The Sports Xchange
Sep 12, 2015
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- No. 11 Florida State shook off a sluggish start and surged in the second half Saturday to beat in-state foe South Florida 34-14 behind a career day from running back Dalvin Cook.
Cook, a sophomore, carried the load for the second straight week, this time rushing for a career-high 266 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns to propel Florida State to a 2-0 start.
Cook became the fifth player to rush for more than 200 yards in school history and is the first Seminole to surpass that mark since 1988. Cook's game also is the second-best performance ever by a Florida State running back. Former Florida State RB Greg Allen owns the all-time single-game record with 322 yards.
With the win, Florida State moved to 12-1 against teams from the state of Florida under head coach Jimbo Fisher -- including two wins against the Bulls -- while South Florida fell to 9-20 all-time against ranked FBS programs.
The Seminoles needed a strong second half to pull this one out -- and they got it.
The two teams went to intermission tied 7-7, but the Seminoles broke things open in the third quarter thanks to Cook's 24-yard touchdown run, a 31-yard Roberto Aguayo field goal and a 23-yard TD pass from quarterback Everett Golson to Jesus Wilson gave Florida State a comfortable 24-7 lead -- its first breathing room of the game.
Golson, however, struggled overall in his second game in a Florida State uniform since transferring from Notre Dame this offseason, finishing 14 of 26 for just 163 yards. He was also sacked three times and rushed eight times for minus-15 yards.
The Bulls scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to pull within 24-14 following a 71-yard bomb from South Florida quarterback Quinton Flowers to a wide open D'Erne Johnson. It was the second time the two hooked up in the game after Flowers also hit Johnson in the first half for the Bulls' only other touchdown.
Johnson, who now has four touchdowns in two games, finished with five catches for 89 yards, while Flowers was 12-for-24 for 125 yards, two TD tosses and one interception.
Aguayo, who broke the ACC record Saturday for most consecutive PATs made at 161, added a 38-yard field goal with just under nine minutes left. Cook then capped the scoring with just under two minutes left in the game with a 37-yard TD around the right end.
The first half of the game, however, was ugly.
Both teams barely cracked the 100-yard mark with South Florida out-gaining Florida State in total yards, 122-110, and they combined to go 1-for-16 on third downs -- the only conversion belonging to the Bulls.
Flowers passed for just 31 yards in the first two quarters, but Golson's performance was worse: going 1-for-9 for just six yards.
Each team also had six first-half three-and-outs, and South Florida squandered a golden opportunity to get points on the board when Flowers threw an interception to Florida State defensive back Marquez White in the first quarter on third-and-goal.
Despite those dismal numbers, both did manage to score.
On Florida State's third drive, which started on its own 26-yard line, the Seminoles finally got on the board behind a monster run from Cook, who crashed the middle, bounced outside and appeared headed for the sideline before cutting back in and weaving his way downfield. Cook broke three tackles near the end of the run to finish off the highlight-reel scamper and score from 74 yards out, putting the Seminoles ahead early 7-0.
The touchdown run marked the longest by a Florida State running back since 2012.
South Florida would respond three drives later and tie the game at 7-7 on a seven-play march that was highlighted by a 24-yard dart from Flowers to receiver Chris Carr. Flowers then tied the game with a designed throw-back pass play to Johnson.
Florida State lost one of its top defensive players in the first half when free safety Lamarcus Brutus -- who tied for the team-high with seven tackles last week in the Seminoles' season-opening win against Texas State -- was ejected from the game for targeting a USF player on punt return coverage.
Brutus, who has one tackle when he left the game, wasn't the only player thrown out Saturday. Bulls linebacker Auggie Sanchez hit Golson late in the third quarter and was also called for targeting and ejected.
Both players will be suspended for the first half of next week's games, per NCAA rules.
Linebacker Nate Godwin led the South Florida defense with nine tackles, while defensive tackle Daniel Awoleke recorded two of the Bulls' three sacks. Florida State's defense was paced by seven stops each from linebackers Jacob Pugh and Ro'Derrick Hoskins.
Saturday's game marked the third-ever meeting between the two teams and was the first in a home-and-home series agreement that will be completed next season at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
USF players came into Saturday's game with heavy hearts after former star defensive tackle Elkino Watson, 23, was fatally stabbed earlier this week. Bulls players attended a private service for Watson on Tuesday and wore "EW" memorial stickers on their helmets Saturday.
"It's always difficult when you lose someone you're close to," USF second-year head coach Willie Taggart said. "Elkino was a friendly young man. I don't know anyone who disliked him. He always had a great smile and always cared about his teammates. It's tough for our guys."
NOTES: It was Military Appreciation Day on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium as the Seminoles honored active and retired military veterans by wearing decals on their helmet and running out of the tunnel led by an American flag that had been flown over Kandahar, Afghanistan. The flag was carried by freshman DT Darvin Taylor II, whose parents served for more than 30 years in the U.S. Army. Fans were also scheduled to be treated to a flyover of World War II-type aircraft piloted by retired military aviators, but it was canceled due to the rainy weather before kickoff. ... South Florida, which was called for nine penalties last week for 97 yards against FAMU, wasn't called for a single infraction until late in the third quarter Saturday against Florida State. ... South Florida will try to rebound next week at Maryland, while Florida State hits the road to face Boston College in a rare Friday night game Sept. 18 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. ... South Florida RBs coach Telly Lockette was Florida State RB Dalvin Cook's coach in high school at Miami Central.
