Florida State gets a chance to attack a Clemson team that doesn’t look much like the powerhouse the Seminoles used to see.
Ashton Daniels and the Seminoles are coming off a 43-35 two-overtime loss to Miami, but Florida State still showed real fight in its best outing of the season. Daniels helped spark the passing game with four touchdown throws against the Hurricanes, and that kind of rhythm could matter again when the Seminoles turn their attention to Clemson’s uneven secondary.
This is a different Tigers program than the one that once rolled out elite quarterbacks like Tahj Boyd, Deshaun Watson, and Trevor Lawrence and stacked 12 straight seasons of 10 or more wins. Clemson managed only one double-digit win season with Cade Klubnik in 2024, then followed that with a sub-par 7-6 season in 2025. Now the Tigers are 4-2, and the quarterback situation has been shaky, with Christopher Vizzina and Tait Reynolds combining for barely 1,000 passing yards, only two touchdown passes, and five interceptions through six games.
The defense hasn’t been the sort of problem that used to define Clemson, either. The Tigers’ pass defense ranks fourth in the ACC and has allowed 189 yards per game through the air, but the bigger number is the one that hasn’t changed in weeks: Clemson has not intercepted a pass since its two picks against Cal on Sept.
- It had zero interceptions against Miami and FCS member Charleston Southern.
That gives Florida State some room to be aggressive. The Seminoles are on a bye week and looking to refocus their offensive approach, with the idea of drawing up something that isn’t already sitting on game film and finding ways to put Clemson on its heels.
Florida State enters at 3-4 and has five games left. Since the beginning of the 2024 season, the Seminoles are 10-21 under Norvell, and they have dropped 12 straight true road games. Clemson, though, is one of the more manageable matchups left on the schedule, and the Seminoles will try to make that count at home.
In Other News...
FSU Heads Into Clemson With One Huge Problem To Solve
Florida State goes into its bye week still trying to steady itself after a double-overtime loss to Miami, and the timing is both a break and a warning. At 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC, the Seminoles have little margin for error left, and the next opponent on the schedule brings a very different kind of challenge. Clemson has not been sharp through the air, with inconsistent quarterback play dragging down the offense, but it has leaned on its run game and found traction there with Gideon Davidson.
The bigger issue for Florida State may be how it handles the matchup on the other side of the ball. Clemsons defense has been solid, allowing 21.5 points per game, and that puts added pressure on Ashton Daniels and an offense that may already be dealing with key absences. For a Seminoles team that needs something to stabilize the season, the trip to Clemson looks like the kind of game where one weak spot could decide the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Faces A Bigger Second-Half Question About Its Young Talent
Florida States second half has a different kind of urgency now, with the Seminoles trying to steady a season defined by uneven play and too many defensive leaks against both the run and the pass. One place to look is the rosters younger, homegrown talent, where defensive tackle Kevin Wynn, defensive back Charles Lester III and tight end Landen Thomas have all emerged as names worth watching as the workload begins to shift.
Wynn has already seen his snap count rise and has flashed the kind of run-stopping potential the defense has lacked at times. Lesters role is also growing even after some early struggles, and Thomas remains another player who could factor more prominently as Florida State searches for answers now while also trying to build something more dependable for later. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Exposed A Miami Problem Pitt Will Be Watching
Florida State pushed Miami to the edge in a double-overtime rivalry game that ended with a controversial interception by Bryce Fitzgerald standing after review. The Seminoles came within striking distance on a pair of late Hail Mary chances, and in doing so they exposed a defensive issue Miami had mostly hidden all season: the Hurricanes gave up 35 points, their highest total allowed so far.
That is the sort of tape Pitt will study closely, because Miami's defensive staff knows the problems were not limited to one play. Coordinator Corey Hetherman and linebacker Chase Smith both pointed to trouble with screen passes and late-game coverage, the kind of breakdowns that can turn a tight game into a dangerous one if they show up again. For a Miami team trying to steady itself after surviving Florida State, those are the warning signs that matter most. [Read more 🡒]