CLEMSON | Just when you thought Clemson did enough in a game to break its fans, the Tigers turn around and break 20.
Dabo Swinney had talked a lot about the what-ifs in previous weeks, and they were piling up Saturday.
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The missed field goals, the strip-score for a Florida State go-ahead touchdown when the Seminoles didn't have much of a prayer of reaching the end zone.
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Leave it to the freshman who was turning all those heads during the offseason to flip an agonizing script that was going to have hated and mediocre FSU celebrating a win at Death Valley.
A pass interference penalty and a personal-foul infraction put Clemson well within field-goal range, at the FSU 21-yard line.
But Will Shipley was probably tired of seeing BT Potter miss those tries from 30, 37 and 49 yards.
Probably more tired of seeing this offense flail away at missing the layups.
So he went strong and dunked the damn thing with a weaving, determined, relentless touchdown run that was the difference.
And then Barrett Carter added another one with no time on the clock by recovering a fumble and sticking the nose of the ball over that same goal line to make it 30-20.
Not long ago, Clemson fans came to the stadium wondering how they'd pass the time with the Tigers up 35 halfway through. No one came to Death Valley with any illusions this time, as the old rivals entered with a combined 7-7 record.
Yeah, there was almost zero talk of revenge for FSU backing out of last year's sure bloodletting in Tallahassee.
The Tigers will take their 10-point win with no complaining, thank you very much.
Heck, maybe a downtown parade is in order to celebrate reaching 30 in an FBS game.
When you watch a defensive end swipe a ball loose from your quarterback's right hand, pick up the ball and run it in for a 6-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, it feels defining.
Maybe a Clemson offense in recent years could've overcome that in a heartbeat. But as we know, this is not that kind of offense.
Just a week earlier at Pitt, a shovel-6 early in the third quarter was enough to make it feel like the game was over at 21-7.
So when Jermaine Johnson blew past right tackle Walker Parks and plucked that ball loose from DJ Uiagaelelei, this thing felt over with 7:39 on the clock.
And that feeling only got stronger after the offense went backward on its next possession, punting the ball back to the Seminoles.
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But the defense came through by forcing a three-and-out, and then on first down Beaux Collins drew a pass-interference penalty on a deep ball to give the stadium some life.
And then DJ Lundy went at Uiagalelei's legs out of bounds to draw another 15-yard penalty.
Shipley had already missed two games this season with a shin injury and was less than full strength in this game after dinging his knee in practice.
He rushed for 128 yards on 25 carries after totaling 52 yards on 10 carries in his return at Pittsburgh.
Clemson finished with 377 yards to 244 for Florida State. The Tigers had 22 first downs to 11 for the Seminoles but were just 4-of-14 on third-down conversions.
Uiagalelei was 19-of-31 passing for 189 yards with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Davis Allen in the second quarter and a third-quarter interception.
Uiagalelei was benched for two series at Pitt after the interception return for a touchdown, but Swinney stuck with him a week later during those rough patches.
This season has seemingly contained more rough patches than the previous decade, but where there was a Will there was a way Saturday.
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