FSU snaps 7-game losing skid vs. Tigers
CLEMSON, S.C. — Jordan Travis threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman to start overtime, and No. 4 Florida State completed a second-half comeback to defeat Clemson 31-24 on Saturday and snap a seven-game losing streak against the Tigers.
Travis also threw for another TD and ran for a score for the Seminoles (4-0, 2-0 ACC), who had not beaten Clemson (2-2, 0-2) since an overtime victory in 2014.
FSU linebacker Kalen DeLoach forced a fumble by Cade Klubnik and scooped it up for a 56-yard TD return to tie things at 24 with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.
Clemson had a chance to take a late lead, but Jonathan Weitz, a graduate student who left the team before the season, only to return after the Tigers had issues in the kicking game, missed a 29-yard field-goal try wide left with under two minutes remaining.
Instead, the game went to OT and Travis, who was 21 of 37 for 289 yards, lofted a perfect pass that Coleman caught in stride and hushed the raucous Death Valley crowd on the first extra possession.
Clemson couldn’t get a first down on its possession when Klubnik’s fourth-and-2 pass sailed wide of the target, and Florida State’s players ran to celebrate on the field where they hadn’t won since 2013.
Clemson had only lost twice in 10 years at Death Valley since the Seminoles and quarterback Jameis Winston’s memorable 51-14 beatdown of the Tigers in 2013.
Florida State struggled to find space much of the first half and had only 21 yards with less than 8 minutes left before the half. That’s when Travis and his talented corps of playmakers found their groove.
Travis directed a pair of 75-yard touchdown drives in the final 5 minutes, the first ending when Coleman was left alone a step inside the goal line for a 7-yard scoring catch.
After Clemson answered quickly with a TD drive of its own, Travis went 4 of 4 for 67 yards and finished with a 2-yard touchdown run to get within 17-14.
Weitz, who had been Clemson’s backup kicker for four seasons, got a call from coach Dabo Swinney at his home in Charleston, asking him to rejoin the team. Weitz was working on a graduate degree online.
He got the Tigers’ scoring started with a 30-yard field goal. He had made just three extra points in his four seasons with the team before pursuing a job in finance.
Garrett Shrader threw for one touchdown and ran for another as host Syracuse overcame a first-half dominated by Army and scored 26 unanswered points to defeat the Black Knights 29-16 on Saturday and stay unbeaten.
Army (2-2) dominated the firsthalf statistics but led just 10-3. Syracuse (4-0) came alive in the second half, scoring on five straight possessions.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say things didn’t go our way in the first half,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. “I would’ve liked it for it to be a tie game or for us to be slightly ahead, but we were down by the score that if we came out (on the first drive), we could get it even.
“The big conversation was that we needed to score on that drive in the third quarter, and when we did that we switched the pressure back to them.”
LeQuint Allen scored on a 13-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 10 midway through the third quarter, and a 13-yard pass from Shrader to Umari Hatcher on the Orange’s next possession gave Syracuse a 16-10 lead over the Black Knights.
The Orange defense held Army to just five first downs and minus-4 yards rushing, sacked Bryson Daily three times and intercepted him twice after intermission.
For Army, the main concern was the health of junior defensive lineman Andre Miller, who was carted off the field in the fourth quarter.
“We’re certainly disappointed with the result of the game, but our biggest concern is Andre Miller,” said Army coach Jeff Monken, who added Miller had feeling in his extremities and was responding to him.
No. 18 Duke 41, UConn 7:
Jordan Waters rushed for two touchdowns, and Riley Leonard completed 23 of 34 passes for 248 yards and a TD as the Blue Devils (4-0) dusted the Huskies (0-4) in East Hartford, Connecticut. Leonard also rushed for a touchdown, and Jordan Moore made eight catches for 86 yards and a score.
UConn had two turnovers and just 203 offensive yards. Ta’Quan Roberson’s 2-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds remaining averted a shutout.
The Hurricanes (4-0) trounced the Owls (2-2) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Henry Parrish had 16 carries for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Van Dyke completed 17 of 24 passes for 220 yards and three TDs, with Xavier Restrepo catching two of the scoring throws.
The Owls’ E.J. Warner, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner’s son, was 22 of 39 for 240 yards and a touchdown, but Miami intercepted him twice.
No. 20 Miami 41, Temple 7:
Louisville 56, Boston College 28:
The host Cardinals (4-0, 2-0 ACC) raced past the Eagles (1-3, 0-2) with numerous big plays.
Jack Plummer completed 18 of 21 passes for 388 yards and five TDs, and Jawhar Jordan ran 18 times for 134 yards and two scores.
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce caught three passes for 110 yards and two scores, and Jordan’s only catch went for a 75-yard touchdown.
Louisville outscored BC 28-14 in the second quarter for a 42-14 halftime bulge.
The Eagles’ Thomas Castellanos hit 17 of 33 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns.