Florida State led 14-0 and faced fourth-and-goal early in the second quarter when Louisville defensive back Kaleb Beasley stopped wide receiver Jasen Lopez at the Cardinals 3.
Running back Isaac Brown went 97 yards for a touchdown on the next snap, and Louisville scored 35 straight points on the way to a 44-20 win on Friday night.
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The win snapped a two-game losing streak and left Louisville 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, with all three of its losses by three points.
Isaac Brown Powers Louisville Past Florida State With Record Run
Louisville was ranked No. 16 when it lost 30-27 to Wake Forest at home on Sept. 26, then coughed up three fumbles in a 31-28 defeat at NC State. Louisville Football, the Cardinals' official account, marked the win with a post that read simply "W."
After Beasley's stop, Brown bounced left, slipped a tackle and outran the Seminoles for the longest run and longest play from scrimmage in program history. Florida State had passed on a short field goal to go for it.
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"We felt good about the play, still feel good about the thought process," Florida State coach Mike Norvell said after the game.
EVERY RB, GRADED: PFN's CFB RB Impact Rankings
"To think they were 1 play away from a point of probable no return," one fan replied, congratulating Louisville on its recovery.
"Just when you think things are looking as bleak as they can, our guys hung in there," Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said after the game. Florida State was held scoreless in the second and third quarters, and the 24-point margin was Louisville's largest in a win after trailing by 14 or more.
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Louisville's defense finished with four sacks, and Beasley's fourth interception of the season came on Florida State's final possession. Brohm said he spent much of the week helping the defensive staff put together a simpler plan.
He said his brother, Brian Brohm, took over the play-calling. "On offense, I wasn't as involved, Brian [Brohm] and the offensive staff took it and ran with it."
"Jeff Brohm let Brian call the plays please," another fan wrote.
The offense ran for 397 yards on 43 carries, the most under Jeff Brohm and the ninth-most in program history, and scored all six of its touchdowns on the ground.
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Isaac Brown's 235 rushing yards on 17 carries were a career high, and his 71-yard kickoff return to open the second half set up quarterback Lincoln Kienholz's go-ahead 3-yard touchdown run. Isaac Brown did it with Keyjuan Brown, the team's top rusher this season, out injured.
"Taking more reps because Keyjuan was out, and it paid off in the game," Isaac Brown said. He told the Courier Journal he had been quietly grieving his uncle, Vernon Jefferson, who died Aug. 2, before Brown opened the season with 36 yards on 16 carries against Ole Miss.
Louisville Faces Long Odds in ACC Title Race
"Now that is the Cards I know," one fan wrote, predicting a 10-3 finish.
A 10-3 finish would leave no room for another loss. Pro Football Network's College Football Playoff Meter
gives Louisville a 2.8% chance to win out, projects the Cardinals to finish with 6.3 wins and gives them a 3.6% chance to reach the ACC title game.
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The same CFB FPM gives Miami, at 5-0 and 3-0 in the ACC, a 78.6% chance to win the league, compared with 0.7% for Louisville, which does not face the Hurricanes in the regular season.
CHECK YOUR TEAM'S ODDS: PFN's CFB FPM
"Need to work on the passing game," another fan replied after calling it a good win and praising Brown.
Kienholz threw just 15 passes, completing 11 for 140 yards with no interceptions, and ran for 40 yards and two touchdowns. His PFN Impact grade of 85.6 through Week 5 ranks tied for 17th of 165 graded and qualified FBS quarterbacks.
Looking Ahead in Week 7 to Syracuse
Louisville plays its Week 7 game at Syracuse on Oct. 17 at the JMA Wireless Dome. PFN's CFB FPM gives the Cardinals a 56.1% chance to win, and a victory would raise their chance of reaching the ACC title game to 6.1%, while a loss would drop it to 0.5%.
Louisville's last game with more rushing yards than Friday's 397 also came at Syracuse, where the Cardinals ran for 411 in 2017.
This article originally appeared on
Pro Football Network
.
