This weekend Clemson will be heading to Tallahassee to take on Florida State. This will be the Tigers’ third ACC game of 2024. Even though the Seminoles have not been off to a great start, this is still an important conference game for Dabo Swinney’s team. It is a chance to get their third win to open conference play and get revenge against the Seminoles after a heartbreaking overtime loss last season.
Heartbreaker in Death Valley
It was a game Clemson controlled until the end with 118 more yards of total offense. The Tigers also had 150 more rushing yards in the game than the Seminoles. Clemson just gave up too many big plays on defense in the passing game. Also, the Tigers had trouble holding onto the football.
A fumble by the Tigers’ offense late in the third quarter that was scooped up and returned for a touchdown killed the momentum they had on the drive. When the fumble occurred, Clemson was driving down the field with a chance to go up by two scores. Instead, it became a tied game that would go into overtime. In overtime, Jordan Travis connected with Keon Coleman on a jump ball in the end zone. This gave the Seminoles the lead and eventually the win when the Tiger offense could not score when they got the ball back.
Travis and Coleman gave the Tigers problems last season. They were the only two guys to score touchdowns for Florida State in that game and they did it more than once. Travis played great in Death Valley completing 21 of 37 pass attempts for 289 yards and two touchdowns. He also had one rushing touchdown. Both his touchdown passes went to Coleman who also finished with 5 catches for 86 yards. The good thing for Clemson is both of these guys have moved on to the NFL.
The bad thing for Florida State though is Cade Klubnik is back at Clemson and playing much better football than he did last year. One of Klubnik’s best games last season was against Florida State. He completed 89% of his passes for 238 yards and a touchdown. Coming into this year’s game he is a better quarterback with much more experience.
Florida State’s Rocky Start
Florida State has had a tough start to its 2024 season. Coming off of the undefeated regular season in 2023, there was lots of hype around the direction of the program despite the talent loss. Head coach Mike Norvell reloaded using the transfer portal. His biggest commitment from out of the portal in the offseason was former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. The Seminoles entered the season ranked 10th in the nation and the favorite to win the ACC.
Then they lost to Georgia Tech 21-24 in a week 0 matchup in Ireland. Since then things have not gotten better for Florida State. The Seminoles are currently sitting at 1-4 overall, 1-3 in the ACC. Since the Georgia Tech game, they have suffered losses to Boston College, Memphis, and most recently to Southern Methodist (SMU). The lone win for Norvell’s team came against California in a low-scoring game 14-9.
Florida State has struggled in just about every phase and position in the game. This team has severely underperformed across the offensive and defensive lines though. On offense, the Seminoles are averaging just 278 total yards per game. That puts them in the bottom 10 in the FBS. Even worst they are only rushing for 65.2 yards per game, bottom 4 in the FBS. On defense, they have given up 200+ rushing yards against both Boston College and SMU. Georgia Tech ran the ball for 190 yards in its matchup with Florida State. Overall the Seminole defense gives up an average of 382 yards per game.
None of those numbers are indicative of the team Florida State believed it should be in 2024. The start of the season has Seminoles fans frustrated and the coaching staff confused. Everyone involved with the program and many on the outside of it expected much better.
DJU’s Status
One of the key reasons Florida State had such high expectations was because of the acquisition of Uiagalelei. Although he was inconsistent in his time as the Clemson starting quarterback, he showed signs of growth in his one-year stint at Oregon State. But, his second stint in the ACC might be going worse than his first.
Besides his team starting 1-4, Uiagalelei has struggled to get anything going for himself or the offense in five games. He’s completed just 53% of his passes for four touchdowns and six interceptions. To make matters worse, he broke his finger on his throwing hand last week against SMU. This means he will be out for the game against his former team.
Redshirt freshman Brock Glenn will start in his place. Glenn has started two games for the Seminoles in his career so far. The games were the 2023 ACC Championship game against Louisville and the Orange Bowl against Georgia. In his career so far, Glenn has completed 19 of 51 pass attempts for 229 yards and two interceptions. He entered the game against SMU after Uiagalelei went out with his injury. Glenn completed none of his four pass attempts in the game.
Keys for Clemson
The key for Clemson is they have to keep doing what they have been the last three games. The Tigers look like a team that has found who they are and knows what they need to do to win. The Seminoles are on the opposite end looking like they are trying to find their identity. Offensively keeping Klubnik confident and pushing the ball downfield will be important. The Florida State defense will give up big plays in the passing game. They are not great in the defensive backfield. Also making sure Phil Mafah gets his touches to keep the defense honest will be key.
On defense, this is the time for this unit to put together a full game. The Seminoles already struggle to run the ball. If they are not able to start establishing a run game with a young backup stepping into the starter role, it will be hard for them to get anything going. The defense should dominate this game thoroughly if they want to prove they are one of the best units in college football. Getting off to a fast start will be important for putting away an angry Florida State team early. Finishing strong will keep them from finding a way back.
