Florida State vs. Clemson: 5 Half-Tme Adjustments the 'Noles Must Make

The 11th-ranked Florida State Seminoles rolled into Death Valley this weekend hoping to avenge last week's loss to top-ranked Oklahoma. So far, No. 21 Clemson have taken advantage of the injury-ridden Seminoles team and dominated the flow of the game. 

Here are five adjustments FSU must make to get back in the game:

Take a Shot: 

Clint Trickett’s two best plays of his young career have been on deep balls in desperate circumstances. His touchdown pass to Rashad Green on third-and-28 kept the Noles in the game against Oklahoma, and his a 57-yard touchdown toss to Rodney Smith on third-and-10 gave the Noles a much needed spark in the first half of this game. 

So far, Trickett is managing the hell out of this game. But if Florida State is going to have a chance in the fourth quarter, Jimbo Fisher and the FSU coaching staff are going to have to stop treating him like a back up and take a few more shots down the field. 

Smart Football:

So far the 'Noles have thrown one pick, been flagged twice for pass interference and have had a roughing the kicker penalty negate a key stop on third-and-1. They are going to have to clean it up if they are going to get back in this game. 

Chris Thompson: 

The 'Noles offense found success putting junior running back Chris Thompson in the Wildcat early and often in the first half. This strategy has kept the Tigers’ offense off balance and allowed Trickett to settle into the passing game. 

Thompson’s continued involvement in the offense will be key to opening up holes in the secondary for Trickett. 

Finish:

Jimbo Fisher had to be pretty pleased when Clint Trickett marched the 'Noles into the Tigers’ Red Zone on the opening drive of the game. Unfortunately, the 'Noles offense stalled and they had to settle for a Dustin Hopkins field goal. 

That won’t be good enough in second half. 

This will not be the 16-13 defensive struggle it was a year ago. The 'Noles are going to need touchdowns, and a lot of them, to stay in this game.