FSU football: ‘Noles defense stepped up when it mattered against Clemson

The FSU football defense asserted itself in the second half of the thrilling overtime road victory over lemCson. There has been criticism surrounding the performance of defensive coordinator Adam Fuller’s side of the football, especially on social media.

Disclaimer: I am a huge believer in this coaching staff, and believe they have what it takes to bring FSU back to the top of college football.

The Seminoles play a “bend but don’t break” type of defense, but on Saturday afternoon, they made opposing quarterback Cade Klubnik uncomfortable when it mattered most. Drives became increasingly difficult to sustain.

Here is a recap of the second-half/overtime drives for the Tigers’ offense:

-4 plays, 11 yards (punt)

-11 plays, 77 yards (touchdown)

-3 plays, 31 yards (fumble return for a touchdown)

-4 plays, 22 yards (punt)

-11 plays, 44 yards (missed field goal)

-2 plays, 13 yards (end of regulation)

-4 plays, 9 yards (end of the game)

ANALYSIS

While I am not indicating that the Seminoles’ defense played a perfect game, I will say that FSU got stops on the Clemson offense when they needed it the most. Obviously, the Seminoles were in some deep trouble when the offense stalled out and went three-and-out after Clemson capped off an 11-play, 77-yard drive to give themselves a 24-17 lead with 3:32 left to go in the third quarter.

However, veteran linebacker Kalen DeLoach had no part in allowing Clemson to pull away in the game, as he forced a fumble and got a huge 56-yard return for a touchdown to tie the game at 24-24. That was a defining moment in the game that the defense desperately needed given the Tigers were on the FSU 29-yard line and getting ready to go up by two possessions late in the third quarter.

Those are program-defining plays that need to be made if the Seminoles want to achieve their ultimate goal of winning championships. The future certainly looks bright in Tallahassee as Florida State escaped the month of September with a 4-0 record, which features wins over LSU and Clemson.

Let’s buckle up FSU football fans, because this is about to be fun!