LSU traveled back from Tuscaloosa last weekend with only one goal in mind: How can it be elite?
“These are the weeks where you’re talking about, why are you here?” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said in his weekly press conference following the Alabama loss. “I know why I’m here. We’re here on the chase to be elite. So this week is going to require you to work on these things.”
Whatever the Tigers did throughout the week in preparation for their game against Florida worked. Despite a few hiccups here and there, overall, LSU was elite. It took down the Gators 52-35.
Fans waited eagerly to see how quarterback Jayden Daniels would perform against Florida. After a tough hit against an Alabama defender last week in Tuscaloosa, Daniels was placed in concussion protocol. Him playing against Florida was a toss-up, as Kelly explained that his recovery was ultimately a day-by-day scenario.
Thankfully for this LSU offense, however, Daniels was back to face off against the Gators in Tiger Stadium, and it was as if he never left.
Daniels pieced together what was arguably one of the best performances of his career. He collected a total of 372 passing yards. The graduate student accounted for 234 of LSU’s 329 rushing yards.
“Not only is he able to scramble out the pocket and keep the defenders honest, but whenever he does take off his lightning speed and his elusiveness is second to none,” running back Josh Williams said about Daniels. “It’s at the top of the elite chart and NCAA, so I mean, I feel bad for defenses, because it’s really a mismatch situation.”
The quarterback’s performance against Florida makes him the only player in FBS history with at least 350 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a single game.
“God,” Daniels said when asked about how he sealed an offensive record just days after being placed in concussion protocol. “That’s pretty much it. I can’t explain it honestly. This is how He created me, to be able to just be tough, get through stuff quickly.”
Daniels also accounted for two rushing touchdowns, the first of which came on an 85-yard run.
“Give him the Heisman now,” running back Noah Cain said about Daniels. “He’s been a difference maker all season and I don’t think there’s another player more deserving.”
Multiple receivers contributed to LSU’s success. Running backs Kaleb Jackson and Williams each had a rushing touchdown of their own.
Cain and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. added scores to the Tiger’s stat sheet as well, making successful connections with Daniels.
“Here’s two guys that haven’t played much at all, and all they’ve done is been great teammates,” Kelly said after the game in regard to Williams and Cain’s performance. “And [they] have practiced hard, and have waited for their opportunity, and when their opportunity came, they delivered for us today.”
LSU led for the majority of the game. Florida did manage to shift the momentum in the third quarter, after quarterback Graham Mertz found the endzone on a short one-yard rush.
The leading stint was short lived, though, when just a minute later, Daniels seemed to glide effortlessly into the endzone on a 51-yard run. It was his second rushing touchdown of the night.
“He’s a great player,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said about Daniels. “He came out here and competed. There’s a couple of things we should have executed a lot better. We could have played a bit better, but he’s a great player that came out and played well tonight.”
Mertz and the Gators did put together a solid outing, however. They were able to find the cracks in LSU’s defense, as most opponents have, and use them to their advantage.
Florida accounted for 177 rushing yards and 311 passing yards. Its offensive production was truly headlined by running back Trevor Etienne, who accounted for 99 rushing yards and three of the Gator’s touchdowns.
Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr., another of Florida’s offensive leaders, are both Louisiana natives.
“It was good for them to be home and play in their home state,” Mertz said about Etienne and Johnson. “They’re two great backs. They showcased their ability tonight, and they are going to continue to do that.”
In the end, however, Florida’s solid offensive performance was simply no match for the record-breaking performance of Daniels and his receivers. This Tiger offense was elite, just as their head coach had hoped for.
