{"id":98785,"date":"2022-10-16T13:46:02","date_gmt":"2022-10-16T13:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/clemson-defense-lost-our-mind-against-fsu\/"},"modified":"2022-10-16T13:46:02","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T13:46:02","slug":"clemson-defense-lost-our-mind-against-fsu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/clemson-defense-lost-our-mind-against-fsu\/","title":{"rendered":"Clemson defense ‘lost our mind’ against FSU"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n \n <\/p>\n

\"Clemson<\/p>\n

<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>

\n

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney reacts to a pass-interference penalty during the third quarter of the team’s NCAA college football game against Florida State on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. Clemson won 34-28. (AP Photo\/Phil Sears)<\/p>\n


\n Phil Sears
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

AP<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Tallahassee, Fla.<\/span> <\/p>\n

Dabo Swinney has a very intentional policy when it comes to celebrating the wins that didn’t come quite as easily for his Clemson football team last season.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Crank up the music and celebrate tonight.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Get up tomorrow and go back to work.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But after No. 4 Clemson’s defense faltered late against Florida State in a 34-28 win on Saturday night, not every member of said unit was exactly ready to pivot to dance mode in the visitors’ locker room at Doak Campbell Stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve got a lot we’ll be able to learn from it,\u201d Swinney said, \u201cbut man, as I told them in there, I know some guys were a little disappointed in how they finished the game but we’ll worry about that later. Let’s celebrate the win and we’ll get back to work. Enjoy it tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It was a parting message of positivity after a final 15 minutes that, understandably, generated a lot of negativity. After trailing 7-0 and 14-7 early, Clemson had piled 27 unanswered points on FSU and taken a momentum-killing 34-14 lead entering the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Then, Swinney said, \u201cwe just lost our mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Quarterback Jordan Travis and the rest of Florida State’s offense ran wild after being suppressed most of the game, and after consecutive fourth quarter touchdowns Clemson needed an onside kick recovery from receiver Brannon Spector and a first down by running back Will Shipley to officially put away a game that should’ve been over a long time ago.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The fourth-ranked Tigers moved to 7-0 and 5-0 in the ACC ahead of next weekend’s home against No. 18 Syracuse, but not without some welts.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In the fourth quarter alone, FSU outscored Clemson 14-0 in the fourth quarter, outgained the Tigers 169-40 in total offense and executed rapid seven-play touchdown drives of 60 yards and 94 yards to cut a 20-point lead down to six points with 2:17 remaining.<\/p>\n

Swinney’s diagnosis of what went wrong?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cBusted assignments, lost focus, busted assignments, not tackling, missed tackles \u2026 busted on a screen-and-go,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cJust some dumb stuff. Penalties, a little bit of everything there. Just kind of lost our focus. I thought it was playing to the scoreboard, if you will.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"AP22289153103579.jpg\" <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>
Florida State tight end Markeston Douglas (85) is brought down by Clemson safety Jalyn Phillips (25) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. Clemson won 34-28. (AP Photo\/Phil Sears) Phil Sears AP<\/span> <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

That \u201cdisappointing\u201d stretch negated some of Clemson’s earlier defensive effectiveness, which included a key strip sack from defensive end Myles Murphy during a 17-0 run in the game’s \u201cmiddle eight\u201d portion, a fourth and goal pass breakup from defensive end KJ Henry and two other forced turnovers on downs.<\/p>\n

Travis finished the game with 381 total yards and three touchdowns as the Seminoles outgained the Tigers 460 to 370 in total yards and 206 to 167 in rushing yards. FSU had 10 rushing plays of 10-plus yards and seven passing plays of 15-plus yards.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were some good things (defensively), and we really had control,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cBut just really, really sloppy down at the end there.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Perhaps most concerning: Clemson’s shortcomings came with coordinator Wes Goodwin’s defense at, essentially, full strength for the first time all season. This wasn’t the undermanned secondary that got gashed by Wake Forest in a double overtime shootout or the undermanned defensive line failing to sack quarterbacks at the elite rate it wanted.<\/p>\n

This was a loaded unit that welcomed starting cornerback Sheridan Jones, starting defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and rotational safeties RJ Mickens and Tyler Venables back to the lineup. Clemson also got defensive end Xavier Thomas back last week, meaning the Tigers had their full \u201cAvengers\u201d-nicknamed defensive line at their deployment.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Goodwin described Murphy’s strip sack, which set up a Clemson touchdown right before halftime, as \u201chuge\u201d and praised cornerback Nate Wiggins for two major pass breakups. But he also lamented the Tigers’ lack of technique in their tackling, the injuries that prompted \u201crusty\u201d performances from recently healed players and a general lack of finishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cKind of like a shark, you smell blood in the water and you’ve got to finish the job,\u201d Goodwin said. \u201cWe can’t relax and let our guard down. We’ve got to play with the same intensity we played the whole game with.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Those slip-ups haven’t caught up to the Tigers just yet. Blessed with a competent offense and a roster of four-star and five-star recruits, Clemson’s been able to lean on quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and company and sometimes compensate for its mistakes with athleticism alone and celebrate seven wins all the same.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And until stretches of poor defensive play become full games of poor defensive play, Swinney made it clear postgame that one statistic trumps the rest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve got a lot of respect for Florida State,\u201d he said. \u201cI’ve had my butt beat by these dudes a lot of times \u2026 it could’ve been a one-point win and I’d be happy. We’re going to get ready for the next one. Proud of them and know they’ll show back up ready to roll.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

\n Chapel Fowler has covered Clemson football, among other topics, for The State since June 2022. He’s a Denver, NC, native, a 2020 UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus and a pickup basketball enthusiast with previous stops at the Fayetteville (NC) Observer and Chatham (NC) News + Record. His work has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the North Carolina Press Association and the Associated College Press.<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div><\/div>\n