Florida State Football: James Blackman proves he’s QB1 vs. Alabama State
By Zach Bigalke
Florida State football downed an FCS opponent at Doak Campbell Stadium to reach bowl eligibility. Here is what to take away from the Seminoles’ win.
Florida State won their second straight game under interim head coach Odell Haggins, putting away FCS Alabama State 49-12 on Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee. The win pushed the Seminoles to 6-5 on the season, ensuring that Florida State will once again be part of the postseason after seeing their bowl streak come to an end last year.
The Seminoles saw James Blackman put up a solid performance at quarterback, as he finished with 246 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception on 13-of-22 passing. Blackman added 53 yards on four carries, keeping the Alabama State defense on their toes all game long. Jordan Travis came in and offered a similar dual-threat look in the second half, throwing for 71 yards and rushing for 69 yards.
Khalan Laborn was the biggest star on the ground for Florida State, finishing with 55 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Laborn also caught a three-yard pass for the Seminoles out of the backfield, and Deonte Sheffield added a third rushing touchdown on a day when the Florida State backfield finished with 208 total yards and three scores on the ground.
The Florida State defense had some issues containing KHA’Darris Davis, the Hornets quarterback that threw for 262 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 27-of-39 passing. Davis was unable to get anything going on the ground, though, as Florida State held Alabama State to 80 rushing yards as a team. Hamsah Nasirildeen ripped off an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown, as the Seminoles defense scored as many touchdowns as the Hornets.
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The win was hardly unexpected, as the Seminoles came into the contest as a 41-point favorite. If anything, they underperformed against the spread against an FCS program that entered the weekend hovering around .500 in the standings. But a win is a win, and after the disappointment of missing a bowl game in 2018 Florida State fans can start making postseason plans once again.