Florida State was able to make some big plays on defense against the Miami Hurricanes. They stopped them on downs on back-to-back drives at the end of the third quarter and to begin the fourth quarter, and they also forced the first interception of the year for Darian Mensah.
While that was encouraging, they also gave up over 500 yards of offense and more than 40 points for the second straight game, and they failed to close the game in the first overtime after FSU took the lead. This was also the second consecutive game that Tony White’s unit allowed over 250 yards rushing.
It was once again inconsistency on defense that assisted in Florida State being unable to win a game that was theirs for the taking. However, these three players stood out
defensively.
Ashlynd Barker
The senior safety led the Seminoles' defense with a season-high 13 tackles against the Hurricanes. He was also responsible for the interception on Mensah, giving him two on the season. It's been an up-and-down year for Barker, but he played well on Saturday.
Chris Jones
Jones once again proved why he was such a great addition in the transfer portal. For the third consecutive week, Jones made a drive-ending tackle on a 4th-and-1 play. His nine total tackles were second on the team, with five of them being solo efforts. He's been the biggest bright spot defensively for FSU this year.
Rylan Kennedy
Much like Jones, Kennedy has been on a tear when it comes to making plays on defense for Florida State. He racked up five tackles versus Miami, which included his fifth sack in the last four games, giving him a team-leading six on the season. The Seminoles don't get to the quarterback that often, but Kennedy has been a positive in the area.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Top defensive players in FSU's loss to Miami
