What’s next for FSU football after our fall to Clemson?
It was a closer game than the teams respective records suggest
The Florida State football team’s heartbreak continued on Saturday. Jimbo Fisher and the Seminoles marched into Doak Campbell Stadium to challenge the Clemson Tigers, but the results were less favorable than fans had hoped. Merely keeping up with the undefeated powerhouse might seem like a moral victory, but this game pushed Florida State to their third loss. Meanwhile on the other side of the ball, Clemson improved to a sparkling 8-0 record. There is no arguing that Florida State was outplayed, but the scoreboard tells us that it was closer than the teams respective records suggest.
The shining star for Florida State was none other than Dalvin Cook, but perhaps the most notable moment of the game was the play that could have been. With the Seminoles leading by two in the fourth quarter, Dalvin busted through the line of scrimmage and scampered for a would-be 60-yard gain. The officiating crew, however, negated the run by controversially calling a chop block on Florida State.
Madness ensued on the Seminole sideline, pushing them back another 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. Jimbo Fisher expressed great outrage with this call after the game- he was adamant about it being a legal block and a bogus call in an emotional game. After this point in the game, the Seminoles sputtered. Clemson simply outlasted us and began to dominate the Florida State offensive line.
Fisher was fined $20,000 by the ACC for his criticisms of the officiating crew. As a Seminole fan, it’s great to see Jimbo Fisher stand up for his team and their fans.
Fans around Tallahassee found ways to bond over the loss this weekend, but one notable fan took to FSU Craigslist on Facebook this weekend, stating: “ISO FSU offensive line. When found, please return to Jimbo Fisher” This post is the culmination of the frustration FSU fans felt towards this loss.
It’s a shame that the ‘Nole nation couldn’t take down the Clemson juggernaut led by Deshaun Watson, but besides the controversy, Jimbo described this game as “a heavyweight fight. They’re going to throw haymakers, we’re going to throw haymakers”. The results of this season may hurt in the moment, but the ‘Noles have at least proven that they can still hang with the heavyweights. At the end of the day, Clemson’s record speaks for itself. It will be up to the legendary Jimbo Fisher to find good of the seemingly tragic season. We can only hope that the young players will continue to improve as we prepare for our heavyweight bout to start next season against Alabama.