Clemson Football: Defensive Grades in victory vs. FSU
The Clemson football team defeated rival Florida State in Death Valley this past Saturday. Here are our defensive grades for the Tigers.
The Clemson football team came away with a 45-14 victory over Florida State this past Saturday and it really wasn’t that close.
The Tigers were dominant, taking control of the game early and never looking back. With the win, Clemson football improved to 6-0 on the season and the Tigers took complete control of the ACC Atlantic Division.
Here’s a look at our defensive grades for the outing against Florida State.
Defensive Report Card vs. FSU:
The defense dominated Florida State just as we thought they would. The unit forced four turnovers and allowed FSU to convert just 2-of-13 third down attempts in the entire game. One of those turnovers included a pick-six for Derion Kendrick.
Florida State mustered just 253 total yards for the entire afternoon, compared to Clemson’s 552. Just for reference, the Seminoles had just 63 total yards in the first half.
Both of the Seminole’s touchdowns came late on chunk plays (64-yard pass, 40-yard run) when the game had already been decided and the Tigers had plenty of backups just looking to gain experience.
Isaiah Simmons led Clemson football with eight tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. James Skalski added five tackles while freshman Kane Patterson had three tackles and a sack.
The defense did an excellent job applying pressure and making the FSU quarterbacks uncomfortable. In addition, the Tigers held talented RB Cam Akers to just nine carries for 38 yards.
Next. No, Dabo Swinney wasn't classless vs. FSU. dark
Defensive Grade: A
The defense continues to play at a dominant level. Clemson football is building a ton of depth across the unit and we are seeing the Tigers come away with results very similar to last season, even if the makeup of the lineup and way it has been done is completely different.