‘Noles starting QB, Francois, out for the season

Florida State’s playoff hopes fall on Freshmen QB James Blackman’s shoulders

Florida State’s season got underway this weekend during the Chick-Fil-A Kick Off Game in Atlanta against Alabama, the top team in the country. During he first half of the game, Bama and FSU were neck and neck; both teams’ defensive prowess was on display with a low scoring first half that finished with the Crimson Tide ahead 10-7. Unfortunately, Florida State’s second half magic never showed up. The defense continuously proved their worth but the offense was clearly missing last year’s star, Dalvin Cook. The lack of playmakers combined with poor Offensive Line play sputtered the ‘Noles offense in what turned out to be an easy victory for Alabama and coach Nick Saban.

Derwin James, FSU’s top defender, showed he belonged as one of the top players in the country, and new 5-star recruit Cam Akers flashed his skill as the team’s second string Running Back. Perhaps the biggest loss, however, wasn’t on the scoreboard. As if the offense wasn’t disappointing enough, the worst-case scenario unfolded for the Seminoles in the 4th Quarter: star Quarterback Deondre Francois was sacked and was carted off the field with an air cast.

His injury was deemed unknown, but further tests showed that he had torn is patellar tendon, one of the toughest injuries to return from in modern day football. He will miss the entire 2017 season and have an extremely difficult road to recovery. That same tendon has derailed the careers of countless NFL stars, including Victor Cruz and Jimmy Graham. Graham was lucky enough to make a full recovery but former Giants star, Victor Cruz, never returned to his pre-injury form.

Although things look pretty bleak after the injury news, count on Florida State to bounce back and figure out a way to stay amongst the top teams in the nation. The team’s hopes will be placed on 3-star recruit James Blackman, a freshmen with plenty of upside. That development will decide the fate of Florida State as they attempt a playoff run under Blackman. If there's anyone we trust with a freshmen QB, its Jimbo. We will see our first glimpse of him as a starter at FSU’s home opener next Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe.

?FSU?✊?

A post shared by James Blackman (@james_blackman3) on Jan 17, 2017 at 4:46pm PST

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