BATON ROUGE – It would’ve been easy to take the night off against Georgia State. The game meant nothing to a team already eliminated for Southeastern Conference Championship and playoff contention, and that was evident in the quiet crowd that watched on in a half-empty Tiger Stadium.
But Jayden Daniels and LSU football didn’t take the night off.
Daniels accounted for 509 total yards and eight touchdowns, and the LSU offense scored on every possession except its last, which ended the game. The defense had its ups and downs but did enough to help lead LSU to a 56-14 win over Georgia State.
“Eight possessions, eight touchdowns. What more can you say?” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said. “It’s been exciting watching, and I hope everybody’s enjoyed the the efficiency in which they operate.”
PLAY BY PLAY: LSU football vs. Georgia State
Like he has to every opponent on LSU’s schedule this season, Daniels lit up the Georgia State defense in multiple ways. He threw for 413 yards and was once again LSU’s leading rusher with 96 yards on the ground.
Daniels’ eight touchdowns tied the LSU single-game record set by Joe Burrow in the 2019 season.
“Many people were saying: ‘Would eight touchdowns ever be touched?’ He tied that,” Kelly said.
One difference, though, was the share of targets. Seven different players caught a pass and Malik Nabers, Kyren Lacy and Brian Thomas Jr. all had over 100 yards receiving. It was the first time in program history LSU had three receivers with 100 or more yards and a receiving touchdowns in a single game.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do nothing like this,” Daniels said of his receivers. “To be able to catch the ball and be explosive after the catch, that’s something that not too many people have in the country.”
LSU didn’t take its foot off the gas either.
Daniels and the rest of the starters played well into the fourth quarter, despite holding a big lead. LSU scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a 40-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Nabers with just under 9 minutes left in the game.
With the Heisman Trophy ceremony inching closer, Daniels needed every single one of those yards. Especially with his biggest competitor, Bo Nix, throwing for 404 yards and six touchdowns in Oregon’s win over Arizona State.
“Everybody knew what was at stake. We just kept flowing,” Daniels said.
Early on in the game, though, LSU needed explosive play from Daniels and the offense after a slow defensive start.
Georgia State scored on two of its first three drives, taking advantage of one-on-one matchups in the secondary early on. The first drive included multiple deep shots down the sideline that either resulted in a catch or a pass interference.
MORE SPORTS: Angel Reese not seen at LSU women’s basketball’s road game vs. Southeastern Louisiana
The early success in the passing game created opportunities in the run game, leading to a 44-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter.
LSU buckled down after that.
The Tigers held Georgia State scoreless for the remainder of the game and the lead only grew as the offense kept churning.
Georgia State only gained 120 yards of total offense in the second half compared to 245 in the first half. As pressure was taken off the defense with more scoring, the unit grew into the game and looked more comfortable.
“We’ll be somewhere game planning on the sideline and talking about the plays and you look up and it’s a touchdown. So that’s always a good feeling,” LSU safety Major Burns said.
It was the type of offensive domination that has become the norm from LSU, and no one expected any different.
Given the opponent, it remains to be seen how much this performance from Daniels will sway Heisman voters, but 509 total yards and eight touchdowns sure doesn’t hurt.
“I think he’s the best player in college football and every opportunity that I get, I’m going to make sure that people understand that,” Kelly said.
