Clemson beats Florida State 36-24

Clemson defeated Florida State 36-24 on Saturday night in Tallahassee, marking the Tigers' third consecutive victory in the series.

Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds broke a four-game dry spell by throwing two touchdown passes in the first half. He connected with Christian Bentancur and Olsen Patt-Henry to help establish a 23-10 lead after 30 minutes. Reynolds finished the game completing 18 of 32 passes for 189 yards. With 3:17 remaining, he ran a 79-yard score on third-and-12 to secure the result for the 5-3 Tigers.

Kicker Nolan Hauser contributed to the offensive output by converting five field goal attempts from distances of 50, 49, 46, 35, and 35 yards. His success brings his 2026 career total to 23 made attempts out of 24. Clemson scored on eight of its 13 possessions, a performance described as its most efficient against a Power 4 opponent this season.

Florida State, now 3-5, lost its third straight game. Starting quarterback Ashton Daniels threw three interceptions and fumbled once. Despite a 350-yard passing total, the Seminoles struggled on the ground without leading rusher Ousmane Kromah. The team managed only 65 rushing yards on 29 carries. Micahi Danzy and Jasen Lopez each caught a touchdown pass, while Daniels also scored on a 13-yard run.

Injury concerns arose for Clemson when starting left guard Elyjah Thurmon left the game in the second quarter. He was strapped to a backboard after lying on the field for approximately 10 minutes and gave a thumbs up while being transported off on a cart.

Clemson will travel to Syracuse next Saturday, while Florida State heads to Boston College for its next contest.