There are now 71 days until Florida State football takes the field vs. Virginia Tech. 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 71-yard run in the 2016 Orange Bowl that may have ultimately saved Florida State.
The situation was fast deteriorating in the 2016 Orange Bowl. FSU had initially taken a surprising early lead on Michigan, but the Wolverines had pulled within one score near the end of the third quarter.
FSU started the fourth quarter with quarterback Deondre Francois getting sacked for a loss of 14 yards deep in his own territory. It was 3rd-and-22 at the FSU 13-yard line, and fans began to get that queasy feeling in their stomachs.
Head coach Jimbo Fisher was just focused on getting back some yards at that point. He called a simple hand-off to running back Dalvin Cook, with tight end Ryan Izzo lead-blocking on the left side. What happened next was breathtaking.
Cook slipped out of the grasp of a would-be tackler in the backfield. Izzo then blocked a cornerback coming to help, giving Cook a bit more room to operate. Cook then split between two defenders and began racing down the sideline.
What was at one point just a play to recover yardage turned into a potential touchdown. Cook was eventually pushed out, but not until after a 71-yard rush that flipped the momentum all the way back to Florida State.
The Seminoles used their newfound field position to score a touchdown just four plays later. While the theatrics did not end there, FSU ended up winning the game in a 33-32 thriller. It would not have been possible without Cook’s 207 combined yards and one touchdown.
Great players can turn regular plays into spectacular ones, and few players did it as much Cook. His 71-yard rush is up there with the “Puntrooskie” as the most memorable FSU offensive plays that did not result in a touchdown.
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