Behind Enemy Lines: Five Questions for NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After getting back on the right track with a bounce-back win over UCF, the Louisville football program is now set to play their first home game of the 2022 season, welcoming Florida State to Cardinal Stadium.
Ahead of the matchup, Louisville Report sat down with NoleGameday's Dustin Lewis to find out more about Seminoles:
1. QB Jordan Travis has looked good through his first two games of the season. How has he progressed as a passer, and an overall player, since arriving at FSU?
The improvements that Jordan Travis has made over the last three years have been remarkable. He transferred to Florida State as a dynamic scrambler but he began to find his footing through the air during the latter half of the 2021 season. Those developments continued throughout the offseason and into the fall and Travis put them on display for the country to see in the win over LSU.
The redshirt junior completed 20 of 33 passes for 260 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. More impressively, he used his athletic prowess to get out of the pocket and make plays on third down rather than just tucking the ball and scrambling. He’s developed into a leader on and off the field at Florida State and his performance will be crucial in the Seminoles having a chance to defeat Louisville for the first time under Mike Norvell.
2. The Seminoles’ running back room is one of the best in the ACC. What makes the three-pronged attack of Treshaun Ward, Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili such a handful?
I think it’s just the fact that any of the three could explode for a big play at any time plus they all offer slightly different skill sets. Ward is a smaller back who is shifty between the tackles and surprisingly powerful. Benson is a home-run hitter that’ll be dangerous if he gets loose, plus, he’s 215 pounds, and Toafili is a mix between the two who can contribute in the passing game.
In the win over Duquesne, they became the first trio of running backs in school history to all eclipse 100+ rushing yards in a single game. However, they only generated a long of eight yards between them in Florida State’s victory against LSU. I’ll be looking for more consistency against a Louisville defense that has struggled to defend the run through two games.
3. Despite losing Jermaine Johnson, Albany transfer Jared Verse seems to be picking up right where he left off. Does he provide the same type of game-changing impact that Johnson did?
It’s kind of wild. I tried to temper expectations when Jared Verse arrived at Florida State in January because a lot of fans have naturally compared him to Jermaine Johnson. They came to Tallahassee in two different scenarios. Johnson was a grad-transfer that had already proven himself in the SEC while Verse was making the leap from the FCS to FBS with three years of eligibility remaining.
The Pennsylvania native impressed in the spring and has taken his game to a new level this fall. Verse came away with the team’s only sack against Duquesne and racked up two of the four sacks against LSU. He’s totaled seven tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks, and a blocked field goal early in 2022.
Verse dominated his matchups in Florida State’s first two games. He possesses a mix of power and speed that is fun to watch. However, he’s put himself firmly on the map and Louisville will be looking for a way to stop him. I’m interested to see how he responds.
4. Who else on the FSU defense, besides Verse, should Louisville fans be on the lookout to make an impact?
For the first time in at least half a decade, the linebackers are not a weakness among Florida State’s defense. The Seminoles have two capable starters in Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach who will be tasked to spy Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham throughout Friday’s contest. The defense also boasts a pair of safeties that are among the best in the conference, Jammie Robinson and Akeem Dent. Robinson led the team in tackles last year.
The deepest unit on the entire team is probably along the interior defensive line where Florida State returns Robert Cooper and Fabien Lovett. Former Louisville defensive tackle Jarrett Jackson and redshirt sophomore Malcolm Ray stepped up in 2021 due to injuries. Both are capable options in their own right alongside redshirt freshman Joshua Farmer.
5. What were expectations for Mike Norvell heading into the year, and how have they changed now that FSU is off to a 2-0 start?
Florida State fans have remained patient as Norvell and his staff went to work on flipping the roster from what it looked like at the end of the Jimbo Fisher era and under Willie Taggart. There was some frustration following the 0-4 start in 2021 but the Seminoles gave the fanbase confidence after finishing the year 5-3 and coming up just short of a bowl game.
The expectation in year three is for Florida State to return to the postseason for the first time since 2019. The Seminoles are well on their way to doing that with their first 2-0 start in six years. With that being said, this team has struggled to perform following big wins in the past. The road game against Louisville is an opportunity for the program to show the maturation its made under Norvell.
(Photo of Kei'Trel Clark: Melina Myers - USA TODAY Sports)
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