FSU goes to the air to snap Clemson’s dominance

By Hays Carlyon

The San Antonio Spurs had Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

Florida State has Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson.

The Seminoles leaned on their pair of huge receivers to get a gigantic 31-24 road victory against rival Clemson on Saturday. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak in the series and kept No. 4 Florida State in prime position for the playoff.

Coleman and Wilson are one of the most dynamic pair of college football receivers that we’ve seen in a decade. Coleman is 6-foot-4 and he’s the small one. Of course, with his jumping and playmaking ability he plays like he’s 6-9.

Coleman snagged two touchdowns on Saturday, including the game-winner in overtime. Coleman skied over a Clemson defender for a 24-yard touchdown catch.

Coleman, a junior, also showed veteran savvy as well. On his first touchdown catch, Coleman executed a brilliant hesitation route. The Michigan State transfer waited while his teammates began their routes and then broke inside for an easy 7-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jordan Travis to cut Clemson’s lead to 10-7 in the second quarter.

Coleman already has six touchdown catches this season, including five against LSU and Clemson combined.

The 6-foot-7 Wilson outgained Coleman by 12 yards on Saturday, catching five passes for 94 yards. His ability to get deep is impressive for a player with his height.

Wilson, also a junior, opened the second half with a 41-yard catch on an underthrown deep ball by Travis. That spark led to a field goal, tying the game at 17.

Wilson can certainly sky for the ball, but he also showed off his impressive catch radius on a 25-yard gain in the fourth quarter. Travis placed the ball slightly too far in front of Wilson down the left sideline. Despite tight coverage, Wilson fingertipped the ball and secured the catch.

FSU would ultimately be held on fourth down, but it was an incredible grab.

Wilson, a former Arizona State transfer, is simply unguardable at times because of his size and speed.

There are some NFL teams that might like to have the duo of Coleman and Wilson suiting up tomorrow.

Their greatness, combined with the brilliance of Travis, makes the Seminoles a legit national title contender.

(You can email Hays at [email protected] and follow him on X @HaysCarlyon).