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Clemson Football: Tigers can’t stumble against Florida State

By Zach Bigalke

CLEMSON, SC - NOVEMBER 11: Trayvon Mullen #1 of the Clemson Tigers breaks up a pass to Keith Gavin #89 of the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SC - NOVEMBER 11: Trayvon Mullen #1 of the Clemson Tigers breaks up a pass to Keith Gavin #89 of the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Memorial Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Clemson football hopes to make a big statement against a rival in Week 9. They face Florida State before the first College Football Playoff Top 25 is released.

Clemson is the clear front-runner in the ACC this year, as they shoot for a fourth straight conference title and a fourth straight appearance in the College Football Playoff. The Tigers are one of just five undefeated teams remaining in the country, and they could open the year at the top of the College Football Playoff rankings.

To do so, the Tigers will call upon freshman phenom Trevor Lawrence to guide the team. Since taking over for Kelly Bryant, Lawrence has progressively proven his worth as a downfield passer. In the Week 8 win over fellow unbeaten NC State, Lawrence had the first 300-yard passing game of his career. Paired with the No. 3 scoring defense in the FBS, Lawrence and the Tigers offense are threatening to make a run at another national title.

Florida State would love nothing more than to thwart that march to another ACC title and playoff appearance. The Seminoles have faced their ups and downs in Willie Taggart’s first season at the helm in Tallahassee, but their only loss in the last four games was a 28-27 heartbreaker against rival Miami.

Trending upward, the Seminoles will be looking to get their biggest win of the year to date. Deondre Francois has been a steadying influence on offense now that he is back under center, and Cam Akers is coming off his best game of the year against Wake Forest. Both have the opportunity to test a dominant Clemson defense.

Here’s how you can watch the ACC showdown on Saturday between No. 2 Clemson and Florida State:

Date: Saturday, Oct. 27
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Tallahassee, Fla.
Venue: Doak Campbell Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Clemson has to avoid the trap of playing on the road against a division rival. Trevor Lawrence needs to avoid taking unnecessary hits, and Travis Etienne needs to provide balance with another triple-digit day in the backfield. Clemson’s defense needs to make life miserable for Deondre Francois, forcing Cam Akers to do the heavy lifting for the Florida State offense.

Florida State has a strong front seven, but the secondary has been one of the worst in giving up passing yards. The defensive line needs to bottle up Trevor Lawrence, hurry his throws, and drive him into the turf for a few sacks if the Seminoles are going to pull off the upset. Akers also needs to post his first 100-yard rushing day of the season for Florida State to have a shot at the upset on their home turf.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Clemson -17
Over/Under: 51

Next. 5 bold predictions for Week 9. dark

Prediction

Florida State will make things interesting early, as Clemson gets a sluggish start and the two teams look evenly matched. Before halftime, though, Clemson will open up a slim lead. After the break, once adjustments have been made, the Tigers will light up the scoreboard and run away with a statement win.

They will beat the spread, the two teams will go over the total points, and Dabo Swinney’s crew will threaten to open the year at No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Final Score: Clemson 44, Florida State 21

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