The beginning of the end for Fisher's tenure came in the 2017 season opener. In the second half of a season-opening 21-7 loss to Alabama, quarterback Deondre Francois blew out the ACL in his left knee. Francois' backup, James Blackman, was raw and untested, exposing several years of recruiting misses at quarterback since Winston's signing. A close loss to NC State a week later knocked them out of the polls for the first time since the middle of the 2011 season. They went on to finish with their first on-field losing record in ACC play since joining the league. They would have been ineligible for a bowl–thus ending the longest active streak in FBS–if not for defeating Louisiana-Monroe in a game that had been rescheduled from September due to Hurricane Irma.