Three Keys to Success For Clemson Tigers to Beat Florida State Seminoles

The Clemson Tigers roll into their game with the Florida State Seminoles hoping to remain undefeated in ACC action.

Sep 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Brock Glenn (11) before the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Florida State Seminoles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The complexion of the Clemson Tigers’ matchup with the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday received an adjustment upon news about FSU’s starting quarterback.

DJ Uiagalelei, the former Clemson starter who played at Oregon State last season before transferring to FSU (1-4, 1-3 in ACC), has a broken finger on his throwing hand, which he suffered against SMU. ESPN reported that he’ll likely be out for a few weeks.

That puts the starting job in the hands of Brock Glenn. And it changes the keys to the game for the Tigers (3-1, 2-0 in ACC).

How does it change those keys?  Let’s explore three keys to success for Clemson to beat Florida State.

Force Brock Glenn to Beat You

Glenn threw four passes against SMU and didn’t complete a single one. Last year, as the backup to Jordan Travis, he went 19-of-51 for 225 yards with two interceptions. He’s not starting from scratch. He made two starts last year — against Louisville in the ACC title game and against Georgia in the Orange Bowl.

The second-year collegiate hasn’t had much in the way of positive plays to draw from.

The Clemson defense needs to use that. Florida State’s run game would be the likely place coach Mike Norvell would turn in order to protect his young quarterback. But Lawrance Toafili has rushed for 214 yards in five games and the entire ground game has just 326 yards. It’s averaging 2.4 yards per carry.

Norvell needs the ground game to get going. The Tigers need to stuff the ground game and force Glenn into a situation where he has to beat Clemson through the air. He hasn’t proven he can do that yet. The Tigers shouldn’t allow him to get the slightest bit of confidence.

Don’t Get Overconfident

This key is a bit less about statistics than about mindset. The Tigers blew out an overmatched NC State team two weeks ago, one that was led by a freshman quarterback making his first collegiate start for an injured quarterback. Just because it worked out the first time doesn’t mean it’s going to work out again, right?

Glenn has a couple of starts under his belt. He’ll have a full week of practice with the first string. He won’t have anyone looking over his shoulder. Plus, he and the Seminoles have nothing to lose. The season has already gotten away from them. Why not take some chances?

The Tigers can’t afford to be unserious in their first true road game in one of the unruliest places in the ACC.

Lean Into the Run

Getting the football to Clemson running back Phil Mafah is always a good plan. But this week it’s especially a good idea because the Seminoles have been bad against the run.

In five games the defense has given up 829 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s 165.8 yards per game and ranks them No. 99 in run defense.

That’s a matchup to exploit and it doesn’t have to be Mafah. Quarterback Cade Klubnik has shown great capability in the run game. Between the pair, they can set a tone with the ground game and puts FSU in a bind.