Clemson at Florida State: Preview and Prediction

Wes Goodwin’s defense is really starting to round into form and at just the right time, as Clemson gets set to head to Tallahassee to face a much improved Florida State team.

On top of that, the Tigers are getting healthy along the defensive line, and should be at full strength really for the first time all season. Xavier Thomas is expected to be a full go after logging six VERY productive snaps against Boston College. Bryan Bresee will also return after missing the past two games.

All of that spells bad news for a Seminoles offense that has failed to record 400 yards of offense in their past two games, both losses to Wake Forest and NC State.

Keeping dynamic Jordan Travis out of rhythm will be a must, as the Florida State QB is capable of picking apart a secondary. Travis is also capable of creating havoc with his legs. He ran for more than 100 yards in the loss to the Wolfpack.

Having said all that, the backend of the Clemson defense has really stepped it up after getting sliced and diced by Sam Hartman up at Wake Forest. Nate Wiggins has played really well over the past two games, as has freshman Toriano Pride. Clemson is hoping veteran CB Sheridan Jones will be back too.

On the other side of the ball, DJ Uiagalelei continues to play at a high level. However, this might be his biggest test to date. So far this season, the junior quarterback has yet to play in front of the kind of road environment he will face on Saturday night.

The Seminoles have not been great against the run, as opponents are rushing for more than 150 yards per game. Clemson will need RBs Will Shipley and Phil Mafah to step up and produce. The offense can not be one-dimesional.

The receivers are also going to have to win some one on one battles and most importantly CATCH the ball. Drops are still an issue at times, although we aren’t seeing as many as we saw early in the season.

Again, this is a much improved Florida State team. It will be interesting to see how the Seminoles respond after losing back to back games, especially after the way they lost to NC State, giving up a 14-3 halftime lead.

At the end of the day, this is still Clemson-Florida State. Neither team should have any issues getting up for this one. While it won’t be easy, the Tigers get it done and come away with another big win.

Clemson 27 Florida State 16