Louisville vs Florida State: GAMEDAY NOTES

The Cards return to L&N Stadium tonight for a Friday night primetime ACC matchup with the Florida State Seminoles.

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV – ESPN (Mike Monaco, Jordan Rodgers, Dana Boyle)

Radio – 93.9 The Ville / 970 WGTK (Paul Rogers, Craig Swabek, Jody Demling)

Live Stats – GoCards.com

Social – @LouisvilleFB

TEAM NOTES

The Cardinals have lost two straight after falling by a field goal in Raleigh a week ago, 31-28.

Seven of Louisville’s last eight losses have come by three points or less. All three losses this season have been by three points apiece.

The Cards have amassed 200+ rushing yards 18 times under Jeff Brohm, including a 231-yard day on the ground in Raleigh a week ago.

The Ville has outscored it’s opponents 41-16 in the first quarter this season.

NOTABLE NUMBERS
12 – Isaac Brown rushed for 125 yards at NC State, the 12th 100-yard game of his career. He finally ripped off one of his dynamic runs, breaking through for 70 yards behind the Wolfpack secondary and a score in the second half.

37 – Louisville has 37 plays of 20 yards or more through five games, tied for the most in the country.

8 – Speaking of explosive plays, Louisville has eight touchdowns of 50 yards or more this season, the most in FBS.

5 – Five different Louisville players have scored a touchdown of 50 yards or more this season.

486 – Louisville is averaging 486.0 yards per game this season, second-best in the ACC.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Louisville is 6-18 in 24 all-time meetings with Florida State, including a 3-7 mark at home.

The Cardinals are 4-6 against the Seminoles since joining the ACC in 2014.

The last meeting between the two programs came in the 2023 ACC Championship in Charlotte, N.C. Louisville suffered a 16-6 loss in its first-ever appearance in the ACC title game.

While Louisville won in Tallahassee in 1951, the Cards did not win in the Sunshine State again until 2017, when Lamar Jackson led The Ville to a 31-28 victory. Blanton Creque hit the winning field goal in the final seconds.

The last time Louisville was shut out came against FSU in 2000, when Chris Weinke led the Noles to a 31-0 win.

In 2016, the Cards were awarded their first appearance on College Gameday, when the #2 Seminoles came to town. Once again, Lamar Jackson went crazy, rushing the ball for 146 yards and four scores, while also throwing for 216 yards and a score.

LOUISVILLE-FLORIDA STATE CONNECTIONS

Louisville wide receiver Lawayne McCoy played for the Noles for two seasons before transferring this year to Louisville. During his time in Tallahassee, McCoy played in 20 games with 33 receptions for 448 yards and three touchdowns.

Florida State Director of Football Strategy/Offensive Assistant Gabe Fertitta was a quality control assistant at Louisville during the 2021 season.

The most notable Louisville – Florida State connection is Lee Corso. Corso played for the Noles from 1953-1957, before coaching The Ville from 1969-1972. The Cards achieved their first ranking in school history under the direction of Corso, checking in for four weeks in the Top 20. The Ville did not crack the rankings again until 1990.

ABOUT THE SEMINOLES

Florida State enters the game 3-2 overall and 1-1 in ACC play, with wins over Central Arkansas and Virginia the last two games out.

Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels had the best day of his career on the ground. The quarterback rushed for five touchdowns against the Hoos a week ago.

Daniels leads the ACC and ranks third nationally in rushing touchdowns. He also ranks third in the FBS and leads the conference in yards per completion.

As a team, the Seminoles have been among the best in the ACC in stopping teams behind the line of scrimmage. FSU is second in the league and eighth in the country with 3.4 sacks per game, and fourth in the ACC with 7.2 TFLs per game.

ISAAC BROWN BREAKS OUT IN RALEIGH

It had been a slow start to the season for junior running back Isaac Brown. The Miami native had rushed for just 197 yards through the first four games and had not surpassed 67 yards in a single game.

That all changed against NC State in Raleigh as brown finished with 125 yards and a score on just nine carries. Brown punctuated his day with a 70-yard burst straight up the middle that tied the score at 28 early in the fourth quarter.

It was the 12th 100-yard rushing game of Brown’s career, moving him into a tie for third-most in program history.

CARDINALS PROVING TO BE EXPLOSIVE ON OFFENSE

Louisville has been one of the most explosive offenses in the country through the first five weeks of the season. The Cardinals have already racked up 37 plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more, tied with Indiana for the most in the country.

The Cardinals have already scored eight touchdowns of 50 yards or more as well, with at least one in all five games. Those eight touchdowns have been scored by five different players – I. Brown, K. Brown, McCoy, Richardson and Skinner. Louisville trails only Colorado State for the most plays of 50+ yards this season and is the only FBS school with eight touchdowns of 50 or more.

GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN THE BALL FINDS #0

Prior to the season, coach Jeff Brohm said that Tre Richardson needed to touch the ball 85 plus times. Richardson has provided Jeff Brohm with another dynamic weapon to play with on offense. The senior wide receiver leads the Cardinals with 28 receptions and 445 receiving yards, and has scored three touchdowns (2 receiving, 1 rushing).

Richardson has proven dangerous with the ball in his hand. Of his 33 offensive touches this season, 19 have gone for at least 10 yards and nine have covered 20 yards or more. The only player in the ACC with more plays of 20 or more is Miami’s Malachi Toney.

The three touchdowns Richardson has scored this season have been 30, 62 and 38 yards.

SKINNER SHOWING OFF UNIQUE BIG PLAY ABILITY

Fifth-year tight end Jaleel Skinner entered the 2026 season with 32 career receptions for 346 yards and three touchdowns in his four years split between Louisville and Miami.

The Greer, S.C., native has nearly surpassed those numbers already this fall. Skinner has hauled in 14 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns through five games, setting career-best marks in yards and scores.

Skinner has also shown a unique big play ability from the tight end position this season, scoring touchdowns from 61 and 69 yards. Skinner is one of just 20 players in the FBS to have multiple 60-yard plays from scrimmage and the only tight end to do it.

UNIFORM CHECK

⚫️⚫️⚫️#GoCards pic.twitter.com/UE7lJbWknx
— Louisville Football (@LouisvilleFB) October 8, 2026

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