Besides the stupefying halftime show that was put on by the marching bands of Southern and LSU, there really isn’t much to talk about from LSU’s 65-17 drubbing of Southern last Saturday night.
However, the quarterback controversy, which has been a hot debate topic among LSU fans, is on its last legs. Jayden Daniels has proven in his first two starts why he is LSU’s field general. Garret Nussmeier is still a solid option in case Daniels starts struggling or he gets hurt. However, I think it’s time to park the “Nuss Bus.”
Although it was against Southern, Daniels looked like he had shown improvement with his mechanics. Daniels was 10 of 11 with 137 passing yards along with three passing touchdowns to Jack Bech, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas. He also scored the first touchdown of the game on an 18-yard scramble where he craftily evaded defenders. Daniels played in the first five offensive possessions for LSU, and each one of those possessions ended in a touchdown. Daniels accounted for four out of those offensive possessions. When including the Florida State game, Daniels’ last eight possessions have ended in touchdowns. 
On the other hand, Nussmeier completed 13 of his 23 passes and led the game in passing yards with 183. However, he finished with zero touchdowns and threw two picks. When Nussmeier was on the field, his performance was reflective of his play last year in the 16-13 loss against Arkansas, where he had erratic decision-making, sketchy ball security and issues with his consistency as a passer.
“He did some really good things, and we have to build off that,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said Monday at his weekly news conference. “I think he is somebody that when you’re in that No. 2 position, I’m not here to make excuses for him, but you press a little bit. You have another quarterback (starter Jayden Daniels) that’s led eight consecutive touchdown drives and you’re trying to press because you want to get on the field.”
On Nussmeier’s first possession, the Tigers went three-and-out and were forced to punt after scoring a touchdown on their five previous offensive possessions. On Nussmeier’s second possession, he scrambled and made an ill-advised throw that resulted in an interception on third-and-12. He later threw another interception which led to a Southern defender running the ball 94 yards. This interception led to the Jaguars putting their first points on the scoreboard. 
“Look, you never want to have a moment where you turn the ball over,” Kelly said. “Obviously, we had a conversation about that. He’s got to take care of the football, and he knows that. That’s not anything that he feels good about.”
I still believe Nussmeier is a good quarterback with his mechanics, arm strength and high football IQ, things that can be attributed to his father’s career as a professional football coach. 
Although Nussmeier may have better intangibles than Daniels on paper, Daniels has three things that give him the edge over Nussmeier: athletic ability, experience and poise.
Daniels’ has kept LSU’s offensive drives alive because of his athletic ability. He can be a threat to any defense he faces due to his shiftiness in the pocket and elite speed. Daniels led LSU in rushing yards against Florida State with 114 yards. His running ability kept LSU in the game, especially on LSU’s last possession.
Daniels has plenty of experience as a quarterback at the highest level. For the last three seasons, he was the starting quarterback for Arizona State, starting 30 games. He was the starter even as a freshman, back in 2019, something more uncommon than one may think. It’s even more impressive that he had three victories over top 25 opponents, such as Michigan State, Cal Berkeley and Oregon. Oregon was a huge playoff contender that year as they were the No.6 team in the country. That year, they possessed the talent of then future All-Pro Justin Hebert as quarterback. 
The biggest factor in why Daniels has the edge over Nussmeier is poise. Daniels struggled in the first half against Florida State as the offense sputtered due to the Seminoles’ solid defense. However, in the fourth quarter, Daniels led a near comeback as he led two touchdown drives, including the extremely impressive 99-yard drive. In this drive, he showed coolness under pressure in a 2-minute drill situation. Daniels also has yet to turn the ball over. He has a completion percentage of 78%. As of now, Daniels leads the SEC in quarterback ratings. 
The season is far from over as there are still 10 games left, including the game this Saturday against Mississippi State in Death Valley. The quarterback controversy isn’t over, but you should start planning for its funeral. Daniels has proven why he is the quarterback that should lead the Purple and Gold on the field. While Nussmeier does have upsides, he may have to wait to get his turn.