Defense as a whole has not been a bright spot for Florida State this season, but individually, select players are having solid seasons.
If the team were to name a defensive MVP, that honor might go to junior safety Hamsah Nasirildeen. Nasirildeen has been solid from the outset, but ultra impressive over the last two weeks.
In each of the last two weeks, Nasirildeen has been named ACC Defensive Back of the Week. The North Carolina native got the nod following the ACC finale against Boston College — a 38-31 FSU victory — when he tallied the most total tackles for the Seminoles in more than a half century with 22.
Nasirildeen repeated for his performance in Saturday’s 49-12 win over Alabama State. The junior finished with 11 tackles and an interception that he returned 80 yards for FSU’s first non-offensive touchdown of the season.
For the year, Nasirildeen is leading the ACC with 96 total tackles. Not only does that lead the conference, but it ranks 20th nationally and second among defensive backs. In the conference, Nasirildeen currently has one more tackle than Boston College’s Max Richardson and North Carolina’s Chazz Surratt.
Nasirildeen needs just four total tackles against rival Florida and/or in a bowl game to become the first FSU player to total 100 tackles in a season since linebacker Reggie Northrup in 2014. Since tackles became an official statistic in 2000, no Florida State player has ever led the ACC in that category.
In addition to the tackles, Nasirildeen also leads the team with three forced fumbles and is tied for the team lead with two interceptions. Since tackles became an official statistic, no player has ever led FSU in all three of those categories.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. Like The Daily Nole on Facebook. To pitch an idea, author a post or to learn more about The Daily Nole, email Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com.
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