Game Preview: Florida State Seminoles vs. No. 15 Clemson Tigers

Welcome to Brocktober!

Austin Veazey | 3 Hours Ago

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. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Florida State Seminoles

It took an injury for Florida State to make the decision to switch quarterbacks, and we'll see Brock Glenn start his first game of the season this weekend. Just like last year, he's getting thrown to the wolves.

Clemson comes to town ranked 15th and has seemingly found a rhythm on offense. With Dabo Swinney looking to pass Bobby Bowden for the most ACC wins as a coach, expect them to come with an extra fire.

It's another primetime game for the Seminoles, despite being 1-4, with a 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN in Doak Campbell Stadium.

Seminole Headlines

Brocktober is Upon Us

Reports started surfacing earlier in the week that DJ Uiagalelei was dealing with an injury to a finger on his throwing hand and would be out for a few weeks. So, finally, Brock Glenn will be Florida State's starting quarterback. This move comes a few weeks too late, as Uiagalelei has provided zero life into FSU's offense, though I'm not sure the playcalling has helped him.

There's a good chance the offense doesn't look any better under Glenn than it has under Uiagalelei. Glenn is a redshirt freshman starting his third career game and is bound to make some mistakes. But at least if he messes up, he can learn from them for the rest of his career. DJU's college career is over after this season.

Speaking of Glenn's third start, what a brutal way to start a career. His first career start in the ACC Championship against a top-15 Louisville. His second start came in the Orange Bowl against an angry Georgia team ready to kill anything in its path, and FSU had a lot of key players forgo the game. And now his third start is against a top-15 Clemson. Good luck, Brock.

Glenn will at least provide more mobility than Uiagalelei has shown thus far. But that's not saying very much.

Florida State's Offensive Line is Not Good

What was supposed to be a strength heading into the season is now arguably Florida State's biggest weakness. This offensive line has not been good. Their one bright spot, Richie Leonard, is now out for the season. So it's only going to get worse from here.

There's zero excuse for the offensive line to be this bad. FSU loves to talk about its combined starts and appearances, but when the product on the field is allowing 12 pressures per game and not opening rushing lanes, what's the point? I've brought up the lack of development in this room in previous previews, so a youth movement isn't likely to help. But with a young quarterback ready to make his first start at home, the offensive line has to clean things up.

A Rejuvenated Clemson Offense

Clemson was smoked to start the season, losing 34-3 to Georgia and averaging just 3.6 yards per play. In the three games since then, Clemson has scored 165 points, averaged 547 yards per game, and gained 8.2 yards per play. They've had a lot of success running the football, with Phil Mafah averaging 8 yards per carry, and Cade Klubnik has emerged as a running threat with a few long rushing touchdowns.

Outside of their game against Appalachian State, they haven't passed the ball too well, so you'd expect FSU to sell out to try and stop the run. They haven't had great success with that this season, so that may be asking too much.

Burning Questions

The Change has Been Made at Quarterback. Will Any Other Positions See a Youth Movement?

Quarterback isn't the only position FSU needs to evaluate. Kyle Morlock has been a disappointment, wide receivers have been mediocre, the offensive line has been brutal, and some members of the secondary aren't making an effort.

Guys like Landen Thomas, Elijah Moore, Lawayne McCoy, Lucas Simmons, and Edwin Joseph need to start seeing some snaps. Thomas is at least listed as a co-starter on FSU's depth chart, but if the veterans aren't going to do their jobs, they don't need to be on the field in what can already be called a wasted season.

Is the Effort Going to be Any Better?

There were some plays against SMU that FSU players and coaches should be embarrassed by. On Uiagalelei's pick-six, a few players were hardly making an effort to run the ball down. Conrad Hussey looked afraid of contact all game. The offensive line wasn't protecting their quarterback.

If they can't get up for this game, with Clemson likely being the best team on FSU's schedule, they don't need to be playing. It's as simple as that.

Who will win the rushing game?

As mentioned above, Clemson's rushing offense has been lethal, to the tune of 224 rushing yards per game. Florida State's defense has allowed 165 rushing yards per game, far from a strength for them.

But on the flip side, Clemson has been weirdly vulnerable to runs, allowing 183 rushing yards per game at 5.4 yards per carry. FSU hasn't done a great job of opening running lanes all year, but the only way they're competitive in this game is if they establish the run. This isn't a game where FSU asks Brock Glenn to throw 50 times and come out with a win.

Game Forecast

Clemson is favored by 14.5 points with an over/under of 47.5, according to FanDuel.

I may have cursed FSU three years ago without even realizing it. When Florida State played at Clemson in 2021, in an effort to be funny, I called DJ Uiagalelei "DJ Ukulele" on the podcast. Then I broke a ukulele live on the podcast for my score prediction in one of my favorite moments in Hear The Spear history.

This might have been the best score prediction pick ever on @HearTheSpear.

@NolesVikesVeaz picks the upset in Death Valley in dramatic fashion. 🤯😂 #Noles pic.twitter.com/MRcsyc5dCb
— Hear the Spear Podcast (@HearTheSpear) October 28, 2021

I did not realize DJU would become Florida State's QB and lead the Seminoles to a 1-4 record in 2024 at that time. In a way, I feel like this is bad karma. And since he's injured, I can't glue a ukulele back together or do something else to break the curse. So Phil Mafah and Cade Klubnik will run all over FSU and the Curse of the Ukulele will live on. I'm sorry.

Clemson 38, Florida State 13

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