Kings Of The Ground: Florida State’s All-Time Touchdown Run Leaders

When fans think of the best rushing attacks in college football, programs like the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia, and the University of Michigan immediately come to mind, and rightfully so. Each of those colleges has fielded countless talented running backs that fill their record books, largely because the ground game was the focus of each respective offense for the majority of each program's history. 

Florida State University is one of the few programs in the nation that can claim a stable of elite rushers while consistently relying on a pro-style offense. The names on FSU's all-time rushing touchdown list show that the Seminoles have produced top-tier talent in the rushing department throughout their relatively short history as a program.

Here's a closer look at the Florida State careers of the top 4 leaders in rushing touchdowns in school history...

As the only quarterback to grace this list, Travis is certainly deserving of recognition for his dual-threat capabilities, capabilities that very nearly led Florida State back to the College Football Playoff during his time as a starter. Travis spent four seasons as the full-time starter for the 'Noles, using his excellent athleticism to extend passing plays and act as a second threat on the ground whenever necessary.

Before a devastating ankle injury in 2023, Travis was a legitimate Heisman candidate, with a rare chance to add to FSU's surprisingly long list of Heisman winners. He is one of the few dual-threat signal-callers the 'Noles have ever had, and certainly the best of them, as evidenced by his 31 career rushing touchdowns to go with his 66 career TD passes.

Perhaps the most recognizable name on this list, Dunn had one of the best overall careers of any FSU running back. He was featured on FSU's 1993 national championship team as a backup, but Dunn did not earn the starting gig until his sophomore season, when he immediately dropped 1,026 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 6.8 yards per carry.

His next two campaigns were even better, as Dunn earned a combined 2,422 yards and 25 touchdowns over 22 games. The phenom never averaged fewer than six yards per carry in a season, another number that shows how dominant he was during his college tenure.

With statistics like those, it would be nearly impossible to go unnoticed by the NFL. Dunn was selected 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award while making three Pro Bowls, and ranks 24th all-time with 10,967 career rushing yards. That makes Dunn the best running back -- and one of the best NFL players, period -- to come out of Florida State.

While Allen does not receive the same amount of hype as the other members of this list, that is largely because of the era he played in. Without widespread TV and media coverage, Allen's insane level of play gets tossed by the wayside. He started all four years during his time on campus, and while he never reached the efficiency levels that Dunn did, Allen did manage to hold him off with his career accolades.

In Allen's sophomore season, he led the nation in rushing touchdowns with 20, following up that season by earning an All-American selection as a junior. As a senior, Allen received Heisman votes after putting up 971 rushing yards on an ACC-best 7.3 yards per carry, while scoring eight touchdowns.

Allen only lasted two seasons in the NFL between the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But that can't take away from what was a legendary run with the Seminoles.

Players like the FSU version of Dalvin Cook only come around once in a very long while. Cook immediately earned the starting gig in his first season in Tallahassee, notching just over 1,000 yards while scoring eight touchdowns. Things only got better from there, as Cook produced a whopping 1,691 yards and 19 rushing scores as a sophomore.

Despite those numbers being nearly impossible to improve upon, Cook managed, dropping 1,765 yards and another 19 touchdowns as a senior, leading the Seminoles to a 12th-ranked finish by the end of the year. Cook also earned an All-American selection and several Heisman votes before departing for the NFL.

In spite of being chosen in the middle of the second round, Cook put together a fantastic NFL career, earning four Pro Bowl selections. He is undoubtedly right behind Dunn as the second-best Seminole running back to play in the big leagues.

There are not many schools that can boast the same caliber of running backs as the Seminoles can. Dunn is one of the most recognizable offensive players of his generation, and Cook legitimately seemed to be unstoppable during his time in Tallahassee.

As the program continues to age, their records will inevitably be broken. But that does not change the fact that they were responsible for some of the best individual offensive performances that the school and the nation have ever seen out of a running back.