Florida State’s Deondre Francois Out For Season With Patella Tendon Injury
Florida State University (FSU) starting quarterback Deondre Francois suffered a season-ending injury in the opening season loss to No. 1 Alabama. The Crimson Tide had already secured the victory over the No. 3 Florida State Seminoles when Francois left the game with a left knee injury late in the fourth quarter. Alabama safety Ronnie Harrison delivered the season-ending blow to Francois. Harrison sacked Francois from behind, leaving the Seminole QB in noticeable pain. Francois was unable to leave the field without the aid of medical trainers.
The Tallahassee Democrat reports that Francois is scheduled to have surgery on his injured left knee as soon as Tuesday.
Before leaving the game, Francois had completed 19 of 33 passes for 210 yards. He had one touchdown pass and two interceptions during the game.
Francois held up praying hands as he was carted off the field from the FSU sideline with his left knee enclosed in a bulky brace.
The Crimson Tide overwhelmed the Seminoles throughout the night with a dominating defensive and special teams effort. The Crimson Tide defense held the Florida State Seminoles offense to a meager 69 yards in the second half and 250 yards total for the game.
It is a potentially devastating blow for the Seminoles, as they were favored by many college football pundits to win the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP).
Praying for @_Dirtie12 , Hit was Not Intentional! I hope you have a speedy recovery bra! #BiggerThanAGame #Respect ?????
— Ronnie Harrison II (@Rharr_15) September 3, 2017
“Oh, I’m definitely concerned, because that’s your starting quarterback and the kind of player he is and what he has,” FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher said.
Francois had a stellar freshman season, passing for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. Many considered Francois to be one of the top college quarterbacks in the country. Francois was expected to have a shot at winning the Heisman Trophy during his sophomore season.
Without Francois, Florida State’s ability to accomplish the goal of winning a national championship this season is put into serious doubt.
True freshman James Blackman will take over as the starting quarterback for FSU against their next opponent, Louisiana-Monroe. Blackman replaced Francois in the game against Alabama. Blackman did not attempt any passes during game action against the Crimson Tide.
[Featured Image by John Bazemore/AP Images]
