What Makes Michael Hawkins, Cam Cook So Good Running the Football and How Can OSU Shut Them Down?

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STILLWATER — On Saturday, Oklahoma State will attempt to slow down the country’s top rushing quarterback-running back duo as West Virginia QB Michael Hawkins and RB Cam Cook rank 12th and 13th in rushing yards this season, combining for 639 yards and nine touchdowns.

For context, only 33 teams have more rushing yards and only 19 have more rushing touchdowns than that duo.

“That’s something that we haven’t faced this year, really, is just being able to get that extra blocker into run schemes, right,” coach Eric Morris said. “We have to do a nice job of communication, and whenever we do get a chance to get him (Hawkins) on the ground. Misses will kill you when you’re fitting this run game up. It’s not just Hawkins. Cook is a really, really dynamic back there that will punish you as well. So we got to communicate, we got to tackle, we got to all be on the same page, all 11 of us.”

For the most part, Hawkins’ runs are by design, as WVU incorporates a lot of read-option concepts into the offense. They’re pretty effective too, considering the former Sooner ranks 11th in yards per carry, averaging 7.3 per attempt.

“We’ve really been working on the mesh point, staying on the quarterback’s top shoulder, making sure we keep him contained,” defensive tackle Enai White said. “Because he’s a fast guy. He definitely can run. We’re really just focused on keeping him contained, keeping him inside the box and making him uncomfortable.”

White said the goal is to make Hawkins uncomfortable while keeping him in the pocket. So, maintaining their rush lanes to prevent him from breaking a big one will be key.

“If the slide comes to you, get into the slide,” White said of the game plan for defensive tackles this week. “If the slide goes away from you, get out of it. So basically just following our rules and following our coaching and we’ll be fine.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Hawkins didn’t scramble at all in the first two games, but he proved he still has that ability to make the most of broken plays on Saturday night vs. then-No. 25 Virginia when he scrambled six times for 71 yards.

“Man, he’s just a playmaker,” safety Mose Phillips said. “I mean, he can play ball. Like the moment’s not too big for him. He goes out there. He can make you miss. He can make you pay with his arms and his legs. But the most important thing is just his competitive spirit. I think he really believes in his guys, and he leans on them, and they lean on him as well, so that’s what kind of impresses me about them.”

He’s not just a runner. According to PFF, Hawkins graded out as the nation’s top passer against Virginia, and he ranks sixth (among QBs with 15-plus dropbacks) with an average depth of target of 13.1.

None of which surprises the Cowboys head coach.

“I watched Hawkins in high school,” Morris said. “I think he could do whatever. He’s really talented. I’ve watched him throw the football, and he’s got it. That’s one thing. Some of these guys that are great athletes and great runners, they might have a fault and not be able to throw the football down the field, whereas he can. I think he’s a true dual-threat quarterback, and that’s what makes him so difficult when you have a guy that can do both so well.”

Although his numbers don’t pop the same way, the Cowboys can’t lose sight of the fact that Cook led the nation in rushing with 1,659 yards last season at Jax State. This season he ranks third in the country in missed tackles forced (23) and seventh in yards after contact (251).

No wonder Phillips started with Cook when asked what stands out about the Mountaineers.

“He gets his shoulder squared to the line of scrimmage,” Phillips said. “He gets down here. He got great contact balance. He knows how to take a hit. He knows how to shrug people off of them, spin off contact, different stuff like that. So we gotta get multiple hats to the ball. But also, they got a good receiving core that blocks really hard. Offensive line blocks hard. They know how to position block. They do a great job in their scheme. They know what they need to do in order to create seams. But also on the perimeter, they block good as well.”