Week 9 PFF Grades And Snap Counts From Clemson's Win vs. Florida State

How did the Tigers grade out after their road win against Florida State in Week 9?

Here's a look at how the Clemson Tigers graded out, along with their snap counts, during their Week 9 road win vs. Florida State. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Saturday evening, Clemson redeemed itself in Tallahassee with a 36-24 win over Florida State, improving the Tigers to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the ACC.

The loss carried consequences for the Seminoles, too, as head coach Mike Norvell was fired the following afternoon after seven years leading the program.

That said, let’s take a look at the PFF grades for each player who saw action yesterday in the road victory; snap counts will be in parentheses next to the player grades.

Offense

1. TE Olsen Patt-Henry: 79.5 (65)
2. QB Tait Reynolds: 75.4 (79)
3. LT Brayden Jacobs: 71.3 (79)
4. C Harris Sewell: 70.3 (64)
5. LG Elyjah Thurmon: 69.8 (25)
6. WR Tyler Brown: 66.6 (53)
7. RB Jarvis Green: 63.9 (33)
8. TE Christian Bentancur: 63.6 (32)
9. LG Gavin Blanchard: 62.0 (54)
10. RB Gideon Davidson: 61.9 (38)
11. C Grant Wise: 61.3 (15)
12. WR Naeem Burroughs: 60.0 (1)
13. TE Logan Brooking: 60.0 (3)
14. WR Bryant Wesco Jr.: 59.8 (78)
15. RT Collin Sadler: 59.6 (79)
16. WR Tristan Smith: 58.4 (5)
17. WR Clark Sanderson: 58.0 (2)
18. WR T.J. Moore: 56.1 (74)
19. RG Easton Ware: 53.7 (79)
20. RB Chris Johnson Jr.: 49.9 (11)

Thoughts

After a lot of questions were raised about Chad Morris’ offense and true freshman Tait Reynolds at quarterback, they bounced back with a relatively impressive performance. Reynolds took over the contest, finishing with 274 yards and three touchdowns, including two through the air and a 79-yard run that sealed the game.

79-YARD RUSHING TOUCHDOWN BY CLEMSON QB TAIT REYNOLDS ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/p57zikF35R

— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) November 1, 2026

The offensive line was a mixed bag. Brayden Jacobs, Elyjah Thurmon and Gavin Blanchard anchored the left side and allowed just two pressures, both charged to Blanchard, who finished the game in Thurmon’s place following a scary head-to-head collision. Centers Harris Sewell and true freshman Gavin Wise also excelled, allowing no pressures or sacks. The right side, however, struggled heavily: fifth-year tackle Collin Sadler and converted guard Easton Ware combined to allow six pressures, two sacks and a quarterback hit.

The trench play wasn’t great, and starting running back Gideon Davidson didn’t help matters, either. Fresh off criticism from head coach Dabo Swinney, he carried the ball 12 times for just 36 yards, an average of three yards per carry. Senior Jarvis Green continues to make ground in the backfield competition, though, receiving nine touches for 37 yards, a 4.1 average per carry.

As mentioned, the Tigers matched their season total in passing touchdowns against the Seminoles thanks to the tight end duo of Christian Bentancur and Olsen Patt-Henry, who combined for five catches, 48 yards and two touchdowns. The passing attack wasn’t as deadly as it sounds, though.

Reynolds looked more polished as a passer, but T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. both struggled, combining for under 70 yards and two drops. Moore did, however, impress as a blocker, making crucial downfield blocks on both Bentancur’s and Reynolds’ touchdowns.

Unselfish football is infectious. 🧠🏈

Watch WR @tjmoore305 on these two All-22 reps against FSU:

1️⃣ Reads Cover 3 Buzz on a naked bootleg—diagnoses the Buzz safety's recovery path and turns his route into a wall-off block instead of hunting for a catch.2️⃣ Escorts QB Tait… pic.twitter.com/Uh96Td5dP1

— Ball Coach (@DeathValleyFR) November 1, 2026

Senior Tyler Brown remains the most consistent wideout in the room, leading the team in receptions (5) and yards (74) against the Seminoles.

Now, fans wait to see whether Morris can sustain a consistent offense for the rest of the season.

Defense

1. CB Elliot Washington II: 83.7 (68)
2. LB Jeremiah Alexander: 75.6 (25)
3. DE Will Heldt: 74.4 (44)
4. LB Kobe McCloud: 71.3 (16)
5. CB Donovan Starr: 69.5 (60)
6. DT Andy Burburija: 66.2 (19)
7. CB Ashton Hampton: 65.9 (68)
8. S Corey Myrick: 65.7 (68)
9. DT Darien Mayo: 65.7 (31)
10. S Ronan Hanafin: 65.5 (28)
11. DT Amare Adams: 65.1 (19)
12. DE Jahiem Lawson: 64.3 (51)
13. S Jerome Carter III: 63.3 (68)
14. LB Sammy Brown: 62.4 (42)
15. DT Kourtney Kelly: 59.6 (11)
16. DE CJ Wesley: 55.9 (6)
17. DT Devarrick Woods: 55.2 (11)
18. DT Champ Thompson: 54.4 (23)
19. DE Caden Story: 50.8 (11)
20. DE London Merritt: 50.3 (39)
21. LB Fletcher Cothran: 44.0 (26)
22. LB CJ Kubah-Taylor: 35.8 (14)

Thoughts

While first-year transfer London Merritt struggled to find his groove this week, edge rushers Will Heldt and Jahiem Lawson continued to impress as both pass-rushers and run-stuffers, combining for five defensive stops, four hurries, 3.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and one fumble recovery. 

Linebackers Jeremiah Alexander and Sammy Brown also helped in the backfield, totaling five hurries, four tackles, four defensive stops and one sack. Florida State finished the contest averaging just 2.2 yards per carry, a season-low for the program.

Entering this week’s game, the secondary looked to stay dominant against an up-and-down Seminoles passing attack. That didn’t exactly happen. Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels delivered one of the best passing performances of his five-year career against the Tigers, completing 64% of his passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns. 

Nonetheless, the secondary made its share of plays. Safety Jerome Carter came away with a second-quarter interception, and cornerback Elliot Washington continued to showcase his ball-hawking ability, snagging two picks, including the game-sealer on Florida State’s final drive.

Moving forward, if the Tigers can find a way to feed off each other and execute complementary football week over week, there’s a chance the program can win out in ACC play to finish the season.