Take One: Why is Dalvin Cook not a Heisman candidate?
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On Saturday, junior running back Dalvin Cook set the all-time rushing record at Florida State. And with his four-touchdown effort, he also tied Greg Allen’s all-time rushing touchdown mark at 44. For the day, Cook racked up 225 rushing yards to bring his season total to 1,467. That puts him at No. 2 among all Power 5 backs, behind only Texas’ D'Onta Foreman.
You would think that being the only P5 back on a winning team with over 1,400 rushing yards would at least garner some Heisman consideration. Nope. For some odd reason, Cook isn’t even a blip on the radar among the Heisman candidates.
Last week, Odds Shark listed the top college players in the running to win the Heisman. For the past two weeks, there weren’t even odds listed for Cook’s chances (see chart below).
Michigan defender Jabrill Peppers and Alabama true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts appear to be the only players that have an outside shot at catching Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson.
It’s bad enough that the College Football Playoff Committee has turned its selection process into a popularity contest among the SEC and Big 10 teams, now there’s apparently no rhyme or reason when it comes to picking the top players to compete for the Heisman Trophy.
Take Two: Beating the Gators would be another feather in Fisher’s cap
When it comes to dominating in-state rivals, nobody has done it better than Jimbo Fisher.
The Seminoles tied a series record back on Oct. 8 with a seventh straight win over the Miami Hurricanes. That win was FSU’s 10th in the last 12 matchups against the ‘Canes, marking the most dominating stretch in the series by either team.
Florida State is on the verge of putting together a similar stretch of dominance against its other in-state rival. A win by FSU this Saturday would be the fourth straight against the Gators. It also would tie the longest streak by the Seminoles against the Gators – a feat that was accomplished twice before, 1977-80 and 1987-90. And like the recent stretch against the Hurricanes, a victory Saturday would make the recent run the most dominating by FSU in the long series – six wins in seven games.
Longest stretches of success vs. the Gators:
2010-current: FSU 5-1
1998-2003: FSU 5-1
1987-Jan. 1 1995: FSU 7-1-1
1977-1980: FSU 4-0
Since taking over as head coach in 2010, Jimbo Fisher is a combined 12-1 versus Miami and Florida.
Take Three: Defense continues to trend in the right direction
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In last week’s Five Takes, I noted how the Seminole defense was making up for its early season struggles with recent strong performances against less-than-stellar competition. That upward trend against below-average offenses continued Saturday as FSU held Syracuse to just 233 total yards of offense. Saturday’s effort included holding the Orange to just 37 rushing yards while racking up a season-high eight sacks.
Since the Oct. 1 loss against North Carolina, opponents are averaging 68 fewer yards (438 to 370) and 10 fewer points per game (35.4 to 25.5). Even more impressive is that the Seminoles currently rank No. 36 in total defense and No. 48 in scoring defense. While neither of those rankings are noteworthy, they are dramatic improvements from where the defense was just a little over a month ago -- No. 94 in total defense and No. 105 in scoring defense.
The defense should get another boost in the rankings this weekend when it takes on Florida. The Gators currently rank No. 102 in total offense and No. 100 in scoring offense.
Take Four: Offensive line shuffle continues
If there’s been one constant for Florida State’s offensive line over the past two seasons, it’s that nothing is constant. Saturday’s game at Syracuse was no exception.
In addition to Rick Leonard returning to his previous starting role at right tackle after sitting out the previous seven games, Cole Minshew got his first career start at left guard. Head coach Jimbo Fisher explained on Wake Up Warchant that Kareem Are, the normal starter at left guard, was sick during the week and that Minshew had a good week of practice.
Saturday’s first-team unit of Rod Johnson, Minshew, Alec Eberle, Wilson Bell and Leonard was the sixth different starting combination in 11 games. And with Minshew lining up at left guard on Saturday, nine players have now made at least one start on the offensive line. That’s very comparable to the 2015 season, when the ‘Noles fielded five different starting combinations and saw nine different players earn a start.
Some of the shakeups on the line have been due to injury, but the constant shuffling can’t be good for the unit’s consistency. While the line did slightly better in pass protection on Saturday, giving up just two sacks, FSU still ranks No. 116 in sacks allowed, giving up an average of 3.1 per game.
Take Five: Stat Wrap – Week 12
* After 12 weeks, Florida State ranks in the top 25 in the following categories: Total offense (25), red-zone offense (1), time of possession (10), and team sacks (1).
* In the not-so-good category, FSU ranks No. 73 in passing yard allowed, No. 120 in net punting, No. 116 in sacks allowed (3.1 per game), No. 125 in penalties per game (8.2) and No. 127 in penalty yards (77).
- Senior defensive end DeMarcus Walker is No. 2 in the nation in sacks with 13.
- Sophomore cornerback Tarvarus McFadden is No. 1 in interceptions with eight.
- Junior tailback Dalvin Cook is No. 7 nationally in rushing with 1,467 yards (No. 2 among P5 schools). He is also tied for third in rushing touchdowns with 18.
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