In a perfect world, this opportunity would have come more than two months ago. Then again, nothing has gone as planned for the 2017 Florida State football team.
Nine weeks after he made his first college football appearance, freshman quarterback James Blackman finally got his first chance to run Florida State’s offense against an out-manned opponent. He finally got to take snaps from center and not feel constant pressure. Finally got to play in a game that wasn’t a dogfight from the opening snap.
What he did with that opportunity was complete 11 of 15 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns -- all in the first half -- before turning things over to junior backup J.J. Cosentino.
What that experience will mean, according to head coach Jimbo Fisher, cannot be measured.
“It would have made a big difference,” Fisher said of having an easier opponent in the opening weeks. “People don’t understand that. Those games are very vital. Just the cohesiveness. Just to be able to go out there and do it with the lights on. … It would have helped.”
Blackman never was supposed to be thrust into the starting lineup this season. In Fisher's three decades of college coaching, he had only once before played a true freshman at quarterback. But once starter Deondre Francois was sidelined with a knee injury in the season opener, Blackman quickly emerged as the Seminoles’ next best option.
