No. 2 Clemson shellacks Florida State in historic blowout

Florida State held Clemson to a 0-0 draw in the first quarter Saturday. That was the highlight for the Seminoles. It got so bad so quickly over the second and third quarters that at least one fan resorted to reading a book.

The No. 2 Tigers thrashed Florida State the rest of the way in a 59-10 win at FSU. It’s tied for the worst loss in Florida State history with a 49-0 loss to Florida in 1973. Entering Saturday, the Seminoles’ worst loss to Clemson had been a 35-14 defeat in 2005.

At least Florida State didn’t enter the game at No. 2 like it did in 2016 when it lost 63-20 to Louisville.

Clemson freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence was 20-of-37 passing for 314 yards and four touchdowns. Lawrence led a 52-point explosion in the second and third quarters as the Tigers jumped out to a 45-0 lead before Florida State kicked a field goal with the only plausible explanation of avoiding a shutout.

Travis Etienne’s Heisman hopes taking a hit was about the only thing that went wrong for Clemson. Etienne had just 10 carries for 45 yards and didn’t score a touchdown. Yeah, it’s Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa and everyone else in the Heisman race, but with seven touchdowns in his last three games entering Saturday, Etienne was in the process of positioning himself as a Heisman finalist candidate.

While Lawrence made an early departure because of the blowout, Florida State QB Deondre Francois stayed in the game into the fourth quarter. With the score 59-3, Francois was sacked and slow to get up. After an injury timeout he slowly walked off the field. Seminoles fans had every right to question why Francois was in the game at that point. It was the fourth time he was sacked and he had been hit nine other times.

No wonder that fan was preferring to read a book titled “Dark Places.”

Who’s the biggest threat to Clemson in the ACC?

It’s Clemson and everyone else in the ACC. And figuring out the No. 2 team is tough.

Is it Boston College, who moved to 6-2 with a win over Miami on Friday night? Running back AJ Dillon is back and healthy and had 149 yards and a score in the 27-14 win. Is it Virginia, who is now the frontrunner in the ACC Coastal? The Cavaliers are 6-2 and 4-1 in the conference after a 10-point win over North Carolina.

The only way Clemson will meet Virginia is in the ACC championship game. That gives the edge to Boston College, who hosts the Tigers on Nov. 10. Boston College has an offense that can control the clock and a defense good enough to stifle Lawrence and Etienne. Clemson will be a deserved favorite – the Tigers look the clear second-best team nationally behind Alabama – but if you’re looking for the Tigers to be derailed, BC is your best hope.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.

Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter

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