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Clemson vs. Florida State: Tigers Throttle the Seminoles 24-10
In a contest that once routinely decided the ACC championship and national title contenders, Clemson's 24-10 throttling of Florida State at a raucous Death Valley felt more like a nostalgic echo of past glories than a current battle of titans, yet for the Tigers, it was a crucial, if imperfect, step back to relevance. The game’s narrative was written in the first half, where Clemson, led by a determined Cade Klubnik who played through visible discomfort, executed with an aggressive precision that has been absent for much of the season.The opening drive was a masterclass in calculated risk, culminating not just in a Klubnik 4-yard touchdown scamper, but in a bold two-point conversion that saw placeholder Clay Swinney plunge up the middle, a play call that signaled a team playing with nothing to lose. While the offense sputtered at times, the defense, despite occasional lapses in lane discipline that allowed FSU's dynamic QB Tommy Castellanos to break contain, delivered the game's defining moment early, forcing a critical fumble at the Clemson 11-yard line to snuff out a promising Seminole drive.The Tigers' aerial attack, however, provided the fireworks, with Klubnik connecting with Antonio Williams on a beautifully executed, if harrowingly timed, flea-flicker for a score that stretched the lead to 15-0, a play that showcased the high-risk, high-reward potential of this offense when the play-calling clicks. Yet, consistency remained the elusive phantom for Dabo Swinney's squad; just as they seemed poised to deliver a knockout blow, a penalty-aided Florida State drive just before halftime allowed the Seminoles to claw back a touchdown, a reminder of the self-inflicted wounds that have plagued Clemson all year.The second half became a war of attrition, with Clemson's defense, after allowing an initial red zone incursion, stiffening magnificently, forcing a missed field goal and then later, with the game on the line, producing a game-sealing sack by Aveion Terrell on a 4th and 14 that exemplified a resilient finish. While the victory was comprehensive, the analytical eye can't ignore the persistent questions, particularly the perplexing decision to call a quarterback run for a limping Klubnik on a critical third down late in the game, a choice that baffles when the backfield boasts talents like Gideon Davidson.Statistically, Clemson won the trench war, controlling the clock and limiting FSU's big plays outside of a few costly scrambles, but the 10 penalties for 85 yards by the Seminoles were a telling subplot, a story of a team beating itself. For Clemson, this win is less a declaration of a return to elite status and more a hard-earned lesson in grinding out a victory against a familiar foe, a necessary building block that, much like a legendary player finding his form after a slump, provides a foundation of pride upon which the rest of the season must now be constructed.
#Clemson Tigers
#Florida State Seminoles
#college football
#ACC
#game recap
#featured
