As we countdown the final few days remaining until the kickoff of the college football season, many seem worried about the Rebels facing Florida State’s Dalvin Cook. While we admit he is great, the Landshark D has seen better.
First of all, Dalvin Cook is a great running back. There is no doubt about this. The junior went for over 1,600 yards last season and scored 20 touchdowns in an injured plagued sophomore season.
Especially relevant for Cook is that he didn’t do it just against the chumps of the ACC. While some will scoff because he plays in the ACC, one must consider the games he ‘went off’ in. Cook went for over 100 yards against Miami (222), Louisville (163), Clemson (194) and SEC defensive powerhouse Florida (183). Overall, Cook finished his 2015 season by going over the 100 yard mark 8 times. I don’t care if it’s high school football, that’s impressive.
Due to these numbers, many feel like Ole Miss football should be worried about their chances to win their season opener. Let’s not forget, though, that while Florida State has no idea what they have at quarterback — Ole Miss football is sitting with the best quarterback in the SEC. Therefore Ole Miss football should be well equipped should this game turn into a shootout.
But let’s also not forget who these Rebels have faced over the last few years — while also recalling they have come away with wins against many of them. Rather than playing elite quarterbacks over the course of the last two seasons, Ole Miss has faced a litany of top college football running backs. Ole Miss football has never dominated a Leonard Fournette the way Alabama did in 2016, though no one else can say that either.
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Especially relevant, though, is that Ole Miss football has faced (and beaten) the likes of T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette and Jay Ajayi. While Ole Miss football fans should certainly respect Cook, they should by no means fear him. I don’t. Ole Miss football doesn’t.