Clemson blows out FSU again, wins fifth straight against 'Noles
It was supposed to be an opportunity to show how far the Florida State football team has come.
Instead, it was a clear indication of how far the Seminoles still have to go.
The No. 2 Clemson Tigers needed less than three minutes to score their first touchdown on Saturday -- on a shovel pass from Trevor Lawrence to Travis Etienne -- and the rout was on shortly after that.
Florida State fell in a 28-point hole early in the second quarter and never recovered, eventually falling to the defending national champions, 45-14. This comes one year after Clemson thrashed FSU in Tallahassee, 59-10.
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Florida State came into Saturday's game with a good bit of momentum after posting double-digit victories against N.C. State and Louisville. Those marked the Seminoles' first back-to-back ACC wins since the 2016 season.
But with both teams coming off of a bye week, the Tigers (6-0, 4-0 in the ACC) were clearly at another level. They scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions and eventually led 42-0 in the second half before Florida State (3-3, 2-2) first cracked the scoreboard.
That first touchdown for FSU came on a 64-yard catch-and-run by star wide receiver Tamorrion Terry late in the third quarter. Before that play, the Seminoles had not crossed the 50-yard line.
FSU head coach Willie Taggart went into the game planning to use both of his top two quarterbacks -- James Blackman and Alex Hornibrook -- and the Seminoles did just that. But neither played well, and the FSU offensive line struggled as expected against a talented Clemson defense.
Hornibrook completed 8 of 12 passes for 84 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Blackman was 9 of 23 for 66 yards with no scores and two interceptions.
Starting tailback Cam Akers was limited to 34 yards on 9 carries, while backup Khalan Laborn came through with the Seminoles' second touchdown late in the fourth quarter. With that 40-yard run, Laborn finished with 69 yards on 8 attempts.
Florida State has now dropped five straight games to Clemson, and none of the last three have been close. The Tigers have won those games by a combined margin of 135-38.
Perhaps the worst news of the day came in the injury department, where the Seminoles lost sophomore wide receiver Keyshawn Helton to what appeared to be a serious lower-leg injury. Helton's leg was placed in an air cast, and he was taken from the field on a medical cart.
Starting safety Cyrus Fagan also was injured early in the game and returned to the sideline with his foot in a walking boot.
Stay connected with Warchant.com for complete post-game coverage, including video interviews and analysis.
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