FSU fails to pull off fourth-quarter comeback, falls to 3-5 in loss to Clemson

Clemson didn’t have to go trick-or-treating on Halloween night; Florida State just handed over the candy. A Clemson offense that entered the night ranked last in the ACC in total offense, scoring offense and passing offense, as well as 115th nationally in total yards per game and 115th in passing yards per game, suddenly looked functional. The Tigers had gone four straight games without a passing touchdown and had just two all season. By halftime they already had two, and Ashton Daniels’ two interceptions had turned into 10 points for a team that had scored only 13 points off turnovers the entire year. Clemson built a 23-10 lead at the half and held on for a 36-24 win at Doak Campbell Stadium on a grim Halloween night. Florida State dropped to 3-5 (1-4 ACC) while Clemson improved to 5-3 (3-2 ACC). Clemson got on the board first with an 18-yard touchdown pass from its true freshman quarterback, Tait Reynolds, to tight end Christian Bentancur. Florida State answered pretty quickly. After a pass interference call moved the ball to the Clemson 46, Daniels hit Micahi Danzy for a 46-yard score to tie it at 7-7. That was easily the Noles’ best play of the first half and the kind of explosive shot they needed more of as the night went on. Things were clicking, and Doak was roaring. The Tigers took a 10-7 lead on a 35-yard Nolan Hauser field goal to end the first quarter. Florida State evened it again early in the second on a 35-yard Gabe Panikowski field goal after a 60-yard drive that included a 28-yard catch by Duce Robinson. For a moment it felt like the Noles might be able to hang with a Clemson team that had been struggling to move the ball consistently. (Little did we know.) That feeling didn’t last. Clemson went back in front with another Hauser 35-yarder, then Reynolds found tight end Olsen Patt-Henry for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 20-10. The Tigers’ offense looked functional in ways it simply hadn’t for most of the year against a Florida State defense that has ranked near the bottom of the ACC and nationally in a lot of the categories that matter, such as yards allowed, explosive plays, the whole thing. Then the turnovers hit as usual; Daniels threw two interceptions that basically decided the half. The first went to Jerome Carter III on a deep shot intended for Robinson, returned to the Clemson 49. The second, under pressure from Sammy Brown, was picked by Elliot Washington II. Clemson turned the short field into a 50-yard Hauser field goal as time expired. Those two picks produced 10 points. Coming into the night, the Tigers had only scored 13 points off turnovers all season, so they nearly matched their full-season total in one half against Florida State. It was the kind of swing that turns a competitive game into a hole that is hard to climb out of. But as you know, this team loves to attempt to do that. Florida State managed just 27 total yards in the second quarter. The Seminoles couldn’t convert third downs, the run game never got going, and Daniels’ dual-threat stuff was mostly bottled up. Daniel Hughes also had a rough night. A couple of short punts gave Clemson good field position and made life even harder. The combination of the turnovers, the third-down failures and the field position issues left the Noles down 23-10 at the break with not a lot of momentum. The offense looked stuck, and the defense was dealing with the same issues that have shown up too often this season. Florida State got the ball to start the second half but still couldn’t get much going. Clemson added a field goal in the third to stretch it. In the fourth, the Noles finally found some rhythm. Daniels scored on a 13-yard run to finish a five-play, 75-yard drive, with a shovel pass to Desirrio Riles converting the two-point attempt. Later, he hit true freshman Jasen Lopez for a 41-yard touchdown after Lopez burned the corner, cutting it to 29-24. For a few minutes it looked like Florida State might have a real chance to make it interesting. Then Clemson answered. Reynolds ripped off a long touchdown run on third-and-long to push it back to two scores and seal the 36-24 final. Daniels finished with three interceptions and a fumble lost earlier. The Noles never really recovered from the turnovers and the inability to stay consistent, as what has usually happened in their losses. Clemson’s passing game, which had been dormant for a month, found a way to work, and the Tigers’ defense just capitalized on the chances Florida State gave them. It leaves the Seminoles with very little room for error the rest of the way if they still want to get to a bowl. It is the type of game that will leave a lot of questions in the air for the Seminoles’ foreseeable future.