Week 5 has come and gone for Florida State, and despite some hype around the dominant win over Virginia, not much has changed for the coaching staff. Coach Mike Norvell needed to beat Virginia to avoid a potential early departure, but the win only fends off buyout talks temporarily as major changes are needed.
Another member of the coaching staff in the same position is defensive coordinator Tony White, who got off to a very troubling start to the 2026 season. It felt almost certain that White was going to be left in Tuscaloosa after the defense completely fell apart against Alabama, resulting in the rough 50-36 loss. Beating the Crimson Tide was clearly never guaranteed, but you simply cannot squander a potential win over one of the top teams in the country.
During the win over Central Arkansas, White did himself no favors as long drives from the Bears' offense removed any chance some of the younger players had at hitting the field. Even in wins this season, White has still found a way to lose. Week 5 was easily the best performance the defense has had this season, and pressure will be on White to replicate that success against Louisville.
Tony White's problems with the defense have started and ended with unforced mistakes
Asking White to replicate the Week 5 performance the defense had is a tough ask, and not just because the Cardinals' offense has plenty of talent. The problem is that the defense has not been consistent from game to game this season, even after finding bits of success. The win over Virginia was the complete package for what a coordinator wants to see out of his defense, and the issue is that Florida State previously did not find nearly the same level of success through four games.
It is hard to truly enjoy the win over Virginia when, in the grand scheme of things, recent history says that Florida State will not play up to that same level. The Seminoles had just seven sacks through four games before a massive 10-sack performance last week. One performance often makes people forget about the previous games, and the defensive line may still be an issue despite a big game.
Louisville is going to serve as another serious test for White, and this time, he needs to find a way to get his defense to respond as they did against Virginia. White proved the defense can play at a high level, but if the defense cannot do that consistently, then the success does not mean as much.
Virginia tested White on the ground, and the defensive line stood strong. Now Louisville is going to try to test White's secondary. No offense to Beau Pribula at all, but Lincoln Kienholz has been a far more prolific passer this season. With Kienholz officially set to play against Florida State, the secondary needs to prepare for a potentially long night.
Kienholz is currently averaging 278.8 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and nearly 28 pass attempts per game. The quarterback makes the most of his passing opportunities while also creating valuable plays with his legs. Louisville really likes to run the football, with 35 rush attempts per game, but the big yards are often gained through the air.
White found a way to eliminate the run game of Pribula, which in turn shut down the play-action tendencies of Virginia. White cannot do the same against Louisville, as Kienholz has been a very successful passer this season, even when his running backs are struggling. Kienholz passed for 324 yards against Wake Forest while Louisville averaged two yards per rush.
Florida State will need to put together a performance similar to the win over Virginia in order to defeat Louisville. The more mistakes White finds a way to limit, the better the chance that Florida State has at winning.
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