Vickers had just 33 yards on 10 carries against Wake Forest after Cook’s injury, but Fisher observed a player “doing well” and mentioned a few plays – a touchdown run, a screen pass reception – that give him confidence in the the team’s ability to replace Cook if needed. Cook, a sophomore and Miami native, leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in rushing with 570 yards.
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Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said during his Wednesday call-in show that Andrews was moving around well at practice. “I’ve counted him out before”, Fisher said.
In many ways, Miami’s upcoming game against the Seminoles is the defining moment of his career.
Cook’s backup when the season began, Mario Pender remains in the hospital with a collapsed lung he suffered in practice two weeks ago.
Sophomore Johnathan Vickers and Jacques Patrick, a freshman who enrolled at FSU in January, are the next backs up in the rotation for the Seminoles. He was in for a couple plays against Wake Forest during a first-half series.
The run game has been an important barometer in the Florida State-Miami series. Yearby had 5,592 yards and would have broken the Dade County record held by Bobby Washington had he not fractured his left fibula in a regional semifinal game his senior season.
Last week Cook scored from 94 yards on his first carry, which is the third longest touchdown run in school history. Florida State is now a nine point favorite over the rival Hurricanes. In the 2013 Class 6A state title game against Armwood, Cook wore Yearby’s No. 3 and rushed for 223 yards with four touchdowns.
Everett Golson threw for 202 yards, which was the first time since the opener that he had over 200 passing yards.
“Everett controlled the game a lot better and I thought we were extremely efficient”, Fisher said. Linebacker Terrance Smith is day-to-day with a right ankle injury. Cook, who has been questionable most of the week due to a strained left hamstring, was a Florida commit before switching to Florida State.
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Miami is 3-1 after a 34-23 loss last Thursday at Cincinnati.
