Three thoughts on FSU's loss to Clemson

The Seminoles fought until the final second but it wasn't enough to beat Clemson.

In what was a battle down to the very last second, Florida State couldn't come out of Death Valley with a win over Clemson on Saturday afternoon. The Seminoles built a lead in the fourth quarter after a strip-sack and score from Jermaine Johnson but the Tigers scored a touchdown down the stretch while aided by some tough calls. The end result is disappointing but there were some positives to take out of the defeat, as well as negatives.

Outside of the final touchdown, the defense shut out Clemson in the second half. Young players such as Omarion Cooper, DJ Lundy, and Quashon Fuller stepped up alongside veterans Jermaine Johnson, Fabien Lovett, and Keir Thomas. It was a revelation from the first half after Clemson found a rhythm on offense for one of the few times all season in the second quarter.

The offense had one long touchdown drive and a huge play from Lawrance Toafili. Other than that, they were limited as the Tigers loaded up the box and made it tough to run the ball. Nine penalties, six allowed sacks, and special teams' errors didn't make things any easier.

Here are three thoughts on the loss.

1. This team is still learning how to perform in big moments

It's been obvious since the beginning of the season when Florida State started 0-4, this team is still learning how to live up to the moment when the lights are shining their brightest. In a big game and with a chance to snap the longest winning streak ever in Death Valley, the Seminoles showed some signs but their inexperience and lack of depth hurt them in the end.

This team had multiple chances to make this game even tougher on Clemson but failed to capitalize on the opportunities. After an interception from true freshman Omarion Cooper in Tiger territory, Florida State was lined up to go for it on fourth and five before a false start penalty forced a punt and ended a rare scoring opportunity. In the fourth quarter, The Seminoles recovered a fumble and Treshaun Ward gave it right back on the next play. 

Late in the game following Jermaine Johnson's highlight play, the defense forced a three and out. The offense had a chance to come out and burn some clock, possibly scoring along the way to put the game out of reach. Instead, they went three out and punted back to Clemson. The Tigers would go on to take the lead.

The lack of execution left a sour taste in Seminole fans' mouths but you've got to be proud of the fight. FSU never quit and put itself in a position to win in a hostile environment.

2. Clemson's defense made Florida State one dimensional on offense

Coming into this game, it was obvious that the main matchup was Florida State's rushing attack against the Clemson defense. The Seminoles needed to be able to run the ball to set up long drives and control the clock. That didn't happen as the Tigers limited FSU to 65 rushing yards on 34 carries (1.9 YPC).

Time and time again, the running backs were hit in the backfield directly after the snap. Clemson compiled 10 tackles for loss and set the Seminoles behind the chains on multiple drives. The negative plays prevented FSU from getting into third and manageable very often. Florida State finished 4/13 on third downs with an average distance of 8.8 yards to go.

The passing game has been inconsistent all season with the deficiencies at wide receiver. The Tigers made the 'Noles throw it and took their chances. Jordan Travis was decent but the offense couldn't create chunk plays downfield. 

3. The Seminoles need a lot of work on special teams

Head coach Mike Norvell has prided himself on his special teams unit since his time at Memphis. Well, there's not a whole lot to like about where the unit sits through eight games of the season. 

Florida State had an extra point blocked against Clemson, though it probably should've been a penalty. The return units were also pathetic. Once again, the Seminoles failed to fair-catch punts and lost crucial yardage. Treshaun Ward let a punt bounce and roll inside the 10 with the clock running under 30 seconds. Falling on the ball would've saved some extra time and yardage for the offense. Instead, they were put in a situation to go 91 yards in 23 seconds.

Something has to change because that facet of the game is killing Florida State every week. The part of this that's concerning is that these are fixable mistakes and it's been the same problems for two-thirds of the season.

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