TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — DJ Uiagalelei threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns and No. 4 Clemson forced a momentum-turning takeaway to hold off Florida State 34-28 on Saturday night.
Clemson (7-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) scored on six straight drives and surpassed the 30-point mark for a seventh straight game to open the season.
Will Shipley had 20 carries for 121 yards and six catches for 48 yards to help the Tigers to their seventh straight victory over the Seminoles.
Lawrance Toafili ran for 68 yards and Florida State (4-3, 2-3) accumulated 196 on the ground. Toafili also had six receptions for 45 yards, but the Seminoles dropped their third straight game.
While Florida State kept up with Clemson for the first 20 minutes, defensive end Myles Murphy’s sack of Jordan Travis forced a fumble and the Tigers were set up with a short field. Three plays later, Uiagalelei’s 5-yard TD run put Clemson up 24-14.
Travis led Florida State on a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, the second a 94-yard march that culminated in a 25-yard TD pass to Kentron Poitier with 2:17 left and cut Clemson’s lead to 34-28. But the Tigers recovered the onside kick and were able to put the game away.
TAKEAWAYS
Clemson: The Tigers were efficient on third downs, converting on 9 of 16 opportunities. They were 3 of 3 on red-zone trips (two touchdowns and a field goal), extending their perfect start to the year by scoring on 35 of 35 trips inside an opponent’s 20-yard line.
Florida State: The Seminoles were forced to roll the dice and went just 1 for 4 on fourth-down conversions, including a run on a fake punt that fell short.
UP NEXT
Clemson: Hosts No. 18 Syracuse next Saturday.
Florida State: Hosts Georgia Tech on Oct. 29.
