Tait Reynolds threw two touchdown passes and scrambled for a 79-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to help Clemson secure a 36-24 win over host Florida State on Saturday night in Tallahassee, Fla.
Reynolds completed 18 of 32 passes for 189 yards and ran for 85 yards on 14 attempts. His breakaway score with 3:17 left ended a run of 14 straight Florida State points that nearly brought the Seminoles (3-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) back after trailing 29-10 with less than nine minutes left.
It was also the longest run ever by a Clemson quarterback.
Clemson (5-3, 3-2) entered the game having thrown the fewest touchdown passes of any FBS team (2) and had not thrown one since Sept. 19.
Reynolds broke that drought with 10:13 left in the first quarter when he connected with Christian Bentancur for an 18-yard score to put the Tigers ahead 7-0.
It broke a four-game drought for Clemson without a touchdown pass — its longest since 2005.
Reynolds added another when he connected with Olsen Patt-Henry on a 4-yard touchdown with 1:38 left in the second quarter. A Nolan Hauser 50-yard field goal with 2 seconds left in the half made it 23-10 at the break.
Ashton Daniels completed 21 of 33 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another in the loss. But he also threw three costly interceptions, including a game-clincher with 1:03 left in the game by Elliot Washington II.
Clemson closed out the first half with 13 unanswered points as Hauser added a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter. The Tigers added another pair of field goals — one in the third quarter and one in the fourth — before Florida State broke their run of 19 consecutive points when Daniels ran for a 13-yard touchdown. Desirrio Riles followed with a two-point conversion catch to cut Clemson’s lead to 29-18 with 8:52 left.
After Clemson forced a punt, Daniels connected with freshman Jasen Lopez for a 41-yard touchdown strike with 5:30 left to cut the deficit to 29-24. The Seminoles failed the 2-point try when Amari Thomas was tackled short of the end zone after a catch.
Florida State receiver Duce Robinson eft the game in the third because of a reported lower-body injury and did not return.
Clemson offensive lineman Elyjah Thurmon was carted off the field following a head-to-head collision with 9:49 left in the second quarter.
