No. 15 Clemson travels for an ACC showdown with Florida State in to Tallahassee on Saturday. This weekend will mark the 36th meeting between the programs, with the Seminoles leading the all-time series 21-15.
The Tigers are coming off a 40-14 win over Stanford in their conference opener, while the Seminoles are trying to shake off a 42-16 defeat to SMU. Clemson has played like a different team since losing 34-3 to Georgia in Week 1, winning its last three games over App State, NC State and Stanford.
Florida State’s season has been a disaster from the jump. The Seminoles suffered a 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech in Week 0 and dropped to 1-4 with a loss last weekend. FSU transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei won’t play against his old team due to an injury to his throwing hand. Mike Norvell will start Brock Glenn in his place.
Glenn started Florida State’s final two games of the 2023 season against Louisville and Georgia where he completed 19 of 51 attempts for 229 yards and two interceptions. He did not complete a pass (0 for 4) in the loss to SMU while filling in for Uiagalelei.
Here is what to expect when Florida State faces Clemson.
Clemson vs. Florida State: Need to know
Dabo Swinney is on the verge of history: With a win on Saturday, Swinney can pass Florida State legend Bobby Bowden for the most victories at the helm of an ACC program. Swinney is in his 16th season at Clemson and has compiled a 173-44 record. Bowden had a 377-129-4 career record with Florida State, but FSU was independent for the first 16 years of his tenure before the school joined the ACC in 1992.
Glenn stepping in for DJU: With Uiagalelei out this week and potentially for the foreseeable future, FSU will have to turn to Glenn for a spark. Glenn logged his first career start in the ACC title game against Louisville last year and finished with 55 yards passing on 21 attempts. He will have to be more efficient if FSU wants to pull off the upset. Behind Glenn is former four-star freshman Luke Kromenhoek, who ranked as the No. 35 player and the fourth-ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports.
Clemson has been a different team since Week 1: Clemson has shaken off an abysmal Week 1 loss to Georgia with three impressive victories in a row. Clemson struggled to move the ball down the field against a stout Georgia defense and star quarterback Cade Klubnik looked uncomfortable, throwing no touchdowns and two interceptions. Since then, he has thrown 12 touchdowns (and only one interception). Clemson’s College Football Playoff hopes hang on Klubnik taking his game to another level, and if he keeps playing like this, the Tigers could run the table for the remainder of the regular season.
How to watch Clemson vs. Florida State live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium — Tallahassee, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Clemson vs. Florida State prediction, picks
Whenever a team inserts a new quarterback into the lineup, it generally goes one of two ways: The quarterback either gives his team a spark, or disaster strikes and you wonder why they went to the backup in the first place. While Glenn hasn’t looked great in his limited opportunities, this is the perfect opportunity for FSU to keep this game close. Clemson should win this game, but don’t be surprised if it’s a one-possession game at some point in the fourth quarter. Pick: Florida State +14.5
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