Florida State running back Dalvin Cook won the Orange Bowl MVP on Friday night as the Seminoles won in a wild finish against Michigan, 33-32.
Playing in his hometown of Miami with dozens of friends and family members on hand, Cook made plenty of memories in what could be his final college game. He rushed for 145 yards on 20 carries, including a 71-yarder to convert a 3rd-and-22 in the fourth quarter, and scored a touchdown to lead the FSU offense. He also caught three passes for 62 yards, giving him 207 total yards on the night. In doing so, he broke his own FSU single-season rushing record, which he first set last year, finishing 2016 with 1,765 yards.
"It took everything we had in us," Cook told ESPN.
Cook, a junior, has yet to announce whether he will apply for early eligibility to enter the 2017 NFL Draft.
FSU held a commanding 20-6 lead at the half, but the Wolverines returned an interception for a touchdown in the second half, and their offense began to play better thereafter. Michigan played without two of its top players -- LB Jabrill Peppers for the entire game, and TE Jake Butt for much of the game -- but still engineered a second-half comeback to take a late lead of 30-27. Peppers was withheld from action due to a hamstring injury sustained in practice. After the game, UM coach Jim Harbaugh said Butt might have suffered an MCL or ACL knee injury, but wasn't yet sure of which, according to The Blade.
With under two minutes remaining, FSU responded with a 66-yard kickoff return by Keith Gavin to set up a Deondre Francois 12-yard touchdown pass for a 33-30 lead with 0:36 remaining. Michigan blocked the PAT try and returned it to the opposite end zone for two points, cutting the margin to 33-32, but the Seminoles intercepted Speight with 0:16 remaining to seal the win.
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