TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Top-ranked Florida State will face Clemson without Jameis Winston -- for the entire game and not just the first half.
Florida State interim President Garnett S. Stokes and athletic director Stan Wilcox said late Friday night that the star quarterback will be suspended for the entire game today.
The Heisman Trophy winner was originally suspended for the first half after making "offensive and vulgar" comments about female anatomy on campus Tuesday.
"Based upon the results of our continuing investigation of Tuesday's incident involving Jameis Winston, we have decided to not play him for the entire game against Clemson on Saturday night," the school said in a statement Friday night.
Redshirt sophomore Sean Maguire will make his first college start today.
Coach Jimbo Fisher has said the offense won't change with the strong-armed Maguire, but he has only thrown 26 passes for the Seminoles.
"You're not the second-team guy at Florida State if you're not a really good player," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "Obviously, we don't have a ton of film on him, but he's a guy they recruited to be a great player."
The Seminoles would love to come out and lean on an offensive line with five senior starters and their senior running back. That's the easiest way to take the pressure off Maguire.
Starter Karlos Williams hasn't had a breakout game, but backup Mario Pender has been a nice complement and freshman Dalvin Cook had a strong game against The Citadel. The backs have also been involved in pass game, which could give Maguire some short, easy completions.
Don't look for Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris to fill the lineup with youngsters at Florida State.
Tiger freshmen made a big impact in their last game, a 73-7 victory over FCS opponent South Carolina State two weeks ago. Artavis Scott was the ACC receiver of the week and redshirt freshman Wayne Gallman led Clemson rushers with 77 yards. Watson was 8-of-9 passing for 154 yards and three TDs.
Despite the production, Morris knows how difficult it is dropping young players into an environment like Florida State.
The No. 22 Tigers start a more traditional quarterback in senior Cole Stoudt. Freshman Deshaun Watson will also see snaps after being ranked by multiple recruiting sites as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the country.
Stoudt has thrown for 446 yards, one touchdown and one interception with a 63.3 completion percentage. Watson has thrown for 213 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions with a 76.9 completion percentage.
Stoudt hopes things play out today as they did the last time a one-and-done senior quarterback led the Tigers into Tallahassee.
Clemson's last victory at Doak Campbell Stadium came in 2006 when Will Proctor, a senior who had backed up Charlie Whitehurst during his time with the Tigers, fueled a 27-20 victory over the Seminoles. Proctor was the pick to start by then coach Tommy Bowden while some fans called for young sophomore Cullen Harper to play.
The Tigers will run their hurry-up offense and emphasize tempo regardless of which quarterback is in the game today.
"One is more of a decision-maker, he's not going to throw into tight coverage, he's not going to take the sack," Florida State defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. said. "The other one will force it. He's not scared to take chances. You just have to know who's back there and what to expect.
Sports on 09/20/2014