PITTSBURGH – On a rainy night on the road in Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, Florida State Seminoles freshman phenom Jameis Winston officially introduced himself to the college football world.
Winston, a wide-eyed 19-year-old 6’4 227-pound redshirt freshman, surgically dissected the hapless Pitt Panthers on the road en route to an easy 41-13 rout, spoiling Pitt’s ACC début and the night that former standout, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s jersey would be retired.
Judging by the way, Pitt and Winston were both playing, they could have used the help.
In what looked like a quarterback clinic on the road, Winston completed 25 of 27 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns and rushed eight times for 25 yards and one touchdown.
Coming into the season opener, the Hueytown, Alabama native had turned heads down during the spring, thanks to his flawless performance on the road, Winston joins Drew Rutherford and Chris Rix and the only freshman quarterbacks to win their debuts and shatter former Seminole quarterback Danny Kanell’s mark for a first-time Florida State quarterback.
In displaying a combination of mobility, accuracy and quality arm strength, one can now see why many are calling him the second coming of former Seminole great, Charlie Ward down in Tallahassee.
It may be a bit presumptuous to even call him the next great quarterback in college football, or even a Heisman hopeful after only one game, but considering all the negative attention and showboating that a certain immature signal-caller in College Station has shown recently, it looks like Winston may be just want the proverbial college football doctor ordered.
Robert D. Cobb is the Founder/CEO/Senior Editor-In-Chief Of The Inscriber : Digital Magazine, for questions, comments and concerns email me at robcobb@theinscriber.com follow me on Twitter @RC_TheInscriber and follow The Inscriber : Digital Magazine on Twitter at @TheInscriber