Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
CARDS RIP ’NOLES
Jackson dominant as Cardinals shock No. 2 Florida State
Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) ran for four touchdowns and threw for one, guiding the No. 10 Cardinals to a 63-20 rout of second-ranked Florida State.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson shrugged off chants of “Heisman! Heisman!” from Cardinals’ fans and seemed satisfied knowing he had played a role in one of the program’s biggest wins.
A very big role worthy of all the adulation.
Jackson ran for four touchdowns and threw for another as No. 10 Louisville poured it on for a 63-20 victory on Saturday, the most points ever allowed by Florida State.
His performance helped the Cardinals establish themselves as a title contender in the Atlantic Coast Conference — and the national crown — by dismantling the second-ranked Seminoles in one of the worst defeats in Florida State history.
What was billed as an ACC showdown quickly turned into a rout. And after blowing second-half leads against Florida State the past two years, Louisville kept the pressure on.
Jackson ran for 146 yards and four TDs and passed for 216 yards and a score to lead the Cardinals (3-0, 2-0 ACC).
The quarterback’s performance raised his season TD total to 18 and drew high praise from none other than NFL free agent Michael Vick, a dual-threat QB himself not long ago at Virginia Tech.
Vick tweeted, Lamar Jackson 5x better than what I was at V-Tech….Enough said!! #future
Jackson was flattered but took it in stride, “I guess it’s just helping us win, you know? I don’t really look at that.”
Louisville coach Bobby Petrino talked about his quarterback’s poise.
“I’m just proud of how he prepared for the game, how he was able to stay calm,” he said. “He was able to focus and concentrate.”
Jackson wasn’t the only star in Louisville’s domination.
Louisville’s defense chipped in with five sacks. The Cardinals also held Florida State (2-1, 0-1) to 284 yards and forced two turnovers.
The Seminoles’ only bright spot was 10 straight points to get within 14-10 before Jackson took over.
Florida State scored another 10 points late and avoided its worst loss ever.
“Give credit to Louisville, they did a great job,” Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said. “You don’t play with fire and let teams get ahead of you.”
Jaire Alexander contributed two 60-yard punt returns — including a 69-yarder for a TD — and a fumble recovery leading to another Louisville score. Brandon Radcliff rushed for 118 yards and a score and Jeremy Smith ran for two TDs.
Jackson added to his collection of highlights as he faked one defender and spun off another en route to his final TD run of 47 yards. It followed his interception on the previous series, one sign that he is human.
“I told my team I owed them four touchdowns,” he said. “I was like, I’m determined to score right here.”
Florida State seemed out of sync on both sides of the ball but especially defensively, possibly due to the absence of injured defensive back Derwin James. Without him available as a spy, Florida State appeared helpless in its efforts to contain Jackson. Offensively, Dalvin Cook wasn’t a factor in rushing for 54 yards on 16 carries.
Louisville paid tribute to late heavyweight champion and hometown hero Muhammad Ali. The Cardinals’ red chrome helmets featured a white butterfly sticker with “Ali” in the middle; “The Greatest’s” daughter, Laila, was ESPN’s celebrity picker; and the school presented presented Ali’s family with a framed No. 75 jersey honoring his community service initiative.