Clemson left Tallahassee with a 36-24 win over Florida State on Saturday night, and the Tigers got a much-needed response after a stretch of questions around both the offense and the quarterback spot. The victory moved Clemson to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the ACC.
The biggest spark came from true freshman Tait Reynolds, who took control of the game and finished with 274 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores came through the air, and the other was a 79-yard run that put the game away.
79-YARD RUSHING TOUCHDOWN BY CLEMSON QB TAIT REYNOLDS ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/p57zikF35R
Clemson’s offensive line had its highs and lows. The left side, with Brayden Jacobs, Elyjah Thurmon and Gavin Blanchard, gave up only two pressures, both on Blanchard, who finished the game after Thurmon exited following a scary head-to-head collision.
At center, Harris Sewell and true freshman Gavin Wise were clean, not allowing a pressure or sack. The right side had a tougher night, with fifth-year tackle Collin Sadler and converted guard Easton Ware combining to surrender six pressures, two sacks and a quarterback hit.
The run game never fully got rolling, and Gideon Davidson’s night reflected that. After drawing criticism from head coach Dabo Swinney, he logged 12 carries for 36 yards, good for three yards per attempt. Jarvis Green continued to chip away in the backfield battle, finishing with nine touches for 37 yards and a 4.1 average per carry.
Clemson also matched its season total in passing touchdowns in one game, thanks in large part to the tight end duo of Christian Bentancur and Olsen Patt-Henry. The two combined for five catches, 48 yards and two touchdowns. Even so, the passing game wasn’t as explosive as the numbers might suggest.
Reynolds looked sharper throwing the ball, but T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. both had rougher outings, combining for fewer than 70 receiving yards and two drops. Moore still made his presence felt as a blocker, helping spring both Bentancur’s and Reynolds’ touchdowns with key downfield blocks.
Senior Tyler Brown was the steadiest receiver on the field, leading Clemson with five catches for 74 yards.
On the other side of the ball, Clemson’s edge rushers kept making life miserable for Florida State. London Merritt had a quieter day, but Will Heldt and Jahiem Lawson were disruptive as both pass-rushers and run defenders, finishing with five defensive stops, four hurries, 3.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and one fumble recovery.
Jeremiah Alexander and Sammy Brown added more pressure from the linebacker spot, combining for five hurries, four tackles, four defensive stops and one sack. Florida State managed only 2.2 yards per carry, which stood as a season-low for the program.
The secondary didn’t completely shut down the Seminoles’ passing game, though. Ashton Daniels put together one of the best passing performances of his five-year career, completing 64% of his throws for 350 yards and two touchdowns.
Still, Clemson’s defensive backs came up with game-changing plays. Jerome Carter grabbed a second-quarter interception, and Elliot Washington continued to flash his ball skills with two interceptions, including the clincher on Florida State’s final drive.
The loss had immediate consequences for Florida State as well, with head coach Mike Norvell fired the following afternoon after seven years leading the program.
For Clemson, the challenge now is turning this into something repeatable. If the Tigers can keep feeding off one another and stack complementary football week after week, they still have a path to finish strong in ACC play.
In Other News...
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Syracuse has quietly built some momentum of its own, winning its last two games, and the Orange also have a key piece back in place with starting quarterback Steve Angeli returning from injury. For Clemson, that makes this more than just another November trip north, especially with the kind of setting and timing that can make conference games feel a lot tighter than the records might indicate. [Read more 🡒]