TAMPA -- USF defensive coordinator Joe Tresey thought pretty highly of senior linebacker Kion Wilson before Saturday's win at Florida State, but Wilson's toughness in returning to the field after injuring his hand took the coach's admiration to another level.

"If you ever want to go to battle, you want that guy in your foxhole," Tresey said. "He is a coach's dream. He comes to work every day. ... He's 100 mph, every rep, every second."

Tresey held up his hand Tuesday and spread the fingers uncomfortably apart, showing how Wilson got his fingers separated during Saturday's game, tearing soft tissue on both sides of his hand and needing 25 stitches to repair the laceration.

"He goes out early in the second, and third quarter, I'm standing on the sidelines, and he comes up and says 'Coach, I'm ready,'" Tresey said. "I'm like 'They told me you're done.' We had a change of possession, and I'm yelling for Kion, and everybody's looking at me, going like 'You're nuts. He's out.' Here he comes, right out on the field, taped up, ready to roll. There aren't many people in America in this game that would come back out after getting 25 stitches in the locker room at halftime. ... He's impressive."

Wilson, who was not available for comment Tuesday, now leads the team with 22 tackles, and he had a forced fumble and fumble recovery in Saturday's win.

Tresey told his defensive players they needed to force three turnovers and tackle at an 85 percent success rate in order to beat Florida State. They surpassed those goals, forcing four fumbles and scoring an 88 percent when Tresey graded the defense. If USF seemed more physical against the Seminoles on Saturday, Tresey said it simply better execution of something coaches have focused on all along.

"We stress it every week, every day, since Day 1, since I've been here," Tresey said. "It's one thing we've tried to stress is being more physical."