ClemsonThe defense, often criticized this season, put in one of its best performances in football against Floridalimiting the Seminoles to one touchdown and heading into halftime with an 18-7 lead. While Tigers capitalizing on a few lucky rebounds, they made enough key plays to stay in command through the first two quarters.
Garrett Riley's offense was sharper than usual, and he immediately set the tone with a long, methodical scoring drive that covered 75 yards in 13 plays. Cade Klubnik finished the game with a short touchdown followed by Clay Swinney's successful two-point conversion. For a group that didn't always start games rhythmically, this was a good start. But that early flow quickly faded as the offense fell apart on three straight possessions. The odd stunt backfired, leading to a layoff, and Klubnik later missed a clear opportunity to hit Antonio Williams trailing to third. Those mistakes kept Florida State within striking distance, although the Tigers could have had a better lead.
Clemson's defense wasn't perfect, but it was saved by some mistakes by the Seminoles. A poor coverage left tight end Randy Pittman open on fourth down, but he dropped what should have been an easy catch. Clemson turned that gift into points just moments later when Klubnik hit Williams for a 34-yard touchdown. Another setback nearly cost them another win when Squirrel White fell behind the secondary, but the Florida State defender beat him by a wide margin. Two close touchdowns for the Seminoles came to nothing.
On the ground, Adam Randall and Gideon Davidson gave Clemson just enough production to keep the defense honest, combining for nearly 60 yards against one of the ACC's best run stoppers. More importantly, the Tigers dominated possession, controlling the ball for over 19 minutes and dictating the tempo of the game throughout the first half.
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