FSU’s Dalvin Cook with Unfinished Business Against Wake

Florida State running back Dalvin Cook is off to another spectacular start. Though his yards per carry average has dipped from last season, he leads the country in total yards from scrimmage and ranks third in rushing.

As a sophomore in 2015, Dalvin Cook obliterated the FSU single-season rushing record by going for 1,691 yards on the ground. Dalvin Cook’s year could have been even bigger had it not been for hamstring and ankle injuries that hampered him throughout the course of the season.

The first flare-up of that hamstring came last October on the road against Wake Forest. On his first carry of the game, Dalvin Cook took the ball 94 yards for a touchdown – the longest run of his career and third longest touchdown run in school-history.

Dalvin Cook left the game after coming up lame on his next carry, which went for no gain with less than three minutes to play in the first quarter. The hamstring injury not only hampered what looked destined to be a monster game for him, but it significantly slowed the FSU offense.

The Seminoles would go on to score a touchdown that drive and take a 14-3 lead, but after learning that Dalvin Cook would not return, the FSU offense stalled.

A Tyler Hunter interception in the end zone ultimately sealed a 24-16 victory for Florida State, but from the final drive Dalvin Cook was in until the end of the contest, the Demon Deacons outscored FSU 13-10 and the offense accounted for just 143 yards. The 24 points was the fewest FSU had scored against Wake Forest since losing 12-3 in Tallahassee in 2008.

“You can make an argument that he’s the best tailback in all of college football,” said Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson during Wednesday’s ACC teleconference. “I haven’t seen them all. I haven’t watched every back. I’m sure there’s other people that would argue for other people. But from what I’ve seen on film, if there’s anybody better than him, I’m not sure who it is.”

This time around against Wake Forest for Cook will be an attempt at tackling some unfinished business. It may be a tall task, but entering Saturday’s game, Dalvin Cook is just 215 yards shy of becoming the first FSU running back ever to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark in three straight seasons. Where Cook has been even more impressive this season is as a receiver.

Through six games this season, Dalvin Cook ranks second on the team with 20 receptions for 345 yards and has already twice eclipsed the 100-yard mark as a receiver. Cook’s 17.3 yards per catch average ranks second only to sophomore tight end Mavin Saunders, who has 97 yards receiving on just five catches.

Cook has finished with more than 200 yards from scrimmage in each of the last three weeks. Though that certainly would have changed had he been able to stay healthy last season, Wake is one of only two ACC Atlantic teams that Dalvin Cook has yet to rush for 100 yards against. The other is Boston College.

Through six games, the Wake Forest Defense has been up to the challenge when it comes to stopping the run. The Demon Deacons rank in the top 25 nationally in both rushing and scoring defense. North Carolina State’s Matt Dayes is the only back to rush for 100 yards against Wake Forest this season, but Cook will be by far the best it has seen. Finding a way to slow him down must be defensive coordinator Mike Elko’s top priority.

“He is a good blocker, good pass catcher, and just a tremendous running back,” Clawson said. “I mean, he’s a great player. It will be a real challenge.”

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson