FSU Linebacker Tatum Bethune Details Massive Hit on LSU's Jayden Daniels

Originally posted on FanNation NoleGameDay
By Tommy Mire | Last updated 9/6/23

There were some exciting storylines to follow coming out of No. 4 Florida State's season-opening romp over the LSU Tigers last Sunday night in which the Seminoles hung 45 points to the bewilderment of LSU fans across the country.

From LSU head coach Brian Kelly's remarks before and after the game to lauding Seminole fans and faithful hoping for a championship year, the 'Noles offered a glimpse of what FSU can become when firing on all cylinders.

One of those glimpses was reminiscent of FSU defenses of the past when linebacker Tatum Bethune delivered a highlight tackle in front of 65,000 fans.

"It's every linebacker's dream," Bethune said on the collision. "I saw it the whole way."

To Bethune, "it" means honing in like a cruise missile to bring down a leaping Jayden Daniels who tried to dangerously hurdle into the fire of the defensive line.

After planting Daniels, one of the officials came up to Bethune where he appeared to warn the senior linebacker of the intensity.

"It was more of a coaching up," Bethune said. "At first I thought I was in trouble but he came in and was like 'just make sure I be careful' because I guess they made a new rule like you can't land on 'em."

Bethune finished the night with a game-high nine tackles (three solo, six assists) and, along with teammates Kalen DeLoach and DJ Lundy, made a statement for the Florida State linebacker room.

"During the offseason, we all worked hard. Delo (DeLoach) worked on his weaknesses, I worked on mine. Lundy worked on his," Bethune said. "Me and Lundy actually had to go on a little diet to watch our weight and change our body around. So we just went out there and told ourselves we invested too much to play bad or play terrible."

The Seminoles face off against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Saturday, September 9 as the 2023 season rolls on.