Three Key Matchups For FSU Heading Into Rivalry Game Against Clemson

With DJ Uiagalelei sidelined for Saturday's matchup, redshirt freshman Brock Glenn and the Seminoles will need to be sharp as the No. 15 Tigers come to town.

Sep 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (4) and quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (14) and 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

The Florida State Seminoles will face off against the Clemson Tigers in Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday at 7 ET on ESPN. FSU will look to bounce back after its embarrassing loss to SMU in Dallas last week.

READ MORE: Mike Norvell Provides An Update On Injury To Florida State's Starting Quarterback

Florida State and Clemson were fierce Atlantic Division rivals, but with the end of divisions in the ACC and both institutions attempting to litigate their way out of the conference, this matchup has a stronger sense of finitude.

Clemson comes into this game ranked 15th in the nation with a 3-1 record, simultaneously boasting a 44-point win over Appalachian State and a 24-point win over North Carolina State. It was a much larger victory against the Wolfpack than the score shows, as the Tigers led 59-14 at the end of the third quarter. The final was 59-35.

Many fans will be glued to their screens or making the trip to the Sunshine State’s capital this weekend to see their Seminoles in action, but if you’re looking for the pivotal matchups – the game within the game on Saturday – NoleGameday has you covered.

1. Florida State Run Defense vs. Clemson Rushing Attack

Yes. This has been a key matchup nearly every week as FSU tends to give up a lot of yards on the ground. In the two games they’ve given up more than 200 yards rushing, they lost by at least two scores. In the three games they haven’t, they kept it within one score or won the game outright.

Clemson has a pretty balanced attack, as 1,111 of their yards have come through the air, and 717 have come on the ground. Despite having the 52nd-ranked rushing attack, the Tigers average 5.98 yards a pop which is better than most. Therefore, FSU will need to pick its poison. Last week the Seminoles displayed anything but competency with their third-down defense. But if they slow the run game down against Clemson and force obvious passing situations with the home crowd behind them, it could make this game closer than some expect.

2. Brock Glenn vs. Clemson Defense

When NoleGameday produced the first set of key matchups before the Georgia Tech game, we thought DJ Uiagalelei specifically against GT’s talented safeties would be a great matchup. That didn’t come to be as the ’Noles didn’t attempt to stretch the field. However, in this game, redshirt freshman Brock Glenn is making his first start of the year against possibly the best team in the conference.

Clemson’s defense has been historically good in the last decade. While their “total defense” is statistically worse than FSU’s, the majority of the points scored against them have been in garbage time. Yes, Georgia put up 34 against them, but it’s Georgia, and it was the first week of the year.

Brock Glenn will need to play the game of his life against Clemson. There is no way around it. The run game is simply not good enough to carry the load as it did against Louisville in the ACC Championship Game. Glenn will need to use both his arm and his legs efficiently in order to give the Seminoles a shot on Saturday.

3. FSU Receivers against themselves – Drops

In school, we learned that there are three types of conflict in every story: Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, and Man vs. Self.

This is a classic case of the latter as Florida State dealt with some butterfingers on Saturday against SMU and have throughout the year. Some drops were contested, others have been wide open, and one led to a pick-six last week that completely changed the momentum of the game.

Dropping easy passes – at the very least – decreases morale, which is running short in Tallahassee.

A failure to execute against Clemson will not be an option if they want to make it a game in Doak on Saturday night.

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