PCβs PICKS: NCAA Week 1, Part 6
Florida State is a 7-point favorite tonight as quarterback Deondre Francois returns to the field for the Seminoles for the first time since last season's opener.
Francois, coming off a stellar 2016 campaign with before-then high expectations for 2017, fell to the ground with a knee injury after being hit by an Alabama player. Francois exited the game in the second half and Alabama went on to win 24-7.
Deondre Francois opens up about his return as Florida State starting quarterback.https://t.co/dqUmQ94MRx pic.twitter.com/EjUekpZrbQ
β 247Sports (@247Sports) September 3, 2018
RETOUR DE DEONDRE: Deondre Francois returns under center for Florida State tonight, taking his first snap since being sidelined with a knee injury in last season's opener versus Alabama.
βInstantly I knew something was wrong,β Francois told ESPN in a piece that aired this weekend that is now on YouTube. Amidst his recovery, he had also had a spat with the law.
CATCHING UP WITH THE QB: Francois talked to ESPN about the injury, everything since then and what he's done to get back and on the road to cleaning up his personal life.
The Seminoles finished the 2017 season an ugly 7-6 β losing to North Carolina State, Miami, Louisville, Clemson and suffering a 35-3 bludgeoning by Boston College β as four quarterbacks tried to make the Florida State offense click.
After the season, head coach Jimbo Fisher received an offer he couldn't refuse to take the reins at Texas A&M. Florida State coaxed former South Florida coach to take the job after just one season at Oregon and, here we are now, with the Seminoles and Francois finally ready to exorcise some demons as they open with Virginia Tech at home in an Atlantic Coast Conference clash.
βItβll be fun, you know,β Taggart told the Orlando Sentinel. βI told our guys, you know, everybody will be watching us. Itβs Labor Day. Nothing else going on. All your life, you grow up watching Monday night football and now our guys get to play.β
Redshirt sophomore Josh Jackson (not that Josh Jackson) gets the nod at quarterback for head coach Justin Fuente's Hokies, coming off a season where he completed just about 60 percent of his passes while throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and Virginia Tech finished 9-4.
Josh Jackson has broken Michael Vick's record for most passing yards in a season by a freshman in Virginia Tech history. pic.twitter.com/Y5qgJth2Bg
β ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 29, 2017
MIGHTY ACCOMPLISHMENT: Josh Jackson's putting together a storied career at Virginia Tech, eclipsing former Hokies' quarterback Michael Vick's single-season passing mark a year ago.
The Hokies return just five starters on defense but do have Adonis Alexander back to anchor the secondary. Florida State, meanwhile, has only four back. It's the first meeting between the ACC schools somehow since 2012, when then-No. 10 Florida State topped Virginia Tech, 28-22.
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Miami, obviously didn't fare so hot Sunday night, bringing my mark on the week to 28-12-2. LOCKS are now less lock-y at 5-3.
I like Jackson and Fuente to have another solid year but, tonight, given the new guys getting their footing with the Hokie defense, I'll take Florida State in Taggart's debut and the points in what I think may be a high-scoring affair.
