Tajh Boyd's apartment was a rotten mess.

Following Clemson's 31-17 loss at Georgia Tech on Oct. 29, 2011 -- a game in which Boyd threw one touchdown and two interceptions to bring an 8-0 start to a screeching halt -- somebody egged his campus home. Boyd's roommates hastily tried to clean it up before he got back from Atlanta, but they weren't quick enough.

Tajh Boyd has only lost once as a starter in Death Valley, where Clemson hosts Florida State Saturday night. AP Photo/ Richard Shiro

With one loss, the national title talk surrounding the Tigers ended, and the education of an immature Heisman hopeful began.

"It was an eye-opener because everything had come so easy, everything had just gone perfect," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "It couldn't have gone any better and all of a sudden, instead of everybody patting him on the back, and everybody writing great things and saying great things and him being the toast of the town, now he's the goat. That was a time where his skin was thickened."

As No. 3 Clemson prepares to host No. 5 Florida State on Saturday in what is the most important game of the ACC regular season, Boyd's maturation process might be the biggest advantage the Tigers have over the Seminoles and untested rookie phenom Jameis Winston.

In a game that will feature two of the nation's most talented quarterbacks -- a rising star versus an accomplished record-setter -- Boyd has the intangible benefit of having been in this position before.

Like Winston, Boyd understands the pressure of being a young quarterback shouldering the lofty expectations of winning a national championship.

Unlike Winston, Boyd has felt the crushing disappointment of failing to realize those expectations, has learned the lessons from those losses, and has rededicated himself with the aim of finally fulfilling them.

Boyd's experience in marquee games, in both wins and losses, coupled with his desire to leave a legacy at Clemson, could be the difference between these teams Saturday night in a game that will propel the winner to the top of the ACC Atlantic standings and further validate it as a national title contender.

For Winston, the story is just beginning.

For Boyd, this season is the last chance.

Whatever happens at the next level happens, but here at Clemson, I want people to say he gave us everything he had every time he stepped on that field. That's what I want to be remembered for.

--Clemson QB Tajh Boyd

"It would put a cap on everything," he said of winning an ACC title and national title this fall. "That stuff would be great, but I don't ever want anyone to question the way I play the game, especially at this level. Whatever happens at the next level happens, but here at Clemson, I want people to say he gave us everything he had every time he stepped on that field. That's what I want to be remembered for."

Those within the program say Boyd has already accomplished that.

"He doesn't have to play another snap," Swinney said. "He's left a legacy already, but he's not done."

Clemson's offensive staff meetings begin around 7:30 each morning.

Around 8:30 a.m., Boyd strolls in. He usually steals one of the assistants' seats ("but that's OK," says offensive coordinator Chad Morris).

"He comes in and makes himself at home and really just becomes one of us," Morris said. "That's what's great about it. We don't change anything we talk about, how we talk about it, when he's in there."

No, this is not normal.

Boyd is the only player who attends the staff meetings. The other players, of course, have class. Boyd has one online class remaining and usually wraps up most of his academic obligations on Sundays. He spends the bulk of the week in the football offices in Memorial Stadium, working out, studying film, and listening to the coaches.

"He didn't come back here to sit around the house and watch reruns of 'Family Feud,'" Swinney said. "He wants to be great. That's just him."

Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris has been running the Tigers' offense as long as Boyd has been the starter. Tyler Smith/Getty Images

When Swinney meets with his entire staff, Boyd often sits in a separate room with a graduate assistant, who briefs him on the Tigers' next opponent. By the time the offensive assistants regroup, Boyd is usually watching film already, with his notepad out, listening intently while studying what's written on the whiteboard.

Final decisions concerning play-calling belong to Morris, but, as he puts it, Boyd has free rein to "weigh in heavily" on the game plan each week.

"There's things he likes, or he'll say, 'Look, I really like this,' or he'll say, 'Coach, I don't feel that,' or, 'I'm not comfortable with that,'" Morris said. "He's got open input in every bit of our game-plan decision-making. It's pretty cool, I'll tell you. It's really unique. You usually have your players come in, and you don't get them very long, but when we have Tajh, because of the way the schedule is set up, we pretty much have him all morning long."

The relationship between Morris and Boyd is as unique as Boyd's seat in the meeting room. They text each other during the Thursday night games on ESPN, or call to see if the other saw a particular play, and what he thought about it. At times, they'll even help each other through practice.

"He'll put his arm around me and say, 'Hey Coach, I need a little help today, you gotta pick me up today, I'm dragging,'" Morris said. "Or, on the flip side of it, I'll go to him and say, 'Hey 10, you gotta get me goin' today. It's been a long weekend, long day. I need you to pick me up today, 10, get me going.' It's a mutual bond. It's hard to explain. It's like having one of your own."

They'll call or text each other after practice, and Boyd has spent plenty of time at the Morris house, watching games or film, or just "kicking back." The coach and quarterback have more in common than their desire to win.