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Lack Of Depth Costly For FSU

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By DEREK REDD, Tribune correspondent

Published: January 1, 2008

Updated: 01/01/2008 12:12 am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Against Kentucky's high-octane offense Monday, Florida State's defense ultimately ran out of gas.

With eight major defensive contributors suspended for the Music City Bowl, the defense withered in the third quarter in the face of two marathon Kentucky touchdown drives. Those drives put FSU in a hole it couldn't climb out of as the Noles lost to the Wildcats 35-28.

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said the missing players wreaked havoc on the unit's rotation and depth.

"If you know Florida State, we usually play four defensive ends," he said. "We play five defensive tackles. We play five or six linebackers. That's just the way we have always done it. We couldn't do that tonight.

"The defensive ends had to go the whole game," Bowden continued. "We had walk-on linebackers playing defensive end. That's the only way we could get them some rest."

Eight of those defenders, including interceptions leader Patrick Robinson and starting linebacker Dekoda Watson, played significant minutes this year. In all, 24 scholarship players were held out of Monday's game due to suspension or injury.

Yet, for the first two quarters, Florida State's defense stood toe-to-toe with Kentucky's offense and pulled FSU into a halftime tie. Cornerback Tony Carter, last season's Emerald Bowl defensive MVP, recovered a first-quarter fumble at the Kentucky 2 and ran it back 51 yards to the Wildcats 47. The ensuing FSU drive ended in a 6-yard Drew Weatherford touchdown run. Carter scored in the second quarter on a 24-yard interception return.

"We just needed a big play," Carter said of his touchdown. "In a big game like this, it's won with big plays, and I just went out and did my job."

After halftime, though, FSU's small defensive roster sputtered.

The Wildcats had three third-quarter drives. Two of them resulted in touchdowns and lasted a combined 25 plays for 160 yards and nearly nine minutes. One was 10 plays for 80 yards and ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andre Woodson to running back Rafael Little. The second went 15 plays and 80 yards and ended with a 4-yard Tony Dixon run.

In all, Kentucky held the ball for 25 plays and nearly 11 minutes in the third quarter.

The players said they weren't getting tired, but defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said fatigue had to play a part in the third quarter.

"I think, part of it, we got tired," he said. "We just flat got tired. Your body's going to tell you you're tired, but your mind can't trust it. You can't believe it."

The FSU defense didn't help itself with penalties, either. On Kentucky's second third-quarter scoring drive, a 15-yard late-hit penalty on linebacker Geno Hayes turned what could have been third-and-24 on the FSU 45 into first-and-10 on the FSU 30.

In all, Florida State allowed 501 yards, the second most they allowed this year behind Florida's 541. Still, FSU forced two turnovers and sacked Woodson three times.

Defensive end Everette Brown said the defense showed it wouldn't back down when times were tough.

"I think the nation was expecting us to come in here and lay down, just let Kentucky maul us," he said. "We came out and proved we're still Florida State and, like Coach Bowden said, no matter how many we've got, we'll line 11 up on the field and go to war."

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