The Clemson Tigers are set to battle it out with ACC Atlantic rivals the Florida State Seminoles this Saturday, September 20 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. The defending NCAA champions haven’t looked as impressive so far this season, but it’s going to take a Herculean effort by Clemson to take them out at their home stadium.
bet365 college football betting lines has Florida State laying 20 1/2 points on the road (Clemson +20.5 10/11 and Florida State -20.5 at 10/11).
Clemson lost 45-21 at Georgia in week one, but then rebounded for 73-3 hammering of South Carolina State in their second game which saw them gain 735 offensive yards. Quarterback Cole Stoudt gained 144 yards against Georgia and went 16-for-29 in the passing department, but regained some confidence against the Bulldogs with a good 300-yard outing. Clemson also struggled with their running game in week one with an average of two yards a carry. They came back with 51 carries for four touchdowns and 268 yards against South Carolina State.
Clemson might be able to run a little against Florida State since the champions’ defense allowed three touchdowns against them on the ground in their 37-31 win at Oklahoma State in their season opener. The Seminoles allowed just seven rushing touchdowns against them last season. They followed up the win over Oklahoma State with a 37-12 victory over Citadel, but allowed 250 rushing yards against. However, Clemson’s defense is going to have to keep a close eye on Heisman-Trophy winning quarterback Jameis Winston if they’re going to win this game.
Clemson will be depending on All-American senior Vic Beasley to help them out in this area as he’s one of the nation’s top pass rushers. Senior Grady Jarrett also needs to have a good game to help stop Florida State from literally running away with the game. The Seminoles offense has been sputtering a bit this year though as it’s not firing on all cylinders yet. Clemson will need to make sure their opponents don’t get into an offensive rhythm early in the game.
The Seminoles went 11-2 against the spread last season, but are 0-2 ATS so far this year. They were 18-point favorites against Oklahoma State and 56.5-point favorites in their game against Citadel. The Seminoles may be taking it easy and saving their energy early in the season during contests against inferior opposition. They should be more motivated against division rivals Clemson though.
Winston’s passing game is at 70 per cent so far with each pass completion averaging 9.3 yards. He had an excellent road game against Clemson in 2013 as he earned 444 yards and threw for three touchdowns. He’s got one of the country’s best offensive lines to help him out and Clemson’s defensive line will likely be in for a long night.
Florida State is on a 14-game winning streak in Tallahassee own an all-time 9-1 home record Clemson. This will likely reach 10-1 on Saturday.