Clemson's Boulware: Stopping FSU starts and ends with Dalvin Cook

Clemson linebacker Ben Boulware wasn’t coy about the Tigers’ game plan against Florida State.

In response to a question from Warchant.com at ACC Kickoff in August, the Tigers’ preseason All-America linebacker said Clemson’s plan of attack begins and ends with limiting star tailback Dalvin Cook.

“If you want to beat Florida State,” Boulware said bluntly, “you’d better stop Dalvin Cook.”

The Tigers weren’t exactly able to do that last season, but they still pulled away for a 23-13 victory.

Cook broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run on the game’s second play from scrimmage and finished with 194 yards on 21 carries. But when the game was on the line in the second half, the Tigers stopped Cook three times on crucial short-yardage carries – two third-and-1 attempts and one fourth-and-1.

“You’ve just got to get as many hats to the ball as possible,” Boulware said. “I think that was our game plan. He’s one of the best backs in the country, and we need 11 guys to the football every snap. …

“I’ve experienced it. I know how hard it is to tackle him one-on-one. So we just need 11 hats to the ball every snap. That was really our game plan.”

The Tigers succeeded in the second half.

On their first short-yardage stop, which occurred midway through the third quarter, Cook was smothered on a run up the middle. Then in the fourth quarter, FSU coach Jimbo Fisher tried to help Cook by calling two plays to the perimeter.

On a third-and-1 from Clemson’s 40-yard line with about seven minutes remaining, Cook took a toss to the right but saw penetration in the backfield and was fortunate not to lose yardage. Then on fourth-and-1, the Seminoles tried a similar play to the left, and the Tigers again snuffed out the play.

Former Clemson star Shaq Lawson, who was a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills this past April, had the first hit before Boulware finished Cook off.