N.C. State-FSU: Game Balls

For the first time in 28 years, Florida State is off to an 0-2 start. After having two straight contests canceled by Hurricane Irma, the 12th-ranked Seminoles were disappointingly defeated by North Carolina State at home on Saturday, 27-21.

The performance certainly left much to be desired, but there were some positives for the Seminoles in the ACC opener. To highlight which players stood out for the Seminoles, The Daily Nole staff of editor Mike Ferguson, lead writer Clint Eiland, recruiting analyst Jay Brading and contributor Joshua Mixon each hand out game balls:

Offense

Mike: James Blackman, QB
Wide receiver Auden Tate was a big reason for his success, but James Blackman deserves some credit for his performance. Despite being under consistent duress from a very good N.C. State defensive line, Blackman finished 22-for-38 passing for 278 yards and a touchdown toss to Tate. On a day where Blackman became the first FSU true freshman to start at quarterback in 32 years, he performed more than admirably.

Clint, Jay, Josh: Auden Tate, WR
The loss of Auden Tate to an arm injury served as a huge blow for Florida State, because until then, the junior wide receiver was unstoppable. Tate finished with nine catches for 138 yards and FSU’s only touchdown prior to going down early in the third quarter.

Defense

Mike: Derrick Nnadi, DT
It wasn’t the performance that Florida State expected from its defense, but senior defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi stood tall. As the anchor of a stout defensive line, Nnadi finished with six total tackles. That includes a game-high tying 2.5 for loss.

Clint: Josh Sweat, DE
For a second game in a row, junior defensive end Josh Sweat made his presence felt, finishing with five tackles and one for loss. Despite the pedestrian numbers, Sweat was one of the most consistent Seminoles when it came to pressuring the quarterback.

Jay: Ro’Derrick Hoskins, LB
With Matthew Thomas injured and Jacob Pugh ejected in the second half, redshirt senior Ro’Derrick Hoskins did what he could to bring stability to the linebacker position. Hoskins led the Seminoles with nine total tackles.

Josh: Derwin James, S
Redshirt sophomore safety Derwin James, as usual, was all over the field for the FSU defense. James finished with eight total tackles and one pass break-up, but always seemed to be near the ball.

Special Teams

Mike: Brian Burns, DE
For a unit that had been maligned, Brian Burns came through with a big play late. His fourth quarter blocked punt of A.J. Cole’s kick set up an FSU field goal, which allowed the Seminoles to cut the lead to six with three minutes remaining.

Clint: Ricky Aguayo, K
Sophomore kicker Ricky Aguayo was able to shake off an early miss from 30 yards out to finish 4-for-5 on field goal attempts and 1-for-1 on PATs. Many of Aguayo’s attempts were pressure-packed and necessary for FSU to stay in the game.

Jay, Josh: Logan Tyler, P
After a dismal showing against Alabama to open the season, Logan Tyler was outstanding in the home opener. Tyler averaged better than 47 yards per punt and had two of his four kicks downed inside the 20-yard-line. Tyler also had five of his six kickoffs go for touchbacks.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson