Clemson Beats Florida State 36-24 as Tait Reynolds Breaks 79-Yard Run; Elyjah Thurmon Carted Off

Clemson beat Florida State 36-24 on Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee. Freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds sealed it with a 79-yard touchdown run on third-and-12 with 3:17 left, after the Seminoles had cut a 19-point deficit to five.

The win moves Clemson to 5-3 (3-2 ACC). Florida State fell to 3-5 (1-4) with its third straight loss.

Clemson vs. Florida State: how the game went

Clemson led for most of the night. Reynolds threw first-half touchdown passes to tight ends Christian Bentancur (18 yards) and Olsen Patt-Henry (4 yards). Kicker Nolan Hauser added three field goals, including a 50-yarder as time expired, for a 23-10 halftime lead.

Hauser made all five of his attempts, from 50, 49, 46, 35 and 35 yards, and Clemson pushed its lead to 29-10 early in the fourth quarter. Then Florida State came back:

• Ashton Daniels ran for a 13-yard touchdown, and a two-point shovel pass to Desirrio Riles made it 29-18.
• After a Clemson three-and-out, Daniels hit Jasen Lopez for a 41-yard touchdown. The two-point try failed, leaving it 29-24 with 5:30 to play.

Clemson then fell behind the chains after a holding penalty. On third-and-12, Reynolds broke a tackle and ran down the Clemson sideline for 79 yards. According to Clemson Athletics, it was the longest run by a quarterback in program history. Florida State drove to the Clemson 9 on its last possession, but Elliot Washington II intercepted Daniels to end it.

Tait Reynolds’ stat line

Reynolds completed 18 of 32 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 85 yards and a third score. The AP noted he had not thrown a touchdown pass in his previous four games.

“If you can’t see 2 (Reynolds) getting better than you just ain’t looking,” coach Dabo Swinney said, per the AP. “The kid’s just a competitor. He’s getting better every week.”

Reynolds was more measured: “I think there’s a lot to clean up,” he said. “We’re not there with our full potential yet.”

Clemson’s defense forced four turnovers

Clemson forced a season-high four turnovers: interceptions by Jerome Carter III and Washington (two), plus a fourth-down fumble forced by Darien Mayo and recovered by Jahiem Lawson. “I’m happy to report we won the turnover margin for the first time this year,” Swinney said.

Daniels threw for 350 yards (21 of 33) with touchdown passes to Micahi Danzy (46 yards) and Lopez, but he was intercepted three times and lost a fumble. Playing its first game without leading rusher Ousmane Kromah, Florida State ran for just 65 yards on 29 carries.

What happened to the Clemson player? Elyjah Thurmon injury update

Starting left guard Elyjah Thurmon was hurt in a head-to-head collision in the second quarter. He lay on the field for about 10 minutes before he was strapped to a backboard and carted off, the AP reported. He gave a thumbs-up as he left, and teammates and staff gathered around him.

After the game, Swinney said Thurmon would probably stay overnight for observation at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, but early signs were encouraging. “I think the signs are all positive right now,” Swinney said, per TigerNet. “I think it’s more just maybe a concussion-type thing.” Swinney said the neck area was also being checked, but that Thurmon had good strength and movement. “We’re hopeful that they’ll let him go tomorrow and he’ll be able to get home.”

No official diagnosis had been released as of early Sunday.

Swinney ties Bobby Bowden

The win tied Swinney with Florida State great Bobby Bowden for the most ACC regular-season wins by a head coach (117 each), according to Clemson. It was also Clemson’s fifth straight win in Tallahassee, and its third straight win in the series.

For Florida State coach Mike Norvell, who the AP said entered 2026 on the hot seat, the loss followed defeats at Louisville and Miami. “Extremely disappointed with the result,” Norvell said.

What’s next

• Clemson: at Syracuse, Saturday, Nov. 7, at noon ET. Senior Day against Georgia Tech follows on Nov. 14.
• Florida State: at Boston College on Saturday.

FAQ