USF gets “Cook-ed”
By Rick Sassone on September 24, 2016
Dalvin Cook for a handful of his 267 yards on the ground (TRAVIS FAILEY PHOTO)
Tampa, Fla. — Today’s game started with an anomaly and ended up “Cook-ed” well done. Each team’s first play from scrimmage went for pay-dirt and just like that a 7-7 tie. To continue that theme, both teams had their second possession end in TD’s on quick drives and it was tied at 14 before there was five minutes gone. USF scored on a nine play, 72 yard drive in just 2:42 hi-lighted by two carries by Quniton Flowers for 44 yards. Marlon Mack plowed it in from the one. Mack finished with 12 rushes and 42 yards. FSU answered, the Noles go 76 yards in just four plays in 1:27. Cook scored from 13 yards out for his second TD of the quarter. The score was set up by a Deondre Francois pitch and a Auden Tate catch of 39 yards to get the Noles down to the Bulls 22.
The Seminoles then answered the question. How would the Jimbo Fisher coached club from the state capital respond after the Kentucky non-VIP woodshed tour? The Seminoles, in dominant fashion with Dalvin Cook’s 185 first half rushing yards, tacked on three more TDs and a field goal for a 38-14 halftime lead. Cook would end the day with 267 yards on 28 carries and the two first quarter TDs.
Cook said after the game the Fisher approach was, “Get the job done. It was simple. He came in telling us to get the job done. We watched film together as a unit and corrected mistakes. The message was just to get the job done.”
Quarterback Deondre Francois said, “It’s been the same. Staying focused, staying true to the process and trusting Coach Fisher and what he’s calling and just doing my job.”
Cook gets in the endzone (TRAVIS FAILEY PHOTO)
The Seminoles piled up 391 offensive yards in the first half to go along with those 38 points and with the Noles receiving the second half kickoff, making adjustments would be an understatement for the Bulls in the locker-room.
Jacques Patrick rushed for a TD and 124 yards on 20 carries (TRAVIS FAILEY PHOTO)
The Florida State first drive of the second half would end on a fumble, which brought life to the USF faithful who endured the sweltering mid-day heat of an early fall Tampa afternoon. The Noles only managed five plays and 23 yards before turning it over.
The euphoric thought of the Bulls getting back in the game would turn out to be short run hedonism as on the first play Bulls quarterback Quinton Flowers would throw a pick and the proverbial air would leave the proverbial bubble. The positive, the throw, which resembled more of an arm punt, was down to the FSU five. The Noles take over first and ten with a 38-14 lead.
Now, here’s the closer… a ten play, 95 yard TD drive in 4:33, a two-yard plunge by fullback Freddie Stevenson. At that point it was longest drive obviously yard wise but also time wise. The Ricky Aguayo extra point pushed the Seminole lead to 45-14.
Freddie Stevenson TD (TRAVIS FALIEY PHOTO)
Up to this point, after the first two drives of the game, the Bulls could not get the offense moving. With the Florida Stat dominating, South Florida takes the ensuring kickoff after the Stevenson TD and goes three and out managing just four yards.
Auggie Sanchez (43) had an active game for the Bulls defense, 7 tackles, 2 for a loss, a sack and a force fumble. Sanchez, as the Bulls we’re walking off the field in defeat, Sanchez came running from the end of the line and exclaimed’ “Run off the field, we just got our ass kicked!” (TRAVIS FAILEY PHOTO)
The rest of the game the Bulls outscored the Noles 21-10 to “Maybelline” it up, (“cosmetic,” in case you are not a show listener).
“I look at this game as an opportunity for our football team to get a little respect nationally. You’re on national TV and you have a chance to go out there and play and earn the respect that you’re trying to get. We didn’t take advantage of that. Again, we played sloppy and the result shows,” said Bulls head coach Willie Taggart.
The Seminoles end the day back in good national graces upping their record to 3-1 overall with 0-1 in the ACC after, you know, the Kentucky woodshed thing. The Noles will host the UNC Tar Heels next on Saturday October 1st while USF drops their first game of the year going to 3-1.
The Bulls open up AAC play the same Saturday, which is next week, at Nippert Stadium hosted by the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Florida State Passing
South Florida PassingTags: auden tate, delvin cook, florida state seminoles, Freddie Stevenson, marlon mack, Quinton Flowers, rodney adams, usf bulls
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