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Published Oct 5, 2024
Clemson leaves Tallahassee with win No. 4 ... and more questions
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Larry Williams
Tigerillustrated.com

Doak Campbell Stadium is under construction.

So is Clemson's killer instinct.

The Tigers went to Tallahassee and dominated the stat sheet but not the scoreboard.

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And certainly not special teams.

Dabo Swinney's program will certainly take any win over Florida State, particularly after the Tigers made excruciating mistakes last season in failing to close out the Seminoles.

Saturday night in Tallahassee it was FSU that wasn't ready for primetime, FSU that couldn't complete plays, FSU that couldn't snap the ball to itself.

But it was Clemson that couldn't put its foot on the throat.

And make no mistake: That's exactly what Clemson went to the Sunshine State looking to do against the reeling Seminoles.

The No. 15-ranked Tigers won 29-13 over a program and a stadium that are a shell of what they've been in the past.

It could've been so much more convincing. It should've been so much more convincing, because that's what the statistics sheet says.

Clemson out-gained FSU 500-250.

It out-rushed the Seminoles 265-22.

It piled up 28 first downs to 14 for Mike Norvell's team.

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And yet there the Seminoles were as the final minute ticked down, trying to drive to make it a one-score game.

Yeah, that's going to be less than totally satisfying.

It wasn't as harrowing as Clemson's last trip to Doak Campbell when the Tigers were up 34-14 but couldn't finish the job and held on for dear life in a 34-28 victory.

But this FSU team is nowhere close to the 2022 version that finished 10-3 and in the Top 10.

This FSU team came in 1-4 and was ripe to be torn apart in front of the loyalists who still admirably showed up even after last week's 42-16 pillaging at the hands of SMU in Dallas.

Clemson reached the end zone just twice, and that pretty much told the story.

That and the left side of the line on Clemson's field-goal unit that kept getting caved in to allow FSU to block two field-goal attempts by Nolan Hauser.

The Tigers were up 17-0 after 15 minutes and feeling really good about themselves thanks to touchdown strikes to Antonio Williams (57 yards) and TJ Moore (23 yards).

Even at halftime Clemson was well in control with a 23-7 lead and dominance of the statistics sheet.

Hauser did make his final two attempts, of 31 and 24 yards, in the fourth quarter to create the final margin.

But everyone in orange wanted more than just field goals, particularly after a 59-yard run by Phil Mafah put the offense near the end zone.

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Mafah rushed for 154 yards on 25 carries for an average of 6.2 a carry. Cade Klubnik was the Tigers' No. 2 rusher on the night with 62 yards on 11 attempts.

Klubnik threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions on a 19-of-33 clip.

His counterpart. Brock Glenn, threw for 228 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while completing 23 of 41 passes. Glenn was playing in place of former Tiger DJ Uiagalelei, who had surgery on his hand earlier in the week.

Clemson's defensive front shut down the Seminoles running game, as Lawrance Toafili and Kam Davis combined for 29 yards on 16 carries.

The Tigers often faced long yardages on third downs and that was a big factor in them converting just six of 15 attempts.

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Clemson did win its fourth game in a row to improve to 4-1.

The Tigers now turn their attention to Winston-Salem for next week's game at Wake Forest.

Maybe they can find their killer instinct there.

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