Watson will test defense’s’ improvement

Noles hope progress prevents repeat of Louisville meltdown.

No. 3 Clemson at No. 12 Florida State, 8 p.m., ABC TALLAHASSEE — Florida State is hoping history doesn’t repeat itself as it prepares to face another Heisman Trophy contender.

The 12th-ranked Seminoles had one of their worst games of the Jimbo Fisher era in a thumping against Lamar Jackson and No. 5 Louisville. On Saturday, they face Deshaun Watson and third-ranked Clemson.

“You watch the consistency he plays with, he throws the deep ball, the short ball, can run,” Fisher said of Watson. “He’s a great competitor and always fifinds ways to make the plays.”

This will be the third time that Watson has faced the Seminoles. Two years ago, he came offff the bench and completed 19 of 28 passes for 266 yards along with a rushing touchdown. Last season, he had yards of total offffffffffffense (297 passing, 107 rushing) as the Tigers beat FSU for the fifirst time in four years.