Florida State overcame injuries to several key players on Friday night to beat Louisville 35-31 and improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2015. Quarterback Jordan Travis and defensive end Jared Wells were out in the second quarter with lower body injuries. Offensive lineman Robert Scott and defensive tackle Malcolm Ray left with injuries in the second half.
The health issues in those games came to redshirt junior defensive tackle Fabien Lovett, a 2021 All-ACC Honorable Mention recipient due to a win over LSU in Week 1 of FSU Injured his leg during the race and did not participate in the trip. All of the attrition left the Seminoles with a couple of unexpected stars who were intercepted by Kevin Knowles with 37 seconds left to end Louisville’s potential game-winning win.
Backup quarterback Tate Rodmaker and receiver Johnny Wilson connected four times. Wilson caught the ball for 149 yards and two touchdowns, both of which Rodmaker threw. Wilson, a 6-foot-7 transfer from Arizona State, had just 154 yards receiving for the Sun Devils last season. Rodmaker, a redshirt sophomore, had no touchdowns but had four interceptions and played more than six career games before becoming a hero against the Cardinals.
After Travis was injured with 4:21 left in the second quarter, Rodmaker intercepted 1 of 3 passes for negative yards before halftime. But he finished the night 6-of-10 for 109 yards with two touchdown throws to Wilson with no more interceptions.
After garnering 42 votes in last week’s AP Top 25, the Seminoles will have a chance to clinch the rankings on Monday as they prepare for their Week 4 home game against Boston College. But FSU has a lot to figure out from its health before it can fit in again.
Travis, Verse of Streetwear
At the start of the second half, Travis was seen on crutches and with a boot on his left leg, while Wells was not in uniform. Travis injured his leg when he was sacked in the second quarter, while Verse suffered a knee injury, 247Sports reported.
Travis’ injury occurred when Louisville’s Yaya Diaby dragged the Seminole signal caller from behind while trying to pass the ball. After the game, Travis quickly grabbed his left leg and stayed on the field for a few minutes before being helped off. Travis’ injury followed, as he completed his first 11 passes for 13-for-17 for 157 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Albany-transferred Verse, who has amassed three sacks in his first two games of the season, seems poised to be the ACC’s breakout player this season.
Quarterback Deep Concerns
While Rodmaker looked better in the second half Friday than at any point in his career, quarterback depth will be a concern for the Seminoles if Travis is forced to miss a long stretch. True freshman AJ Duffy is FSU’s only other scholarship quarterback after Travis and Rodemaker. Duffy is considered a four-star prospect and number one. Thirteen quarterbacks in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.
Travis, a redshirt senior, got off to a good start with a 467-yard passing game into Louisville. He looked especially strong in Florida State’s Week 1 win over LSU, during which he completed 20 of 33 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns . The win helped the Seminoles start 2-0 for the first time since 2016 and cemented the notion that Louisville-transferred Travis could have a breakout season.