Florida State Football: Positional report card for loss to NC State

For being thrown into the fire against a tough conference opponent, quarterback James Blackman played admirably. He made some impressive throws and hung tough against a relentless NC State pass rush. Inevitably his play was not enough, but he can’t be faulted for the loss and can build off his performance.

Blackman finished the afternoon completing 22 of 38 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown pass. He threw no interceptions which was a positive, however he put the ball on the ground after making a terrific spin move on a run in the second quarter. It was a close to not being a fumble with his knee down, but ultimately it was ruled one and that it ended a Florida State drive that should have ended in at least three points.

Related Story: Florida State Football: James Blackman throws first career TD pass (Video)

With the season ending injury to Deondre Francois, Blackman is the Seminoles quarterback for the foreseeable future. He’s going to make freshman mistakes, as he did Saturday when he missed some of his targets or held onto the ball a little too long. But he can make some pinpoint throws and drop the ball in places where only his receiver can catch it. He was impressive for a freshman making his first start against a stout defense. If he can learn from this performance, he should get better as the season progresses.