Florida State Seminoles vs Syracuse Orange Match Player Stats On Nov 19, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Nov 19, 2016

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- While junior running back Dalvin Cook cemented his Florida State legacy, freshman quarterback Deondre Francois continued to build his as the 17th-ranked Seminoles thumped Syracuse 45-14 on Saturday in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at the Carrier Dome.

Cook rushed for 225 yards on 28 carries with touchdown runs of 25, 11, 17 and 8 yards, passing Warrick Dunn to become Florida State's career rushing leader.

Francois, who has emerged as perhaps the top freshman quarterback in the country, threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns.

Florida State's defense held Syracuse to 233 yards of offense (37 on the ground) and had eight sacks and two interceptions against backup quarterback Zack Mahoney, who replaced injured starter Eric Dungey for the second straight game.

Florida State (8-3, 5-3 ACC) will conclude its regular season on Nov. 26 at home against in-state rival and No. 23 Florida, which held on to beat No. 16 LSU 16-10.

Syracuse (4-7, 2-5) will play at Pittsburgh on Nov. 26 in its regular-season finale.

Cook needed 19 yards to break Dunn's 20-year-old school record of 3,959 career yards and set the mark on his second carry, a pitch right that gained 41 yards and set up Florida State's second touchdown. Cook has rushed for 1,467 yards and 17 touchdowns this season while boosting his career yards to 4,166.

Cook, who scored three touchdowns in the third quarter, left the game early in the fourth quarter after being shaken up on a play when he lost his second fumble of the game. He did not return for a chance at a school record with five rushing touchdowns in one game.

Fittingly, Cook set the career rushing record on the same field where he first made his mark as a college football player. On Oct. 11, 2014, the then-freshman Cook played because of injuries to Karlos Williams and Mario Pender and ran for 122 yards and a touchdown as the Seminoles defeated Syracuse 38-20.

Francois, who entered the game leading all freshmen quarterbacks in passing yards per game (267.5), threw two scoring passes in the first quarter -- a 16-yarder to wide receiver Nyqwan Murray and a 15-yarder to wide receiver Travis Rudolph.

Francois finished 18 of 28 with one interception on a pass that he was trying to throw out of bounds.

Cook's 25-yard touchdown run in the second quarter ended an 80-yard drive and increased the Seminoles' lead to 21-0. Cornerback Tavarus McFadden set up that drive with an end-zone interception -- his national-best eighth pick of the season.

Florida State had two opportunities to build on its lead late in the second half, but Cook fumbled the ball away at the Syracuse 24 and Logan Tyler missed a 54-yard field goal attempt.

Mahoney and wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo then breathed some life into the Orange by connecting on a 46-yard touchdown on the last play of the first half as Etta-Tawo came down with the Hail Mary pass.

Mahoney completed 16 of 36 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns.

Dungey, who is third in the ACC in total offense per game (330.2 yards), left Syracuse's Nov. 5 loss to Clemson late in the first quarter after absorbing a hard hit to a shoulder and head area and apparently suffering his third concussion in two years.

NOTES: Florida State has already clinched its 40th consecutive winning season (the longest active streak in the nation), and the Seminoles will tie the record for consecutive bowl appearances with 35. ... Florida State has won the last nine meetings since Syracuse captured the first game in 1966, when Floyd Little rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Orange to a 37-21 win. ... Orange redshirt senior WR Etta-Tawo, who ranks among the national leaders in receptions (81) and receiving yards (1,304), was named one of the 10 semifinalists for the 2016 Biletnikoff Award presented to the country's best receiver.