Winners and losers from Florida State’s loss vs Louisville

0Florida State saw an early 14-point lead disappear in a 44-20 loss to Louisville, with explosive plays, and defensive breakdowns.Florida State appeared ready to build on last week’s dominant win over Virginia when it jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead Friday night at Louisville. Everything changed from there.

The Cardinals scored 35 unanswered points and turned what had been a promising start into a disappointing 44-20 loss that dropped the Seminoles to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in ACC play.

Florida State struggled to contain Louisville’s rushing attack, surrendered multiple explosive plays, and failed to regain control after the game shifted in the second quarter. Despite productive performances from a few offensive players, the Seminoles were outplayed for most of the final three quarters.

Here are the biggest winners and losers from a frustrating night for the Seminoles.

Norvell entered Friday coming off Florida State’s best performance of the season, a 38-7 win over Virginia that temporarily changed the conversation surrounding the program. One week later, many of the same concerns resurfaced.

FSU surrendered a two-touchdown lead, allowed 44 points and was thoroughly outplayed after the opening quarter. Norvell called it an “extremely poor performance” afterward and took responsibility for his team’s lack of execution. With a road matchup against No. 4 Miami coming next, Florida State has little time to recover from another damaging setback.

Danzy provided nearly all of Florida State’s production in the end zone, catching four passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns. His 25-yard score gave FSU an early 14-0 advantage, and he later added the Seminoles’ only touchdown of the second half.

Danzy continues to give Ashton Daniels a legitimate explosive option in the passing game, even when the rest of the offense struggles to sustain momentum.

One week after holding Virginia to 37 rushing yards, FSU was shredded for 397 yards on the ground. Louisville running back Isaac Brown accounted for 235 yards and two touchdowns on only 17 carries, including scoring runs of 97 and 68 yards. Braxton Jennings added a 44-yard touchdown as explosive runs repeatedly broke open the game.

Kromah was one of FSU’s most consistent offensive weapons, rushing 19 times for 88 yards while adding four receptions for 43 yards. That gave the sophomore 131 yards from scrimmage on 23 touches, providing steady production even as Florida State’s offense stalled for long stretches.

Florida State had an opportunity to take complete control while leading 14-0 in the second quarter.

Facing fourth-and-goal near the Louisville goal line, the Seminoles went for it and were stopped when Jasen Lopez was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. On Louisville’s very next snap, Brown raced 97 yards for a touchdown.

Instead of potentially holding a three-score advantage, FSU watched the complexion of the game change almost instantly. Louisville proceeded to score the next 35 points.

The second half could hardly have started worse.

Brown returned the opening kickoff 71 yards, with a horse-collar penalty moving Louisville even closer to the end zone. Four plays later, Lincoln Kienholz scored to give the Cardinals their first lead of the night. For a team trying to regain control after surrendering a 14-point advantage, the sequence immediately placed FSU back on its heels.

This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Winners and losers from Florida State's loss vs Louisville