Florida State Seminoles vs Clemson Tigers Picks and Predictions October 5th 2024

ESPN will be covering this week six college football matchup between the Clemson Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles, set to kick off at 7:00 ET from Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Clemson is the heavy favorite at -14.5 points, and the over/under line is currently at 47.5 points. The Tigers enter the game with a 3-1 record, while the Seminoles are just 1-4 on the season.

Clemson vs. Florida State Key Information

Clemson enters Week 6 with a 3-1 record, ranked 13th in our power rankings. They have a 99.7% chance of becoming bowl-eligible and a 28.4% chance of winning the Atlantic Coast. Clemson also holds the 13th best odds to make the playoff, with a 33.6% chance.

The Tigers are 3-0 at home but 0-1 on the road this season. They’ve gone 3-0 as the favorite and 0-1 as the underdog, with an average scoring margin of +16.2 points per game. Against the spread, Clemson is 3-1, covering all three games as the favorite.

Clemson’s over/under record is 2-2, with their games averaging 67.8 points. Their average over/under line has been 50.9 points, and this week’s line is set at 47.5 points.

Clemson’s offense is ranked 3rd in our offensive power rankings heading into week 6, and they are 13th in scoring, averaging 42 points per game. Cade Klubnik has thrown for 984 yards and has a passer rating of 123. He has completed 66.4% of his passes with 12 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Overall, Clemson is 49th in passing yards, averaging 277.8 yards per game. They are 67th in rushing, with 179.8 yards per game. Phil Mafah leads the rushing attack with 342 yards, averaging 8 yards per carry. Bryant Wesco Jr. has 238 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

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Heading into this week, Clemson’s defense ranks 40th nationally, allowing 25.8 points per game. They’ve given up 218.5 passing yards per game (93rd) and 184.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 128th. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 56% of their passes, with a passer rating of 76.6, the 43rd-lowest in the country.

In their last game, Clemson’s defense allowed 14 points but gave up 361 total yards, including 236 rushing yards on 44 attempts. They also forced three interceptions while holding Stanford to 125 passing yards on 13 completions.

Florida State enters Week 6 with a 1-4 record, facing Clemson at home. They are ranked 63rd in our power rankings and have just a 5.3% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. So far, the Seminoles are 1-2 at home this season.

Florida State has been favored in four of their five games this season but has gone 1-3 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is -9.4 points per game, and they are 1-4 against the spread.

The over/under line for this week is 47.5 points. Florida State’s games have averaged 39.8 points, with an average over/under line of 50.3 points. Their over/under record is 1-4 this season.

Florida State’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 15.2 points per game, which ranks 92nd nationally. They are 108th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 6. Their third-down conversion rate is only 29.9%, and their rushing attack is producing just 72.2 yards per game.

DJ Uiagalelei leads the passing game with 1,065 yards, but he has thrown six interceptions compared to four touchdowns, resulting in a passer rating of 67. Florida State ranks 28th in passing attempts. Ja’Khi Douglas has 285 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Florida State’s defense has struggled this season, giving up 42 points in their recent game against SMU. They allowed 480 total yards, with 226 rushing yards on 47 attempts and 254 passing yards, including three passing touchdowns.

Opponents have averaged 24.6 points per game against Florida State, with 174.4 rushing yards per game, ranking 118th nationally. The defense has faced the 28th fewest pass attempts but has allowed 216.2 passing yards per game and a 65.2% completion rate.

Our pick for the over/under line of 47.5 points in this Clemson vs. Florida State matchup is to take the over, as we have a final score projection of 32-21 in favor of Clemson, which would be a combined 53 points.

Florida State is the +14.5 point underdog at home, and even though we expect Clemson to win, we like Florida State to cover the spread as the home underdog.

QB Matchup Key as No. 15 Clemson Faces Florida State

When No. 15 Clemson heads to Tallahassee, Fla., on Saturday night to take on Florida State in an Atlantic Coast Conference game, the quarterback storyline many anticipated reportedly won’t come to fruition.

It was expected to be a clash between former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, now starting for Florida State, and Cade Klubnik, the quarterback who replaced him during the 2022 ACC Championship Game. However, recent reports indicate that Florida State’s sophomore Brock Glenn will start instead, as Uiagalelei deals with a broken finger on his throwing hand.

Florida State Turns to Brock Glenn After Uiagalelei Injury

Uiagalelei has struggled throughout the season, throwing four touchdown passes against six interceptions, completing just 53.8 percent of his passes with a quarterback rating of 34.4. His latest injury now sidelines him, leaving Glenn to take over.

“DJ did make a lot of good throws throughout the course of the game and some good decisions,” Seminoles coach Mike Norvell said of last week’s 42-16 loss to SMU. “He made some poor decisions and a couple bad throws, but you’ve got to help the quarterback. I don’t think we’ve done a good job of that consistently.”

Glenn, who played last week in relief, did not complete any of his four passing attempts. Last season, Glenn started for the Seminoles in the ACC Championship Game as a true freshman, guiding FSU to a 16-6 victory over Louisville after injuries sidelined both Jordan Travis and Tate Rodemaker.

The challenge will be significant for Glenn, who also started in FSU’s 63-3 Orange Bowl loss to Georgia, completing 9-of-26 passes for 139 yards with two interceptions.

“I don’t care who’s playing quarterback,” Norvell added. “We’ve got to help the quarterback out, too.”

Cade Klubnik Steady for Clemson

Meanwhile, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik has had a much more consistent season compared to Uiagalelei. With 12 touchdown passes against only two interceptions, Klubnik has one of the best touchdown-to-interception ratios in the country. He also ranks second in the ACC in quarterback rating (89.1) and is tied for third in touchdown passes.

“It’s a part of it, but the majority of the credit belongs to him and his growth from last year,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “He’s a really talented football player. Sometimes you have to be patient with some guys. He put a ton of work in during the offseason and in every area.”

Clemson is coming off a dominant 40-14 win over Stanford last week, and Klubnik’s development has been instrumental in the team’s success this season.

Clemson’s Strong Running Game, Defensive Questions

Clemson’s ground attack has also been a key contributor, with running back Phil Mafah among the conference’s most efficient, averaging 8 yards per carry. The Tigers’ running game has provided balance to an offense that continues to improve under Klubnik.

However, Clemson’s defense has been a point of concern. The Tigers rank second-to-last in the ACC, allowing 401.8 yards per game, including 183.3 rushing yards. The defense will need to tighten up to keep Florida State’s offense in check, even with the young Glenn starting at quarterback.

Key Injuries and Player Availability

The Tigers could be getting reinforcements this week, with Swinney expressing optimism about the return of offensive lineman Collin Sadler (calf) and defensive lineman Peter Woods (leg), both of whom have missed the past two games.

“(Woods) was close. I think he’s right there,” Swinney said. “So we’re hopeful.”

With both teams facing challenges on offense and defense, the game could come down to which quarterback can rise to the occasion under the pressure of an important ACC matchup.