FSU football: 5 keys to defeating Louisville Cardinals
By Kelvin Hunt
![LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 25: Jack Plummer #13 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrates a touchdown against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second half at L&N Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 25: Jack Plummer #13 of the Louisville Cardinals celebrates a touchdown against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second half at L&N Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/b0a0fff2304e288687f3953ea598b23137f3202cf9db4304c1d2406abc449b05.jpg)
No. 4 FSU football will travel to Charlotte Saturday night to take on the No. 14 Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Championship game. It’s a game that got more interesting with the injury to FSU starting quarterback Jordan Travis.
The Noles would have been a heavy favorite to win with him under center, but the Noles have had to turn to redshirt junior Tate Rodemaker.
Rodemaker made his first start away from Doak Campbell Stadium last week in the Swamp and helped lead the Noles in a come-from-behind 24-15 victory over the Gators to secure a 12-0 undefeated season.
FSU football enters the game as a -2.5 betting favorite, with an excellent defense and some offensive uncertainty.
Was the offensive performance against a mediocre Florida defense an anomaly, or foreshadowing of what to expect? FSU’s offense had lost some of the consistency and explosiveness before the injury to Jordan Travis.
However, Tate Rodemaker wasn’t the only reason the offense sputtered in the first half against Florida. Frankly, it was more of other guys not doing their jobs that put the offense in some tough spots.
Ironically, the best we’ve ever seen Tate Rodemaker play came at the expense of the Louisville Cardinals last year.
Ultimately, I think FSU wins the game if the offense plays well. Here are five keys to defeating the Louisville Cardinals.