Florida State coach Adam Fuller: Louisville's Cunningham 'one of the better players in the country'

How Florida State plans to defend shifty Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham may not be as simple as minimizing his threat as a runner.

Or even using the bend-don’t-break approach that kept dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels, his dynamic wide receivers and the entire LSU offense from having many explosive plays against the Seminoles.

When Cunningham plays at his best, the sixth-year senior gives the Cardinals a sufficient attack that demands respect in all facets.

Which is something FSU (2-0) knows well ahead of its fourth meeting against Louisville (1-1) with Cunningham – and third under head coach Mike Norvell – in Cardinal Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

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It's why the Seminoles are not taking the Cardinal offense's poor start at face value.

“He is such an electric player,” Norvell said. “He’s got a great arm, he can push the ball down the field and very accurate in the vertical passing game. What he does with his feet, there are few people out there who can do that. He has played so much.

“He is tough. You see times where he takes a lot of contact. There are times where you see him pop right up. That speaks to who he is and the competitor he is.

“He is a very dynamic football player with his arm and obviously his legs.”

The FSU run defense will need to be more disciplined against Cunningham after allowing Daniels to rush for 114 yards on 16 carries. Daniels exploited some of their containment issues, including on his 25-yard run to begin the game.

With Cunningham, the Seminoles figure to have an even bigger challenge defending the quarterback run. No quarterback in the country last season had more rushing yards (1,031), rushing touchdowns (20) or yards per carry (5.96) than Cunningham.

And as a passer, Cunningham often keeps defenses from being able to fully commit to neutralizing his legs. He ranked No. 25 (150.3) and No. 38 (150.3) nationally in passing efficiency in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Had Cunningham thrown one more touchdown last season, he would have become just the fifth quarterback in NCAA history to reach 3,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing while totaling 20 rushing and passing touchdowns.

“Malik has done it for a long period of time and in a dynamic way in this league. I think he’s got everybody’s respect in the country,” FSU defensive coordinator Adam Fuller said. “He plays every week. He is the leading rusher. He is a dynamic playmaker.

“He has beat people over the top with the football. He has beat people running the football. He has beat people making good decisions. He is one of the better players in the country.

“It’s important for us to play as a team against him.”

In their 31-23 loss to the Cardinals last season, the Seminoles surrendered four touchdowns (two passes and two rushing) and more than 250 total yards from Cunningham in the first half. FSU split its other two games against Cunningham, winning 35-24 in 2019 and losing 48-16 in 2020.

Linebacker Tatum Bethune, a UCF transfer, also faced Cunningham last September before joining the Seminoles a few months later. Cunningham impressed in the 42-35 win for the Cardinals, throwing for 265 yards with a touchdown and an interception while turning 13 carries into 99 yards and two scores.

So Bethune understands what will be important for FSU, which will look to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2015.

“Just get him on the ground,” said Bethune, who tallied seven tackles and a tackle for a loss in the game last season. “Be calm, and then when he comes at you, he knows how to make guys miss a lot.

“He’s a very athletic dude, so I know he’s going to pull the ball a lot and tuck it and run. That is going to be the biggest thing, to get him on the ground. Especially on third down.”

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New-look Louisville offense has room for improvement so far

While Cunningham has stood out at times, Louisville’s offense mostly has started slow this season.

The Cardinals rank No. 122 nationally in scoring offense, averaging 13.5 points through their first two games. They dropped their season opener at Syracuse, 31-7, before bouncing back with a 20-14 victory over UCF last Friday.

That Louisville is relying on a few fresh faces could explain some of its early struggles. Two transfers – running back Tiyon Evans (Tennessee) and wide receiver Tyler Hudson (Central Arkansas) – lead the Cardinals in rushing and receiving, respectively.

Offensive guard Caleb Chandler (first team) and tight end Marshon Ford (third team) returned to Louisville after claiming All-ACC honors last season. But the Cardinals lost their top two receivers, Tyler Harrell (Alabama) and Jordan Watkins (Ole Miss), to SEC teams via transfer.

“You see their skill positions. Some new faces there,” Norvell said. “Guys who have good ball skills. The tight end, we have seen him before. He is a really good football player, with what he does in the run game and what he does in the passing game.

"The running backs are very capable, hard runners. They’ve got a very experienced offensive line that is returning. They are really good at what they do within their schemes. …

“They have had a few missed opportunities here early in the year. But it’s an offense that is very dangerous.”

Louisville also has a new offensive coordinator this season, in former Notre Dame run game coordinator and running backs coach Lance Taylor.

Cardinal head coach Scott Satterfield did not have an offensive coordinator last season. After previous offensive coordinator Dwayne Ledford left for the Atlanta Falcons, Satterfield decided against filling that vacancy until he hired Taylor.

Fuller did not seem to think Taylor, who previously had never been an offensive coordinator, will change Louisville’s scheme much.

“Coach Satterfield has been running offenses for a long time in college football,” Fuller said. “You see his fingerprints all over this thing. So I think we have a pretty good sense of who they are identity-wise.”

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New depth chart observations

There were not many surprises in the two-deep depth chart FSU released for its game against Louisville.

As expected, the Seminoles listed Jazston Turnetine as their starting right tackle. He started and played all 71 snaps at that position against LSU after No. 1 right tackle Bless Harris suffered a season-ending injury.

Versatile offensive lineman Darius Washington – who appeared on the LSU depth chart as FSU’s co-starter at center with Maurice Smith – is now listed as the No. 2 right guard behind D’Mitri Emmanuel.

Defensive tackle Fabien Lovett stayed put as a starter, though his availability against the Cardinals seemingly remains in question. He went down with an apparent right leg injury during the final drive against the Tigers.

Receiver Darion Williamson and linebacker Brendan Gant were listed as reserves after not previously appearing on the depth chart.

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GAME INFORMATION

Who: FSU (2-0) at Louisville (1-1)

When/where: Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Cardinal Stadium

TV/Radio: ESPN/94.9 FM

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football: Seminoles face challenge in Louisville QB Malik Cunningham