Dalvin Cook is back in the Heisman hunt after leading Florida State to a bounce-back win

One of the biggest questions in college football heading into Week 4 was “How will Florida State respond?"

The Seminoles were smacked by Louisville last week. It was the kind of loss that could send a team spiraling or set up an impressive counter punch.

Against a talented South Florida team, there was no guarantee that the Seminoles would bounce back — the Bulls are no cupcake.

The returns are early — only time will tell what's in store for FSU this season — but they're impressive.

You might have forgotten about Dalvin Cook, Florida State’s preternaturally gifted running back, after a sluggish start to the season, but he got back on track Saturday and the Seminoles followed his lead in a 55-35 victory.

Florida State refused to relent against USF, even when the Seminoles had a three-touchdown lead late, giving the ball to Cook throughout the contest. He ended the game with 28 rushes, amassing an astounding 268 yards and two touchdowns.

Cook’s Heisman Trophy candidacy is back on track with the stellar performance, and the re-establishment of a dominant run game could have reignited Florida State’s College Football Playoff hopes, too.

The Seminoles still have games with North Carolina, Miami, Clemson, and Florida on their schedule — if they win out, they’ll be back in the Top 5 at the end of the season.

That’d be an impressive counterpunch.

That won’t happen without Cook leading the way like he did Saturday, though.

But if Saturday is any indication, the Seminoles won’t be going away easily.