Death Valley Debacle: Florida State Embarrasses Clemson at Home

It almost looked like a home with for FSU when their fans stormed the field in Death Valley.

If there was any game that didn’t live up to the hype of this season, it was Florida State at Clemson. It was supposed to be the game of the year, instead the Tigers went down 17-0 early and never even came close to regaining their composure against the Seminoles.

The final score was Florida State 51, Clemson 14.

There’s no way to sugarcoat it, the evening was an abject disaster for the home team. Clemson came into the game a serious national title contender, while quarterback Tajh Boyd had been generating Heisman buzz since defeating Georgia in the season opener.

Heisman hopes were definitely dashed for Tajh Boyd.

Boyd completed under 50 percent of his passes against FSU, going 17-of-37 for 156 yards, averaging just 4.2 yards per attempt, with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Tigers had some success on the ground, much of which came late in the second half, long after the outcome had been decided.

The Noles looked exceptional playing in Death Valley, a place they’ve had little success in the last decade. But the night truly belonged to freshman quarterback sensation Jameis Winston, who looked unflappably confident walking into Memorial Stadium and poised beyond his 19-years on the field.

Winston went 22-of-34 passing for 444 yards, averaging over 13 yards per pass, with three touchdowns to just one interception. This kid isn’t one to rely on his feet either—he doesn’t have to—he scrambled seven times, netting two yards.

Heisman hopes are still very much alive for Florida State freshman Jameis Winston.

Florida State wide receivers also benefitted from the success of their young quarterback. Rashard Greene hauled in two touchdowns, catching eight balls for 146 yards and averaging 18.3 yards per catch. Kenny Shaw added another 64 yards on five catches and averaged 12.8 yards per reception.

Sophomore stud Kelvin Benjamin didn’t put up nearly as many yards, but the three catches he made were quality. Particularly a stunning 22-yard touchdown reception, which put the Noles ahead 7-0 just 90 seconds in.

Although the surprise second star on offense was junior tight end Nick O’Leary, who had by far the best game of his career against Clemson. O’Leary averaged an epic 32.3 yards per reception, catching five balls for 161 total yards.

FSU coach Jimbo Fisher was all smiles, all night.

Overall it was an A+ effort from an FSU team that is going to be right there with Alabama and Oregon in the BCS Championship discussion. Noles coach Jimbo Fisher has got to be pleased with his team’s prospects moving forward. And not just this season either, they’re very well positioned for next year as well.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney must be reeling from that lopsided loss.

It was the exact opposite of that for Clemson. Not only are Dabo Swinney’s Tigers out of contention for a national championship, but there’s next to no chance they’ll overtake their ACC division rival Seminoles to earn a spot in the conference championship.

Now’s the time to sell if you’ve got anything invested in Clemson—their shares are about to plummet.