FSU vs. Miami preview: Ousmane Kromah key to Seminoles’ upset hopes

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Florida State’s season has reached the point where rivalry and rescue arrive on the same Saturday night.

The Seminoles visit unbeaten No. 3 Miami at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN, carrying a 3-3 record, an 11-game road losing streak and fresh scars from a 44-20 loss at Louisville.

Miami is 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the ACC. Florida State is 1-2 in conference play and searching for the consistency that has disappeared whenever trouble arrives.

“As we go on the road, you’re playing one of the best teams in the country,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “It’s going to take a great effort. We need to see it for 60 minutes.”

That was the missing ingredient at Louisville. FSU started well and reached halftime tied 14-14, but an empty red-zone possession, a 97-yard Louisville touchdown and a long kickoff return helped turn a competitive game into a rout.

The Seminoles cannot afford another snowball against Miami quarterback Darien Mensah, whom Norvell described as one of the nation’s best. Mensah combines accuracy, timing and mobility with an ability to recognize and punish blitzes.

“He’s tough to pressure,” Norvell said. “He’s good versus zone coverage, man coverage. He’s been able to operate at a high level.”

Florida State’s best answer may be keeping Mensah on the sideline, and that makes former Lee County star Ousmane Kromah central to the upset bid.

The Leesburg native has rushed for at least 80 yards in all six games, joining only two other players nationally to accomplish that this season. His six-game streak matches the FSU record Warrick Dunn established in 1995.

Kromah has carried 100 times for 565 yards and five touchdowns. He added 88 rushing yards and caught four passes for 43 yards against Louisville, giving him 131 yards from scrimmage despite the loss.

Quarterback Ashton Daniels supplies the other half of FSU’s ground attack. Daniels has rushed for 323 yards and 10 touchdowns, already setting the school’s single-season record for rushing scores by a quarterback. He also has passed for 1,320 yards and eight touchdowns, though his seven interceptions could become costly against an opportunistic Miami defense.

Florida State must also repair a run defense that broke down at Louisville. The Seminoles average three sacks per game, but Norvell said too many players abandoned their assignments while attempting to make something happen.

“We want to be a defense that sets the edge,” he said. “We’re not doing that good enough.”

Miami leads the series 37-33, although Florida State owns a 21-19 advantage in road games against the Hurricanes.

The Seminoles will need more than rivalry emotion to improve that mark. They need Kromah controlling the clock, Daniels protecting the football and a defense capable of answering adversity instead of being overwhelmed by it.

“I fully expect this team to rise up,” Norvell said, “and perform at a very high level.”

Saturday night would be an ideal time to prove it.