Before Syracuse faced then-No. 8 Louisiana State, head coach Scott Shafer said Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette was the most talented tailback he’s gone against.

On Tuesday, Shafer said Florida State running back Dalvin Cook is “right up there with Fournette.”

“Boy, he’s a talented young man,” Shafer said. “… Once again, great vision, like all the great running backs. He’s very elusive. He can take the outside zone play and run around a lot of angles as well as anyone in the country.”

Cook is second in nation in rushing yards per game with 148.1 behind only Fournette. The Orange (3-4, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) will have to figure out a way to stop Cook when it visits No. 17 Florida State (6-1, 4-1) on Saturday at noon in Tallahassee, Florida.

During the two teams’ meeting last year in Cook’s freshman season, he ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. After coaching against him in a game and with the season he’s having now, Shafer called him, “the complete package.”

Right on par with Cook’s average, SU has allowed an average of 148 rushing yards per game, a number that has ballooned after allowing 224 yards per game since Syracuse defended against Fournette. The LSU running back finished with 244 yards and two touchdowns against the Orange.

Shafer said Syracuse sees top-notch talent every week because of the teams it plays against. While the stiff competition is helpful, it’s not every week that SU plays a top running back in college football.

“Just having to prepare to go against those guys week-to-week makes you better,” Shafer said. “But he will be one of the best that we will play against. That’s for sure.”

Published on October 27, 2015 at 2:08 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds