Clemson Wins ACC Atlantic With Win Over FSU

With many of the preseason aspirations on the line in Death Valley on Saturday, the weather coincided and made for a pretty afternoon. A pretty cold afternoon with temperatures below 50.

A victory in Raleigh, North Carolina last week put Coach Swinney’s team in prime position to bring home the ACC Atlantic Division title with one remaining conference game. The only team standing in their way, the (3-5) Florida State Seminoles.

While the Seminoles have had their fair share of injuries, a very talented and very well coached team came into Clemson, SC on a brisk Saturday afternoon.

As both teams exchanged defensive onslaughts to begin the contest, Clemson Quarterback Kelly Bryant put the Tigers on the board first with a 2 yard Touchdown run.

Clemson would take the 7-0 lead deep into the second quarter until the freshman sensation from Louisiana, Travis Etienne, got a few carries. Etienne would take a handoff 28 yards into the end zone to cap off a 1 play drive of 5 seconds that was preceded by a Van Smith interception.

To close out the first half, Alex Spence knocked a 26 yard Field Goal through the uprights. Clemson took a comfortable 17-0 lead into the locker rooms for the halftime break.

That lead may have been a little too comfortable as it was all Florida State most of the second half. The Noles came out of the locker rooms and played strong defense. The offense finally found their rhythm and running back Jacques Patrick punched in a 3 yard Touchdown run to draw within manageable distance to Clemson’s lead of 17-7.

Later in the fourth quarter, Quarterback James Blackmon hit Ryan Izzo for a broken-coverage, wide-open 60 yard touchdown. Clemson’s 17-0 lead at halftime, had now dwindled down to 17-14 with 8:53 left in the game. Clemson’s toughness and authenticity were set to be truly tested. With that in mind, the Tigers did not disappoint.

Both teams exchanged possessions without a change on the scoreboard. Once again, Travis Etienne displayed his superstar capabilities by all but sealing the deal with a 1 yard Touchdown run to push the Clemson lead to 24-14. Etienne finished the game with 97 yards on 14 carries to go along with 2 touchdowns.

With under a minute left, Adam Choice had his number called. Choice did not have a single carry in last Saturday’s win over NC State, but with 35 seconds remaining, he pushed the pile into the end zone with pigskin in hand 10 yards for the touchdown. Alex Spence was perfect on extra points going 4-4 on the day.

With the victory, Clemson clinched the ACC Atlantic Division Title and secured a spot in Charlotte, North Carolina on December 2nd with a matchup against Miami for the ACC crown.

Next Saturday, November 18th at 12:20 pm, the Tigers will kick off for Military Appreciation day followed by a match up with The Citadel who is (5-5) on the season.

 

Image Credit: Times & Democrat