Clemson vs. FSU: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
No. 1 Florida State and No. 22 Clemson are ranked for the fourth straight time going into their head-to-head encounter, this time Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Seminoles have had few issues dispatching the Tigers in recent years, but keep in mind that of those four matchups, the lesser seed has won two of the last three.
Clemson, now led by senior quarterback Cole Stoudt, stumbled out of the gate to a 1-1 record, but Florida State has been anything but dominant in two games thus far and will be without last year's Heisman winner, Jameis Winston, for the first half of the contest, per Dan Wolken of USA Today.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
It certainly adds another layer of intrigue to an already important showdown considering the winner has gone on to win the ACC in each of the past three years, which this year is even more important when one remembers playoff implications.
Don't blink Saturday night.
Adaptation and Evolution
Clemson stood little chance at home last season in an eventual 51-14 loss to Florida State and now must pick up the pieces without Tajh Boyd.
To his credit, Stoudt has seemingly improved with each start so far. After a debacle against Georgia, he completed 71 percent of his passes for a touchdown against South Carolina State. For him, the key is mistakes on the road, as noted by Clemson football's Twitter account:
Really, the Tigers are seemingly brand new at all of the critical spots on offense. Wideout Sammy Watkins is gone, as is Martavis Bryant and guard Brandon Thomas. Artavis Scott, a freshman, has stepped into the void at wideout and caught eight balls for 205 yards and two scores, with sophomore Mike Williams along for the ride with seven for 171.
Florida State faces adaptation questions of its own, too. Gone is Kelvin Benjamin, a problem only made worse for a half come Saturday with Winston out of the picture. The next man up is sophomore Sean Maguire, who has attempted all of 16 career passes.
It is even more concerning when one remembers that the Winston-led offense has not been without struggles. He has thrown three touchdowns to two interceptions, and the Seminoles were almost upset by Oklahoma State, 37-31.
A 37-12 win over Citadel seems nice, but Coastal Carolina posted pretty much the same line the week prior. Florida State's defense gave up 250 rushing yards to the Bulldogs—and remember, Citadel is a school that has posted a record better than .500 just twice since 2000.
Fueling the Fire
It is not as if this contest needed any additional ammunition thanks to the aforementioned implications, but the Clemson staff is making sure its players understand the atrocities suffered one year ago.
"We've tried to remind these guys that we did get embarrassed out here, make no mistake about it," Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com. "Yes, we've definitely talked about it."
Even if the anger due to that loss began to fade over the offseason, Winston himself seemed to reignite the fire back in March in a Twitter post that included a picture of Memorial Stadium:
"It's going to be in the back of our minds," Clemson safety Robert Smith said, per NFL.com's Mike Huguenin. "I'm never going to forget that. He apologized and all that, but you're going to have it in the back of your mind."
The feud is given life through personal on-field beefs, too. Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley and Florida State offensive tackle Cam Erving—two surefire first-round NFL picks, as of now, at least—squared off last year and saw Winston's blind-side protector win. Who wins Round 2 is anybody's guess.
"Oh, yeah, I've been waiting on that opportunity," Beasley said, per Aaron Brenner of The Post and Courier. "I love going against the best. He did pretty well on me last year. So, definitely, I'm looking forward to that matchup."
Undoubtedly, so is the rest of the nation and the watchful eye of the pro game.
When: Saturday, September 20, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
Television: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 60.5
- Spread: Florida State (-20.5)
Team Injury Reports
| Shaq Anthony | T | 08/21/2014 | has left the team | Out | personal |
| Travis Blanks | S | 08/15/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Zac Brooks | RB | 08/20/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | foot |
| Sam Cooper | TE | 09/14/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Florida State | Questionable | foot |
| Tyshon Dye | RB | 08/25/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | Achilles |
| Martin Jenkins | CB | 09/14/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Florida State | Questionable | ankle |
| Oliver Jones | T | 08/28/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Kyrin Priester | WR | 09/04/2014 | was dismissed from the team | Out | disciplinary |
| Ukeme Eligwe | LB | 09/14/2014 | is probable for Saturday's game against Clemson | Probable | foot |
| Eddie Goldman | DT | 09/14/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Clemson | Questionable | leg |
| Isaiah Jones | WR | 08/16/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | academics |
| Nile Lawrence-Stample | DT | 09/14/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Clemson | Questionable | leg |
| Delvin Purifoy | LB | 08/31/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | ankle |
| Justin Shanks | DT | 09/14/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Clemson | Questionable | leg |
| Matthew Thomas | LB | 09/05/2014 | is suspended indefinitely | Suspended | disciplinary |
| P.J. Williams | CB | 09/14/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Clemson | Questionable | hamstring |
| Jameis Winston | QB | 09/17/2014 | will miss the first half of Saturday's game against Clemson | Suspended | half-game suspension |
Injury reports via USA Today.
Prediction
The first two games of the season have not exactly seen the Seminoles earn that No. 1 rank, with the Winston news only potentially further throwing things for a loop.
While Florida State does not have a back such as Georgia's Todd Gurley (who does?), the fact Clemson gave up 328 rushing yards to the Bulldogs should reassure the Seminoles that a run-first approach will get the job done without Winston under center to start the game.
Granted, Winston seems due for one horrific game each season, and the Tigers return seven defensive starters from a year ago. But with Erving nullifying Beasley, Winston will have time to carve through the defense at home.
Florida State has won 10 of 11 at home against Clemson by a combined score of 425-167. There is no reason to believe a Clemson team in transition on offense can outgun the Seminoles offense and turn that trend around.
Prediction: Seminoles 35, Tigers 14
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
