Clemson vs. Florida State: Game Grades, Analysis for Tigers vs. Seminoles
No. 3 Clemson needed all 60 minutes and a number of rallies on Saturday night in Tallahassee, Florida, as Deshaun Watson willed his team to a huge 37-34 win over Florida State.
The Tigers (8-0) kept their playoff dreams alive and their path to the ACC title game clear with the win. It wasn't easy, though, as the Seminoles went on a 28-6 run that spanned two-and-a-half quarters to take a late lead. But Watson caught fire down the stretch, and there was nothing Florida State's defense could do to stop him or the runaway Tigers.
Here's how each team graded out from the thrilling game.
Clemson: Offense
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Clemson's offense started red hot against the Seminoles as Deshaun Watson orchestrated back-to-back touchdown drives to open the game that covered 148 yards. Watson was nearly flawless in the first quarter, completing 9-of-10 passes to help Clemson build a 14-0 lead. But Florida State's defense adjusted in the second quarter, allowing just 74 yards.
Those adjustments carried over to the third, when the Tigers were outplayed and outscored 14-3. But Watson caught fire in the fourth, throwing for 134 of his 378 yards to help the Tigers rally for the victory. Wayne Gallman and the rushing attack had a rough night, combining to produce just 133 yards on 38 carries, but Watson was strong enough to carry the load.
Grade: B
Florida State: Offense
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It took Florida State's offense a while to adjust to the speed of Clemson's defensive front. The Seminoles started the game with three consecutive punts and Deondre Francois was running for his life before a Deshaun Watson interception gave the unit some life.
But Florida State's offense found some life when it finally gave Dalvin Cook a chance to find a rhythm. The Seminoles' star running back broke free for touchdown runs of 43 and 70 yards in the second half and finished with 169 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries.
Deondre Francois was under siege all night, and his stat line showed it. He made some big throws and managed 286 yards and a touchdown through the air, but he was sacked six times, and twice on their final, and game-deciding, drive.
Grade: B-
Clemson: Defense
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The Tigers defense came out and bullied Florida State's offense in the first half. Clemson notched two sacks of Deondre Francois on the first drive and forced four punts and an interception to start the game, with the lone hiccup coming after an untimely Deshaun Watson interception.
The defense had the Tigers in complete control of the game, but then it allowed Francois and the Seminoles to march right down the field for a 75-yard touchdown drive with less than two minutes to go in the first half.
That triggered a 28-6 scoring run for the Seminoles as Dalvin Cook started to get loose. The Seminoles' star running back averaged an incredible 8.9 yards per carry. But at the end of the game, the ball was put in Deondre Francois' hands, and Clemson's defense came up with two huge sacks to seal the win.
Grade: C
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Florida State: Defense
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DeMarcus Walker and the Florida State defense didn't look sharp to open the game as Deshaun Watson carved the unit up during consecutive touchdowns in the first quarter. But after the game's first two drives, the Seminoles settled in and allowed just 74 yards in the last five drives of the half.
The recipe for that success was simple: Sell out against the run and allow the playmaking secondary to do what it does best. For two-and-a-half quarters, that strategy worked to perfection as the Seminoles outscored the Tigers by 18 during an 18-minute stretch in the second and third quarters.
But Walker and Co. ran out of gas in the end, and Clemson carved the secondary up late in the fourth quarter. Watson threw for 378 yards, and the Tigers eclipsed the 500-yard mark in the three-point win.
Grade: C
Clemson: Coaching
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Dabo Swinney came in with an excellent game plan that knocked the Seminoles out of rhythm in the first quarter, but it took him a while to adjust to the tweaks Jimbo Fisher made in the second quarter.
The Seminoles nearly took complete control of the game during their 28-6 scoring run, as the Tigers couldn't run the ball and Deshaun Watson started turning the ball over. But Swinney and the offensive coaching staff trusted their quarterback, and Watson rewarded them with a pair of great drives in the fourth quarter that ultimately kept Clemson undefeated.
Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables deserves a lot of credit for his late-game heroics. He dialed up just the right pressure down the stretch to produce the game-winning sacks on Florida State's final possession.
Grade: B
Florida State: Coaching
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Someone should remind Jimbo Fisher that he has one of the country's most explosive running backs on his roster.
Even while Deondre Francois was struggling and the offensive line was cracking in pass protection, Fisher stubbornly rode the passing attack and gave Dalvin Cook just eight first-half carries. It's hard to stick to the running game when you're facing a multi-score deficit, but Cook is the best playmaker the offense has and it needed to ride him, especially early.
That was remedied in the second half as Cook became more of a focus on offense, which coincided with Florida State's big scoring run. Cook showcased his home run ability with touchdown runs of 43 and 70 yards. Had he been given more first-half carries, maybe the Seminoles wouldn't have found themselves in such a big hole.
Grade: C
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