Florida State starts 0-2 for first time since 1989 after loss to NC State
Florida State is 0-2 for the first time in 28 years.
The Seminoles couldn’t stop NC State running back Nyheim Hines on a third-and-7 play late in the fourth quarter and the Wolfpack held on for a 27-21 victory.
Florida State’s chances for a comeback got a lot bigger after blocking a punt with 3:31 to go and trailing 27-18. But Florida State’s offense, as it had for most of the day, struggled and went three-and-out, forcing a fourth field goal by Ricky Aguayo.
That Florida State’s offense sputtered shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Saturday’s game was the first in 21 days for the Seminoles and the first career start for freshman quarterback James Blackman, the man tasked with replacing Deondre Francois after Francois’ knee injury in Week 1.
Blackman finished 22-38 passing for 278 yards and a touchdown. It’s not a terrible statline and he made some throws that made you realize why he won the job as Francois’ backup to start the season. But he was also terrorized by NC State’s dynamic defensive line throughout the day and his stats fell off after wide receiver Auden Tate appeared to injure his left shoulder making his ninth catch of the day.
James Blackman before Auden Tate injury: 16-22, 190 yards
JB after Tate injury: 6-16, 88 yards— Matt Baker (@MBakerTBTimes) September 23, 2017
That’s what happens when you have to pass nearly 40 times and only muster 104 rushing yards. Running back Cam Akers got the ball just 12 times and tallied 56 yards.
After its game vs. Louisiana-Monroe was canceled and a Week 3 matchup with Miami was postponed because of Hurricane Irma, the Week 4 game was just FSU’s second of the season. And it’s the first time the Seminoles have lost their first two games of the season since 1989.
On the bright side, that 1989 team reeled off 10-straight wins to finish the year. And while that is certainly possible with this Florida State team, it’s far from likely. The Noles still have to play Louisville and Clemson. What could have been a dream season for Florida State is off to a pretty nightmarish start. How much better will it get?
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
