Florida State Loses Defensive Starter To Injury During First Half Against Southern Miss

The Seminoles had a starter in the defensive backfield go down in the second quarter.

Florida State is kicking off its slate of home games against Southern Miss on Saturday night. The Seminoles exited the victory against LSU last weekend relatively healthy but have found themselves missing multiple starters against the Golden Eagles.

Center Maurice Smith was spotted with a boot on his foot pregame while offensive tackle Robert Scott did not join the team on the field or sideline for the contest.

READ MORE: How To Watch Florida State And Southern Miss

To make matters worse, the Seminoles had a defensive starter go down with an injury early in the second quarter. With Southern Miss trying to put points on the board, quarterback Billy Wiles found an open Tiaquelin Mills down the sideline. 

Redshirt senior safety Akeem Dent tried to pursue Mills after he made the catch. However, Dent instantly fell to the ground while grabbing at his left hamstring. He remained down on the field before being escorted to the sideline with 14:46 left in the first half.

A short time later, Dent headed back to the locker room with the trainers. It appears that he's unlikely to return for the rest of the night against Southern Miss. He was credited with one solo tackle prior to exiting the contest.

Unfortunately, Dent has been dealing with injuries since late in the 2022 campaign. He was limited by a foot ailment against Florida and Oklahoma last season that carried over into Florida State's offseason conditioning.

The Seminoles lead Southern Miss 14-3 with 10:30 remaining in the opening half.

NoleGameday will continue to monitor his status moving forward.

UPDATE 10:58 PM: Akeem Dent has returned to the sidelines in street clothes. It appears that he has a wrap on his left knee. 

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READ MORE: Florida State vs. Southern Miss: Pregame Injury Updates For The Seminoles And Golden Eagles

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