Houston corrals FSU’s Dalvin Cook

Behind Cook’s average of 150.7 yards per game, the Seminoles were averaging 180.9 rushing yards per game. But the Cougars entered bowl season with the 12th-ranked rush defense in FBS, allowing just 116 yards per game.

Todd Orlando, the architect of Houston's 3-4 defense, worried about his group ahead of Thursday's game, saying while they had a good run defense they had yet to face a running back the caliber of Cook. He became this season FSU's single-season leader in rushing yards (1,658) and all-purpose yards (1,876).

With Cook under wraps, Houston held the Seminoles to a season-low 16 yards rushing on 23 carries.

“I told the media before the week that we were going to stop the run and we were going to be the most dominant defense on the field,” said Roberts, who tied for the team lead with 10 tackles, including three for loss.

The Cougars held Cook to 11 yards on 10 carries in the first half. His longest run was 4 yards. He also lost a fumble that led to Houston’s third touchdown and a 21-3 lead.

“We just tried to get to the ball and stopping Cook was our game plan,” linebacker Matthew Adams said.

After a 1-yard touchdown run on Florida State’s first drive of the second half, Cook finally “broke loose” for a 9-yard run later in the third quarter. It would be his longest run in the game.

Cook said during a press conference earlier in the week that Houston’s defense reminded him of Boston College’s because both try to do things that make offenses uncomfortable. The Eagles held Cook to a season-low 54 yards on 15 carries.

After Thursday’s game, Cook said that Houston did a good job keeping him from getting outside, something Orlando and a few of his players stressed earlier in the week.

“We just didn’t block them,” FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said. “There was nothing we had never seen. They just beat us on the blocks.

“We need to control the line of scrimmage better than we did, and I think that was a big key in what happened in the game.”