On just the second play of the fourth quarter against No. 21 Missouri, star quarterback Jayden Daniels went down hard.
After a bad snap from center Marlon Martinez, filling in due to an injury to starter Charles Turner, Daniels juggled the ball and turned the broken play into a scramble around the left side.
Two yards later, he broke the plane, scored a touchdown and was immediately hit by Missouri linebacker Chuck Hicks.
Daniels was in visible pain after the play, which was called back for offensive holding. Brian Kelly later revealed he had a rib injury, and he came out of the game for the remainder of the drive.
With LSU trailing Missouri 32-27, backup quarterback Garrett Nussmeier took over, and a series of mistakes ensued. A Malik Nabers handoff was stuffed on first down, followed by a false start, then a bad snap that forced a Nussmeier throwaway.
The Tigers settled for a field goal on a drive that had come as close as Missouri’s 2-yard line and remained behind by a score of 32-30.
After a Missouri three-and-out, LSU started at its own 8-yard line, and Daniels came back out to direct the offense. On the first play, Missouri’s four-man rush got home and forced him to scramble. He ended up on the ground, sacked along the sideline by Missouri’s Ty’Ron Hopper.
He came up wincing.
From then on, in the most crucial moments of the game, Daniels and the LSU offense displayed a gutsy masterclass in offensive execution and decision-making that deserves a deep dive.
First off, after the first down sack, Martinez was pulled for true freshman DJ Chester, who was a four-star recruit this offseason. He filled in admirably at center and received praise from Kelly after the game.
On third and nine from the LSU 9-yard line, Emery Jones Jr. faced off against Missouri edge rusher Joe Moore. Moore quickly got outside leverage, but Jones kept him wide enough to allow Daniels to step up and evade the pressure.
Daniels was forced to scramble and picked up 14 yards to save the drive on a play in which he again risked being hit.
The next play, the offensive line held up long enough to allow Nabers to find space in front of the secondary on a deep crosser against a Missouri Cover 3 look. After the catch, a long run made for a 35-yard gain, setting up LSU at the Missouri 42-yard line.
A few plays later, LSU faced a third and three from Missouri’s 35-yard line. The play was a quarterback draw, which Daniels took to the house, outrunning multiple Missouri defenders before crashing into the end zone.
It was a borderline reckless play call to put Daniels in harm’s way for the crucial play. However, it was that audaciousness that made it genius. It was the last thing Missouri expected on the down with the quarterback hurting. The entirety of Missouri’s defense played the pass, allowing Daniels to cruise 35 yards.
Missouri answered back on its next drive, making the score 39-35 in its favor with LSU again challenged to answer.
Expecting LSU to go to the deep pass, Missouri defensive backs gave the Tigers’ receivers plenty of cushion, allowing for two Brian Thomas Jr. catches for 10 and five yards on short hitch routes.
That eventually set up a third and five on the LSU 40-yard line. The Tigers once again went to Daniels’ legs, and good blocking all around from the offensive line, as well as a missed tackle by Hopper, allowed Daniels to get to the sideline and speed for 31 yards.
On the next play, Missouri lined up in a three-man front with two linebackers hovering above. Before the play, Daniels repositioned running back Logan Diggs to account for an inside blitz from a linebacker.
Nabers lined up in the slot on the right side with Thomas Jr. on the boundary. Thomas Jr. ran a deep post that took the overtop defender with him, while Nabers ran an out route.
Daniels came under pressure, but Diggs fought off the free rusher just long enough for Daniels to hit Nabers as he curled his route upwards along the sideline to escape his shallow defender.
Nabers was wide open. He walked in for the 29-yard touchdown.
Whether the end of Nabers’ route was improvised or planned, the play was yet another route combination and blitz pickup that worked to perfection against the Missouri defense in crunch time.
Those points would be the last the LSU offense needed to score, as a Major Burns pick six would seal the game later for a final score of 49-39.
A good (and deserved) amount of attention has gone to Daniels’ incredible performance. While he absolutely displayed astounding toughness, it shouldn’t be lost how good the LSU offense was schematically and in its execution down the stretch. The fourth quarter was a great example of the adaptability and skill that makes the Tigers’ attack so lethal.
The play calling was timely and seemed to play well off of what Missouri’s defense was willing to allow. The offensive line did a good job of handling Missouri’s rushers, aided by Daniels’ good recognition of blitzers, and it paved the way in the run game for several long gains.
The defense’s timely stops preserved the win, but, as has been the case all season, LSU’s engine is its elite offense.
