FSU Football: Blame James Blackman, not Willie Taggart, for near loss

FSU Football has one person to blame for nearly losing this weekend – and it’s not the head coach that has become the scapegoat for everything wrong.

Last Saturday, the FSU football team did all they could to shock the college football world and give up yet another big lead – this time, the gods of kicking were in the favor of the Seminoles as a missed extra point was the only thing that saved them from an embarrassing loss that might have been enough to convince some to remove head coach Willie Taggart.

I mean, after all, it was Taggart that threw a pick six to the Warhawks and threw another disgusting interception in the second half that led to a score for Louisiana Monroe, right? Oh wait, I’m sorry – that was a quarterback that many in the fanbase of FSU football have been rallying behind based off of one game last season.

For the last two weeks, the narrative has been the same for starter James Blackman – have an amazing first half and virtually become non-exisistent in the second half. Now, I will give him credit for throwing two touchdown passes in the final two regulation quarters – the always hard seven yard slant pass and a toss to Cam Akers where the back did most of the work.

Florida State Seminoles Football

When Blackman came in to substitute for the injured Deondre Francois after the season opener in 2017, he was given a pass based off the fact he was throwing passes in high school the season before down in Palm Beach County. Last season, his 400+ yard day against the 115th ranked pass defense was praised because the Seminoles were suffering.

Now, the Seminoles clearly have said that Blackman is going to be the leader of the offense – and they are a missed extra point away from having the second 0-2 start to a season in the last three years with the last time coming…in 2017 under James Blackman.

But, where is the call for Blackman to be replaced? Where are the fans hollering for Alex Hornibrook with the same spirit they scream for Taggart to be fired because he is now 6-8 as head coach of the Seminoles through one full season and two games in 2019?

Even before he coached his first game with the Seminoles, Taggart has faced criticism from everything that has some validity – like the losing all-time record he has as a head coach – to outright idiotic thoughts from those who can’t handle the fact that the Seminoles are led by an African-American full time head coach.

Taggart knows what is ahead for the Seminoles in the coming weeks and knows that if things don’t turn around, it’s his job on the line – and if he’s smart, he considers a change if Blackman continues to leave his talent, for the most part, in the locker room at halftime.