Michigan State QB Connor Cook Has Been selected as one of 16 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award.

Cook Named To Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List As a junior in 2014, Connor Cook was selected as one of 16 semifinalists for the Davey

Cook Named To Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List

As a junior in 2014, Connor Cook was selected as one of 16 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State fifth-year senior Connor Cook, who has compiled a 23-3 record (.885) in 26 career starts, has been named to the 2015 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award Watch List. Last season, Cook was selected as one of 16 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award, presented to the nation’s best quarterback since 1981.

The 24-player watch list features two other Big Ten quarterbacks: Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg and Ohio State’s Cardale Jones.

A two-time second-team All-Big Ten selection, Cook has led the Spartans to a 16-1 record (.941) against Big Ten opponents. As he enters his third season as a starter, Cook will have an opportunity in 2015 to become the winningest quarterback in school history (record currently held by Kirk Cousins, who posted 27 wins from 2009-11).

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Cook finished the 2014 season ranked among MSU's single-season leaders in touchdown passes (second with 24), passing yards (third with 3,214 yards), 200-yard passing games (tied for third with 10), passing efficiency (fifth with 149.4 rating), pass attempts (sixth with 365) and pass completions (ninth with 212).

In addition, he led the Big Ten in passing (247.2 yards per game) and ranked second in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yards per completion (15.2). Cook finished second in the Big Ten and 19th in the NCAA FBS in passing efficiency (149.4 rating) while ranking among the Big Ten leaders in passing yards (first with 3,214), TD passes (second with 24), total offense (third with 253.4 ypg.) and completion percentage (sixth at .581). He tied a school record, shared by Cousins and Drew Stanton, by throwing for a TD pass in 16-straight games (streak snapped at Maryland on Nov. 15). Cook threw for at least 200 yards in seven of eight Big Ten games and led the league in passing in conference games (257.9 ypg.).

In addition to being one of 16 semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award in 2014, he also was named one of 20 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award.

“Connor Cook has an extremely competitive nature,” MSU quarterbacks coach Brad Salem said. “He has made some big-time throws during his career, and he’s a guy his teammates trust to make a play when the game is on the line.

“Connor has displayed resiliency throughout his career, having the ability to put aside negative plays and create positive ones. He’s truly a joy to coach because he’s driven to improve in every aspect of the game.

“Over the last two years, Connor has been presented with opportunities to emerge as a leader and he’s certainly grown in that capacity. He’s also shown the ability to manage the high expectations that go along with playing the quarterback position in this program.”

Cook recorded his fourth 300-yard passing game of the 2014 season and sixth of his career, completing 24-of-42 throws for 314 yards, two TDs and two interceptions as MSU rallied from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 42-41 victory over fifth-ranked Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic. His 314 passing yards were the fourth-highest single-game total in Cotton Bowl and MSU bowl history. In the fourth quarter, Cook connected on 9-of-15 passes for 179 yards, including scoring strikes of 8 yards to Josiah Price and 10 yards to Keith Mumphery with 17 seconds left. With 314 passing yards against the Bears, Cook became just the fifth QB in Spartan history to eclipse the 6,000-yard career milestone. His 24 completions (second) and 42 pass attempts (third) rank among the top single-game bowl totals in Spartan history. Cook's completions (fifth) and pass attempts (sixth) also rank among the top Cotton Bowl marks.

Cook and Dan Enos are the only two Spartan quarterbacks to win two bowl games as the starting quarterback (Cook: 2014 Rose, 2015 Cotton; Enos: 1989 Aloha, 1990 Sun). Cook also led the Spartans on a game-winning drive in the 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against TCU. He has led the Spartans to three straight fourth-quarter comebacks in bowl games.

In leading MSU to back-to-back bowl wins over No. 5 Stanford and No. 4 Baylor (Associated Press final regular-season rankings), Cook hit 46-of-78 throws (.590) for 646 yards (323.0 ypg.), four TDs and three interceptions. In three postseason bowl appearances (add 2012 Buffalo Wild Wings vs. TCU), he owns MSU career records for passing yards (693) and TD passes (5).

He recorded his seventh straight 200-yard passing game (254 yards) while completing 16-of-24 throws and two TDs against Rutgers. He passed for 240 yards on 14-of-31 attempts at Maryland, but had his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass halted at 16.

Cook threw for a career-high 358 yards, completing 25-of-45 throws in the loss to No. 14 Ohio State Nov. 8. The 358 yards were the fifth most in a single-game in MSU history and second most against Ohio State (Jim Miller: 360 yards, 1993). Cook fired two TD passes (15 yards to Mumphery, 16 yards to Price) to tie a school record with 16 straight games with at least one touchdown pass.

He completed 12-of-22 throws for 227 yards with one TD in leading the Spartans to their second straight win against Michigan Oct. 25.

Cook went 24-of-32 passing for 332 yards, three TDs and one interception in the 56-17 victory at Indiana Oct. 18. For his effort against the Hoosiers, he was named one of eight quarterback “Stars of the Week” by The Manning Award.

Cook threw for 238 yards on 19-of-27 passing and three TDs in the 45-31 win at Purdue Oct. 11.

In the Big Ten opener against No. 19 Nebraska Oct. 4, he hit 11-of-29 passes for 234 yards, one TD (55 yards to Tony Lippett) and one interception.

Cook connected on 12-of-13 throws for 285 yards and three TDs in the season opener against Jacksonville State Aug. 29, and set career highs in completions (29) and attempts (47) while passing for 343 yards at No. 3 Oregon Sept. 6.

The Hinckley, Ohio, native enters his final season in East Lansing ranked among MSU's all-time leaders in passing efficiency (third with 141.5 rating), 300-yard passing games (third with six), 200-yard passing games (tied for third with 18), touchdown passes (third with 47), total offense (fourth with 6,216 yards), passing yards (fifth with 6,063), pass completions (seventh with 444), pass attempts (eighth with 762) and pass completion percentage (ninth at .583).

The award is named in honor of former TCU two-time All-American Davey O’Brien. As a senior in 1938, the 5-foot-7, 150-pound O’Brien became the first player in college football history to win the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Player of the Year and Maxwell Award in the same season after leading the Horned Frogs to a perfect 11-0 record and the National Championship. He also became the first Heisman Trophy winner from the Southwest Conference. As a senior, O’Brien completed 110-of-194 passes for 1,733 yards and 19 touchdowns. He threw at least one TD pass in each of the 11 games while leading the nation in both passing yards and total offense. O’Brien connected on 17-of-27 throws for 224 yards, including a 44-yard TD strike to Durwood Horner, and kicked a 20-yard field goal in TCU’s 15-7 victory over Carnegie Tech in the 1939 Sugar Bowl to claim the national title. As a junior in 1937, he also led the country in passing yards.

Sixteen semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award will be announced on Nov. 2. Three finalists for the award will be identified on Nov. 24, with the winner announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 10 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The formal presentation of the award will be made at the 39th annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner on Feb. 15, 2016, in Fort Worth, Texas.