What Florida State sophomore running back Dalvin Cook has been able to do this season has come as little surprise to FSU fans. His ability was on display last Saturday as Cook accounted for nearly 270 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, including the game-winner in a 29-24 win over Miami. Cook however, is finally starting to get the attention he deserves on the national level.
This week, Sports Illustrated had Cook listed third on its Heisman Trophy watch behind only LSU running back Leonard Fournette and TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin. ESPN had Cook fourth behind Fournette, Boykin and Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Despite a couple minor injuries, Cook ranks seventh nationally in rushing with 792 yards. Cook ranks second nationally with more than 158 yards-per-game on the ground and fourth with a 9.0 yards-per-carry average.
“We thought he was an extremely, extremely special player,” Fisher said during Wednesday’s ACC teleconference about when he recruited Cook. “He’s fun to coach.”
After being used sparingly as a freshman early on in 2014, Cook burst onto the scene for FSU in mid-October. Cook rushed for 122 yards and a score in a 38-20 victory at Syracuse.
In a season where Florida State lived on the edge, Cook scored long game-winning touchdowns against both Miami and Louisville. Cook closed the season with three straight 100-yard rushing efforts to become the first FSU freshman ever to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, including 177 yards in a 37-35 ACC Championship victory over Georgia Tech.
After being charged with battery this offseason, it looked like Cook’s career at Florida State would be a short one. Shortly after freshman quarterback De’Andre Johnson was dismissed from the team for punching a woman at a bar, Cook was charged with a similar but unrelated offense. Cook was suspended indefinitely, but reinstated after being found not guilty in late August.
“The issues obviously, were wrong,” Fisher said Wednesday regarding the allegations against Cook. “He’s never ever been a problem for us. I’m just glad the truth came out.”
At Wednesday’s teleconference, Fisher praised Cook’s work ethic, noting the way he studies film and conditions in the offseason.
“The thing that I love about him is he loves everything about football,” Fisher said. “He does everything the right way.”
Cook’s work ethic appears to be paying off early on in 2015 as the sophomore from Miami embarks on rewriting the Florida State record books.
Cook’s 266-yard effort against South Florida on September 12th was the second best day ever for a FSU rusher. His 94-yard touchdown run on October 3rd against Wake Forest was the third longest in Seminole history. Cook is currently on pace to rush for 1,900 yards this regular season, which would crush Warrick Dunn’s single-season record of 1,242 set in 1995.
In just 19 games at FSU, Cook has already moved into 15th all-time on the school’s career rushing list. Making that even more remarkable is that in six of those 19 games, Cook had fewer than 10 carries.
Just a true sophomore, it’s conceivable that Cook could shatter just about every Florida State rushing record there is, including Dunn’s career record of 3,959 yards. What’s scary is Cook might only need three years to do it.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
