TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State enters its bye week ranked No. 1 in the nation, but getting healthy before their ACC opener against Clemson on Sept. 20 is the No. 1 concern.
After having three defensive tackles go down in the first half of last week's win versus The Citadel, the off week couldn't have come at a better time.
Starting tackle Eddie Goldman and reserve tackle Justin Shanks left the field in the first quarter, while fellow starter Nile Lawrence-Stample had to be helped off in the second quarter.
"With the couple of injuries we had, I think the couple weeks off is good thing," FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher said after the game Saturday. "I think it's very good because you've got a big time opponent in Clemson who's very talented, very well coached."
None of the three players participated in Tuesday's practice, but with more than a week until the Tigers come to town, the Seminoles were not ruling anybody out. In the meantime, reserves are getting extra practice time.
"If this is what we have to go to war with, then this is what we have to go to war with," redshirt junior DT Derrick Mitchell Jr. said of the remaining tackles. "Ain't nobody gonna feel sorry for us."
The rest of Florida State's roster made it out of Week 2 unscathed, but, outside of Mitchell and redshirt junior Giorgio Newberry, the Seminoles are very inexperienced at defensive tackle with five freshmen reserves.
With or without Goldman, Lawrence-Stample and Shanks, FSU's defense must improve in multiple areas if they wish to avoid the upset vs. the Tigers, with the most crucial being third-down defense.
Last season the 'Noles ranked eighth nationally, allowing a first down on 31.4 percent of third-down opportunities. This year, FSU is ranked 122nd in the nation, allowing a first down on 57.6 percent of third downs.
The Seminoles did get redshirt sophomore linebacker Ukeme Eligwe back to practice on Tuesday after being out with a Lisfranc injury, but it's still undetermined whether he'll play against Clemson.
"We'll bring him along here as we go, as quickly as he can go, but we have a little plan for him," Fisher said. "It's just his first day out and we'll have to see how it reacts, if there's a lot of soreness, if there is any swelling, you know what I mean."
Following a season-opening loss to Georgia, No. 23 Clemson (1-1) is coming of off a 73-7 bludgeoning of FCS opponent South Carolina State. Last season, the Seminoles crushed the Tigers, who were ranked No. 3 at the time, 51-14 in Death Valley. But you won't catch FSU thinking that it will be another walkover this time around.
"It's one of the premier games in our league every year," Fisher said. "It's a double whammy, a conference game and an interdivisional game, so it's a big one."
