Game recap: Florida State defeats Louisville after Kevin Knowles II's pick in final minute

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One more victory, and the Florida State football team will improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2015.

The Seminoles (2-0) just need to win their ACC opener at Louisville (1-1, 0-1 ACC) in Cardinal Stadium, which is at 7:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN).

The ACC Atlantic matchup – which has been played every season since 2014 – saw the Cardinals win in each of the last two meetings. They secured 48-16 and 31-23 victories in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Entering this game, FSU is coming off a bye week. The Seminoles opened the season with a 47-7 victory over Duquesne in "Week Zero" before they defeated LSU 24-23 at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Louisville started the season with a surprising 31-7 loss at Syracuse. But the Cardinals bounced back with a 20-14 win at UCF.

Quarterback Jordan Travis transferred from Louisville to FSU ahead of the 2019 season, so this game could have a deeper meaning for him. The Seminoles also previously picked up cornerback Greedy Vance and defensive tackle Jarrett Jackson as transfers from the Cardinals.

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11:25 p.m. | FSU defeats Louisville after Kevin Knowles's interception

Florida State won another wacky game in the final minute.

Cornerback Kevin Knowles II intercepted Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham with 37 seconds left to give the Seminoles a 35-31 victory.

Stay tuned for more updates and coverage.

10:20 p.m. | FSU vs. Louisville tied heading into final quarter

The Florida State defense is starting to show up.

Louisville's last four possessions resulted in three punts, including two three-and-outs, and a fumble. The Cardinals gained just 48 yards on 17 plays and had only two first downs across those four drives.

FSU tied the game on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by a 15-yard rushing score from running back Lawrance Toafili with 8:58 remaining in the third quarter.

9:50 p.m. | Florida State QB Jordan Travis out for the game

FSU quarterback Jordan Travis is out for the game with a left leg injury, the ESPN broadcast announced.

Travis is watching the game on the sidelines and is in crutches with a boot around his left foot. Backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker replaced him.

More on Tate Rodemaker: Rodemaker steps in for injured Jordan Travis vs. Cardinals

How long the Seminoles continues to roll with Rodemaker will be worth monitoring. He threw an interception in the first half. True freshman AJ Duffy is another option at quarterback.

Defensive end Jared Verse also is out for the game. He suffered an apparent left knee injury in the first half.

9:30 p.m. | Florida State limps into halftime with multiple key players injured

What began as a solid start for FSU quickly turned into a disaster.

The Seminoles are now without three of their best players in quarterback Jordan Travis, defensive end Jared Verse and defensive tackle Fabien Lovett. And the apparent left leg injuries that Travis and Verse suffered seemed to be serious.

The FSU defense and special teams have not inspired much confidence, either.

Louisville enters halftime with 290 total yards. Quarterback Malik Cunningham has completed 13 of 18 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown while turning 10 carries into 42 yards and a score.

While Seminole kicker Ryan Fitzgerald missed a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter, punter Alex Mastromanno shanked a punt for 24 yards.

FSU may look to lean on its running game in the second half. Running back Treshaun Ward has 84 rushing yards on only four carries. Backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker threw an interception on his second series.

9:10 p.m. | Florida State QB Jordan Travis leaves game with injury

FSU quarterback Jordan Travis left the game and headed into the locker room with 4:21 left in the second quarter after suffering an apparent left knee injury.

Louisville defensive end YaYa Diaby sacked Travis as he was attempting to make a throw. Travis seemed to bend his left leg awkwardly as he was brought to the ground.

Backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker replaced Travis, who has completed 13 of 17 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.

Defensive end Jared Verse also left the game after going down with an apparent left knee injury. Linebacker Tatum Bethune temporarily left the game with an apparent right arm/shoulder injury before returning.

8:25 p.m. | Florida State, Louisville enter second quarter tied at 14-14

The FSU offense and quarterback Jordan Travis were on fire in the first quarter.

The defense and special teams? Not so much.

Travis completed 11 of 11 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. He completed touchdown passes to tight end Preston Daniel (two yards) and wide receiver Malik McClain (21 yards). Running back Treshaun Ward (three carries for 56 yards) and receiver Johnny Wilson (three catches for 46 yards) lead the Seminoles in rushing and receiving, respectively.

After holding Louisville's offense to a three-and-out on its first defensive drive, FSU's defense surrendered two touchdowns. Cardinal quarterback Malik Cunningham first scored on an eight-yard touchdown run. Then he threw a 17-yard touchdown to running back Trevion Cooley.

Linebacker Tatum Bethune left the game with an apparent right arm/shoulder injury. The UCF transfer obviously would be a major loss for the Seminoles.

Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald missed a 37-yard field goal wide right on FSU's second drive of the game.

7:35 p.m. | Florida State vs. Louisville officially underway

FSU won the opening coin toss and will defer to the second half, kicking off to Louisville to start the game.

It's currently 80 degrees and partly cloudy with southerly winds of five miles per hour.

7:05 p.m. | Pregame injury updates: Fabien Lovett out for the game

It looks like starting defensive tackle Fabien Lovett won't be available to play in tonight's game.

Lovett, who is considered one of FSU's best and most experienced players, is not dressed out on the field during the final stage of pregame warmups. He suffered an apparent right leg injury during the final drive of the LSU game on Sept. 4. Through two games this season, Lovett has two tackles.

Look for either redshirt junior Jarrett Jackson, a Louisville transfer, or redshirt sophomore Malcolm Ray to start in Lovett's place. Redshirt Joshua Farmer also could receive more playing time.

Wide receivers Winston Wright Jr. (leg injury) and Ja'Khi Douglas (undisclosed injury) also are not dressed out on the field for pregame warmups. They have yet to play in a game this season.

6:35 p.m. | FSU players put on the pads

A handful of padded players for FSU and Louisville are now on the field warming up.

The Seminoles are wearing all white uniforms, while the Cardinals are wearing red jerseys and black pants. Louisville fans are having a "red out" for the game.

It also should be a beautiful night for football. It's currently 83 degrees and partly cloudy with southerly winds of six miles per hour.

Representatives from nine NFL teams are expected to be at the game: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Commanders.

Representatives from the Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl, Cheez-It Bowl, East-West Shrine Game, the Jim Thorpe Award and ACC Commissioner also are expected to be in attendance.

And in other Florida State athletics news, the women's soccer team just picked up another dominant win, defeating Boston College 6-0. The Seminoles have defeated their last four opponents by a combined 21-0.

5:40 p.m. | FSU players enter Cardinal Stadium

Let the pregame festivities begin.

Several unpadded FSU players have taken the field to get loose before the game. Stay tuned for injury updates and all other pregame warmup observations.

Fabien Lovett's status will be worth monitoring. The veteran defensive tackle went down with an apparent right leg injury in the final drive against LSU on Sept. 4. Seminole head coach Mike Norvell did not disclose if Lovett will play against Louisville.

Wide receivers Winston Wright Jr. (leg injury) and Ja'Khi Douglas (undisclosed injury) have yet to play for FSU this season but are expected to return at some point. Offensive linemen Kayden Lyles and Bless Harris, linebacker Stephen Dix Jr. and walk-on CJ Campbell are out for the season with injuries.

Louisville running back Jalen Mitchell has been ruled out with an injury.

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 vs. Louisville football | Live updates, score, analysis