WATCH: Florida State's Lawrance Toafili pulls off ridiculous acrobatic touchdown vs. Clemson
Florida State came into Clemson showing no fear, despite the Seminoles (3-4) record on the season so far.
Trailing 10-6 in one of the most feared ACC venues, FSU quarterback Jordan Travis connected with running back Lawrance Toafili who sprang free out of the backfield and beat the Clemson linebacker on a wheel route.
A swarm of Tigers defenders initially appeared to get the Florida State speedster to the turf, but in one of the wildest touchdowns of the college season so far, Toafili never hit the ground, pulled off a barrel roll off a Clemson defensive back and bolted to the end zone.
That is exactly the kind of thing Florida State fans want to see as they watch their team go toe-to-toe with a nemesis that has plagued the Seminoles for so long.
Clemson honoring Florida State legend
The show of respect for late Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden continues, as Clemson announced the Seminoles legend would be honored during Saturday’s matchup.
Bowden died in August at the age of 91, and Clemson will honor Bowden when the Seminoles visit Tiger Stadium on Saturday. The event is of personal importance to Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.
“Excited about honoring Bobby Bowden and all he meant to this league, the game of football, so many young people, and this game, the Clemson-Florida State game” Swinney said at a Tuesday press conference. “It’s just the right time to honor him.”
Swinney, Bowden overlapped in some capacity in many phases of their lives
Swinney knew Bowden very well. The Clemson head coach has made clear the level of respect and admiration he has for the FSU legend who turned an afterthought program into a national powerhouse for several decades.
Both Swinney and Bowden were born in Birmingham, Alabama and have ties to programs in the state. Bowden played a year of football at Alabama before transferring to Samford in 1949, and Swinney played wide receiver at Alabama from 1990-1992. Additionally, Bowden and Swinney’s mother attended the same high school.
The year 2009 was bittersweet for both men. It was Swinney’s first full year as the head coach at Clemson and Bowden’s final year in Tallahassee. Of course, Swinney took over the reins as interim head coach at Clemson in 2008 from Bowden’s son, Tommy. Tommy’s father was one of the first people to call Swinney when he got the job.
Prior to taking the head coaching job, Swinney worked under Tommy Bowden beginning in 2003.
“When I come to Clemson in ’03, that was one of the things I was really looking forward to, to be honest with you, was like ‘Man, I’m going to get a chance to meet Bobby Bowden,’” Swinney said Tuesday with a smile.
Of note for Saturday: Tommy Bowden will be in attendance. He has not been to a game at Tiger Stadium since he left Clemson.