Can Clemson Tigers Offense Continue High Level of Performance vs. Florida State?

Will the Clemson Tigers face any resistance from the Florida State in their Week 6 matchup?

Sep 23, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Will Shipley (1) is tackled by Florida State Seminoles linebacker Tatum Bethune (15) in the second half at Memorial Stadium. / David Yeazell-Imagn Images

Coming into the 2024 college football season, the Clemson Tigers had this week’s matchup against the Florida State Seminoles circled.

Both teams were projected to be among the top teams in the ACC, battling for the automatic bid to the College Football Playoff along with the Miami Hurricanes and North Carolina State Wolfpack. While the Tigers are still in the running for that, the Seminoles aren’t.

The ACC foes enter this week’s matchups heading in different directions. Clemson is riding a three-game winning streak following their brutal opener against the Georgia Bulldogs. Florida State is 1-4 and reeling.

For the Tigers, this game has turned into a must-win affair. If they want any hopes of going to the conference championship, this is a game they have to win in Tallahassee.

That goal will be easier to accomplish if the offense continues playing at the level that it has.

Lacking explosion last season, it looked like those issues were carrying over into 2024. But, since facing Georgia, the team has been incredibly efficient on offense scoring 40+ points in all three victories.

What has led to this renaissance? As Bill Connelly of ESPN pointed out in his Week 6 preview, the team is taking risks down the field and they are paying off.

“They averaged 55 points and 8.2 yards per play against App State, NC State and Stanford, and while that's not exactly a murderer's row of defenses, it's still better than they performed against last year's worst defensive opponents.

Clemson has rebounded primarily by finally reintroducing risk. The Tigers' success rate has only slightly improved this season, but they're averaging 14.8 yards per successful play; they were at a dismal 11.0 in 2023,” he wrote.

Will that continue against the Seminoles? A lot has gone wrong for them this season, but they could present some issues for Clemson, led by a strong pass rush.

“Florida State should at least offer a status check of sorts. The Seminoles have been mediocre against the run, but they rush the passer well and could cause quarterback Cade Klubnik some problems,” wrote Connelly.

Explosive plays have become the norm in Death Valley with their quarterback living up to the five-star pedigree he had coming into college. Freshman wide receivers Bryant Wesco Jr. and T.J. Moore have caught only 13 passes but are averaging 26.4 yards per catch.

With the passing offense putting pressure on the opposing defense, running back Phil Mafah is taking full advantage. He is ripping off chunk yardage with regularity, averaging 8.0 yards per carry and 5.0 after contact.

He could be a bigger part of the game plan if the Florida State pass rush gets home with any regularity. But, given the disparity in momentum entering the game, it is hard to envision the Tigers being slowed down too much despite it being their first true road game of the season.