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Florida State Seminoles opponent preview: Clemson Tigers
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AP/Lynne Sladky
In a key battle in the ACC Atlantic division race, the resurgent Florida State Seminoles will head to "Death Valley" on Saturday to face the up and down Clemson Tigers.
Clemson controls its own fate in their bid to reach the ACC Championship game for the first time. The Tigers are seeking their first ACC crown since 1991.
"Obviously, this is a big game for everybody, but one of the things we tell our guys not to get caught up in the hype," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "This is just the next game for us and certainly everybody understands the importance. But it's more about focus and what it takes to win."
Tigers running back C.J. Spiller has been one of the most versatile offensive weapons in college football over the last four years. He has accounted for over 6,000 all-purpose yards in his career as a rusher, receiver and kick return specialist. Spiller is just 91 yards shy of 3,000 career rushing yards entering Saturday's contest. He has also caught over 100 passes at Clemson. Spiller is especially dangerous on kickoff returns with six career touchdowns, including three in 2009.
Even with Spiller, the Tigers are a mediocre 83rd in the nation in total offense. Freshman quarterback Kyle Parker has been erratic for Clemson. He has completed only 52% of his passes with 10 TD passes and eight interceptions. Parker did step up for his best game of the year two weeks ago at Miami with 326 yards and three TD strikes. Senior wideout Jacoby Ford leads the club in receptions (32) and touchdown catches (four).
The Clemson defense is in the top 15 nationally in total, scoring and passing defense. Junior defensive back DeAndre McDaniel is tied for the national lead in interceptions with seven.
The defense will face one of its biggest tests of the season against talented Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder. "He throws the ball like an NFL quarterback and runs it like a college option quarterback of the '70s or '80s, which is a rare thing now," Clemson defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said.
Swinney is in his first full season as the head coach of the Tigers after taking over the position from Tommy Bowden in the middle of last season. His record at Clemson is 9-6.
Florida State leads the all-time series between the two schools with a record of 16-6. The Seminoles won their first meeting against Clemson in 1970 by a final of 38-13 in Tallahassee. FSU went 14-2 in the first 16 games in the series but the Tigers are 4-2 against Florida State since 2003.
Last year, the Seminoles used a dominant rushing game to upend the visiting Tigers by a final of 41-27. Florida State out gained Clemson on the ground by a margin of 266-79. The Tigers were able to convert only 2-of-15 third-down attempts in the defeat.
Seminoles win another thriller
Florida State has climbed back to the .500 mark after last week's 45-42 victory over NC State. The Seminoles scored the game-winning touchdown with just under two minutes to play. It was the fourth straight FSU game that was decided by a touchdown or less.
In a Saturday afternoon shootout, the Florida State and NC State offenses combined for nearly 1100 yards of total offense. Sophomore running back Jermaine Thomas delivered a breakout performance with 186 yards on 20 carries with a pair of scoring runs.
Florida State will bring the nation's 15th-ranked total offensive unit into tomorrow's contest. Ponder leads the ACC in total offense at over 327 yards per game.
The end of an era
After over two decades of service on the Florida State coaching staff, veteran defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews will be retiring at the end of this season. He has guided the Seminoles defense since 1984.
``As much as I love Florida State and love these guys back here, time has just gotten so important for me now,'' Andrews said. ``I can't coach football and do what I need to do with the [family] responsibilities that I've got now. It's gonna be hard on us. But it's time. It's just time for it to happen.''
More often than not, Andrews has been able to guide one of the better defenses in the nation. Unfortunately, his final defensive unit is one of the worst in the nation entering Saturday's matchup with the Tigers. Florida State is 109th in the country in total defense while ranking last in the ACC in total, rushing and passing defense.
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES (4-4, 2-3 ACC) at Clemson Tigers (5-3, 3-2 ACC)
When: Saturday, November 7, 7:45 PM EST
Where: Memorial Stadium (Clemson, SC)
Odds: Clemson is favored by 9 points
TV: ESPN
Radio: WHOO 1080 AM
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