There are now 74 days between the fans and Florida State football. As part of the offseason, we’re doing a countdown that highlights players, games, and specific moments from FSU football history.
Today, it’s Dalvin Cook and his 74-yard touchdown run against South Florida in 2015.
The first half of the game in September 2015 was a bit of a snoozer. USF’s offense was expected to run into a wall against FSU’s defense, but FSU’s offense was surprisingly stifled. The one FSU touchdown in that half came from Dalvin Cook, and it happens to be the center of this piece.
We chose the 74-yard touchdown run from Cook because it was the first game that he ever truly dominated. Cook became the starter in the latter half of 2014, and he had some memorable performances, but the 2015 contest against the Bulls was the first one that indicated what Cook could truly become.
Every part of the 74-yard score ties in to what Cook would become known for at FSU. He bursts through the initial hole, surveying what the defenders at the second level are doing. He makes plenty of small but noticeable cuts that leave multiple players rethinking their angles of pursuit. He cuts back at the 50, but somehow continues to pick up speed before splitting two defenders who had clear chances at him. He bounces off one more would-be tackler before squeezing into the corner of the end zone.
Quickness, shiftiness, burst, it’s all there. All the traits that made Dalvin Cook one of the greatest running backs in FSU history were on display in the above run. It was also a preview of what he would do in that specific game, where he rushed for a then career-high 266 yards and three touchdowns.
Now, Cook, a future Unanimous All-American, is in the NFL and USF’s head coach is on the other sideline. Funny how that works out.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login