Streak Snapped! No. 3 Florida State knocks off Clemson, 31-24, in overtime
CLEMSON, S.C. — The streak is over.
After rallying back from deficits all day, the No. 3 Florida State football team rallied for a 31-24 victory over Clemson in overtime on Saturday. It was the Seminoles’ first win in Death Valley since 2013 and snapped a seven-game win streak by the Tigers.
Florida State (4-0, 2-0 ACC) got the ball first in overtime, and on second down, Jordan Travis hit receiver Keon Coleman for a 24-yard touchdown strike over cornerback Jeadyn Lukus. The Seminoles’ defense then forced an incomplete pass on fourth down to seal the win.
Clemson falls to 2-2 and 0-2.
Both teams squandered chances to win it toward the end of regulation.
Clemson placekicker Jonathan Weitz, who wasn’t on the Tigers’ roster last week but was called into action this week — he had been taking online classes after leaving the team in the offseason — hooked a 30-yard field goal attempt wide left with 1:45 remaining.
Florida State got the ball back at the 20-yard line, and Jordan Travis connected with receiver Johnny Wilson for a 25-yard pass on first down. After a short scramble and an incomplete pass, Travis found Wilson over the middle for a huge third-down conversion. But Travis’ next four passes fell incomplete, and Clemson opted to let the clock run out and send the game into overtime.
Florida State’s defense struggled for most of the day, but Adam Fuller’s group came up with a huge play late in the third quarter.
With Clemson facing a second-and-10 from the FSU 29-yard line, linebacker Kalen DeLoach came free on a well-designed blitz, blindsided quarterback Cade Klubnik and forced a fumble. DeLoach then scooped up the loose ball and raced 56 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 24-24 late in the third quarter.
After trailing by 10 points two different times in the first half, Florida State had a chance to take control in the third quarter after scoring after halftime and then getting the ball back with the game tied at 17-17 early in the third quarter. But the ensuing drive went nowhere, the Seminoles punted, and Clemson put together an 11-play, 77-yard drive to regain separation.
Klubnik completed 4 of 5 passes on the drive, the Seminoles helped the Clemson effort with a 15-yard facemask penalty, and running back Will Shipley punched it in from 1 yard out for the touchdown to take a 24-17 advantage.
Playing before a raucous home crowd, Clemson dominated the early going before the Seminoles finally seemed to gather themselves. After falling behind by 10 points in the second quarter, Florida State scored going into — and coming out of — halftime to tie the game at 17-17 early in the third.
Jordan Travis scored a touchdown on a QB keeper to cut the Tigers’ lead to 17-14 with 22 seconds left in the second quarter. Then the Seminoles put together another scoring drive in the third quarter to tie it up, as Ryan Fitzgerald capped off a five-play, 45-yard drive with a 48-yard field goal.
Florida State’s two touchdowns in the second quarter came on a 7-yard pass from Travis to Keon Coleman and on a 2-yard run by Travis.
The Seminoles now have this coming Saturday off before returning to action on Oct. 7 at home against Virginia Tech.
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