College Football Week 4: Top 5 players of the week
By Brad Weiss
2. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State Seminoles
The 2016 college football season has not been the kind of year Florida State running back Dalvin Cook was hoping for. Cook had struggled through the team’s first three games, gaining only 228 total yards on the ground. A year after setting the Florida State record for rushing yards in a season, Cook was looking his breakout game, and he got it on Saturday against South Florida.
Cook scored on a 75-yard touchdown run on the Seminoles’ first play from scrimmage, setting the stage for his biggest game of the year by far. The junior rushed for 267 yards on 28 carries, scoring twice for the Seminoles. It was almost a carbon copy of last year’s game against the Bulls when he rushed for 266 yards on 28 carries.
The Seminoles shook off a drubbing the previous week, as they were manhandled by Louisville in a 63-20 loss. Cook rushed for only 54 yards in that game, as the Seminoles dropped 11 spots in the AP Poll. There is still plenty of seasons left, so expect Florida State to be back near the top in a few weeks.
For Cook, the South Florida game should serve as a springboard for the rest of his season. He had some serious Heisman hope heading into the season and is likely spending his last year in college football. The Seminoles still have a huge matchup against Clemson coming up in a few weeks, giving Cook another opportunity to shine on the national stage.