Clemson heads to Tallahassee on Halloween night with a simple question hanging over the trip: can the Tigers do enough through the air to avoid another ugly offensive night?
That’s the backdrop for a Week 9 matchup between two teams still searching for answers. Clemson comes in at 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, while Florida State sits at 3-4 and 1-3. The game kicks off Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. on ACC Network, and it marks Clemson’s first road game in more than a month.
October has not been kind to the Tigers. They opened the month with a 41-13 home loss to Miami, then watched Virginia Tech score a game-winning touchdown in the final two minutes to win 20-16 after Clemson’s offense again failed to deliver. Even in a 37-0 win over Charleston Southern, the passing game was limited to 207 yards.
Florida State enters with its own issues, though the Seminoles are coming off an off week. Their most encouraging performance came against Miami, when they pushed the now No. 1 team in the country to double overtime before falling 43-35 on the road. Still, they have only one Power Four win.
Clemson’s passing attack is the biggest concern in this one. The Tigers own the worst passing offense in the ACC at 182.6 yards per game, and they haven’t exactly shown signs of suddenly solving that problem. But Florida State is the kind of opponent that can at least invite a different approach, since the Seminoles are allowing 256.3 passing yards per game.
That doesn’t mean Clemson has to live and die with the pass. Florida State’s run defense has been exposed too, giving up 178.6 rushing yards per game. That opens the door for Clemson to lean into what worked in its 24-10 win over California, when the Tigers piled up 257 rushing yards and barely needed a passing game that produced only 106 yards.
The matchup could turn the same way in Tallahassee if Clemson’s ground game can take control.
Florida State does have one clear threat Clemson has to account for: quarterback Ashton Daniels. He ranks second among ACC quarterbacks with 354 rushing yards, and the Seminoles are averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Clemson has had problems with mobile quarterbacks, and its tackles have been the soft spot on that defense.
The flip side is Clemson’s secondary, which gives the Tigers a real edge. Cornerback Ashton Hampton has been one of the nation’s best defensive backs and has become Clemson’s defensive tone-setter. He leads the ACC with nine pass breakups and was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back.
Hampton is expected to spend time on Florida State’s top receiver, Duce Robinson. So far, no top receiver has broken through against Hampton, and even Miami’s Malachi Toney managed just one 8-yard catch against him. That sets up a difficult night for a Seminoles passing game that ranks 13th in the ACC with 234.1 passing yards per game.
One area worth watching is the pass rush on both sides. Clemson has 20 sacks and has allowed 21, while Florida State has 19 sacks and has given up 18.
Florida State’s best path comes on the ground, where Clemson has been vulnerable at defensive tackle. LSU rushed for 309 yards against the Tigers, North Carolina ran for 214, and Miami gained 192. Clemson has also kept opponents under 100 rushing yards in every other game, which makes the running game the key swing factor here.
In the injury report, Clemson lists CB Corian Gipson, S Polo Anderson, CB Shavar Young Jr., WR Cole Turner, RB David Eziomume and OL Mason Wade as out, with WR Gordon Sellars III questionable.
Florida State has DB Quindarrius Jones, RB Samuel Singleton Jr., DB Karson Hobbs, DB Jamari Howard, LB Blake Nichelson, LB Izayia Williams, RB Ousmane Kromah, LB Daylen Green and LB Noah LaVallee out. DB K.J. Kirkland is questionable, while QB Malachi Marshall, LB Omar Graham Jr., LB Chris Jones, DB Jordan Crutchfield, LB Mikai Gbayor and LB Caleb LaVallee are probable.
Prediction: Clemson 26, Florida State 20. The Tigers have the better defense, the better secondary and the run game most likely to matter if the passing attack stays limited. Clemson may not light it up through the air, but it has enough advantages to leave Tallahassee with a win.
In Other News...
Clemson Fans Finally Got The Elyjah Thurmon Update They Needed
Clemson got an anxious moment early in its game against Florida State when left guard Elyjah Thurmon went down after a head-on hit from a Seminoles linebacker. The scene quickly turned from football to concern as Thurmon was stabilized on a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital, with his mother accompanying him off the field.
There was at least one encouraging sign before he left the stadium: Thurmon gave a thumbs-up, a small but meaningful indication that he had movement in his extremities. For a Clemson team and fan base that had been holding its breath, it was the kind of update that mattered most in the moment, even as the full extent of the injury remained a concern. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State's Mike Norvell Backlash Just Turned Into A Public Spectacle
Florida States frustration with Mike Norvell has been building for weeks, but it spilled into a more public form during the game against Clemson when fans displayed a plane banner calling for his firing. The message was misspelled, but the sentiment was unmistakable, and it landed at a moment when the Seminoles are already dealing with a losing record and a run of poor performances that has only sharpened the pressure around the program.
Norvells contract only adds another layer to the situation. He signed an eight-year extension through 2031, and any move to part ways with him would come with a significant buyout and a duty-to-mitigate clause, which means the financial side of any decision would be as complicated as the football side. For a fan base already on edge, the banner was a reminder that the conversation around the Seminoles is no longer happening quietly. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Finally Got The Win It Needed As One Tiger Took Over Late
Clemson got the kind of win it needed on Oct. 31, and it came with a little bit of everything. The Tigers beat Florida State 36-24 behind a defense that kept creating extra possessions, forcing four turnovers while the Seminoles never managed one of their own. It was the sort of complete effort that had been missing at times this season, and it gave Clemson a much-needed lift.
Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds provided the finishing touch late, breaking free for a 79-yard rushing touchdown to put the game away. The night also carried a sobering moment when starting left guard Elyjah Thurmon was injured on a helmet hit and taken to the hospital, a reminder that even in a needed victory, the toll can be real. [Read more 🡒]