Florida State football could be without RB Treshaun Ward vs. Clemson

TALLAHASSEE – Florida State might struggle to run the ball against Clemson on Saturday.

Especially if the Seminoles’ starting running back, Treshaun Ward, is unavailable to play.

The redshirt sophomore suffered an apparent collarbone injury in his team’s 19-17 loss to NC State last Saturday. Ward came down hard on a 39-yard run during the second quarter before permanently leaving the game. In the second half, he returned to the sideline with a sling around his right arm.

What Ward posted on his Instagram story Monday – a picture of him sitting on what appeared to be a hospital bed – hardly inspired encouragement about his short-term prognosis.

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FSU coach Mike Norvell expressed optimism about Ward’s pending recovery, though, during his weekly press conference Monday. But Norvell, who typically does not disclose the nature of his players’ injuries, did not reveal specifics about Ward.

Norvell has more of a wait-and-see approach, he explained, regarding Ward's availability for when the Seminoles (4-2, 2-2 ACC) host the No. 4 Tigers (6-0, 4-0) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (TV: ABC).

“Tre is extremely tough,” Norvell said. “His durability is something that has been such a strength, and he has been such a constant impact for us.

“We will see as this week goes on. He will do everything in his power to be available, but we will see as things play out throughout the week.”

With Ward leading its three-man running back committee, which also includes Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili, FSU ranks No. 11 and No. 25 nationally in yards per carry (5.57) and rushing offense (204.2 yards per game), respectively.

Across six games this season, Ward has turned 72 carries into 488 yards and three touchdowns. His 6.78 yards per carry leads the ACC and comes in at No. 13 among FBS players. He also is tied for No. 5 in rushes of 20-plus yards, with 16.

Clemson has only allowed one rush of at least 20 yards all season, which leads the country. The Tigers also are No. 2 in run defense, yielding only 63.7 yards on the ground per game. No player has reached 75 rushing yards against them so far.

“They are one of the best defenses in the country,” Norvell said. “Their defensive front forcing unit, it’s really impressive. They have really kind of honed in.”

And that defensive front, despite not being fully intact, has been dominant.

Defensive end Xavier Thomas, who claimed third-team All-ACC honors in 2021, missed the first five games of this season with a foot injury. He came back to play in Clemson’s 31-3 win over Boston College last Saturday. Even though he played only six snaps, Thomas recorded two sacks and a forced fumble.

Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, a projected first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, did not play in the last two games due to a non-football medical issue.

Tiger coach Dabo Swinney said on his call-in show Monday that he expects both players to be available in Saturday’s game. So if Ward is not healthy enough to play, FSU may have to abandon the run game and air it out more. Or Benson, Toafili and their offensive line will need to step up.

Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins insisted that the Seminoles are ready for the challenge.

“We saw them in practice, too,” said Atkins about how FSU’s defensive line has challenged its offensive line. “(Defensive linemen) Fabien (Lovett), (Robert Cooper) and (Jared) Verse. We’ve had some good work vs. good D-linemen. It’s just a real ballgame, it’s where you come play big-boy football.

“Not to discredit any other D-linemen that we play, but it’s a real ballgame. And to win real ballgames, you have to block really good defensive lines.

“So the challenge will be accepted, let’s go practice and make sure we can adequately block it.”

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Benson and Toafili have the talent and show flashes.

But whether they would be ready for more of a featured role – at least against an elite defensive line – remains to be seen.

They were not exactly productive against LSU and NC State, the two best defensive lines FSU has faced this season. The redshirt sophomores only combined for 71 yards on 26 carries (2.73 yards per rush) in those two games.

The Wolfpack surrendered more than 10 yards per rush to quarterback Jordan Travis (seven carries for 108 yards) and Ward (five carries for 51 yards). Benson (six carries for 25 yards) and Toafili (10 carries for 22 yards and a touchdown) were not nearly as efficient.

When the Seminoles primarily leaned on Benson and Toafili in the second half, they rushed for only 29 yards on 10 runs. FSU turned 18 carries into 177 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

“There were times in the second half where they did a good job. They penetrated,” said Norvell about NC State’s defense. “They were able to create some disruption there in the run game. We missed a few opportunities with that. Just weren't able to sustain things.”

The final six possessions for the Seminole offense, which all came in the second half, resulted in three three-and-outs, a four-and-out and two interceptions. Until its final drive, FSU tallied just 28 yards and a first down on 14 plays.

And until their final drive, the Seminoles needed at least seven yards to convert every third down they faced. Their struggles on early downs and with running the football contributed to them having a lot of those third-and-long situations.

“It was penalties and missed opportunities,” said Norvell about FSU’s issues on early downs. “We struggled with some of the things in the run game there in the second half where they did a good job of creating some penetration. It was tough to be able to get that rolling. …

“If we can play ahead of the chains and be in those situations, it's something we're definitely trained to do. But ultimately, it's two-fold.

“Things that they did well and things that we didn't do as good of a job as we needed to, which kind of forced us into some of those longer yard situations.”

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Could Ja’Khi Douglas make his return vs. Clemson?

True freshman Rodney Hill and hybrid player Ja’Khi Douglas are FSU’s two other options at running back.

Hill looks to have a promising future with what he has shown in practice and game settings. And the former three-star recruit combined for 12 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown in the Seminoles’ blowout wins over Duquesne and Boston College.

Douglas, who lines up at running back and receiver, has yet to play in a game this season. He suffered an undisclosed injury in preseason camp. It’s unclear when Douglas will return, but FSU listed him in its two-deep depth chart Monday for the first time this season.

Atkins also hinted that Douglas is close to playing again.

“Ja’Khi tried to jump in there a couple of times in practice last week. We had to protect him from himself,” Atkins said. “But no, we are going to go through the process and go day to day. Hopefully we can use him.

“But as of now, we are still trying to work through this progress to see if he will be available. But if he does, it helps us because Ja’Khi is a multiple guy.

“He has played receiver and caught big balls in big games. He has also played running back and has had big runs in big games. He is definitely a weapon for us if he is healthy.”

GAME INFORMATION

Who: FSU (4-2, 2-2 ACC) vs. No. 4 Clemson (6-0, 4-0)

When/where: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Doak Campbell Stadium

TV/Radio: ABC/94.9 FM.

Live game updates: www.Tallahassee.com; @CarterKarels on Twitter; @Ehsan_Kassim on Twitter; @JimHenryTALLY on Twitter; @jackgwilliams on Twitter

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State football could be without RB Treshaun Ward vs. Clemson