CLEMSON – Getting off to a strong start is not something Clemson has done often this season. In fact, the Tigers had scored just one touchdown to open a game heading into Saturday’s ACC clash with Florida State.

“We just wanted to come out hot,” Clemson right tackle Blake Miller said. “When we come out hot as an offense, and we keep our foot on the gas, that is when we are at our best.”

The Tigers came out hot alight. They took the ball and matched 75 yards in 13 plays, while chewing the first 6:35 off the clock and then converted a two-point conversion for an exclamation.

The touchdown drive sent a clear message in Clemson’s 24-10 victory over the Seminoles Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. What was the message?

“Let’s keep our foot on the gas and let’s keep rolling,” Miller said.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik capped the opening drive with a 4-yard touchdown run on third and goal. The senior, playing in his next to last game at Memorial Stadium, completed 3-of-4 passes for 42 yards on the opening drive, including a 25-yard pass down the middle to tight end Olsen Patt-Henry.

Klubnik also converted a fourth-down play early on the drive from the Clemson 46, which went for two yards, and later found wide receiver Tristan Smith for a 12-yard gain to the FSU 3-yard line.

“It just gave our defense a lot of confidence in themselves and confidence in the offense that we are right here, and we are ready to go. We believe in each other,” said Klubnik, who completed 20 of 27 passes for 221 yards with one touchdown and more importantly no turnovers.

Klubnik was right, the opening drive touchdown, capped with Clay Swinney’s two-point conversion on a fake, sparked the defense too. The defense came out and got a stop right off the bat and later forced a fumble and got a three-and-out to start the game.

“It was a great feeling playing with a lead at the beginning,” linebacker Wade Woodaz said. “Then to go for two, it set the tone.”

It set the tone for a game Clemson desperately needed to win, while snapping a six-game home losing streak to Power Conference foes.

“Offense set the tone, and I told them on Tuesday, that when we scored, we were going to go up two scores,” head coach Dabo Swinney said. “I felt like we had the two-point conversion we could get… It just set the tone.”

A tone the Tigers needed from their offense, and on Saturday night the offense delivered, while sending a clear message to the Seminoles.