Florida State’s opening night loss to top-ranked Alabama seems like it was ages ago.
After a 21-day layoff between games, the Seminoles are finally back in action Saturday for a noon kickoff against 2-1 North Carolina State.
The ‘Noles September 9 game against Lousiana-Monroe was canceled due to Hurricane Irma, while their annual rivalry matchup against Miami has been postponed to October 7.
Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher can’t wait to get his team back on the field this weekend.
“Great to be back up with the game on the line,” Fisher said. “Good to be able to play somebody else. Guys have practiced. They’re probably tired of practicing.”
The good news is the layoff has given true freshman quarterback James Blackman much more time to prepare for his first career start.
Blackman, a three-star recruit out of Glades Central High School, will be tasked with running the offense after Deondre Francois (Olympia HS/IMG Academy) suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 24-7 loss to the number one Crimson Tide in the opener.
Blackman has a slender build to his 6-foot-5, 169-pound frame, but Fisher feels he’s ready to take the physical pounding that comes with the territory of playing quarterback at the highest level of Division I football.
“He played at the highest levels of ball through high school and did as well as any of the other guys,” Fisher said. “How big was (Louisville Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback) Lamar Jackson when he came out? He wasn’t much bigger than that. Wasn’t 180 or more.
“(Blackman) played out of Belle Glade. He’s been hit. He’s been knocked around. He’s been beat up. He’s a tough guy. He can play at a high level.”
The Seminoles entire team will need to perform at that high level to knock off an NC State program that many feel could play spoiler to the top teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference this year.
Here’s more on Saturday’s matchup.
STAR WATCH:
FLORIDA STATE
Derwin James has been salivating to return to the field since his outstanding performance against Alabama.
The Haines City High School alum helped the ‘Noles hold ‘Bama to under 200 yards rushing and 100 yards passing in the same game for just the second time in the Nick Saban era.
Wide receivers Auden Tate, Nyqwan Murray (Oak Ridge HS), and Keith Gavin all made several big plays in the Alabama game, while tight end Ryan Izzo was productive in the middle of the field.
Expect the Seminoles to be much more ground oriented this week.
True freshman Cam Akers showed some burst in the opener and finished with 10 carries for 30 yards.
Senior Jacques Patrick (Timber Creek HS) was not very productive against the Tide, but he’ll get plenty of opportunities to shine this weekend.
Fisher said earlier this week that his running back rotation hasn’t changed one bit during the three-week layoff.
All of them will be asked to contribute to assist Blackman.
NC STATE
Second-year starting quarterback Ryan Finley is off to a strong if not spectacular start, throwing for 329 yards per game with 6 TD and no interceptions.
His big-play target is do-it-all senior Jaylen Samuels, who is listed as an H-back, but can play tight end, wide receiver, or running back.
He has 220 receiving yards and two touchdowns this year, and has accounted for 37 career touchdowns (16 in 2016).
Jimbo Fisher agreed with the analogy of Samuels as an “offensive version of Derwin James” in his weekly press conference this week.
“To do the things Samuels does, it’s not only great physical skills there, there’s great mental skills. Great intelligence to be able to play different positions, understand how to play them and play them so effectively, and run different route combinations and touch the ball so many different ways and block.”
Senior defensive lineman Bradley Chubb is a monster who was fourth in the FBS in tackles for a loss (22) and 19th in sacks (10.5) as a junior.
MATCHUP TO WATCH:
SEMINOLES RUN GAME VS. NC STATE’S DEFENSE
The Wolfpack is holding opponents under 100 yards rushing per game through three contests, and their strong defensive line can be tough to block.
The ‘Noles will need to establish the run to help Blackman get comfortable.
Akers could have a breakout day if he takes advantage of his opportunities, but it certainly won’t be easy.
X-FACTOR:
AUDEN TATE
Tate’s size and athleticism were on full display against the Tide, and he could be in line for a monster junior season.
Blackman will depend on the 6-foot-5 receiver as a safe spot to fling the ball in his debut.
Tate showed tremendous hands last week, including on his reception that resulted in the Seminoles’ only touchdown of the night.
Expect big numbers for him Saturday.
THE PICK:
FLORIDA STATE 27, NC STATE 21
The ‘Noles will be slow out of the gate offensively, but they’re too talented in all three phases of the game to suffer the early-season upset.
Blackman will be good enough to get the job done and show some moxie with some late game completions to seal the deal.
Florida State survives grabs its first ACC win of the year.