With Jameis Winston watching, Florida State wins in OT
TALLAHASSEE — Breaking down No. 1 Florida State's 23-17 win Saturday vs. No. 24 Clemson:
THE BIG PICTURE: Florida State's 19th consecutive win was pure survival. No matter what else may come in the near future for quarterback Jameis Winston, who was suspended for the game after his latest off-field incident, all that matters is getting the win, regrouping and moving on. It certainly wasn't easy or pretty, and Sean Maguire showed why he's a backup and Winston is a star, but the Seminoles got the big play they needed — a 74-yard touchdown pass to Rashad Greene with 6:04 left — to tie the score late and ultimately win in overtime after they stuffed Clemson on 4th-and-inches.
The Seminoles' College Football Playoff hopes are intact. As for Clemson, this was the blown opportunity of all blown opportunities to snag a road win against the No. 1 team in the country. The Tigers missed two standard-length field goals (41 and 23 yards) and had the ball with 2:14 left just 26 yards from the end zone but fumbled away their chance at regulation victory when C.J. Davidson got stripped with 1:36 left.
WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT: Well, how about Winston — the suspended, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback — coming out for pregame warmups in full uniform only to be ordered back into the locker room by head coach Jimbo Fisher before changing into sweatpants and a jersey? Odd moment, to be sure, but par for the course for what seems like a constant circus around Winston. You'd think Florida State would have wanted to minimize the distractions leading up to kickoff, but instead it only led to more questions about what the heck he was thinking.
After the game, Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said Winston would be the starting quarterback again when the team resumes practice Monday.
TOP PLAY: Clemson was dominating the game, but couldn't get points on the board due to shaky field-goal kicking and mistakes inside the 5-yard line. That all changed, however, with 12:11 left when Watson aired it out down the left sideline to Mike Williams, challenging Ronald Darby, the Seminoles' best corner. Darby tripped Williams, jarring his left shoe off, but it didn't matter because Williams dove for the ball, got his arms underneath it and held on as he hit the turf for a 39-yard gain to the 2-yard line. One play later, Clemson was in the end zone for a 17-10 lead.
BREAKOUT PLAYER:There has been a big debate around Clemson whether they were starting the right quarterback in senior Cole Stoudt with talented freshman Deshaun Watson performing well in limited opportunities. It was only a matter of time before Clemson made the switch, and it occurred — probably for good — after the Tigers' first three drives Saturday.
Watson was just terrific, leading the first touchdown drive and showing all kinds of composure for a true freshman. Watson throws a pretty ball, extends plays and can run, which makes him a great fit for this system. He looked like a star in the making, completing 19-of-28 for 266 yards. Pretty good for a guy who, exactly one year ago, was throwing for 372 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-6 win for Gainesville (Ga.) High.
