Thirty-six points. That’s what FSU’s defense coughed up to the Clemson Tigers, letting them have their best offensive game of the season against an FBS opponent. It was a brutal showing for a unit that’s been struggling all season under defensive coordinator Tony White, and this one felt particularly rough given what Clemson’s quarterback, Tait Reynolds, did. This guy had only one passing touchdown all season before Saturday night, and then he goes and throws *two* in the first half against the Seminoles. Yeah, you read that right. He completed 18 of 32 passes for 189 yards, and while Clemson still had their own offensive issues, they moved the ball when it mattered.
A Season-Long Struggle That Just Got Worse
It’s one thing to give up points, but it’s another to let a struggling opponent look like world-beaters. That’s exactly what happened here. This defensive effort against Clemson was just another disappointing mark on Tony White’s tenure. You see a quarterback with one passing touchdown all year suddenly double his season total in a single half, and you know something’s not clicking. The defense was on the field for 80 snaps, which is a lot of time to be exposed, and the results speak for themselves. This wasn’t just a bad game; it was arguably a season-worst in terms of allowing an opposing offense to find its rhythm.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Who Was Out There?
The Seminoles tried everything, throwing 24 different players into the mix across those 80 defensive snaps. But volume isn’t always quality, and the sheer number of guys rotating through tells a story of trying to find something, anything, that worked.
Up front, on the Defensive Line:
* Daniel Lyons led the way with 64 snaps
* Rylan Kennedy was right there with 51
* Kevin Wynn logged 41 snaps
* Darryll Desir and Mandrell Desir saw 37 and 36 snaps respectively
* Jalen Anderson (25), Deante McCray (23), Deamontae Diggs (21), and Cam Brooks (6) filled out the rotation.
At Linebacker, it was a similar story of heavy usage:
* Chris Jones was on the field for 63 snaps
* Omar Graham Jr. had 54
* Mikai Gbayor and Caleb LaVallee both got 28 snaps each.
The Defensive Backs, however, saw the most action, which makes sense when you’re giving up passing yards to a previously struggling QB:
* CJ Richard Jr. had a monstrous 79 snaps
* Nehemiah Chandler was close behind with 75
* Ashlynd Barker logged 71 snaps
* Ma’Khi Jones was in for 68
* Charles Lester III got 46
* Ja’Bril Rawls played 34
* Antonio Cromartie Jr., Donny Heibert, Max Redmon, and Ricky Knight III all got limited action with 7, 4, 4, and 3 snaps respectively, while Jordan Crutchfield was in for just 2.
This level of rotation, especially in a game where the defense struggled so profoundly, raises questions. The numbers are out there, and they highlight a unit that just couldn’t get the job done when it counted. This isn’t how you want to see your defense perform, especially not when a previously quiet quarterback suddenly finds his voice.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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