No. 1 Clemson writes a new script with comeback win over Florida State

By Neal Nachman
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Updated: November 8, 2015

FSU came to Death Valley with instability at the most important position in football: quarterback.

Clemson did not.

On Saturday night, the discrepancy between a good quarterback situation and an uncertain one was obvious. The No. 1 Tigers (9-0, 6-0 ACC) rode the strong arm and nimble feet of sophomore signal caller Deshaun Watson to a 23-13 victory over No. 16 FSU (7-2, 5-2 ACC) at Memorial Stadium in front of an announced crowd of 83,099.

“You never want to let a quarterback get in a rhythm,” FSU senior safety Lamarcus Brutus said. “He made a few plays with his legs and there were a few of our mistakes he capitalized on. He got into a rhythm and then they got the momentum of the crowd.”

Clemson clinched the Atlantic Division title and a spot in the ACC Championship Game with the win, ending the Seminoles’ three-year streak of winning the conference title.

FSU coach Jimbo Fisher opted to keep his starting quarterback a secret until the game started. Would he go with Everett Golson, who was 6-1 as a starter but possessed a pedestrian passer rating of 122.59 in three conference road games, or stick with Sean Maguire’s hot hand?

Maguire got the nod after a strong performance the previous week against Syracuse in place of the injured Golson.

The junior, who beat Clemson while filling in for suspended starter Jameis Winston in 2014, had his moments — good and bad — and went 16 of 29 for 164 yards and an interception.
Pictures: Florida State Seminoles vs. Clemson Tigers

The Tigers field one of the country’s top pass rushes and regularly got pressure on Maguire, forcing him to miss on several deep passes. A young offensive line was flustered and allowed two sacks while accounting for a combined seven false start or delay-of-game penalties.

Ultimately, Maguire couldn’t out-duel Watson in a contest where points were at a premium.

“This is a tough game against a tough team and [Maguire] played a heck of a game,” Fisher said. “I’m not down on Sean in any way, shape or form.”

Fisher said he was comfortable starting Maguire again going forward, but added he was still evaluating the position.

Clemson knows who its starter is and has for some time.

Watson finished with 297 passing yards and a touchdown while completing 28 of 42 passes. He added 107 yards on 16 carries and settled in after a rocky start that included an ill-advised spike on third-and-three inside the red zone just before halftime. Instead of possibly scoring a touchdown, Clemson settled on a short field goal to cut FSU’s halftime lead to 10-6.

The Tigers then wore down FSU’s stingy defense in the second half as the Seminoles’ offense failed to consistently sustain drives.

Watson was 16 of 21 for 129 yards and a touchdown in the second half. He was responsible for five first downs in a key fourth-quarter drive in which Clemson went ahead 16-13 and then completed two passes on third downs to extend a game-sealing drive as the Tigers scored on a 25-yard run by Wayne Gallman with 2:23 remaining.

“Deshaun Watson showed why he’s the best quarterback in the country, maybe the best player in the country with his guts and heart,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney had. “He was the difference in the stretch.”

FSU still had its chances.

The Seminoles jumped ahead 7-0 on a 75-yard run by Dalvin Cook in the game’s opening drive. Cook finished with 194 rushing yards on 21 carries but was limited to just 37 yards in the second half.

Then threatening to go up by two scores in the opening period, Maguire put too much air under a pass on third down from Clemson’s 20-yard line. Tigers cornerback Adrian Baker came away with an interception to inject some life into Memorial Stadium.

FSU mounted one last shot at upsetting the Tigers after Clemson took a 16-13 lead. Kermit Whitfield returned the ensuing kickoff 44 yards to get to the Tigers’ 49 yard-line.

“Everyone was pumped up in the huddle. I saw the look in everybody’s eyes. Everybody wanted it,” Maguire said, acknowledging the energy before the Seminoles’ chance at a win slipped away. “… [There were] too many missed opportunities.”