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The Biggest Defensive Question: Desir Twins Were Quiet in the Pass Rush
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- The Biggest Defensive Question: Desir Twins Were Quiet in the Pass Rush
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Florida State walked away from its season opener with a comfortable 34-17 victory over New Mexico State , but not every storyline was positive.
Perhaps the most surprising was what didn't happen up front.
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Mandrell Desir and Darryll Desir entered the season expected to become the anchors of Florida State 's defensive line. Against a New Mexico State offensive line that was overmatched physically for much of the evening, neither twin consistently affected the quarterback.
The Seminoles finished with three sacks and forced New Mexico State quarterback Trey Hedden into several difficult situations, but the production came almost entirely from elsewhere. Rylan Kennedy , Jalen Anderson and linebacker Mikai Gbayor each recorded a sack, while the Desir twins finished without one. Mandrell was credited with four tackles, while Darryll had just one.
The advanced numbers reinforce what was visible throughout the game.
According to the PFF data, Mandrell Desir played 29 pass-rushing snaps but generated only one pressure for a 1.7 percent pressure rate. Darryll Desir rushed the passer on 20 opportunities and also produced just one pressure, equating to a 2.5 percent pressure rate. Neither player registered a quarterback hit or sack despite combining for 49 pass-rush opportunities.
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For two players expected to headline Florida State's pass rush, those are underwhelming numbers.
That isn't to say the twins played poorly overall.
Mandrell remained stout against the run, helping limit New Mexico State to just 47 rushing yards on 23 carries, while Florida State held the Aggies to only 2.0 yards per rush.
The defensive front generally controlled the line of scrimmage and prevented explosive runs, allowing linebackers to clean up behind them.
But Florida State's expectations for the Desirs extend well beyond occupying blockers.
This defense was built around creating negative plays without relying heavily on blitzes. When your defensive lineman aren't collapsing the pocket, quarterbacks have more opportunities to extend plays, even against an inferior opponent.
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That was evident Saturday.
New Mexico State converted 10 of 17 third downs and quarterback Trey Hedden completed 26 of 43 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns despite being sacked only three times. While Florida State eventually wore the Aggies down, the lack of consistent interior pressure allowed Hedden to remain comfortable for stretches of the game.
It's also notable that several of Florida State's highest pass-rush grades belonged to linebackers and edge defenders rather than the defensive tackles. Gbayor, Chris Jones, Rylan Kennedy and Jalen Anderson all graded ahead of the Desir twins in pass-rushing efficiency.
The encouraging news is that this is only one game.
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Defensive linemen often need time to settle into a season, particularly when opponents emphasize quick throws and moving the pocket. New Mexico State also leaned on short and intermediate passing concepts that naturally reduce sack opportunities.
The Desir twins weren't recruited and developed to simply be solid run defenders. Florida State needs them to become disruptive interior forces capable of collapsing the pocket, forcing hurried throws and freeing the edge rushers to finish plays.
Week 1 doesn't define a season, but it does provide a baseline.
Against New Mexico State, Florida State's defense was good enough to win comfortably. If the Seminoles are going to compete with the ACC's best offenses later this fall, however, they'll need considerably more pass-rush production from the defensive line.
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The biggest takeaway from the opener may not be that the Desir twins struggled.
Florida State's defense proved it can still create pressure without them.
Whether that remains true against better competition is one of the season's most important questions.
