FSU moves ahead with Blackman

Loss of Francois brings questions for season

TALLAHASSEE — Jimbo Fisher and the Florida State football team could not envision this scenario, but here they are.

The 2017 Seminoles will enter the second week of the season looking for their first victory and with a new starting quarterback.

Deondre Francois, a former Orlando Olympia High standout, will have surgery today to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, ending his redshirt sophomore campaign, FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher confirmed Monday.

Francois suffered the injury during FSU’s 24-7 loss to Alabama in Atlanta on Saturday. Fisher said Francois will be sidelined anywhere from four to eight months, and could return to action in spring 2018.

The Seminoles will now thrust true freshman quarterback James Blackman, from Belle Glade, into the starting lineup against Louisiana-Monroe this upcoming Saturday at 7 p.m. in Doak Campbell Stadium.

“He’s very disappointed,” Fisher said of Francois. “Not only does he want to play, but he wants to be with his teammates. … [He] feels like he let them

“The biggest thing is everybody feels like they have to change . ... You don’t have to change dramatically or anything, except go continue to play better.” Jimbo Fisher, FSU head coach

down, but I told him this is part of [football]. Things happen, and you have to deal with it, and be mentally strong.

“He’s very down for not just himself, but for his teammates.”

News of Francois’ fate this season broke on Sunday night, but the disappointment set in immediately for him and teammates after the Alabama game.

FSU center Alec Eberle and left guard Landon Dickerson believe it was the offensive line’s responsibility to do a better job of protecting their quarterback, despite Francois injuring himself after rolling out of the pocket and being tackled from behind by Alabama defensive back Ronnie Harrison late in the fourth quarter.

Players on Florida State’s masterful defense, which held Alabama to less than 200 yards rushing (173) and less than 100 yards passing (96) for only the second time in the Nick Saban era, were also frustrated.

“We found out, and there’s really nothing we can do about it,” FSU safety A.J. Westbrook said. “Things happen. [We’ve] just got to keep moving forward.”

The Seminoles will now turn to Blackman to lead the offense, with freshman Bailey Hockman and redshirt junior J.J. Cosentino filling in as backups.

Blackman, out of Glades Central High, signed with FSU as a 247Sports.com composite three-star prospect who was rated as the 16th-best pro-style quarterback in the country. He threw for 2,511 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior year.

Instead of having a redshirt freshman year as Fisher would prefer for all of his quarterbacks — following the path of E.J. Manuel, Christian Ponder, Jameis Winston, Sean Maguire and Francois — Blackman will become the first true freshman to start at quarterback for FSU since Chip Ferguson in 1985.

Fisher wants the players around Blackman to just continue to stay the course while the rookie acclimates himself to his first taste of college football.

“The biggest thing is everybody feels like they have to change,” Fisher said. “You don’t have to up your game. You gotta do what you do. You’re who you are. You don’t have to change dramatically or anything, except go continue to play better. … Go help the things that change the momentum of that game, and clean up some of the special teams stuff and go play.”

The Seminoles continue to have high expectations of contending for an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and a semifinal berth into the College Football Playoff, but those goals seem even loftier without Francois leading the offense.

“The train is going to roll on,” Dickerson said. “One guy gets hurt, it can’t stop us. If it did, we’re not going to be successful.

“Someone is going to step up and we still have aspirations to win the ACC, go to the playoffs and win a national championship. I think Blackman is going to step up and hopefully lead this team.”