As LSU football marches toward the end of the season, the primary goal on its mind is to win.
Head coach Brian Kelly has said that the 10-win threshold, which LSU will reach if it wins both its regular season finale against Texas A&M and a potential bowl matchup, has symbolic importance for the Tigers.
PLAY BY PLAY: LSU football vs. Georgia State
Double digits in the win column is elite. Reaching that mark, even in a down year, will show that LSU is a top program and, Kelly hopes, will make a statement to potential recruits and transfers.
The Tigers’ 56-14 victory against Georgia State was another step toward that goal. LSU dominated down the stretch after a shaky start that saw a 14-14 tie early in the second quarter.
After allowing touchdowns on two of the Panthers’ first three drives, the LSU defense tightened up and pitched a shutout, allowing 166 yards the rest of the way.
As much as LSU met the Georgia State game with a business-as-usual approach, another stepping stone en route to reaching the goal of winning each game left on the schedule, it’d be silly not to acknowledge the other factors at play.
Point blank, LSU is playing to win quarterback Jayden Daniels a Heisman. That goal is in the back of every player’s mind, and it’s certainly in the coaches’ minds as they dial up play after play for Daniels.
“Clearly, we feel like we need to continue as an offense to give him an opportunity to show his skills,” Kelly said.
Daniels could’ve come out of the game at the half with LSU up 35-14 when he had a mere five touchdowns and 339 total yards.
The coaches could’ve taken him out after he led either of his first two second-half touchdown drives, each adding to his astronomical statistical totals.
Instead, he directed one more drive in the fourth quarter and capped it off with one more touchdown. In doing so, he tied a program record set by Joe Burrow in the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal with eight total touchdowns.
“We wanted to set some records,” wide receiver Malik Nabers said. “So, you know, it was all about our coaches having our backs on it, just to keep us in and let us keep rolling.”
LSU scored touchdowns on all eight drives with Daniels on the field.
“Once I found out I tied the record, you know, I was trying to go again, but I got shut down,” Daniels said with a smile.
Daniels finally sat down after that final fourth quarter drive, making way for backup quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. The Heisman candidate ended the night with 413 passing yards on 83% completion percentage and 96 rushing yards.
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The game was yet another in a season of record-breaking performances that has launched Daniels, who now has 4,591 total yards and 46 total touchdowns, in the forefront of the Heisman conversation.
According to most analysts and betting odds, the race for the Heisman has essentially come down to four players: Daniels, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
With Daniels demonstratively staking his claim to the award on Saturday against Georgia State, here’s how the other three players fared in this weekend’s matchups.
Bo Nix, Oregon
Nix and No. 6 Oregon traveled to Tempe to face off with lowly Pac-12 opponent Arizona State.
The Sun Devils have won just two conference games this season, and much like Daniels and LSU, Oregon beat up on a lesser opponent and cruised to a victory.
Nix led six first half drives and capped all of them with touchdowns, finishing with 404 passing yards and six passing touchdowns on an 82.7% completion percentage.
He played just one drive in the second half, which stalled out in the red zone after an offensive pass interference call and a third down sack.
Nix’s performance likely positions him as the co-frontrunner with Daniels for the Heisman. He has 3,667 total yards and 40 total touchdowns on the season.
Next week, Oregon will face No. 15 Oregon State, and the Ducks could potentially then play in the Pac-12 championship game against No. 5 Washington, meaning Nix has a few high-profile matchups remaining in which to make his Heisman case.
Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Penix faltered slightly in his matchup with Oregon State Saturday. He started hot and led the Huskies to a 22-10 halftime lead.
Washington didn’t score in the second half and mustered only 49 yards. The game was played in the pouring rain, and Penix struggled, putting up 184 total yards and three touchdowns while completing 54.2% of his passes.
Oregon State drew within two in the fourth quarter, but Washington’s defense held strong when Oregon State had a chance to take the lead. Penix completed a third down pass on the final drive to ice the game, kneeling on three straight plays after.
Penix now has 3,533 passing yards and 30 total touchdowns on the season.
Penix’s performance hurts his Heisman odds, but he’ll have a shot at Washington State next week and a guaranteed stage at the Pac-12 championship.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
As a wide receiver, Harrison faces long odds to win the Heisman, something done by only three wide receivers since 1987: Tim Brown, Desmond Howard and DeVonta Smith.
Still, Harrison seems to be the consensus most talented receiver in the country and a lock to go in the top ten of the NFL Draft. He carries a big role on an Ohio State offense breaking in a new starting quarterback.
In Saturday’s matchup with Minnesota, Harrison was quiet, catching just three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Ohio State has had to lean on Harrison in its most challenging matchups, but it was able to rely on other stars against Minnesota. Unfortunately, that likely brings an end to Harrison’s realistic Heisman chances, although he still has a high-stakes matchup with Michigan and potentially the Big Ten championship ahead.
