Florida State Seminoles

FSU Football: Top 5 Things To Be On Lookout For In Clemson Game

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Nov 7, 2015; Clemson, SC, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook (4) carries for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Clemson Tigers at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

FSU football will face a big challenge Saturday night when they host the Clemson Tigers. We discuss the top five things to be on the lookout for.

FSU football isn’t in the running to win the ACC or a national title in 2016. However, this Clemson game is huge for perception of program and stud recruits that will be in attendance.

A close loss, while not ideal, wouldn’t be in the end of the world as FSU are underdogs in this game after two early season losses.

A win would be huge for perception of the program after the embarrassment of the Louisville game.

If the ‘Noles were to get ran out of stadium similar to the loss at Louisville, well, that’s probably worth four or five posts on its own.

Anyways, let’s get into the top five things to be on the lookout for on Saturday night.

Oct 3, 2015; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles offensive lineman Roderick Johnson (77) lines up during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Florida State defeated Wake Forest 24-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Who Wins At Line of Scrimmage?

Aside from turnovers and explosive plays, this area of the game will likely have the most impact regarding who wins and loses.

Both offensive lines will be challenged for the defensive fronts they’ll face. Considering how the FSU offensive line has struggled against lesser competition, one hopes Deondre Francois will finish the game in tact.

Here’s a stat for you.

Clemson has only allowed seven sacks on the season(No. 12 nationally. However, FSU has allowed 21(tied for No. 108) nationally.

Clemson is No. 13 against the run on standard downs, and FSU is No. 29 on standard downs.

In a nutshell, the Clemson offensive line has done a much better job of protecting Deshaun Watson.

The Clemson defensive line has done a better job against the run on standards when compared to FSU.

I think the FSU defensive line will be OK Saturday night. However, the FSU offensive line will need to play the game of their life.

Jan 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) walks off the field after losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Turnovers

This could be a huge factor in the game. Clemson has been prone to turnovers this season, and the FSU defense has been good at forcing them.

FSU football is No. 18 in the nation with 15 turnovers forced through the first seven games while only turning the ball over nine times.

Clemson has turned the ball over 16 times through seven games, but they are good at forcing turnovers too with 16 takeaways on the season.

Can the FSU defense force Deshaun Watson and company to turn the ball over a couple of times and take advantage of it?

They’ll likely need to if they wish to pull off the upset. They definitely can’t afford to turn the ball over themselves and provide Clemson with extra opportunities to score.

Dec 31, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher reacts after quarterback Sean Maguire (not pictured) threw an interception in the third quarter against Houston Cougars in the 2015 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome. The Cougars won 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Will Jimbo Be Passive Or Aggressive?

What I mean by this is will Jimbo Fisher settle for long field goals, or will he go for it on fourth down deep on Clemson territory?

He has a true freshman kicker in Ricky Aguayo who has made 14 of 19 field goal attempts on the season.

The scary part is, four of his five misses have come at Doak Campbell Stadium.

Field goals are not going to win this game on Saturday. I think the FSU defense has improved, but I’m not sold on them keeping Clemson under 20-24 points Saturday night.

The flow of the game will likely influence how Jimbo makes these decisions. If the FSU offensive line is getting mauled, he’ll likely settle for field goals to keep it a one score game or take the lead.

If they are getting a push or feel they have an advantage somewhere, he may go for it on fourth down similar to the Miami game.

Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals cornerback Jaire Alexander (10) avoids the tackles of Florida State Seminoles place kicker Logan Tyler (21) and linebacker Ro

Field Position

Another area of the FSU team that’s extremely young in true freshman punter Logan Tyler. That’s a recurring theme, young players at key positions for FSU football this season.

But hey, we told you that 2-3 months ago when others were talking about going 12-0 against one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

Tyler has played decently as a true freshman. He’s averaging 42.33 yards per punt which is good for No. 42 in the nation.

Tyler has a big leg, but often he kicks the ball a good distance but without enough hang time for the gunner’s to get down and make a play.

Which is a primary reason why FSU football is dead last (No. 128) in punt return yards allowed per game.

If the FSU offense gets stuck deep in its own territory, Clemson will likely have an opportunity to gain excellent field position because this area of special teams has been disappointing to say the least.

Nov 7, 2015; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) carries the ball while being defended by Florida State Seminoles linebacker Terrance Smith (24) during the first half at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Third Downs

A big difference in the game last year was third down conversions. Clemson was able to convert 7 of 18 third downs while gaining 29 first downs for the game.

FSU football was able to convert 2 of 12 third downs and gained 14 first downs for the game.

The FSU defense is will to be able to get off the field on third down if they want a realistic shot at beating Clemson.

The ‘Noles have allowed opponents to convert third downs 39.53 percent of the time. The Clemson offense has converted third downs 48.6 percent of the time.

The ‘Noles offense converts third downs 45.16 percent of the time, and Clemson has allowed opposing offenses to convert 28.83 percent of the time.

FSU has done a good job of converting third and short situations, and that’ll need to continue on Saturday.

However, for that to happen, the ‘Noles will need to win on first and second downs to avoid third and long situations.