Talented Etienne haunts Seminoles

CLEMSON, S.C. — Travis Etienne always dreamed of helping his team win a title. It didn’t take very long for the freshman to turn that dream into reality at Clemson.

Etienne ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns to lead the No. 4 Tigers to a 31-14 victory over Florida State University that clinched Clemson’s third straight ACC Atlantic Division title. Clemson might have missed out on the championship opportunity without Etienne, who picked the school late in the recruiting cycle when most figured he was headed for LSU.

He has nine touchdowns this season, second behind quarterback Kelly Bryant’s 10. Against the Seminoles’ staunch defense, Etienne made his biggest runs following Van Smith’s key fourth-quarter interception.

Etienne had a 25-yard run to the FSU 5. Two plays later, he burst through for a 1-yard score that made it 24-14 with 3:05 left. “Look, my guy is smiling,” Bryant shouted across the room as Etienne took questions.

There could be a lot more smiling ahead as the Tigers (9-1, 7-1) try for a third straight berth in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

“The story of the night was definitely the defense and the turnovers,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Especially that one by Van Smith. And we finally got that drive that we needed” in Etienne’s second TD.

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said his team regroup and prepare to build on its second half.

“We usually find a way to win games like these,” he said. “We’ve got to find that again.”

Associated Press will