Update 10/12 7 AM: Coach Jimbo Fisher said on the Jeff Cameron Show interview that Jacques Patrick suffered torn cartilage in his knee and that he would “likely” miss the rest of the season. Possible effects of this injury for FSU are discussed here.
Florida State running back Jacques Patrick suffered a knee injury against Louisville that could see him miss a significant chunk of time, according to sources within the program. Patrick was on crutches and did not practice Sunday. Florida State does not typically practice on Sundays, but with a game at Boston College this Friday the Seminoles worked in helmets.
Florida State declined to comment through its spokesperson. Jimbo Fisher will address the media Monday at his 1 ET press conference.
The junior from Orlando, FL played well for the Seminoles this season, rushing for 434 yards and a touchdown in the first six games of the season. He ran for 120 yards against Wake Forest, 91 yards against Miami, and 98 yards against Duke. He also added 13 catches for 88 yards as well.
After playing the past two seasons behind Dalvin Cook, Patrick emerged this year as a dependable running back for FSU. He did not break off many long runs, but ran like a bigger back and had been efficient in pass protection as well.
With Patrick sidelined, Florida State will have to rely on freshman phenom Cam Akers, who has rushed for a team-leading 455 yards this season. The other running backs on the roster include Amir Rasul, Ryan Green, Khalan Laborn, and Zaquandre White.
Florida State has had a particularly nasty injury bug in 2017 on offense. QB Deondre Francois went down for the year in Game 1, key receivers have missed large parts of the first half of the year, and Landon Dickerson, FSU’s best offensive lineman, is also out for the year. Other linemen have also missed time.
The defense, meanwhile, is remarkably healthy, and will be asked to pick up the slack for an offense that is now reliant on true freshmen more than ever.