MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — There’s something about playing Michigan in the Orange Bowl that channels a different kind of energy in the Cook family.
In 2016, then-Florida State running back Dalvin Cook gashed the Wolverines for more than 200 total yards in Miami. Five years later, his younger brother did almost the same thing to the same school on the same field.
“(Dalvin Cook) talked to me, saying this is the last ride and go lay it on the line for my brothers,” James Cook said following Georgia’s 34-11 Orange Bowl win Friday night. “That’s what I did today in front of friends and family. … I just really wanted to give my team that edge and get that monkey off our back.”
Cook may have given the Bulldogs a little more than an edge. With only 10 total touches, the Miami native led the team in total yards with 144 and brought some serious firepower to Georgia’s offense. Whether it was the urgency of the moment or just something in the Miami air, Cook was on a different level against the Wolverines.
“Playing in Miami where I grew up at, it just felt different really, playing in front of my fans,” Cook said. “It just feels great, just knowing I did something special for my team.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
As a running back, you’d think a significant portion of those yards would come on the ground. But he was tied with Stetson Bennett as Georgia’s third-leading rusher with 32 yards on the ground. For Cook, almost all his success actually came through the air.
In the first half, it was a 53-yard catch to set up a Georgia field goal and put the Bulldogs up 20-3. Near the start of the fourth quarter, it was Cook who put the last of several nails into Michigan’s coffin on a 34-yard touchdown catch.
From the first snap, Cook was going to be a matchup issue for Michigan, and Bennett knew he needed to take full advantage of it.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
“He’s a special talent,” Bennett said. “He creates matchups that a lot of people can’t do. Are you going to play a DB on him, or are you going to put a linebacker on him? That’s a tough decision for a defensive coordinator to make.”
It’s a mismatch the Bulldogs will hope is still available against Alabama in the College Football Playoff Championship game. When the two met in the SEC Championship game, Cook’s impact was nearly half of what it was in the Orange Bowl. If Georgia wants a different result, they’ll need the Cook that showed up in Miami.
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