Comeback kid: McFadden bounces back from tough plays to record INTs

Florida State sophomore Tarvarus McFadden has displayed a number of impressive characteristics during his first month as a starting cornerback. He has great size at 6-foot-2, he possesses very good speed, and he has excellent ball skills.

None of those traits, however, has been more remarkable than his resiliency.

In three of the Seminoles’ first four games, McFadden has come up on the wrong end of a big play in the early stages. But all three times, he has come back later to record a big play of his own.

“I’m always going to come out stronger,” the highly touted sophomore said. “You can’t ever go in the tank.”

In the season opener against Ole Miss, McFadden appeared to have an interception within his grasp before Rebels receiver D.K. Metcalf tipped the ball loose and came up with the catch for a touchdown. But in the fourth quarter, McFadden essentially sealed FSU’s victory with his first career interception.

Last week at Louisville, Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson missed his tight end with a pass that looked like it was going to be a sure interception for a diving McFadden. Instead, it ricocheted into receiver James Quick’s hands, and Quick raced 44 yards down the sideline to set up a score. McFadden came back and had an interception in that game as well.

Then at USF on Saturday, McFadden gave up a long touchdown pass on the first play of the game. But the Fort Lauderdale product came back strong again and recorded his team-leading third interception.

McFadden is one of 10 players in the country with three interceptions; no one has more.

“As a DB, you’ve got to have short-term memory,” McFadden said. “So if something bad happens, and it was early in the game, you’ve just got to have short-term memory and come back and make another play.”

With two new starters in McFadden and fellow sophomore Marcus Lewis, plus the injury to starting safety Derwin James, FSU’s secondary has been a work in progress this season. There have been numerous missed assignments and busted coverages, which have led to some easy scores for opportunistic opponents.