Source: FSU down LT Scott, S Dent vs. Clemson

No. 4 Florida State is down two key starters at Clemson on Saturday, as left tackle Robert Scott Jr. and safety Akeem Dent will both miss the game with injury, a source told ESPN.

The Seminoles did get one key player to return on their offensive line, as center Maurice Smith will start, a source said. Smith missed games against Southern Miss and Boston College with a lower-body injury.

Florida State has lost seven consecutive games to Clemson.

Scott is in his fourth season as a starting tackle for Florida State, earning second-team All-ACC honors last year as a left tackle. He is again expected to be replaced by Bless Harris, a Lamar transfer who is expected to make his fourth career start for the Seminoles.

Dent is a star safety who has missed 32 career games. He missed last week’s game at Boston College, which saw Florida State yield 305 passing yards to Thomas Castellanos. Dent suffered a left leg injury against Southern Miss in Week 2.

Smith is expected to make his 31st career start for Florida State, a vast majority of those coming at center. He was honorable mention All-ACC in 2022 and was twice named ACC offensive lineman of the week. He hasn’t played since the opening victory against LSU.

Florida State’s offensive line is one of the most experienced in the country, as it returned starters with more than 200 combined starts. That has helped Florida State (3-0) endure some of the early injury issues, as it won at Boston College without both Scott and Smith on the offensive line and Dent in the secondary.

Clemson (2-1) hasn’t lost a home game in ACC play since 2016, when it fell to Pitt 43-42 before going on to win the national title. Clemson’s home loss to South Carolina last year snapped a 40-game home winning streak.