Ups and Downs: Clemson Wins Big Road Game at FSU

What went right and what didn't go as well for No. 4 Clemson following a key, 34-28 road win over the Florida State Seminoles.

Brad Senkiw | Oct 15, 2022

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No. 4 Clemson proved itself with another key road victory on Saturday in a 34-28 win at Florida State.

The Tigers improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the ACC and put themselves in a prime position for next week's home game against undefeated Syracuse. Here's what went right and not so right against the Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium:

Ups

Ball protection: When playing in a tough environment, avoiding turnovers is one of the biggest keys to the game. You just can't give the opponent that emotional lift and get the crowd behind them by giving away possessions. The Tigers personified that to a tee by protecting the ball at FSU. DJ Uiagalelei threw the ball 23 times without putting the ball in harm's way and he was sacked three times but didn't put the ball on the turf. This marks the third time in seven games this season and twice on the road that Clemson didn't commit any turnovers.

Middle 8: Clemson owned one of the most important parts of the four-quarter game. The Tigers took a 17-14 lead on a B.T. Potter field goal with 1:51 left in the second half and then got a fumble recovery. They turned that into a 5-yard TD run by Uiagalelei to go up 10 with 19 seconds before halftime. Because they won the toss and deferred, the Tigers got the ball to start the third quarter, returned the kickoff 65 yards and scored in the first 19 seconds of the half after Uiagalelei hit Davis Allen on a trick play for a 31-yard score to win the critical middle eight minutes of the game by a wide margin.

Ship happens: Will Shipley was the focal point of the offense for the Tigers, and he responded in a big way. The sophomore running back went over 100 rushing yards for the second consecutive game, finishing with 121 yards on 20 carries. He also caught a team-high 6 passes for 48 yards. Shipley said after the game that he felt like he had something to prove, and he accomplished that Saturday night in Tallahassee.

Red-zone offense: Clemson remained perfect on the season in the red-zone conversion rate. The Tigers went 3-for-3 against FSU to stay at 100% on the season. They scored two touchdowns and got one field goal. Clemson is tied with Ohio State, who was idle, and Tennessee, which went 6-for-6, at the top nationally in red-zone conversions.

Downs

Run defense: Clemson got outrushed in this game 157-206. FSU had 139 rushing yards in the first half. Clemson entered the game only allowing 62 per contest. The Seminoles were without their top rusher and still were able to push Clemson around enough to find running lanes. Dual-threat QB Jordan Travis made a big impact with his legs, accumulating 64 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. The Tigers got some big stops in the second half, but it was a problem for an aspect they've dominated.

Asleep at the wheel: Whether the Tigers were watching 'Noles fans leave the stands or they were staring at the scoreboard, they didn't seem very interested in the fourth quarter. Calls got more conservative and a sense of urgency vanished. The offense only ran 17 plays for 46 yards, and the defense gave up 169 to FSU in the final 15 minutes. The Seminoles cut a 20-point game to six points and Clemson held on. Some of it looked like effort — a lack thereof for Clemson and a positive one from FSU. But not finishing well was a blemish on what should've been a much easier win for the Tigers.

Penalties: Coming off their least penalized game of the season at Boston College, the Tigers got hit with eight yellow flags for 72 yards. They were lucky it didn't make a big difference as FSU wasn't penalized much, despite struggling to handle Clemson's pass rush. The Seminoles were flagged just three times for 17 yards.

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