TAMPA, Fla. -- Those questions about whether Dalvin Cook can recover from a slow start? He just answered them.
The shifty Florida State running back rushed for a career-high 267 yards and two touchdowns Saturday, helping the 13th-ranked Seminoles rebound from the most lopsided loss in school history with a 55-35 rout of previously unbeaten South Florida.
Cook has had a quiet season after rushing for an FSU-record 1,691 yards as a sophomore, raising questions about why he had not been as productive in his team's first three games.
"People get caught up in having the stats, but we have to go out there and play the same football every week. We have to run the ball and we have to pass the ball, we just did a better job this week," Cook said. "When [the team] calls my number I just try to get the job done."
Cook scored on a 75-yard run on the Seminoles' first play from scrimmage, an immediate response to USF starting the game with Quinton Flowers and Rodney Adams teaming on an 84-yard catch-and-run for a quick 7-0 lead. The 213-pound junior's rushing total on 28 carries topped his previous best of 266 yards against USF last year.
"It was very important to answer back. USF came out with a very aggressive game plan, and we had to respond with points," Cook said.
Florida State (3-1) bounced back from being trounced 63-20 by Louisville, a road shellacking that dropped the Seminoles 11 spots in the AP Top 25 poll.
USF (3-1) is off to its fastest start since 2011, but the Bulls were no match for a talented bunch that began the season with expectations of contending for its second national title in four years.
In other games involving American Athletic Conference teams, Phillip Walker threw two touchdown passes as Temple (2-2) used a quick-strike offense in a 28-point second quarter to roll to a 48-20 victory over UNC Charlotte (1-3) in Philadelphia. ... Tion Green ran for 83 yards and a late touchdown, rallying host Cincinnati (3-1) to a 27-20 victory over Miami (Ohio) (0-4), its 11th in a row over the regional rival. ... Amba Etta-Tawo caught 12 passes for a school-record 270 yards and 2 touchdowns and Syracuse (2-2) beat Connecticut (2-2) 31-24 in East Hartford, Conn. ... Riley Ferguson threw six touchdown passes and ran for a seventh -- all in the first half -- tying a school record for most combined touchdowns and host Memphis (3-0) drubbed Bowling Green (1-3) 77-3.
CONFERENCE USA
No. 3 Louisville rolls
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes, ran for two more scores and No. 3 Louisville (4-0) breezed past Marshall (1-2) 59-28 on Saturday night.
Jackson capped off a September to remember with another solid effort against an overmatched opponent.
The sophomore completed 24 of 44 passes for a career-high 417 yards against a Marshall secondary whose most experienced player had five starts. Jackson also ran for 62 yards.
Marshall (1-2) was limited to 207 yards of offense in the first start for freshman quarterback Garet Morrell. Chase Litton missed the game with an undisclosed injury that was announced an hour before kickoff.
In other games involving Conference USA teams, Willy Ivery plunged in from 4 yards out, Rice's Darik Dillard was stuffed on fourth and 1 on the ensuing drive, and North Texas (2-2, 1-0) escaped Rice (0-4, 0-2) with a 42-35 victory in two overtimes in Houston. ... Brent Stockstill fired a 23-yard pass to Ty Lee with 2:36 left to rally Middle Tennessee (3-1, 1-0) past Louisiana Tech (1-3, 0-1) 38-34 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
CONFERENCE USA
Old Dominion tops UTSA
NORFOLK, Va. — David Washington threw for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushed for 69 yards and another score to lead Old Dominion to a 33-19 victory over Texas-San Antonio.
Jeremy Cox totaled a career-high 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns for Old Dominion (2-2, 1-0). Jonathan Duhart hauled in 6 passes for 86 yards and 2 scores
UTSA (1-3, 0-1) closed to 25-19 when Brady Jones hit Kirk Johnson on an 8-yard scoring strike after Johnson had passed back to Jones with 46 seconds left in the third quarter.
Sports on 09/25/2016