Confidence is such a big factor in college football games. Last week you could pinpoint the exact spot where Florida State lost confidence they could beat Louisville. This week you could pinpoint the exact spot where both USF’s offense and defense lost confidence that they could beat the Seminoles.
The defense’s confidence lasted exactly one play. After Quinton Flowers’ electrifying 84-yard touchdown to Rodney Adams on the first play from scrimmage, FSU answered with a 75-yard score from Dalvin Cook on their first offensive play. It should have come with a trigger warning. It was the same kind of play Cook made repeatedly in last year’s game, complete with domination at the point of attack, bad pursuit angles, and terrible tackling.