jones at linebacker. He earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors last year at Southern Miss, logging a stagggering 135 tackles and 9.5 TFLs last year. CJ Richard Jr. (31 tackles), Omar Graham (26 tackles, three TFLs) and Ja’Bril Rawls (26 tackles) rounds out a stout front seven that should give Louisville some challenges with their ability to shoot gaps and get stops in the backfield.

Where Florida State has struggled, though, is with pass defense. They’re currently 127th in the FBS in passing yards allowed per game (265.6 YPG), and both SMU and Alabama threw for 300+ yards with 10+ yards per attempt. Nehemiah Chandler (six tackles, PBU, INT) arrives after starting last season at South Alabama, with veterans Quindarrius Jones (seven tackles, PBU, INT, FF) and Ja’Bril Rawls (26 tackles) anchoring the secondary.

Players to Watch:

• DL Rylan Kennedy (5.5 TFLs, four sacks)
• DL Mandrell Desir (7.5 TFLs, six sacks in 2025)
• LB Chris Jones (30 tackles, four TFLs)

Fourth Down: Keys to the Game

Can Louisville’s protection buy Lincoln Kienholz time to stretch the field vertically?

In two of Florida State’s losses, they’ve given up over 10.5 yards per attempt against both SMU and Alabama. Like them, Louisville does have the ability to stretch the field with their playmakers, but it will come down to one area; buying quarterback Lincoln Kienholz time to hit those passes.

There is a high potential for explosive plays on both sides

Louisville does boast one of the nation’s most explosive offenses (7.52 YPP, fifth-best in FBS), and Florida State has a potent offense themselves (6.74 YPP, 26th-best in FBS). With both defenses also struggling to contain big plays, expect this to be a high-scoring duel.

Louisville has to create negative plays (or turnovers) to win

At this point, the key for Louisville’s defense is likely going to be the same week-to-week until they’ve shown changes; try to win the battle at the line of scrimmage with their front four, and have the secondary make just enough plays to give the offense more possessions.

Florida State has the playmakers at running back and wide receiver to have a big day on offense, especially with Duce Robinson and Micahi Danzy being vertical threats. Louisville has already given up over nine yards per attempt in three of their five games so far, and FSU can do the same.

The way that Louisville can mitigate this, though, is by having their front four control the pace of the game. They have to get negative plays (which will be a tough assignment, given Daniels’ ability as a dual-threat runner and Kromah’s ability to shed multiple tacklers), and they have to get turnovers.