There are some plays you watch and all you can do is put your hands out in disbelief or just laugh.
For the LSU offense this season, those plays happen multiple times per game.
That was certainly the case in the 52-35 win over Florida, in which the Tigers put up 701 total yards and three touchdowns from 30 yards out or more.
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At the center of it all, as usual, was star quarterback Jayden Daniels. Whether he was scrambling into crowds of defenders and making subtle changes of directions that left everyone flatfooted or tossing deep bombs that floated perfectly into his receivers’ hands, he was proving himself to be one of the best players in the country.
Daniels finished the game with 372 passing yards, 234 yards on the ground and five total touchdowns. No other player in FBS history has had both 350 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game.
“He’s pretty good,” head coach Brian Kelly joked.
The LSU offense got off to a so-so start in the win, with a few early missed passes, failed red zone possessions and questionable fourth down play calling. The Tigers scored just 17 points in the first half, but they roared out of halftime for 359 second half yards and 35 points.
Daniels’ leadership allowed them to bounce back from the early struggles. It also came in handy when Florida had seemed to seize momentum when it took its first lead of the game midway through the third quarter at 28-24.
Daniels calmly led an answer, capping it with an incredible 51-yard run that even he had little explanation for.
“You know, some things, I can’t explain what I do,” Daniels said. “I just be in the moment, honestly.”
In the week leading up to his record-breaking game, Daniels was in concussion protocol after a hard hit from Dallas Turner against Alabama. Despite that, he worked his way up to practicing with the team and eventually playing in the game.
“It was rough,” Daniels said. “I still tried to figure out ways to keep my same routine and watch film, you know. Just stay consistent.”
Some had speculated before the game that even if Daniels couldn’t go and LSU was forced to start Garrett Nussmeier, the Tigers would be fine. After the game Daniels had, it’s clear that the Tigers’ offense wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Even in an offense loaded with potential NFL players in the receiving corps and the offensive line, Daniels’ excellence stood out, elevating the others around him.
When he was under pressure, he found a hole and ran for a huge gain. When his receivers had little separation, he threw them open, putting the ball where only they could get it.
Daniels has seen a meteoric rise over the course of the season. While his first year with LSU was solid, he was seen as a quarterback who relied too much on his legs, often at the expense of better options downfield. His arm strength was another knock, and he wasn’t considered likely to have a professional future in football.
He silenced those concerns and is rising up draft boards. The win against Florida was yet another example of the unique skillset that makes him one of the most electric players in college football.
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Daniels’ performance this season is igniting debates about what exactly makes a player worthy of a Heisman. His team has struggled, but it’s clear that one side of the ball is championship-caliber; Daniels can’t control the other side.
Only three players have won the Heisman Trophy despite their team having three losses: Tim Tebow in 2007, Robert Griffin III in 2011 and Lamar Jackson in 2016. Daniels is making a legitimate case to be the next.
“If he didn’t win it tonight, he’s got to be the leading candidate. He’s the best player in college football,” Kelly said on the Heisman. “He did something tonight that no one’s ever done, so if that doesn’t make you the leading candidate, then maybe the Heisman isn’t really for the best player.”
Whatever the fate of his Heisman campaign, it seems increasingly likely Daniels will be a finalist. Either way, he continues to stake his claim in the LSU history books.
Leading the Tigers to a win against Florida was perhaps the high point of Daniels’ incredible season. Each game, he faces immense pressure to keep LSU afloat and match the point output the Tigers’ struggling defense allows.
Each game, he answers that challenge with incredible performance after incredible performance.
