The Florida State Seminoles entered Halloween night needing a response after consecutive losses. Instead, the frustration surrounding the program only grew louder.
The Seminoles fell 36-24
to the Clemson Tigers at Doak Campbell Stadium, dropping to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in ACC play. FSU trailed 23-10 at halftime and spent most of the second half trying to dig out of a hole created by turnovers and another slow start.The mood around the program was apparent before kickoff. A plane circled Doak before the game carrying a banner calling for changes involving head coach Mike Norvell and Board of Trustees chairman Peter Collins. The banner actually read “FSU: Fire Novell + Peter Collins!”, misspelling Norvell’s name but making the frustration unmistakable.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Florida State’s loss to Clemson.
Winner: Micahi Danzy
Danzy was easily one of FSU’s brightest offensive pieces. He caught a 46-yard touchdown in the first quarter and later broke free for a 52-yard reception in the fourth, surpassing 100 receiving yards on the night. His explosiveness gave the Seminoles one of their few consistent ways to stress Clemson vertically.
Winner: FSU’s late fight
Florida State could have folded after falling behind 29-10 in the fourth quarter. Instead, the Seminoles continued pushing and cut into the deficit before ultimately running out of time. The comeback does not erase another loss, but the response at least prevented what looked headed toward becoming a much uglier night.
Loser: Ashton Daniels’ turnovers
Daniels entered the night believing he was playing his best football, but Clemson forced him into one of his roughest stretches of the season. He threw two interceptions in the second quarter and later lost a fumble after scrambling for a first down deep in Clemson territory. Those three turnovers repeatedly took scoring opportunities away from FSU and helped Clemson build control of the game. His third interception ended the game.
Loser: The running game
Playing without Ousmane Kromah was always going to make life harder, and Clemson made the loss especially noticeable. Quintrevion Wisner struggled to find consistent space, while Daniels spent much of the night dealing with pressure behind the line of scrimmage. FSU had just 43 rushing yards midway through the fourth quarter as the offense became increasingly dependent on explosive passes.
Loser: Mike Norvell
The plane flying over Doak before kickoff made the atmosphere around Norvell impossible to ignore. Losing at home to a Clemson team that entered the night 4-3 only adds another layer to it.
FSU is now 3-5 and has lost three straight games. The Seminoles need to win three of their final four just to reach six victories and bowl eligibility. For a fan base already frustrated enough to take its message into the sky, another home loss will do little to quiet the questions surrounding the direction of the program.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Winners and losers from another frustrating night for FSU
