Florida State's next head football coach will have to be someone who can beat the Clemson Tigers.
The ax finally fell on FSU coach Mike Norvell, who was fired Sunday after parts of seven seasons in Tallahassee. His record with the Seminoles was 41-39 overall, and he lost 17 of his final 21 ACC games.
Thirteen of his 41 wins came during Florida State's unbeaten regular season in 2023 and that year's ACC Championship Game. Several of Norvell's losses came against Clemson, including his final one on the sidelines at Doak Campbell Stadium during Saturday's 36-24 Tigers win.
Norvell's first head-to-head matchup against Dabo Swinney and the Tigers didn't happen until 2021, a year after a somewhat contentious cancellation of the 2020 Clemson-FSU game.
Clemson beat FSU, 30-20, in 2021 en route to a 10-3 season.
In 2022, the Tigers were ranked No. 4 in the nation entering their Oct. 15 matchup at Doak Campbell Stadium and held off a late Florida State rally for a 34-28 win. Norvell and the Seminoles ended a seven-year losing streak against Clemson with a thrilling 31-24 overtime win in Death Valley during FSU's march to an unbeaten regular season in 2023.
Just when it seemed that FSU might be back on top of the ACC for a while, the Seminoles collapsed in 2024 and finished 2-10. The program never recovered under Norvell's direction.
Clemson has reeled off three straight double-digit wins over the Noles, and Saturday's victory in Tallahassee marked the Tigers' 10th win over FSU in the series' last 11 meetings.
The Tigers have not lost at Doak Campbell Stadium since 2014. Prior to that year, Clemson had won only once in Tallahassee since the Noles joined the ACC in 1992.
Florida State's next coach will have to have a better record against Clemson.
Mike Norvell record, results vs. Clemson football
Results:
- Oct. 30, 2021: Clemson 30, Florida State 20
- Oct. 15, 2022: Clemson 34, Florida State 28
- Sept. 23, 2023: Florida State 31, Clemson 24
- Oct. 5, 2024: Clemson 29, Florida State 13
- Nov. 8, 2025: Clemson 24, Florida State 10
- Oct. 31, 2026: Clemson 36, Florida State 24
Record: 1-5.
Why Dabo Swinney was livid after Clemson football win at Florida State
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) November 1, 2026
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Clemson football schedule 2026
Clemson (5-3, 3-2) will face Syracuse (4-4, 2-4) at JMA Wireless Dome in Week 10 of the 2026 college football season. Kickoff is Noon ET. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
All times Eastern.
- Sept. 5: at LSU Tigers (L, 51-10)
- Sept. 12: vs. Georgia Southern Eagles (W, 22-7)
- Sept. 19: vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (W, 28-20)
- Sept. 25: at California Golden Bears (W, 24-10)
- Oct. 3: vs. Miami Hurricanes (L, 41-13)
- Oct. 17: vs. Charleston Southern Buccaneers (W, 37-0)
- Oct. 24: vs. Virginia Tech Hokies (L, 20-16)
- Oct. 31: at Florida State Seminoles (W, 36-24)
- Nov. 7: at Syracuse Orange, noon ET, ESPN2
- Nov. 14: vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, TBA
- Nov. 20: at Duke Blue Devils, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
- Nov. 28: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks, TBA
Record: 5-3 overall, 3-2.
What FSU coach Mike Norvell said about Clemson football after loss
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) November 1, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: FSU fires Mike Norvell, what was his record vs. Clemson football?
