FSU’s CFP hopes take crushing blow

FSU sophomore QB Deondre Francois will miss the rest of the season with a patella tendon injury sustained in Saturday’s 24-7 loss to Alabama.

Published on Monday, 9/4/17, at 3:38 p.m. Eastern.

Florida St.’s 24-7 loss to Alabama at the brand-new Mercedes-Benz Dome didn’t kill its hopes of going to the 2017 College Football Playoff, but the season-ending patella tendon injury to star sophomore quarterback Deondre Francois probably did.

Francois completed 235-of-400 passes (58.7%) for 3,350 yards with a 20/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio as a redshirt freshman in 2016. He also rushed for five TDs and demonstrated incredible toughness and a willingness to stand tall in the pocket and take hits if he needed.

Francois took a ton of hits from the Crimson Tide on Saturday night in Atlanta. He completed 19-of-33 throws for 233 yards and one TD with two interceptions.

James Blackman, a three-star recruit out of Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades Central High School, finished out the game for the Seminoles late in the fourth quarter.

According to 247Sports, Blackman was the nation’s 16th-ranked pro-style QB in the 2017 class. He is one of two true freshmen QBs on the FSU roster. There are two other QBs available, but both are redshirt freshmen.

So for the rest of ’17, Jimbo Fisher will be depending on a freshman QB. The ‘Noles host ULM at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee in Week 2.

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