Florida State vs. Louisville: Game Grades, Analysis for Seminoles and Cardinals

The No. 2 Florida State Seminoles fell behind early but rebounded to knock off the 25th-ranked Louisville Cardinals 42-31 and earn an ACC win.

Louisville built a 21-0 advantage before Jameis Winston and a trio of true freshmen brought the Seminoles all the way back.

Pass Offense: Winston tossed three interceptions, but his trio of touchdowns proved to be more important. He hit freshman Travis Rudolph for a 76-yard score, freshman Ermon Lane for 47 yards and Freddie Stevenson for a victory-sealing 35-yarder.

Run Offense: After a slow start from Karlos Williams, freshman Dalvin Cook changed the tune in the FSU backfield, scampering for 40- and 38-yard touchdowns during the second half. The Noles ended with 173 yards and nine first downs on the ground.

Pass Defense: Florida State allowed a 71-yard completion on the night's first snap but otherwise contained Will Gardner and Co. Though DeVante Parker also snared a 52-yarder, he wasn't called for offensive pass interference, so it's silly to criticize the secondary for a blatantly missed penalty.

Run Defense: To begin, Eddie Goldman was spectacular. Behind him, the Noles were severely shorthanded, missing four of their top linebackers. Michael Dyer shredded FSU for 95 first-half yards, but the front seven tightened up and successfully forced Louisville to become one-dimensional.

Special Teams: Shockingly, Roberto Aguayo missed a 41-yard field goal, but it didn't factor in the final score. He tallied six extra points, and Cason Beatty netted 45.2 yards over four punts. 

Coaching: Though Jimbo Fisher and Co. had their players prepared, execution was a problem. Winston threw a couple of terrible passes, Williams mishandled an exchange—that Nick O'Leary brilliantly recovered—and the defensive line started extremely slowly. Fisher's gutsy play-action call that led to Stevenson's touchdown capped a superb game.

 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	C	B
Run Offense	C-	B+
Pass Defense	D	B-
Run Defense	D+	C+
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	B-	B+

Pass Offense: Parker set a career high with 214 yards, but Gardner only completed 20 of 38 passes. The Cardinals did not record a third-down conversion through the air.

Run Offense: Blocking by the Louisville offensive line was streaky, to say the least. The unit would dominate one drive then collapse the next, making the latter 30 minutes relatively ugly. Michael Dyer notched 134 yards and thee touchdowns but was limited to 39 after halftime.

Pass Defense: When the defense blitzed linebackers, Winston made it pay. If the Cardinals generated pressure through its defensive line, he struggled. Gerod Holliman registered two interceptions but had opportunities at two more. Blown coverages on Rudolph and Stevenson proved costly.

Run Defense: The Cardinals didn't allow Williams much running room, but Cook sliced through Louisville like it was hot butter. Allowing a pair of 38-plus yard touchdowns are unacceptable in a contest of this magnitude.

Special Teams: When Ryan Johnson needed a solid punt, he managed only a 27-yard kick. He finished with an average of 36.2 yards per attempt. James Quick should probably be relieved of punt-returning duties since he muffed one yet again. John Wallace drilled a 33-yard field goal and four extra points.

Coaching: Bobby Petrino was an excellent play-caller, and he gave Louisville a phenomenal chance to win. Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was great early but slowly regressed as the closing minutes ticked away.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.