TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois will miss the rest of the season after tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee in the fourth quarter Saturday night in a 24-7 loss to No. 1 Alabama in Atlanta.

People familiar with the situation confirmed the injury to The Associated Press on Sunday night. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the school’s medical information policy.

The Tallahassee Democrat first reported the injury.

Coach Jimbo Fisher is expected to have a further update, including when Francois will have surgery, during his weekly press conference Monday. Fisher said after Saturday’s game that if Francois was out, James Blackman would likely be the starter.

If Blackman starts for third-ranked Florida State on Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe, it would be only the second time in school history a quarterback has started as a true freshman.

Francois was hurt when he was sacked from behind by Ronnie Harrison. Francois was helped off the field and could not put any weight on his left knee before being carted off.

HOWARD PULLED off one of the biggest upsets in college football history Saturday, as freshman quarterback Caylin Newton – the young brother of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, led the Bison to a 43-40 win over UNLV.

A Football Championship Subdivision team that went 3-19 the previous two seasons, Howard was a 45-point underdog. Newton ran for 190 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 140 yards with a TD.