Fisher delivers plenty of compliments for champs
TALLAHASSEE For the second consecutive season, the annual Florida State-Clemson football matchup will lack some luster.
But that does not mean the Seminoles are going to back down from their lateseason challenge against the defending national champion Tigers, who are ranked fourth nationally and on the cusp of a third consecutive berth in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
During a season that has started 3-5 thanks to lastminute defeats, major injuries and a lack of leadership, FSU coach Jimbo Fisher and his team are trying to ride a recent confidence boost into Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. matchup in Death Valley.
“You’re playing a great team on their home field. You better be ready to play a great game,” Fisher said of his players’ motivation on Monday, two days after their first home win of the season against Syracuse.
“There’s a lot on the line as far as we have for pride and things that go on, and how you want to be perceived. Any time you play, how hard you play, how well you play. And you want to improve your stock in what you provide here for young players, how to compete and do things well.”
The Seminoles are in a battle the rest of the season to extend the nation’s longest bowl eligible streak to 36 years, needing three wins to reach the threshold of six victories needed. FSU could also win five games and be invited to a bowl if the Seminoles have better APR scores than other five-win teams.
FSU is expected to announce this week it is rescheduling a canceled game against Louisiana Monroe on Dec. 2, which will give the Seminoles four regular season games to accomplish the feat.
On the other sideline, Dabo Swinney’s team will try to not overlook the Seminoles, who opened as a 19-point underdog. The line dropped slightly to 16 points on Monday.
“I have no doubt that my team will come out there ready to fight,” FSU junior defensive end Josh Sweat said. “Every play, everyone is just going to have to battle. It’s going to be tough.”
From 2009-2015, the winner of the FSU-Clemson game went on to represent the ACC’s Atlantic Division in the conference title game, with the Seminoles winning the league title from 2012-14.
But during the past two seasons, Fisher’s Seminoles have been out of the ACC race earlier than expected.
This season, FSU has suffered losses to NC State, Miami, Louisville and Boston College, while Clemson is on pace to make its third consecutive trip to the national title game.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Kelly Bryant has smoothly replaced NFL rookie Deshaun Watson leading the Clemson offense. The Tigers have earned convincing wins over Auburn, Louisville, Virginia Tech and NC State.
Fisher thoroughly praised Swinney, Clemson athletics director Dan Radakovich and the football program for opening the doors to an opulent $55 million football-only complex earlier this year that puts the entire nation at a distinct recruiting disadvantage.
While Fisher and the Seminoles are still in the early stages of erecting their own football-only complex, a stiff competition on the field against Clemson could do wonders for the program during a trying season.
Despite being considered a heavy underdog, the Seminoles still have some optimism.
“We have a great opportunity to go in there and play the No. 4 team in the country,” FSU sophomore cornerback Levonta Taylor said. “To go out there, and get a win would be good for our season and the players as well. Things are not going how we want it to be, but to go out there and win could be big for us.”