As lawsuits and hurricanes swirl off the field, the upcoming Tigers versus Seminoles matchup will be a storm of its own as two of the ACC’s biggest rivals collide in a storied battle.
This rivalry has featured notable Florida State head coaches like Bobby Bowden, Jimbo Fisher and, now, Mike Norvell, all face off against Clemson’s Dabo Swinney. Swinney, tied with Bowden as the winningest head coach in ACC history, will be coaching on the field named in Bowden’s honor as he looks to claim the record for himself.
Throughout Swinney’s tenure at Clemson, he has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions in Tallahassee, Florida. Ranging from one of his fondest memories as an interim head coach to some of his harshest losses, Swinney has his share of stories from these road trips.
A surreal start (2008)
Dabo Swinney traveled to Tallahassee, Florida, in 2008 for the first time as head coach, which was his only meeting with the legendary Bowden on the road. Swinney had just taken over as interim head coach following the departure of Bowden’s son, Tommy Bowden, as Clemson’s previous head coach.
“Obviously, we had just got our first win at Boston College, and that was a surreal trip because, obviously, I’m an interim coach, and Tommy Bowden was the coach (he replaced),” Swinney recalled. “Coach Bowden, Bobby, he called me the night I became interim and just said, ‘Hey, all the Bowdens are pulling for you,’ even though I knew we were going to play them in a couple of weeks. It was just this weird, weird dynamic.”
Swinney had some nerves outside of the game leading up to his first trip down to Tallahassee.
“I just remember being kind of nervous before the game. You have to go meet Bobby Bowden. Obviously, I knew him, but I’d never been in this role. And he was amazing. He was so gracious and just kind.”
The game didn’t unfold as smoothly for Swinney as his encounter with Bowden. Although the Tigers lost 41-27, it was not the score that stood out in Swinney’s memory of the trip.
“I remember I had little Will with me,” Swinney reflected. “I have a picture in my office of Will, Bobby Bowden, and me, and at that point, I had one career win — the one at Boston College — and I literally have that picture in my office. It was just this surreal moment. Again, I didn’t know if I was going to be a coach. I didn’t know if I was going to be the coach here in three weeks.”
Heartbreak in 2010
Fast forward to 2010, and one of Swinney’s toughest memories from this rivalry still lingers.
“I vividly remember Da’Quan Bowers crying in the locker room after that game,” Swinney recalled. “We fought so hard, and that season, we lost five games by six points or less — two of them in overtime, including this one at Florida State.”
Clemson led for much of the game, but Florida State scored a late touchdown in the fourth quarter to take the lead. The Tigers managed to tie it up with a field goal, only for Florida State’s Dustin Hopkins to crush their hopes.
2016: The Breakthrough
By 2016, Clemson was still chasing that elusive first win in Tallahassee under Swinney — and finally, they pulled it off in dramatic fashion.
“That was a big-time win,” Swinney said, thinking back. The game was a wild one, with three lead changes just in the fourth quarter. But it was Jordan Leggett’s 34-yard catch-and-run touchdown that iced it for Clemson with only two minutes left on the clock.
That win became a pivotal moment, as the Tigers went on to become the first undefeated national champions in the College Football Playoff era.
Dominance in 2018 and DJ’s 2022 Victory
In 2018, Clemson left no doubt, dismantling Florida State en route to its second national championship. By 2022, the Tigers had secured another road win in Tallahassee, with DJ Uiagalelei leading the way.
“I thought our win down there in ’22 was big,” Swinney said. “That helped us get to the ACC Championship and win the ACC. DJ had a great game, hitting Davis Allen on a little pitch-back throw down the sideline. That was a good one.”
As Clemson prepares to face Florida State, Swinney’s journey through Tallahassee reflects the evolution of this fierce rivalry. Each trip has brought unforgettable moments, and with history on the line, Swinney and the Tigers are focused on the present.
