The tale started with a person at the sea coast, simply hoping to experience his ultimate few weeks earlier than founding a untouched task. It used to be a tale Dabo Swinney, slightly presciently, predicted would both be “great or terrible.”

Certainly, there are stunning man-on-beach tales, like “Weekend at Bernie’s,” and there are dreadful ones, like “Weekend at Bernie’s 2.”

Alas, Saturday used to be the utmost for Clemson.

The Tigers, short of aid within the kicking recreation, introduced in Jonathan Weitz on Monday to to enter the founding task. Weitz have been Clemson’s additional for 4 years, however he’d assumed his school occupation used to be achieved when the 2022 season ended, left for a learn about in a foreign country in Paris — “He spent the spring looking at the Eiffel Tower,” mentioned Swinney, who we think additionally believes everybody in St. Louis lives underneath the arch — upcoming moved to Charleston, South Carolina, the place he used to be taking on-line categories.

However Clemson wanted a kicker, Swinney positioned a choice, and Weitz arrived Monday to connect the group. Because of NCAA acclimation duration regulations, Saturday used to be his first future in pads.

The tale started like Shakespeare, with Weitz drilling his first kick to offer Clemson an early 3-0 top, nevertheless it resulted in tragedy, with Weitz lacking a chip shot from 29 yards out with 1:45 to play games.

(Notice: We haven’t learn a dozen of Shakespeare. We’re assuming all of them have satisfied endings.)

The omit left the sport fasten, and in extra time, Florida Condition prevailed because of the second one landing of the future from receiver Keon Coleman. It is going to under no circumstances be misplaced on pissed off Clemson lovers that it used to be considered one of FSU’s transfers that proved the residue. Swinney has notoriously shied clear of the portal. The sea coast, in fact, is every other tale.

“I wish I’d been perfect today,” Weitz mentioned later on. “But that’s my story right now.”

It’s dried to consider any individual at Clemson envisioned the tale of the Tigers’ 2023 marketing campaign to appear to be this both.

Upcoming a stunning loss to Duke within the opener, Clemson is 0-2 in ACC play games for the primary age since 2010, Swinney’s 2d complete season at the task. The Tigers have gained a minimum of 10 video games each era since.

It used to be, for goodbye, a recreation that appeared destined to finish with a win, with Swinney turning in every other memorable-if-goofy quip (“B.Y.O.K., bring your own kicker”), with the educator lording it over the amassed doubters that, as soon as once more, he used to be proper and so they had been unsuitable.

And upcoming the kick went huge left, FSU scored within the first body of OT, Cade Klubnik checked right into a poorly timed display cross on third-and-1, and Clemson’s hopes for every other ACC identify had been all however extinguished.

Jordan Travis, enjoying with a wounded left arm, gutted out 289 yards and 3 touchdowns on a future when the working recreation introduced simply 22 yards for the Seminoles. Two years in the past, he’d just about abandon soccer. Saturday, he presided over Florida Condition’s greatest win since a minimum of 2016.

Kalen DeLoach, a holdover lease from the Willie Taggart date, delivered the fumble go back that saved FSU alive. It used to be nearly plenty to form FSU lovers overlook the submit backpack.

All 289 yards of passing offense for the Seminoles got here by means of transfers. It used to be a treatise on the way to win on this untouched year of faculty soccer.

For the Seminoles, Saturday’s recreation used to be a commentary. Their age is now.

For Clemson, the finishing used to be much less definitive.

Florida Condition is now firmly in command atop the ACC. Clemson’s identify hopes are all however achieved. And but, later on, Klubnik slightly moderately mentioned he was hoping the lovers noticed how just right the Tigers performed.

Most likely that’s the takeaway right here. Florida Condition had its personal lengthy proceed throughout the barren region, however a gradual quantity of skill has the Seminoles at the mountaintop.

Clemson will not be in its personal barren region, nevertheless it’s indubitably caught in I-85 visitors, a minimum of.

There used to be a age, now not that way back, that Swinney may pull a kicker off the sea coast, throw a jersey on him, and switch him let fall, figuring out at Clemson, there used to be a gradual provide of enchanment within the breeze.

The tale ended another way Saturday, because it has all too steadily of past due.

The enchanment belongs in Tallahassee now.

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Go back of the khakis

Michigan’s lengthy look forward to the go back of its head educator got here to an finish Saturday. Sure, Jim Harbaugh needed to bundle up his fashion trains, place aside the ham radio and signal out of Netflix with 4 seasons of “Big Bang Theory” left to observe and get again to the industry of embarrassing Rutgers.

In his absence, Michigan gained all 3 video games — all vs. lesser pageant, all in convincing if now not fully fulfilling type.

So, what took place with Harbaugh again at the sideline? A win towards lesser pageant in convincing, if now not fully fulfilling, type — this age 31-7.

Rutgers scored first on a 69-yard landing cross from Gavin Wimsatt to Christian Dremel, and Michigan’s offense in large part puttered throughout the first part, simply 14-7 on the split.

However like Harbaugh’s three-week recess retreat, the joys needed to come to an finish sooner or later, with the Wolverines’ D netting a pick out six and Blake Corum completing the task. J.J. McCarthy averaged higher than 10 yards a throw, Corum scored two times, the protection held Rutgers to 3-of-13 on 1/3 and fourth unwell. It used to be, like each and every of the Wolverines’ video games thus far, high quality. And for the reason that Michigan’s then 5 video games also are towards lesser pageant, high quality is most likely greater than plenty to book chugging alongside.

Oh, sorry for the chugging reference. We all know Harbaugh misses his trains.

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Paint the city Orange

Garrett Shrader threw for a landing and ran for one — his 6th immediately multi-TD recreation — past the Syracuse protection pissed off Military’s choice en path to a 29-16 win.

Syracuse is now 4-0 in consecutive seasons for the primary age in 63 years. Again upcoming, Syracuse traveled to street video games by means of the Erie Canal and Varsity Pizza had simply been promoted from the freshman pizza group to JV.

Up then for the Orange is Clemson, a group that they had at the ropes a era in the past with a 7-0 begin to the season of their attractions. In that recreation, on the other hand, the Tigers marched again from a 21-7 shortage and gained 27-21 next protecting the Orange scoreless in the second one part, and Syracuse dropped six of its ultimate seven video games.

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Johnson emerges for A&M

Amusing truth: Max Johnson remains to be enjoying school soccer.

Sure, he in some way feels used than his Tremendous Bowl champion dad, Brad, however that’s best as a result of age strikes another way at Texas A&M because of Jimbo Fisher’s offense breaking the space-time continuum.

Nonetheless, it’s just right for the Aggies that Johnson remains to be round as a result of they desperately wanted somebody who may sling it towards Auburn on Saturday.

Upcoming two early ground function drives, A&M’s offense went three-and-out on 3 immediately drives to finish the part. Forming QB Conner Weigman went unwell with an trauma, and Bobby Petrino used to be already getting his agent to ship over his CV to use for Fisher’s task.

Rather, Johnson got here on and tossed touchdowns on consecutive drives to distinguishable the second one part, and a 67-yards scoop-and-score put the sport out of achieve early within the fourth quarter. The Aggies gained 27-10.

At the turn aspect, Auburn’s passing recreation used to be a whole mess. Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner all took snaps and completed a mixed 9-of-23 passing for simply 56 yards, with Auburn’s lone TD coming by means of the protection. And that efficiency can have reminded Petrino that he nonetheless has an utility on document with Auburn’s human assets branch.