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During a Wednesday press conference, Clemson Tigers quarterback Tait Reynolds was momentarily delayed by noise in the media center, a disruption that reminded the freshman of Clemson's recent trip to Tallahassee, as reported by Nick Kosko of On3. Reynolds quipped, "I think Florida State was playing some crowd noise. It got louder throughout the game. There was nobody there. It got loud. I was like, 'What the heck?'" he said with a grin.
Reynolds' joke resonated given the tumultuous week for Florida State. Before Clemson's 36-24 win on Oct. 31, a plane flew over Doak Campbell Stadium with a banner demanding the firing of head coach Mike Norvell and the removal of board chairman Peter Collins—with Norvell's name misspelled. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney addressed the incident afterward, saying, "It was embarrassing what I saw above the stadium. Whoever did that, man, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. And they didn't even spell his name right."
Florida State played the fourth quarter in front of a largely empty stadium and fired Norvell the following day, ending his seven-year tenure with a 41-39 record. Rick Stockstill now serves as interim coach for the 3-5 team.
The noise in the stadium wasn't solely from the sound system; the box score reveals that Florida State trailed 29-10 with under nine minutes remaining, then scored 14 consecutive points to close the gap to 29-24. Those who stayed finally had reason to cheer. Reynolds sealed the game on third-and-12 with 3:17 left, rushing 79 yards for a touchdown—the longest run by a Clemson quarterback in program history.
Clemson had entered the game with only two touchdown passes all season, the fewest in FBS, and had gone four games without one, its longest drought since 2005. Reynolds threw two against Florida State, completing 18 of 32 passes for 189 yards and adding 85 rushing yards on 14 carries. It was a standout performance for a quarterback who in September became the earliest freshman to start for Clemson in over 50 years, explaining the upbeat mood on Wednesday.
The win improved Clemson to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the ACC, leaving the Tigers one victory shy of bowl eligibility. Next up is a visit to the indoor JMA Wireless Dome to face the Syracuse Orange at noon ET on Saturday, airing on ESPN2.
Key Analysis
Reynolds' lighthearted jab underscores the contrast between Clemson's rising momentum and Florida State's turbulent season. The Seminoles' empty stadium and coaching change highlight deeper issues, while Clemson's young quarterback continues to make headlines both on and off the field.
Originally reported by yahoo.