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Clemson Football: 3 reasons Tigers will beat Florida State in Week 12

By Michael Hanich

Clemson running back Travis Etienne(9) and teammates run down the hill before the game with The Citadel Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.Clemson The Citadel Ncaa Football
Clemson running back Travis Etienne(9) and teammates run down the hill before the game with The Citadel Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.Clemson The Citadel Ncaa Football /
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers looks to pass in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers looks to pass in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the College Football Playoff Semifinal Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

2. Clemson will dominate the line of scrimmage

The Clemson Tigers have many areas where they have an advantage over Florida State. Outside of the skill position matchups, the Tigers have the biggest edge at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. They need a solid performance from their offensive and defensive lines after experiencing some inconsistencies against the Fighting Irish.

On the offensive line, the Tigers will have to keep Trevor Lawrence clean against a Seminoles defense that can get to the quarterback. They will have to watch out for top pass rusher Janarius Robinson, who has accounted for seven tackles for loss and three sacks. The Seminoles will be without star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson III.

This will be a great time for the Tigers’ offensive line to develop their run game as it has been underwhelming for the past two games. Senior running back Travis Etienne has rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries in the past two weeks.

The Seminoles rank 91st in the nation in rushing yards allowed per game (193.8).

On the other side of the ball, the Tigers’ defensive line will have to create consistent chaos in the backfield of Florida State. The Seminoles’ offensive line, which has gone through significant injuries, has allowed 28 sacks this season. Clemson’s defense has accounted for 73 tackles for loss and 30 sacks in eight games this year.

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