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FSU Football: Brian Burns finally has breakout game in 2017 season

By Jason Parker

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 30: A Florida State Seminoles cheerleader runs a flag on the field before a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 30: A Florida State Seminoles cheerleader runs a flag on the field before a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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FSU football has been waiting for sophomore defensive end Brian Burns to put up the numbers he did last season – and he did so against Clemson.

If you were looking for a defensive MVP for the second half of the 2016 season for FSU football, the answer no doubt would have been then freshman defensive end Brian Burns. A five star recruit from the Fort Lauderdale area, Burns had five and a half sacks over the final five games of the regular season to finish with eight and a half total for the year.

With DeMarcus Walker heading to the NFL, Burns was expected to have that same production as the full time starter during the 2017 season. So far, through the first eight games of this season, it has been anything but that as the man who can play both end and linebacker had come up with just half a sack.

That all seemed to change this weekend as Burns was a one man wrecking crew for FSU football in their loss to Clemson. While the team ended up losing 31-14, Burns was the winner in the game as he came up with seven tackles (four and a half for losses, which was half of the team’s output on the day) to go along with getting both of the team’s sacks and forcing two fumbles.

Burns also recovered a fumble as the Seminoles trailed by three with just over six minutes to go in the fourth quarter for what could have been a game tying or winning drive – and he knows that he was just doing what he is capable of (h/t Tallahassee Democrat):

"“Feels good to break (through) because I’ve been struggling,” Burns said. “…It’s just something that’s been over due. I should have been doing this a long time ago.”"

Burns will have a chance to pad those stats in the final three games of the regular season – including the showdown with rival Florida, which ranked 123rd in total offense in the FBS (one spot ahead of FSU football) and Louisiana Monroe, which ranked 23rd entering this weekend.

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With a defense that ranked in the top 20 entering this weekend, the Seminoles need a solid showing from that unit the rest of the season if they want to extend their bowl and winning season streaks – and Burns will be one of the key components to that.

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