On This Date: 2006 Clemson-27 (9)Florida State- 20
Sep 16, 2020, 9:58 AM
09/16/2006 Tallahassee, FL
Davis' late TD lifts Clemson to upset of No. 9 FSU in Bowden Bowl
By BRENT KALLESTAD / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TALLAHASSEE - James Davis’ 1-yard run with eight seconds left gave Clemson a 27-20 victory over No. 9 Florida State on Saturday, the Tigers’ first win in Tallahassee in 17 years. Clemson (2-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) was able to give coach Tommy Bowden his second straight win, and third in the last four years, against his father, despite having two kicks blocked and returned for points by the Seminoles.
Florida State struggled again offensively. It’s first offensive touchdown came on Joe Surratt’s 1-yard run with 10:27 left the game and Drew Weatherford hit Chris Davis for the 2-point conversion to tie the game 20-20. Davis, the ACC’s leading rusher, had been held in check until the game-winning drive that started when a replay overruled an official’s decision on a fumble that had momentarily awarded the ball to Florida State.
Clemson had not won at Florida State since 1989 when Terry Allen led the Tigers to a 34-23 victory, three years before the Seminoles joined the ACC. Florida State’s Tony Carter ran back two blocked kicks, one for a touchdown, and another for two points on a blocked extra point - the first returned PAT for points in Florida State’s football history.
Florida State (2-1, 1-1) led just once, 9-6, after Carter’s 69-yard run with a blocked field goal try. He’d raced 80 yards with the blocked extra point after Clemson opened the scoring on Davis’ 8-yard run. Davis finished with 87 yards rushing on 19 carries. Florida State’s mostly inept offense didn’t score in the first half for the third straight game, managing its first points late in the third quarter on Gary Cismesia’s 25-yard field goal that trimmed Clemson ’s lead to 20-12.
Will Proctor’s 20-yard run for a touchdown put the Tigers up by 11. Clemson grabbed a 14-9 lead with 23 seconds left in the half on Proctor’s 19-yard scoring pass to Chanci Stuckey, who caught 11 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns in Clemson’s 35-14 win over the Seminoles last year. The Tigers were successful on a 2-point try when Proctor again hit Stuckey.
Florida State, seemingly confused on offense at the beginning of the game, was out of timeouts less than nine minutes into the game, although one came in advance of a Clemson punt. The Seminoles had only 89 yards offense in the first half and finished with 204.