CARDS Down ‘Noles in ACC Opener

Cunningham accounted for all four Louisville touchdowns in the win.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – September 25, 2021 – GoCards.com

Malik Cunningham had four touchdowns – two passing and two rushing – and Louisville held off Florida State’s second-half rally, 31-23, in the Cardinals’ Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Saturday.

Cunningham now has eight rushing touchdowns, two in each game for Louisville (3-1, 1-0). He completed 25 of 39 passes for 264 yards and ran 14 times for 56 yards.

The Seminoles trailed 31-7 with 1:49 to halftime but gradually chipped away at Louisville’s lead in the second half, trimming the deficit to 31-23 on Ryan Fitzgerald’s 45-yard field-goal with 8:40 left. But the Seminoles’ rally fell short when McKenzie Milton’s downfield pass was picked off by Louisville’s Kei’Trel Clark with 48 seconds left.

Milton completed 24 of 39 passes for 248 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Parchment.

Jashaun Corbin had a 75-yard touchdown run and Treshaun Ward added a 20-yard TD run for Florida State (0-4, 0-2). The Seminoles have not opened 0-4 in a season since 1974, two years before coaching legend Bobby Bowden arrived.

Florida State ran for 209 yards, the third time in four games they surpassed that mark.

TAKEAWAYS

Louisville: The Cardinals converted on 8 of 10 third-down opportunities to score all 31 points in the first half and capture a win a week after an emotional home victory over UCF.

Florida State: The Seminoles have given up 30 or more points to all three of their FBS opponents – Notre Dame, Wake Forest and Louisville.

UP NEXT

Florida State: The Seminoles host Syracuse on Saturday.

Louisville: The Cardinals play at Wake Forest on Saturday.