Bud Alderman (Bud’s Eye View)
Due to the earlier season cancellations and re-scheduling, this is only my 2nd game in Tallahassee this season. Unfortunately, I had to miss the re-scheduled Miami game due to prior commitments that were booked in late January. With not being in attendance, it broke a very long personal streak. The last time I was not able to attend the FSU-Miami matchup in Tallahassee was in 1979. This has just been an extremely strange season. After today there are only two more home games scheduled. With FSU virtually out of the ACC Championship game heading into today’s matchup there is talk about trying to play the game that was canceled against ULM on December 2nd.
The 2017 season started with high hopes and has turned into a nightmare! Once again the Noles were unable to finish a game. Outside of the opening season loss to #1 Alabama, they have been in every game. Of note, Alabama had only 24 points and a total of 269 yards in the game. This was by far their lowest total of the season. Three FSU turnovers led to 13 Alabama points with the longest drive after a turnover was 16 yards that led to the final 3 points of the game. The only 2nd half points came after turnovers.
With that in mind, that has basically been the story of the season. After playing on September 2nd, the Seminoles never took the field again until the 23rd. Having to open their home schedule against ACC foe NC State with a true freshman at QB was a task in itself. James Blackman was the 1st true freshman to start at QB for the Noles since Chip Ferguson was forced into duty during the 1985 season.
While Blackman performed admirably in a 27-21 loss, 22-38 and 278 yards and one TD, the Seminoles dug an early hole and couldn’t recover. Of the other 2 losses, they had a lead or were tied late in the game. Against Miami, it was a TD, by the Canes, with 6 seconds left in the game that ended with a 24-20 loss. On Saturday, they battled back from a 28-14 deficit to tie it up at 28 and then the bad luck hit them once again. On a drive that started at their own 28 with 4:38left in the game, they drove to the Louisville 24 and looked like they were in a position to take a late lead. Then the inevitable happened as Blackman fumbled and the Cards would take advantage. With the momentum switch, Louisville drove the field and kicked a 34 yard FG and the lead with :05 left in the game.
Once again another heartbreaking loss for FSU and with the 0-3 start at home, the last time that happened was in 1974. That was two seasons before Bobby Bowden took over! FSU heads to Boston College next Friday night with hoping to even their conference record at 3-3 on a start to salvaging the season.
They are in jeopardy of having their first losing season since going 5-6 in Bowden’s inaugural season of 1976. Also, the bowl streak of 35 straight appearances is on the line. The last season that FSU did not appear in a bowl game was after a 6-5 finish in the 1981 season. The QB on that team was none other than MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill.
