FSU at Clemson: Good Times, Bad Times

This year’s match-up between Florida State and Clemson doesn’t have the implications of meetings past, but it’s still a big game for both teams.

Clemson is looking to wrap up an ACC Championship berth while FSU needs three wins in four games to become bowl-eligible. Since 2009, the annual winner of the contest between the Seminoles and Tigers has gone on to win the ACC Atlantic in every year. If that history is to stay alive, it would be Clemson who would need to win on Saturday.

Speaking of history, Florida State and Clemson have played some good ones over the years. As we do every week, we’ll examine that history with a segment we call, “Good Times, Bad Times”:

All-Time Series: FSU leads 20-10.
Good Times: The 1988 contest on Sept. 17 in Death Valley had gone back and forth. 10th-ranked FSU trailed 14-7 at halftime, but a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown by Deion Sanders and a short run from fullback Dayne Williams put the Seminoles ahead 21-14 in the third quarter. With 2:32 to play, No. 3 Clemson tied the game on a 19-yard touchdown run by Tracy Johnson. After forcing a 3-and-out, it looked as though the Tigers were going to get the ball back with a chance to win it until FSU head coach Bobby Bowden reached into his bag of tricks. On fourth down from the FSU 21-yard-line, the Seminoles lined up in punt formation, but the ball was snapped to the up back, who handed the ball between the legs to another player. As the entire FSU team took off one way, defensive back Leroy Butler went the other way with the football for 78 yards down to the Clemson 1-yard-line. That would set up Richie Andrews’ winning field goal with 32 seconds to play in a 24-21 victory. The play to Butler will be forever known to FSU fans as “puntrooskie”.

The Sept. 11, 1993 contest was expected to be close as the top-ranked Seminoles hosted No. 21 Clemson. FSU was forced to rally the year prior in a 24-20 win at Death Valley, but there was nothing close about this one as FSU mopped the floor with the Tigers, 57-0. FSU quarterback Charlie Ward passed for 317 yards and four touchdowns in the victory while the FSU defense forced three turnovers. FSU linebacker Derrick Brooks put the exclamation point on the shutout by returning a fumble 83 yards for a score in the rout.

It was a contest of top-5 teams as No. 5 FSU visited third-ranked Clemson on Oct. 19, 2013. The Tigers may have had the home field, but the advantage was never theirs. For FSU, future Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jameis Winston passed for 444 yards and three touchdowns in the 51-14 thumping. Tight end Nick O’Leary and wide receiver Rashad Green combined for over 300 yards receiving and two touchdowns. For the defense, Lamarcus Joyner stole the show with eight tackles, an interception and two forced fumbles. Defensive end Mario Edwards, Jr. also returned a fumble for a score. The 51 points for FSU was the most ever for a visiting opponent at Death Valley.

Bad Times: After losing thanks to the play known as “puntrooskie” in 1988, Clemson got its revenge in Tallahassee on Sept. 9, 1989. It was the home opener for the Seminoles and early on, they had no answer for Clemson running back Terry Allen, who finished the day with 130 yards rushing and three touchdowns. The Tigers raced to a 21-0 lead in the first half. After Dexter Carter got FSU on the board, it took Clemson just one play to answer as Allen raced 73 yards for a touchdown. From there, the Seminoles never got closer to 12 until the final minute in a 34-23 loss. Wayne Simmons also returned an interception 73 yards for a score in the Tiger victory. The loss dropped FSU to 0-2 for the first time in 13 years.

Florida State entered Death Valley on Nov. 8, 2003 ranked third in the country and with national championship aspirations. That night however, the Seminoles were no match for the unranked Tigers in a 26-10 defeat. A late second quarter touchdown run by Charlie Whitehurst gave Clemson a 13-0 lead at the break and his 58-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Hamilton in the third quarter let FSU know it wasn’t going to be its night. FSU quarterback Chris Rix was intercepted twice before being pulled for Fabian Walker, who threw the only touchdown of the night for the Seminoles to Chauncey Stovall.

It was No. 3 Clemson who had national championship aspirations for last year’s Oct. 29 contest in Tallahassee. 12th-ranked FSU fell behind 14-0 early, but second quarter touchdowns by Dalvin Cook and Nyqwan Murray made it a 17-14 game at the break. From there, Cook would bust off three more touchdown runs of 43, 70 and eight yards, putting the Seminoles ahead 34-29 with 3:23 to play. That proved to be too much time for Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, who found Jordan Leggett for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:06 to play. Clemson forced FSU to turn the ball over on downs on the ensuing possession to edge the Seminoles, 37-34. Cook rushed 169 yards and four scores, but four sacks and two interceptions from the defense were not enough to knock off Watson and the Tigers. Watson passed for 378 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson