Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs Florida State Seminoles Match Player Stats On Dec 27, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 27, 2017

James Blackman threw for 233 yards and an Independence Bowl-record four touchdowns Wednesday as Florida State finished up a drab season with a 42-13 blowout of Southern Mississippi at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La.

With future coach Willie Taggart looking on, the Seminoles (7-6) looked more like the team that started the season ranked second instead of the one that needed to win their last three games just to make it to a bowl game.

Blackman, who replaced Deondre Francois after the sophomore suffered a season-ending patella tendon injury on Sept. 2 against Alabama, connected with wide receiver Auden Tate on scoring strikes of 20, 10 and 17 yards.

After ceding the first touchdown to the Golden Eagles (8-5) thanks to a pair of 15-yard penalties that set up a 5-yard scoring run by quarterback Kwadra Griggs less than four minutes into the game, Florida State overwhelmed its Conference USA opponent, rattling off the next 33 points.

Blackman's first touchdown pass to Tate gave the Seminoles a 7-6 first quarter lead, and it only got bigger. Blackman found Cam Akers with a 14-yard scoring strike just over two minutes into the second quarter to make it 13-6.

Ricky Aguayo hit a 29-yard field goal with 7:48 left before halftime, followed by Blackmon and Tate hooking up on their 10-yard score with 1:33 remaining to usher FSU into the locker room with a 23-6 advantage.

Aguayo converted a 39-yard field goal just over four minutes into the third quarter, and Jacques Patrick powered in from the 2 with 3:25 left in the period to make it 33-6.

Griggs hit Korey Robertson for a 13-yard touchdown with 44 seconds left in the quarter, chopping the Southern Miss deficit to 33-13.

However, the Seminoles tacked on two more fourth quarter scores. Blackman found Tate for their 17-yard touchdown just 35 seconds into the period, and Aguayo drilled his second 39-yard field goal with 7:45 remaining to cap the rout.

Griggs completed 13 of 25 passes, but for only 86 yards.

NOTES: Former Florida State defensive back Deion Sanders was on the sidelines Wednesday. Asked by ESPN about reports he could be named to new coach Willie Taggart's staff, Sanders merely said, "I've made a lot of great plays in these colors," referring to his garnet and gold jacket. ... The Seminoles clinched their 40th consecutive winning season. ... This was the first time in three visits that Southern Mississippi lost in the Independence Bowl. It won in 1980 and 1988 under Bobby Collins and Curley Hallman, respectively.