Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
’Noles look to snap 5-game skid vs. Tigers
After a dismal start, Florida State is riding high with its first threegame winning streak since 2017.
The Seminoles are hoping to make it four straight wins when they travel to Clemson to take on the Tigers in Death Valley.
Clemson went from being No. 3 in thepreseasonrankingsandthefavorite to win its seventh straight ACC title to being unranked in a matter of four weeks with losses to Georgia andN.C.State.TheTigershaven’tlost three games in a season since 2014 and are hoping to avoid a fourth loss for the first time since 2011.
Where: Memorial Stadium When: 3:30 TV: ESPN Radio: Seminole Sports Network/ Sirius XM Ch. 108/210/968 Weather: Overcast, 62 degrees with a 35% chance of rain Favorite: Clemson by 10 points Coaches: Mike Norvell, second season, 5-10 (43-26 overall); Dabo Swinney, 14th season, 144-36 Quick slant: This is the 34th meeting with FSU holding a 20-13 advantage. The Seminoles have lost five straight to in this series, including three consecutive games on the road. The last road win came on Oct. 19, 2013. The winner has gone on to claim the ACC title nine consecutive seasons. The ACC canceled last season’s game due to COVID-19 concerns.
About Florida State (3-4, 2-2 ACC):
Defensive end Jermaine Johnson II is second in the conference in total sacks (7.0) and tackles for loss (9.0). ... Cornerback Jarvis Brownlee and safety Jammie Robinson recorded interceptions in FSU’s win over UMass. Brownlee returned his interception 70 yards for a touchdown becoming the first Seminole with a pick-6 since Joshua Kaindoh against North Carolina last season . ... Jashaun Corbin has a team-high 686 rushing yards and his 127 yards against the Minutemen pushed him over 1,000 in his FSU career.
About Clemson (4-3, 3-2 ACC):
Clemson’s defense ranks among the toughest in the nation, allowing 14.6 points per game. The Tigers have only allowed one 100-yard rusher (Syracuse’s Sean Tucker) and 2 rushing touchdowns . ... Clemson is riding a 31-game winning streak at Memorial Stadium with the last Tigers’ loss coming in 2016. ... Linebacker James Skalski has a team-high 61 tackles and is second in quarterback hurries (8) . ... Freshman running back Will Shipley returned to the lineup against Pittsburgh after missing time with an injury. Shipley leads the Tigers in rushing touchdowns (5) and is second in rushing yards (263).
Three things to watch
1. Clemson’s QB quandary. Swinney benched quarterback DJ Uiagalelei after throwing two interceptions in the Tigers’ loss to Pittsburgh last week, replacing him with sophomore Taisun Phommachanh. Swinney said every position is up for evaluation and wouldn’t commit to his starter. Uiagalelei has completed 54.8% of his 199 passing attempts and his average of 5.5 yards per completion is the lowest of any starting quarterback in the ACC. 2. ’Noles tears it up on the ground. FSU has rushed for at least 200 yards in 6 of 7 games, including a season-high 365 yards in the win against UMass. The Seminoles are averaging 230 rushing yards which would be the highest average since 1987. Florida State also leads the nation in yards per attempt (6.33) with tailbacks Corbin (7.94) and Treshaun Ward (7.35) among the league leaders. 3. Travis continues hot streak. FSU quarterback Jordan Travis was 5 for 10 for 123 yards with 78 yards rushing against UMass. The redshirt sophomore has 983 yards of total offense and has led the Seminoles on scoring drives on 11 of 15 offensive possessions.