FSU football scouting report, prediction vs. Clemson, can the Seminoles beat rival
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Florida State football travels to Death Valley to face rival Clemson at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8 for an ACC showdown with large implications for both programs.
A game between the Seminoles (4-4, 1-4 ACC) and the Tigers (3-5, 2-4 ACC) is often one of the most exciting on the schedule for both teams, but with each program facing its own struggles this season, things look different this year.
FSU is coming off a 42-7 win over Wake Forest, snapping a four-game losing streak and an over 400-day winless streak in the ACC. Clemson lost to Duke after a late pass interference call allowed the Blue Devils a chance to score and eventually convert a two-point conversion, which led Dabo Swinney to be fined $10,000 for his criticism of the officials.
So what should we expect this weekend? Tallahassee Democrat FSU Athletics reporter Liam Rooney breaks down the matchup between the Seminoles and Tigers.
Clemson scouting report: What to know about the Tigers?
With the ball: While the Tigers have struggled this season, the offense has produced some eye-popping displays, averaging 420.6 yards per game and coming off a season-best performance against Duke. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik has thrown for 1915 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, with a wide receiver room that features the dangerous duo of TJ Moore and Antonio Williams, who become more important with the injury to star receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. The Tigers typically have a dynamic feature back, and Adam Randall is that this season with 522 yards and six touchdowns. The offense is what you expect of Swinney’s teams, just far more inconsistent than it has been in recent seasons.
Without the ball: Clemson’s defense has struggled this season under first-year defensive coordinator Tom Allen, and facing a Seminoles offense that is ranked first in the nation, the Tigers’ unit will be tested again. The inconsistency isn’t from lack of talent, as Clemson has multiple future NFL players, including defensive linemen Peter Woods, TJ Parker and Will Heldt, alongside corner Avieon Terrell and linebacker Wade Woodaz. Allen runs a 4-2-5, which brings an extra defensive back to the field, but despite that, the Tigers’ secondary has struggled dealing with explosive plays over the top this season, which presents an opportunity for FSU’s Tommy Castellanos and Duce Robinson to exploit.
Clemson players to watch
TJ Moore’s importance grows: With the injury to Wesco, Moore is the go-to target for Klubnik as a sophomore. He’s recorded 499 yards and four touchdowns this season, and he’ll be called upon to create offense for Clemson alongside Williams. Moore scored a touchdown and recorded 39 yards on two catches against the Seminoles last season, and if the Tigers are going to win on Saturday, he’ll need to be at the heart of it with another strong performance.
Will Heldt leads an elite defensive line: While there have been some issues for the Tigers’ defense, the defensive line led by Heldt has been one of the most effective units. Heldt has recorded 29 tackles this season, 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He is one of the rare transfer portal pickups of the Swinney era at Clemson, and he’s lived up to the billing. He’ll be a challenge for either side of the FSU offensive line to deal with, and a player that Castellanos will need to be wary of when operating in and out of the pocket.
Liam Rooney’s two cents
FSU needs to keep playing complementary football: Mike Norvell preached the need for complementary football during the Seminoles’ four-game losing streak, and it finally showed up in the streak-snapping win over Wake Forest. If FSU is going to pick up back-to-back conference wins, it’s going to have to play complementary football again and pay off big plays by either side of the ball.
Get pressure in Klubnik’s face: The Seminoles’ defensive line needs to pressure Klubnik and get him off balance early and often. Coming off the win over Wake Forest, where the defense had five sacks and 17 pressures, FSU will need a similar performance, albeit against a stronger Clemson offensive line, on Saturday. Darrell Jackson Jr will draw the attention from the Tigers’ front, which puts the focus on players like Mandrell Desir, James Williams and Jayson Jenkins to create pressure and either finish with sacks or force Klubnik into dangerous throws.
Liam Rooney’s score prediction
Here’s where things get difficult. Predicting how either team will play on Saturday is fool’s gold, as both programs have been wildly inconsistent this season. If, and a big if, both teams play to the capabilities shown in flashes this season, fans could be in for another tense classic game between the rival schools. Regardless of the performance, the outcome seems destined to be a close contest, with the Seminoles coming out on top at the end, thanks to their offense outpacing Clemson’s.
The pick: FSU 35, Clemson 31
How to watch FSU football vs. Clemson
When: Saturday, Nov. 8 / 7 p.m.
Where: Memorial Stadium / Clemson, South Carolina
Watch: ACC Network
FSU schedule 2025
Here is Florida State‘s schedule and results. All times Eastern.
- Aug. 30: vs Alabama | W 31-17
- Sept. 6: vs East Texas A&M | W 77-3
- Sept. 13: Bye
- Sept. 20: vs Kent State | W 66-10
- Sept. 26: at Virginia* | L 46-38 (2OT)
- Oct. 4: vs Miami* | L 28-22
- Oct. 11: vs Pittsburgh* | L 34-31
- Oct. 18: at Stanford* | L 20-13
- Oct. 25: Bye
- Nov. 1: vs Wake Forest* | W 42-7
- Nov. 8: at Clemson* | TBA
- Nov. 15: vs Virginia Tech* | TBA
- Nov. 21: at NC State* | 8 p.m. | ESPN | Fubo
- Nov. 29: at Florida | TBA
- Record: 4-4 (1-4 in ACC)
*- ACC game
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State football vs. Clemson game score prediction
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