College Football News
One week ago, Clemson was 6 minutes away from a win and left Death Valley with a loss. On Saturday night, the Tigers get a chance to answer in a place they have rarely lost.
Clemson (4-3, 2-2 ACC) visits Florida State (3-4, 1-3) at 7 p.m. ET on the ACC Network at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Tigers are coming off a 20-16 Homecoming loss to Virginia Tech, a game they led 16-10 after three quarters. The Seminoles are coming off a bye and a 43-35 double-overtime loss at No. 3 Miami.
How Clemson can win
1. Finish the drives. Clemson’s defense played well enough to win last week, holding Virginia Tech to a season-low 234 yards. But the offense kicked three field goals, scored one touchdown and went 3 for 14 on third down. For the season, Clemson has scored just 150 points in seven games, about 21.4 per game. The Tigers don’t need a shootout, but they need to turn drives into touchdowns. The Associated Press noted after the loss that receivers T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. have been underused, so Saturday might be the time to get them more involved.
2. Contain Ashton Daniels. Florida State’s fifth-year quarterback is the Seminoles’ offense. He has thrown for 1,618 yards and 12 touchdowns and run for 11 more, which put him in the top three nationally in total touchdowns. He also has eight interceptions. Against Miami he threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns, and he won ACC Quarterback of the Week for the second time this season. Clemson’s pass rush is trending in the right direction. It had six sacks last week, a season high, and the Tigers have had double-digit tackles for loss in back-to-back games. Will Heldt, who has 6.0 sacks, has two sacks in three games this season. The challenge is keeping Daniels in the pocket without letting him break loose.
3. Win the turnover battle. Clemson hasn’t won the turnover margin in eight straight games, dating back to last season. But the Tigers had zero giveaways in their wins over Florida State in both 2024 and 2025. Another clean game would be a first in series history: a third straight giveaway-free game against the Seminoles.
4. Use the special teams edge. Kicker Nolan Hauser is 18 of 19 on field goals, tied for the national lead, and leads the nation in made field goal yardage with 702. Wesco is 10th in the nation in punt return average (14.9) and Chris Johnson Jr. is 12th in kick return average (24.6). Clemson and James Madison are the only teams with a returner in the top 15 in both categories, and field position matters in a game like this.
5. Stay disciplined. Clemson had seven penalties for 65 yards against Virginia Tech, including three 15-yard penalties on the Hokies’ game-winning drive. The Tigers can’t afford that on the road.
The bounce-back factor
History is on Clemson’s side. Under Dabo Swinney, the Tigers are 42-13 in the game after a loss, and they have won 37 consecutive games against teams with a losing record at kickoff, the third-longest active streak in the nation. Florida State is 3-4. The Tigers haven’t lost to a team with a losing record since 2010, when they lost to 2-5 Boston College.
What it means for the rivalry
This game used to decide the ACC. Since 2009, Clemson and Florida State have represented the conference in the ACC Championship Game 15 times in 17 years, and the two teams have won 13 of the last 15 league titles. This year the rivalry looks different. Miami is 7-0 and 5-0 in the ACC, and both Clemson and Florida State are fighting just to stay in the bowl picture. Clemson has been bowl-eligible for 27 straight seasons, and it needs two more wins to make it 28.
For Clemson, there’s a lot of history on the line.
A fifth straight win in Tallahassee. The Tigers have won there in 2016, 2018, 2022 and 2024, and a fifth would be the first time in series history Clemson has done it. Only Florida (six straight, 1966-76) and Miami (five straight, 1957-77) have won that many in a row at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The all-time series. Florida State still leads 21-17, but Clemson has won nine of the last 10 meetings and the Seminoles’ only win in that span was a 31-24 overtime victory in 2023. A win would make Clemson 10-1 against Florida State since 2015.
Swinney and Bobby Bowden. Swinney (116-30 in ACC regular-season games) can tie Bowden’s conference record of 117 wins. A win would also pass Nick Saban and Bob Stoops for second place in wins through the first 20 seasons of an FBS head coaching career.
A few connections. Saturday is the 130th anniversary of Clemson’s first game, a 14-6 win over Furman on Oct. 31, 1896. Clemson safety Jerome Carter III is the son of Jerome Carter Jr., who played at Florida State from 2001 to 2004. Florida State will honor Peter Warrick, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and Clemson cornerback Elliot Washington II is a distant relative of Warrick.
The Seminoles’ side
Florida State has plenty to play for. Coach Mike Norvell is in his seventh season, and he is 1-4 against Clemson. The Seminoles need to win three of their last five games to become bowl-eligible and return to the postseason for the first time in three years. Despite the record, FSU opened as a favorite, about 6.5 points per FanDuel.
The Seminoles beat Virginia 38-7 on Oct. 3, when Daniels ran for five touchdowns, but they have lost on the road three times this season, including a 44-20 loss at Louisville and the Miami game. They also lost running back Ousmane Kromah to a reported season-ending injury in that game.
Our lean
This is closer than the records suggest. Florida State is rested and has the quarterback, and Doak Campbell Stadium will be loud on Halloween night. But Clemson has the better defense and the better special teams, and it is 4-0 in its last four trips here. Our lean: Clemson by a field goal.
How to watch
Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m. ET
TV: ACC Network (Wes Durham, Max Browne and Madison Fitzpatrick)
Radio: Clemson Athletic Network (Don Munson, Jeff Scott and Tim Bourret); Sirius XM 258
Stadium: Doak Campbell Stadium (67,277)
Related: Virginia Tech stuns Clemson 20-16 | Clemson Athletics | Florida State Athletics | Game page on ESPN
