Instant Analysis | Florida State 42, U of L 31

This is how Florida State wins football games.

Against Clemson, Notre Dame and now the University of Louisville, the Seminoles have played their best football in the second half. Thursday resulted in a 17-point comeback to win 42-31 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

Ranked No. 2 in the country, FSU remained perfect on the season.

When it was over: The Seminoles faced 3rd and 6, and the U of L defense was a stop away from getting the ball back late. But the Cards' defense brought a heavy blitz, and the Seminoles ran play-action. The result was Freddie Stevenson's 35-yard touchdown catch, one that put FSU up two scores with 2:11 to play.

U of L MVP: Michael Dyer became the first player to rush for three touchdowns against Florida State since Russell Wilson did so in a 2010 game -- not for Wisconsin, but in his NC State days. The senior Dyer, who finished with 134 yards on 28 carries, topped the century mark for the second straight game.

FSU MVP: Dalvin Cook, a freshman running back from Miami, came into Thursday the backup to starter Karlos Williams. He may deserve a move up the depth chart. Cook scored twice against the Cards, the second a 38-yard dash on the first play of a 4th quarter drive when Winston was hobbling. The Seminoles led from there.

Play of the game: It was more a coincidence than a defensive meltdown. James Burgess collided with a teammate over the middle, and a limping Jameis Winston zipped a slant pass to Ermon Lane. The scoring play went for 47 yards and completed FSU's rally from 17 points down to lead in the 4th quarter.

Key stat: Despite throwing multiple interceptions, Winston played well, of course, but he found more receivers as the U of L defense tired. The Cardinals' offense converted just 1 of 11 3rd downs and neither of its 4th down chances.

Takeaway: In this, the first game where Bobby Petrino's offense was deemed at full speed, the Cardinals scored enough to win. But the offense's inability to move the sticks left the defense on the field and a step slow when it counted in the second half.

What's next: U of L heads to Boston College for a 7:15 p.m. kickoff a week from Saturday, and while Thursday's result essentially eliminates the Cardinals from the ACC Atlantic Division race, losing to the No. 2-ranked team largely didn't harm their postseason destinations.