Tracking Dalvin Cook’s pursuit of FSU football history

Another game, another unreal performance by the greatest running back in FSU history— and now we’re mere games away from Florida State’s Dalvin Cook making that official.

Cook rushed for four touchdowns against Clemson on Saturday, something only Antone Smith and Greg Allen (twice) had ever done in the garnet and gold, vs. anyone, let alone a top-three team. His 169 yards against the Tigers give him 1,069 on the year, and have him averaging a little over 133 YPG on the ground this season. At that clip, he should break his own school, single-season record of 1,691 yards during FSU’s bowl game to end the 2016 campaign, presumably the final game of his Florida State career. Eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight season ties Cook with Warrick Dunn as the only backs to ever accomplish that task as Seminoles.

But Cook is still chasing Dunn for some other prestigious ‘Nole records. He’s now got 18 career 100-yard games, second alone on that list behind Dunn’s 22. He can break that record if he continues his five-game streak of rushing past the century mark through the bowl game.

But on to the big one: with 3,768 career rushing yards, Cook is just one yard behind Greg Allen for second on the all-time FSU list. And then there’s just Dunn, a mere 191 yards away. A big game could see Cook catch Dunn at NC State— but the Wolfpack has a stout rush defense, so this is more likely against BC in Tallahassee the following week, although the Eagles boast a top-10 rushing D themselves.

As far as rushing TDs go, Cook’s 11 in 2016 are probably not enough to catch Allen’s 1982 mark of 20, but he does have a very real shot at the career rushing-touchdown mark. He’s currently second, by himself, with 38, and needs five more to pass Allen for the Florida State record.