9/22/2023 football Edit

Seminoles reflect on 2013 victory in top-5 showdown at Clemson

Rashad Greene had two TD receptions and 146 receiving yards in the Oct. 2013 win at Clemson. (USA Today Sports)

Bob Ferrante • TheOsceola

Editor

Clemson set the stage. Florida State changed the tone on the first play.

Telvin Smith forced a fumble, which was recovered by Terrence Brooks, and Florida State gifted its offense a short field. Three plays later, Jameis Winston connected with Kelvin Benjamin on a 22-yard touchdown pass.

FSU led 17-0 in under 12 minutes, fueled by Lamarcus Joyner’s forced fumble which Mario Edwards Jr. recovered and ran 37 yards for a touchdown. Death Valley gradually got quieter and the rout was on.

“We were coming in with a different feel, a different swagger,” FSU running back Karlos Williams said. “We knew that we were one of the best teams in the country and that night was going to prove that we were the best team in the country.”

In what was a rare top-5 showdown among ACC teams, the first since 2005, No. 5 FSU throttled No. 3 Clemson 51-14. It was a thoroughly dominating performance on both sides of the ball: The defense forcing turnovers and keeping Tajh Boyd in check, the offense scoring at will and Winston throwing for 444 yards, three passing touchdowns and rushing for another touchdown.

“We knew that if we want to go into ACC championship that year, with the talented roster that we had, we had to go play damn near perfect football,” Williams said. “Coach (Jimbo) Fisher had us ready to go.”

FSU indeed played near perfect football. The official 10-year anniversary of the win is still a month away, on Oct. 19, 2013 (check out the box score on Nolefan.org). But with this year’s FSU-Clemson game approaching Saturday, the Osceola caught up with a few Seminoles for some perspective on the last FSU win at Clemson.

A win rooted in a punch in the mouth

FSU was on the ropes early at Boston College. Chase Rettig tossed a pair of touchdown passes and the Eagles led 17-3 early in the second quarter.

But the Seminoles responded with three touchdown drives, each ending in Winston touchdown passes — to Rashad Greene, Chad Abram and Kenny Shaw. FSU kept its foot on the gas from there and won 48-34.

“Boston College is one of those things that I’m always thankful for,” Shaw said. “They’re going to hit you in the mouth. They’re going to make it a game. So that year was very pivotal for us to see that bright and early vs. later on in the year.”

The Seminoles appreciated the lesson early. And the following week, they stomped No. 25 Maryland 63-0 and then had the luxury of a bye. Clemson did not, knocking off BC at home.

But BC’s physicality was a message that the Seminoles would be in a fight each week.

“It was just a big serving of what we’d call humble pie — and we needed that,” center Bryan Stork said. “They exposed us schematically a little bit up front, at least within the O-line, just the way they line up in certain ways in the fronts. And they were physical. They were always physical.”

What was the week of practice like ahead of Clemson?

“It was a different intensity that week in practice,” Williams said. “Guys were on edge. Guys were ready to execute.”

Said Shaw: “I don’t think there was a ball dropped on the ground. Everybody was dialed in.”

Stork downplayed that Clemson week was any different but underscored the tone set by Fisher and the position coaches.

“During practice those game weeks, the competition level was incredible,” Stork said. “That's why I think we all got so good. Everybody that was playing a lot went somewhere and made some money. We all made each other money in that aspect. And won a championship while doing it.”

Said Shaw: “Jimbo was a perfectionist. And he made our coaching staff perfectionists. It was a lot of accountability taken on both ends as players and coaches. when it came down to executing in a game, we had been over practicing and perfected it so much that games were easy.”

Pregame: Bus ride, locker room motivation

While Clemson fired up the bus, FSU returned to the locker room after warm-ups. Winston delivered a now famous, “If you’re going to do it big, do it big then” speech. Shaw was fired up.

“Seeing that in person and knowing that guy's going to fight for us,” Shaw said. “It was one of those things where it almost came off like a ‘300’ movie or a ‘Gladiator’ movie.

Stork had a different reaction but didn’t let his teammates see it.

“It was funny, it was hilarious,” Stork said. “When he did that pregame I about pissed myself laughing. I had to bite my lip. Because I thought it was funny. I never needed motivation for a game.”

Regardless, the Seminoles were ready for a top-5 showdown. Clemson players hopped off the bus and jogged down the hill. The Seminoles took the field, slowly, to a chorus of boos.

“Walked out together,” Stork said. “One team, one heartbeat. That meant something to us. Telvin Smith got that going.”

Defense makes statement early

Between the fumbles forced by Brooks and Joyner, and Edwards’ touchdown, The Seminoles were pulling away and comfortably ahead in the third quarter. FSU’s defense had forced four turnovers and four punts. The Seminoles were up 41-7.

“When they went out there, they did their damn job and obviously coach (Jeremy) Pruitt had the boys rolling,” Stork said. “And I'll just never forget LaMarcus Joyner. I think he got a penalty for pass interference. And he’s literally looking at Tajh Boyd saying, ‘Hey, throw it to him.’ It was the same guy (Clemson receiver) and he was locked on him. And he was saying it to him again.

“That was just that dog looking for the crumb mentality. Just hard-headed dudes that weren’t going to quit.”

All of the moments added up on offense, too. Rashad Greene’s touchdowns, including a 72-yarder. Benjamin’s TD was acrobatic and a stepping-stone play in his career. Nick O’Leary trucked Clemson safety Travis Blanks, who grew up in Tallahassee and played at North Florida Christian. Devonta Freeman kept hammering away on the ground for 84 yards and a touchdown.

“It’s something that we will never forget, being a part of a team like that and going into Death Valley,” Williams said.

Nobody had done it to that point. And since then, Clemson hasn’t lost at home all that often. The Tigers are 61-2 at Death Valley since the start of the 2014 season.

But on that October 2013 night, most of the Clemson fans left early. Thousands of FSU fans cheered. And the Marching Chiefs kept playing, too.

“Just seeing Death Valley start so loud and then it just gets so quiet,” Shaw said. “You can just hear the chants, the war chant. That's just a moment that even to this day, it goes through you. It goes through your skin and gives you goosebumps.”

Shaw played at Clemson twice, a close loss in 2011 and the victory in 2013. On Saturday, he will be back at Death Valley for the first time in a decade — admittedly unsure of how he will feel as he cheers on the 2023 Seminoles.

“I don't know how I feel going back in that stadium,” Shaw said. “It's probably gonna bring back so many memories.”