Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney Breaks Down What Could Hurt The Tigers Against FSU

The Seminoles haven't defeated the Tigers since 2014 and haven't won in Death Valley since 2013.

The Florida State Seminoles are once again 3-0 and are currently ranked No. 4 in the nation, dropping a spot in the AP Poll after an ugly two-point win against the Boston College Eagles in Chestnut Hill. While the margin of victory was certainly not ideal, it gave the 'Noles what might be a much-needed wakeup call ahead of the matchup against the Clemson Tigers in Memorial Stadium.

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The Tigers are currently on a seven-game winning streak against FSU, with the 'Noles last winning the matchup in 2014. The series dates back to 1970 and has been played on an annual basis since 1992 with FSU having the winning record in the series (20-15).

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney, who has been with the program since 2003 and took over as head coach in 2008, had some words about FSU after Clemson’s huge win over Florida Atlantic.

“What a great win for them up there on the road, you know, they’re a heck of a team,” Swinney said on the ACC Network after the game.

Swinney added that he wasn’t surprised the Boston College Eagles gave Florida State a bit of a scare in their Red Bandanna Game, as playing on the road is never an easy task.

“It’s a tough place to play, and I think they really had the game in control,” Swinney said.

Some praise from a coach whose overall record as a head coach is 161-39 is something Florida State fans should not take with a grain of salt, as Swinney’s dominance in college football over the past decade provided him with two national championships in a three-year span.

Swinney added that Clemson’s dominance means nothing if they are unable to win the turnover margin against the Seminoles, who had two turnovers against Boston College, while Clemson had just one against FAU.

“We have no chance against Florida State if we can't win the turnover margin. We have zero chance. We can't beat hardly anybody when you lose the turnover margin. That's the greatest equalizer in football," Swinney said in a postgame press conference.

While the Tigers may be the underdogs, the 'Noles will without a doubt be facing one of their biggest challenges this season. If FSU can win the game, the program will be taking over the ACC as the Tigers have won seven of the last eight conference championship games.

Florida State will face the Tigers on Saturday, September 23 in Death Valley. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on ABC.

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