Florida State’s first true road game of the 2016 season and ACC opener will be a match-up of top-10 teams as the Seminoles head north to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium to take on No. 10 Louisville.
Louisville began the season ranked 19th, but has crawled into the top 10 with high-scoring victories over Charlotte and Syracuse. The Cardinals hail from the ACC’s Atlantic division, so Saturday’s contest should go a long way in deciding which team lands in Charlotte for the ACC Championship in December. Louisville is 0-2 against FSU since joining the ACC in 2014.
On Louisville
Record: 2-0 (1-0 ACC)
Offensive Ranks: Leads nation in total yards per game (754), sixth in passing yards per game (411), third in rushing yards per game (343), leads nation in points per game (66)
Defensive Ranks: 38th in yards per game allowed (311), 72nd in passing defense (226.5), 23rd in rushing defense (84.5), 53rd in scoring defense (21).
Last Game: Won at Syracuse, 62-28.
On Offense
If the season ended today, Louisville sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson would probably take home the Heisman Trophy. Through two games, Jackson has 13 total touchdowns and is averaging more than 500 yards per game.
With Jackson at the helm, Louisville leads the nation in both total offense and points per game. When it comes to yardage, the Cardinals average nearly 70 more yards per game than the next closest team. Jackson leads the ACC in both passing and rushing yards per game. In fact, Jackson has more than twice as many carries (32) as the Cardinals next leading rusher — starting running back Brandon Radcliffe, who has 13.
Radcliffe however, has been effective, averaging nearly 14 yards per carry so far this season. Jackson returns virtually all of his weapons at receiver and tight end. Senior Jamari Staples leads the team early on with nine receptions for 219 yards. The Cardinals are starting a pair of sophomores at the offensive tackle positions, but have allowed just one sack through two games.
On Defense
Defensively, it’s also hard to find a weakness for Louisville. The Cardinals have tallied 18 tackles for loss in two games with safety Chucky Williams leading the way with 21 total stops. Williams entered the season as one of the more overlooked pieces of the Louisville secondary with cornerback Trumaine Washington and fellow safety Josh Harvey-Clemons as the headliners. Jaire Alexander, a sophomore cornerback, has Louisville’s only interception so far this season.
Louisville’s corps of linebackers will likely be the best that FSU faces all season. Seniors Keith Kelsey and Devonte Fields received all the preseason hype, but so far, it’s been junior James Hearnes leading the way with 2.5 sacks. Up front, nose tackle DeAngelo Brown leads a veteran contingent. Despite having talented defenses over the past two years however, the Cardinals are giving up 41.5 points per game to Florida State.
On Special Teams
If there is a weakness for Louisville that has been exposed so far, it might be special teams. Louisville ranks just 80th in kickoff return average and 109th in punt return average. A coughed up punt late against Charlotte resulted in one of the 49ers’ two touchdowns.
Kicker Evan O’Hara is 2-for-3 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 41 yards, but hooked a 28-yard attempt against Syracuse. The Cardinals’ punting team has been good this season. Mason King is averaging better than 41 yards per punt while the Louisville coverage team is yielding only a 1.3-yard average on three returns.
Summary
Although the competition hasn’t been the stiffest, Louisville is in a position to be in the top 10 for a reason. Head coach Bobby Petrino, who is in the third year of his second stint with the Cardinals, has a squad loaded with talent. Lamar Jackson has been the face of the team and another solid outing this week against Florida State could make the sophomore a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. On the other side, FSU redshirt freshman quarterback Deondre Francois will be facing a hostile crowd for the first time in his young career.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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