TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Since preseason camp began, Dabo Swinney has talked about how fast his freshman quarterback can run. During Clemson’s 36-24 victory over Florida State on Saturday, Tait Reynolds proved his head coach right.

Facing third-and-12 from his own 21-yard line, Reynolds dropped back to pass and surveyed the field at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles brought pressure from the outside, forcing him to step up. When he did, Reynolds saw daylight to the outside.

The freshman ran through a gapping hole on the right side of the line, broke a tackle and kept running, hitting the numbers while wide receiver T.J. Moore escorted him to the end zone.

Seventy-nine yards later, Reynolds was in the end zone, and the Tigers were on their way back to Clemson with a victory.

“They have been playing football for 131 years at Clemson. Coach Frank Howard, they ran the option. They ran the football,” Swinney said. “That is a quarterback rushing record. Seventy-nine yards, 131 years and you are talking about a team that used to run the option back in the day.

“It was incredible. It was just a big-time play by him to put the game away.”

Reynolds’ record-breaking run was just part of the freshman’s coming out party in Tallahassee. He also completed 18 of 32 passes for 189 yards and 2 TDs and, more importantly, he did not turn over the football.

In all, he finished the night with 274 yards and three touchdowns.

“I think I have been growing up every game,” Reynolds said. “I am getting better and I just want to keep leading these guys.”

If he keeps playing like he did on Saturday night, Reynolds will definitely get that opportunity. He also will likely keep getting 11 p.m., calls from his offensive coordinator.

Chad Morris called Reynolds earlier in the week, catching his quarterback by surprise.

“I am sitting there, about to go to bed, I got class in the morning, and he was like, ‘What are you doing?’  and I said, ‘I am about to go to bed man, lights are off and everything. He said, ‘I am watching your high school tape,’ and I was like, ‘What is going on?’ He said, ‘Why don’t you run like this in a game.’ I was like, ‘Damn! Maybe I need to pick it up,’” Reynolds said.  

 So, he did, and he did it at the time when the Tigers needed him to do it the most.

Florida State (3-5, 1-4 ACC) had just rallied from 19 points down to cut the Clemson lead to five points. Desperately needing a first down to keep the clock moving, Reynolds made the play of the night, racing to a 79-yard TD run with 3:17 to play.

“It was nice to have a run like that,” Reynolds said.

Nice indeed.