TALLAHASSEE -- The gap between Florida State and Clemson was abundantly clear on Saturday as the Seminoles suffered their worst loss. Ever. Well, tied for their worst loss ever. The Seminoles (4-4, 2-4 ACC) fell to the No. 2 Tigers (8-0, 5-0 ACC) 59-10 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday. It was tied for the largest margin of defeat in program history as FSU fell to rival Florida by 49 points -- 49-0 -- in 1973. It was the worst home loss in program history. Miscues mounted for the Seminoles and the Tigers capitalized. That’s what elite programs do, they take advantage of the shortcomings that their opponents offer up. Clemson continued to feast on FSU’s mistakes. The Tigers outscored FSU 28-0 in a decisive second quarter, out-gaining the Seminoles 165 yards to 50 yards. FSU had seven penalties in the first half, with a roughing the kicker call from freshman cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. sparking Clemson’s run. The penalty wiped out a missed field goal by the Tigers, enabling them to remain on the field as quarterback Trevor Lawrence to find big receiver Tee Higgins for a seven-yard score with 13:19 remaining in the half. Clemson scored a touchdown on its next three possession while FSU’s offense sputtered. The Seminoles had five three-and-outs in the first half, while Deondre Francois also had a pass picked off after the ball was tipped at the line. FSU’s miscues were magnified once Clemson got going, but a lack of discipline overall and an inability to consistently execute on offense was evident early on. The Seminoles dropped two well-placed passes from Francois, an ill-advised decision to return a kickoff gave FSU the ball on its own seven yard-line to begin the game, and a botched snap led to a loss of 23 yards to derail a drive after the Seminoles started putting together a solid drive. This all occurred in the first quarter. FSU’s defense actually showed well early, routinely pressuring Lawrence while shutting down Clemson’s run game. However, the defense eventually wore down as FSU’s offense struggled to muster up any sort of sustained success. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney remained aggressive with play calling and let Lawrence continue to spread the ball around to make a statement as the Tigers put together a six-play, 72-yard touchdown drive -- Lawrence was four-for-four for 62 yards -- that extended their lead to 28-0 with 1:07 remaining in the first half. The Tigers didn’t let up in the second half, pelting FSU with deep throws...two of which connected for scores of 58 yards and 68 yards, respectively, in the third quarter. FSU finished with 247 yards of total offense, including -21 rushing yards. The Seminoles also committed 16 penalties for 134 yards. SECOND QUARTER Clemson 7, FSU 0 QB Trevor Lawrence throws seven-yard touchdown pass to WR Tee Higgins. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:45. 13:19 remaining in the second quarter. Clemson 14, FSU 0 Lawrence completes pass to Higgins for three-yard touchdown. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 3:17. 7:49 remaining in the second quarter. Clemson 21, FSU 0 DL Christian Wilkins runs for 1-yard touchdown. Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 1:18. 3:34 remaining in the second quarter. Clemson 28, FSU 0 HB Garrett Williams runs for 2-yard touchdown. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 1:41. 1:07 remaining in the second quarter. THIRD QUARTER Clemson 35, FSU 0 Lawrence with a 58-yard touchdown pass to WR Amari Rodgers. Drive: 2 plays, 61 yards, 0:35. 14:12 remaining in the third quarter. Clemson 38, FSU 0 PK B.T. Potter makes 24-yard field goal. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:24. 10:18 remaining in the third quarter. Clemson 44, FSU 0 Lawrence hits Rodgers deep for a 68-yard touchdown. Drive: 1 play, 68 yards, 0:09. 7:50 remaining in the third quarter. Clemson 44, FSU 3 PK Ricky Aguayo makes 36-yard field goal. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 3:15. 4:35 remaining in the third quarter. Clemson 52, FSU 3 QB Chase Brice finds T.J. Chase for a five-yard touchdown. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:25. 2:10 remaining in the third quarter. FOURTH QUARTER Clemson 59, FSU 3 RB Adam Choice scores on 15-yard run. Drive: 4 plays, 25 yards, 1:39. 13:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. Clemson 59, FSU 10 QB James Blackman hits WR Keyshawn Helton on right sideline, Helton cut across field for 73-yard score. Drive:6 plays, 80 yards, 2:08. 4:43 remaining in the fourth quarter.<doc-sep>Florida State head coach Willie Taggart says they are going to find the players who quit and also deal with the players who threw punches. (0:41) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- After No. 2 Clemson beat Florida State 59-10 in the Seminoles' worst home loss in school history, coach Willie Taggart said he had some players quit on the team and vowed to make changes. "That can't be tolerated," Taggart said in his postgame comments. "One thing you can't do, you can't quit. You quit, you don't play. So we've got to do a great job of making sure we've got the right guys. Didn't play well at all. That's on me and our coaches and our players and everybody that's here, and we've got to find a way to get that right." The 49-point loss also tied the worst in school history, a stunning defeat considering the Seminoles were a 10-win team just two seasons ago. As the Seminoles have slipped in recent years, the disparity between Florida State and Clemson programs has grown. That was evident starting in the second quarter, when the Tigers scored 28 points to take an insurmountable lead into halftime. "I thought when I signed up to Florida State I would never lose like this in my life," defensive tackle Marvin Wilson said. The 59 points allowed tied the second most the Seminoles have given up (Oregon in 2014, Auburn in 1985). The Seminoles lost 63-20 to Louisville in 2016. The Tigers have now won four straight in the series, and this is the first Clemson senior class to go 4-0 against the Seminoles. "I think mentally we're a weak football team and we're not mentally strong yet, and that's part of the culture to changing it to what you want," Taggart said. "We're going to find the guys that quit, and we're going to find the guys that kept playing and make sure that we keep those guys in there. So there will be some changes come next week." FSU's Largest Shutout Losses Year, Score Opponent 1973, 49-0 at Florida 1976, 47-0 at Miami 1959, 42-0 at 14 Georgia 1955, 34-0 at 13 Ga. Tech 1955, 34-0 at Miami It has been a difficult season for the Seminoles from the beginning, when they lost 24-3 at home to Virginia Tech in the opener. Although they had won three of their past four going into the Clemson game, they had not faced this level of competition to date. With a patchwork offensive line and no running game to speak of, the Florida State offense did nothing against one of the best defenses in the nation. Add in unacceptable miscues, including a botched snap that went over Deondre Francois' head, a roughing the kicker penalty that negated a missed field goal, targeting calls and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, and it is easy to see how the margin of defeat grew so large. "The effort level wasn't there," Florida State defensive end Brian Burns said. "Ever since the penalty on the blocked field goal, everybody went down after that. There were a lot of calls against us ... so it was everything in those two drives where it started to go down." By halftime, at least half of Doak Campbell Stadium had emptied out. It took a late touchdown by the Seminoles to keep the worst loss record from being broken. Florida State suffered a 49-0 loss to Florida in 1973. The Seminoles ended the game with 16 penalties for 134 yards and had two players ejected for throwing punches. "That's mentally weak. That's what losers do, and that can't happen," Taggart said. "That's got to change." It doesn't get any easier from here in the quest to become bowl-eligible. Florida State has NC State, Notre Dame, Boston College and Florida left on the schedule. Three of those teams are ranked, and all have winning records. "We've got some issues we need to correct," Taggart said. "Get those corrected, I think you'll see a big change in our entire program. I don't think it's that far away. We've got to keep climbing and keep working and keep recruiting, and that's the only way you're going to get to where we all want us to be."<doc-sep>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – OK, so this Trevor Lawrence kid’s gonna be alright. Lawrence continued to show why he’s Clemson’s quarterback of the present and the future on Saturday, throwing four touchdown passes in a record-breaking 59-10 rout of Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Tigers’ 49-point margin of victory tied for the most lopsided defeat in Florida State history, matching a 49-0 loss at Florida in 1973. It also was the worst home loss ever for the Seminoles, topping a 44-point defeat at the hands of Southern Mississippi in 1981, and gave the Tigers four consecutive victories against Florida State for the first time in school history. "I thought when I signed up to Florida State I would never lose like this in my life," Seminoles defensive tackle Marvin Wilson said. Meanwhile, if style points count when it comes to selecting teams for the College Football Playoff, Clemson is doing its best impression of a national title contender. The Tigers, who are 8-0 for the sixth time in school history, have outscored their last three opponents 163-13 and appear to be clicking on all cylinders heading into the season’s home stretch. POWER MOVE:Clemson lets defensive lineman Christian Wilkins run for score WILDCATS ROAR:Northwestern tops No. 19 Wisconsin to lead Big Ten West What’s also clearly evident is that Lawrence is hitting his stride as well, despite having only four games under his belt as the Tigers’ starter. Lawrence completed 20 of 37 passes against the Seminoles for a career-best 314 yards, giving him back-to-back 300-yard passing games. His four touchdown passes on Saturday gave him 16 this season, breaking the school freshman record set by Deshaun Watson in 2014, and topped Watson’s record for passing yards by a first-year quarterback with 1,490. "Every week he gets more and more comfortable with the whole system," co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. "He has great command of the system, and that allows us to put more on his plate." Lawrence is proving to be a voracious consumer. He has effectively injected a downfield passing game and explosive capability back into Clemson’s offense, perhaps to an unprecedented level. Of his 16 touchdown passes this season, six have covered 53 or more yards and eight have covered 30 yards or more. He’s continuing to gain confidence with each passing game, which will be key as the Tigers seek to wrap up a fourth consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference and fourth straight trip to the playoff. "Trevor was awesome," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "We had this guy here named Deshaun Watson, who was a pretty good player, and he broke his record for yards and touchdowns and just kind of 'ho-hum.' It's amazing to watch him. "He has great confidence and there's great chemistry with him and those receivers. Just really proud of him."<doc-sep>
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — No Atlantic Coast Conference team had ever knocked off Florida State for four straight years. Clemson spent the week making sure it would be the first. Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes, and No. 2 Clemson handed Florida State its worst home loss in program history with a 59-10 victory on Saturday. “This was an awesome accomplishment for our seniors,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “This was something they really wanted to do … be that first ACC senior class to go 4-0 on these guys.” Florida State routed Clemson 51-14 in 2013, a victory that was part of the Seminoles‘ undefeated run to the national title. But since then, the Tigers have been the class of the ACC — and owned their rivalry with Florida State. “I’m definitely honored,” defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said. “Just speaks volumes of our program and the special guys we have, the special group of seniors we have.” Lawrence completed 20 of 37 passes for 314 yards before staying on the sideline for good late in the third quarter. Amari Rodgers had six catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns, and Tee Higgins also had two TD receptions. Clemson (8-0, 5-0) scored 28 points in the second quarter and opened a 45-0 lead before Florida State got on the board on Ricky Aguayo‘s 35-yard field goal with 4:35 left in the third quarter. The Tigers moved to 8-0 for the seventh time in school history, including the third time in the last four seasons. Clemson also recorded back-to-back wins in Tallahassee for the first time. Florida State (4-4, 2-4) couldn’t get out of its own way, suffering its most-lopsided defeat at home — surpassing a 58-14 loss to Southern Miss in 1981. It was also the most points allowed by the Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium. “I felt like we had some guys that quit on our football team and that’s can’t be tolerated,” Florida State coach Willie Taggart said. “You quit, you don’t play.” Defensive end Brian Burns, who had a tackle and a quarterback hurry, agreed with Taggart’s assessment. “Most definitely,” Burns said. “The effort level wasn’t there. The energy wasn’t there.” Florida State had not allowed 30 points in 11 straight games, dating to the 2017 loss at Clemson. But that streak was snapped less than a minute into the third when Lawrence connected with Rodgers on a 58-yard catch and run. Deondre Francois completed 17 of 36 passes for 180 yards and an interception for the Seminoles before departing due to injury. James Blackman came in and had a 73-yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Helton. Florida State was one-dimensional on offense, rushing 35 times for minus-21 yards. Clemson forced the Seminoles to punt 12 times, including Florida State’s first five possessions. “Our defense set the tempo for the day right out of the gate,” Swinney said. A MAN OF MANY TALENTS Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has wreaked havoc on quarterbacks in his career. He can play a little on the offensive side, too. Wilkins had a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He also had a 1-yard touchdown reception against Troy on Sept. 10, 2016. Swinney said Wilkins scored from the “Fridge Package,” a jumbo I-formation that was named after former Clemson defensive lineman William “Refrigerator” Perry (who scored a touchdown for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX). Wilkins lined up behind defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and plunged across the goal line. “The guys did a great job with just clearing it open for me, whether it was the o-line or Dex,” Wilkins said. “I really didn’t have to do much. But I had to dive for style points, just to make it fun out there and show my athleticism a little bit.” KEEPING LAWRENCE CLEAN Florida State came into the game with 25 sacks, ranking 8th in the FBS. But Clemson held the Seminoles without a sack on 44 pass attempts (Lawrence dropped back 37 times, and Chase Brice threw seven times). “They’ve been playing their butts off the whole season,” Lawrence said of the offensive line. “We’re growing together. Getting closer.” HIT THE EJECTED BUTTON Florida State lost three players to ejections. Safety Hamsah Nasirildeen was ejected for targeting in the first half. Wide receiver Nyqwan Murray and linebacker Zaquandre White were tossed for separate incidents where they punched Clemson players in the second half. “We’ll discipline,” Taggart said. “That’s unacceptable.