No. 4 'Noles walk out of Death Valley with overtime win

Clemson falls to 0-2 in the ACC. (Photo by Merrell Mann).

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Sat Sep 23 15:48:35 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – Uncharted territory.

Clemson dominated and led for most of Saturday’s tilt against Florida State, but a late missed kick and a failure to get a first down in overtime doomed the Tigers as the No. 4 Seminoles walked out of Death Valley with a 31-24 victory.

The Tigers had a shot to take the lead with a late drive in regulation, but new kicker Jonathan Weitz missed the field goal and Florida St. was able to win the game in overtime.

Clemson outgained Florida St. 429-311, and Cade Klubnik had a good day in completing 25-of-38 passes for 283 yards. Clemson falls to 2-2 on the season and, more importantly, 0-2 in the ACC.

The last time Clemson started 0-2 in ACC play was in 2010. The Tigers beat North Texas and Presbyterian to start the season, lost at Auburn in a non-conference contest, then lost to Miami and UNC. The Tigers finished 4-2 to finish 4-4 in league play. Florida St. improves to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the ACC.

After a punt to open the game, Clemson’s second possession started on its own eight-yard line. Facing a third-and-eight, Klubnik found Collins down the Florida St. sideline for 12 yards and first down. Three plays later, Clemson had a decision to make, looking at a fourth-and-one. They brought in two tight ends, and Mafah plowed through the left side of the line for four yards to move the sticks. Shipley reeled in a tipped pass out of the backfield for 18 yards, and Brown followed with a 25-yard reception to the Noles’ 17.

The offense stalled, forcing Jonathan Weitz – Clemson’s starting kicker who was called down from Charleston earlier in the week – to attempt a 30-yard field goal, which he nailed to give Clemson a 3-0 lead with just a minute to play in the first quarter.

Clemson’s defense forced a quick three-and-out, and Florida State’s punt was only 33 yards to the Clemon 49-yard line. Mafah’s number was called on the first plays – a rush for four yards and a catch and run for 13 yards. Klubnik followed with a bullet to Brown for a 28-yard pickup, but Brown fell awkwardly on his right shoulder and had to exit the game.

Clemson’s offense failed to reach the endzone on three straight plays, but a holding penalty was called in the back of the endzone, giving the Tigers a fresh set of downs. Two plays later, Klubnik was pushed into paydirt for a touchdown. With the Weitz extra point, Clemson led 10-0 with 11:33 to play before halftime.

Clemson’s defense looked like it had the Noles stopped again, but Travis found Kyle Morlock in the middle of the field for a 10-yard gain on third down, a yard shy of the line to gain. Travis kept it on fourth down, and after a review, it was determined he picked up the first down. Travis then completed 14, nine, and seven-yard passes to move the ball to the 21-yard line. Trey Benson picked up 12 yards to give the Noles a first-and-goal on the nine-yard line. Three plays later, Travis found Keon Coleman all alone in the endzone to cut Clemson’s lead to 10-7 with just over five minutes to play in the second quarter.

Klubnik and the Tigers answered with a drive of their own. Klubnik brought the kickoff out to the 29-yard line. On second down, Klubnik hit Troy Stellato for 14 yards and a first down. Two plays later, Klubnik found Jake Briningstool on a wheel route for a 33-yard pickup. On second-and-eight, Shipley ran a drag route, and Klubnik placed the ball perfectly for a 10-yard catch-and-run to the endzone for a 17-7 Clemson lead with 2:12 remaining in the half.

The Noles orchestrated a touchdown drive of their own that took less than two minutes off the clock. Travis found Jaheim Bell and Coleman for gains of 11 and 38 yards, and a 15-yard pass interference penalty set Florida State up just outside the 10-yard line. An eight-yard rush from Bell followed by a two-yard rush from Travis were good enough for seven FSU to make it a 17-14 game with 22 seconds to go in the half.

Florida St. got the ball to begin the second half, and Travis promptly hit a wide-open Johnny Wilson for a 41-yard pickup to the 34-yard line. Clemson’s defense gained its composure, however, and forced a 48-yard field goal that tied the game at 17-17 at the 12:00 minute mark of the third quarter.

The Tigers’ defense forced a three-and-out on the Noles’ next possession, and the offense marched 77 yards down the field in 11 plays that took nearly five minutes off the clock. After picking up a quick first down, Klubnik raced for a 17-yard pickup to the FSU 47-yard line. On third-and-nine, he found Stellato on a slant for 12 yards to move the chains. A facemask penalty on FSU two plays later moved the ball to the 14-yard line, and Klubnik found Briningstool for a 13-yard gain and a first down. After no gain on first down, Shipley fought his way into the endzone for a 24-17 Clemson lead with 3:32 to play in the third quarter.

Clemson forced yet another punt and Mafah found daylight for 46 yards on the drive's first play, but Klubnik lost the ball when Kalen DeLoach hit him. DeLoach recovered the fumble and raced 56 yards for the score to tie the game at 24-24 with 31 seconds to play in the third quarter.

The teams then traded possessions and punts, and Clemson took over at its own 44 with 7:03 to play. The Tigers drove methodically down the field and reached the FSU 12. The Tigers went into conservative mode and settled for a 29-yard field goal attempt from Weitz with 1:49 remaining. He hooked it wide, and the Noles took over with enough time to win it.

Their drive reached the Clemson 39, but four straight incomplete passes turned it over on downs with 12 seconds remaining, and the game headed to overtime. The ‘Noles started first, and on the second play from scrimmage, Travis hit Coleman on a 24-yard fade in the endzone for a touchdown and a 31-24 lead.

The Tigers faced a 3rd-and-1 at the 16 but threw a wide receiver screen that lost yardage, and Klubnik’s 4th-down pass fluttered incomplete.

Clemson travels to Syracuse next weekend for a noon tilt with the Orange in the JWA Wireless Dome. Undefeated Syracuse played Army Saturday afternoon.