Florida State lost their starting quarterback Deondre Francois to a shoulder injury in the second quarter.
Freshman Deondre Francois stepped in at quarterback for Florida State in the 2016 season and has produced decent numbers. This includes 1,323 passing yards and nine total touchdowns through the first half of the season. He’s been one of the lone bright spots for FSU in their 3-2 start to the season.
However, the Seminoles may have lost Francois during Saturday night’s game versus Miami. He took a big hit during the second quarter and landed hard on his right shoulder. The 19-year-old got up under his own power, but left the game. Sean Maguire would replace him. Before leaving, Francois went 4 for 7 passing for 24 yards.
Maguire has experience at quarterback for Florida State. The senior played in 2014 when Jameis Winston got suspended for an off-the-field incident. He then threw 189 passes in 2015 for 1,520 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. So, the damage may not fully be there at the signal-caller position.
Running back Dalvin Cook will also continue to be relied on. He had just six carries for 21 yards, but burst for a 54-yard run to get the team into scoring range. More of that will be needed depending on the quarterback situation, which saw Maguire throw a red zone interception.
If this injury keeps Francois out for the rest of the game, FSU will have to battle to avoid going 3-3. Losing would likely take them out of the AP Poll and hurt their standing in the ACC as well. Miami has been one of the toughest teams in the early part of the season, and will be difficult to break, especially at their home stadium.
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So, we’ll see what happens with Deondre Francois as the game progresses. If he can return to the game, it will obviously help Florida State in attempting to pull off the upset.