Tracking Dalvin Cook’s pursuit of FSU football history

As the temperatures finally begin to drop, Seminole running back Dalvin Cook’s numbers are heading in the opposite direction, even after a middling performance in a 24-20 win over NC State. Cook ran 18 times for 65 yards and a score, bringing his season total to 1,134 yards, already tied with Greg Allen’s 1983 campaign for the fifth-most in an FSU season. Of course, the single-season rushing record as a ‘Nole already belongs to Cook, who obliterated Warrick Dunn’s 1,242 yards in 1995 by going for 1,691 in 2015. If Cook continues at his current season-average of 126 yards per game, he’ll come up about 50 yards short of beating his own record, favoring in the bowl game for which FSU became eligible after beating the Wolfpack.

Speaking of the 126 yards Cook is averaging per game this season, that’s exactly how many yards he remains behind Dunn for the all-time Florida State rushing record of 3,959-- so that prestigious mark could very well fall during Friday night’s home game against Boston College. Cook passed Allen against the ‘Pack to take over second all-time at FSU, with 3,833 yards.

Cook also looks poised to overtake Allen’s career rushing touchdown record at FSU, which stands at 44. Cook is in second place, by himself, with 39. However, Allen’s single season mark of 20 TDs will be tougher to topple; Cook has to average two rushing scores a game from here on out to tie that one. One record that Cook can no longer break, but only tie, is Dunn’s record of 22 100-yard rushing games. With Cook’s streak of five straight games over the century mark being snapped against the Wolfpack, he remains at 18.

Cook also joined the elite ranks of the ACC during the NC State game, as he moved into the No. 10 spot on the conference’s career rushing list, supplanting Wake Forest’s James McDougald. The record holder is the Wolfpack’s Ted Brown, who rushed for 4,602 yards from 1975-1978. Cook would need to average about 192 yards over the final four games to catch Brown— but it’s worth noting that everyone ahead of Cook on the list compiled their numbers over four years, while Cook is a sure-fire bet to turn pro after this, his junior season.