In the fourth quarter with the game on the line, Jim Bates’ defense made a statement: We’re jealous of Florida State hogging all the headlines.

The only thing Jim Bates’ defense needed to do was make a stop. One stop and the Bucs had a good chance of winning their first game.

But Jim Bates’ defense caved.

On the Buccaneers Radio Network, Dave Moore kept saying the defense was gassed. But as Raheem the Dream later said, that’s no excuse. Carolina was on the field. too.

Good guy Stylez White also dismissed the fatigue.

“Fatigue? It doesn’t matter,” White said on the Bucs radio network. “We all wanted to be on the field. We tried to stop them. It wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t enough to win.”

Don’t worry Stylez. It’s not your fault. You didn’t pick your defensive coordinator.