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Florida State vs Clemson 2025: After several weeks of venting frustrations and even blaming officials after the Duke loss, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney finally had something to celebrate.
He looked noticeably happier after Saturday night’s 24-10 victory over Florida State. The win was Clemson’s first at home against a Power Conference team since mid-2024.
It ended the longest home losing streak of Swinney’s career at Memorial Stadium and gave new life to the Tigers’ bowl hopes.
For the first time at home since their Week 2 victory over Troy, Clemson’s defense finally looked like the powerhouse fans had been waiting for.
Led by several players with first-round potential, the group controlled the line of scrimmage from the start.
The Tigers created two turnovers and kept Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos off balance all night.
They also shut down one of the ACC’s strongest rushing attacks, allowing only 110 yards on the ground.
“I’m really happy for our seniors,” Swinney said. “They’ve worked hard all year, and it felt great to see them enjoy this moment.”
He acknowledged the season hasn’t been perfect on paper but made it clear that didn’t bother him. “Records don’t matter,” he said with a smile. “Beating the Noles never gets old — and it’s never easy.”
Clemson’s Final Push to End the Season
Clemson hits the road to face Louisville on Friday night before closing the season with matchups against Furman and South Carolina.
A loss to the Cardinals would mean the Tigers must beat both the Paladins and the Gamecocks to extend their bowl streak under Swinney.
Still, the team now has a fresh sense of confidence after the defense’s impressive showing against Florida State.
“That was the best offense in the conference coming in,” Swinney said. “They’re explosive and run the ball really well.
One of the top rushing and scoring teams in the country — averaging 40 points a game.” He couldn’t hide his pride in how his team responded.
“Our defense was incredible tonight,” he said. “We held them to just 10 points, their fewest yards of the season, and came away with six sacks.”
“We did a lot of things right tonight,” he said. “We forced two turnovers and got a few lucky breaks with some dropped passes.
But what mattered most was how the guys kept pushing. They stayed tough and fought until the end.” Clemson hasn’t missed a bowl game since Dabo Swinney became head coach.
The last time the Tigers sat out the postseason was in 2004, when Tommy Bowden’s team finished 6-5 but turned down a bowl invite after a heated brawl with South Carolina in a 29-7 rivalry win.
Bowden remained for a few more seasons before Swinney took over midway through 2008 and later earned the job full-time after beating the Gamecocks.
Over the last 50 years, Clemson has posted a losing record only six times — and just once during Swinney’s era.
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