After being knocked out of the game with a concussion last week, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels had one of the best offensive performances in school history. Daniels, who didn’t practice this week, combined for 608 of the Tigers 701 total yards.
The LSU quarterback became the only player in FBS history to throw for 350+ yards and rush for over 200 yards in a single game. That performance alone should tell you how dominant Jayden Daniels was against the Florida Gators Saturday night in Tiger stadium.
The Tigers also had some big performances from other key players on the offense. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. added two more touchdowns to his season total, which puts him at 13 for the season. Malik Nabors continued his special year with 132 yards of his own.
All in all, the Tigers were able to put aside last week’s loss to Alabama and put together one of their best performances of the season. There is still work to be done on the defensive side of the ball, which still is the weakness of the team, but Florida had no answers for Daniels and the offense in a Tigers 52-35 victory.
The good
LSU offense
I put the offense as a whole on this list because it wasn’t just Daniels that shined in this record breaking moment in LSU history. We saw three LSU running backs score touchdowns. Josh Williams scored the Tigers opening touchdown, then we saw Kaleb Jackson punch it into the endzone in the 3rd quarter, and finally Noah Cain caught a pass from Daniels for a score.
Daniels entered the night as a longshot (55-1) to win the Heisman even with the ridiculous numbers he’s already put up before the Tigers took on Florida. After the game, he was a low a (8-1) to win the award. Whether Jayden Daniels is awarded the most coveted prize in college football or not is up to the voters, but the stats on the field don’t lie. This phenomenal player has surpassed every QB in almost every passing category.
The bad
LSU run defense
The Tigers defense made stops at the end of the game when they needed it, but that was going into the 4th quarter. LSU had no answer from Jennings native Trevor Entienne as the Florida Gator running back was able to score three touchdowns in the game.
Another Louisiana native and former UL-Lafayette transfer Montrel Johnson also had a solid game in Tiger Stadium as the 1-2 punch kept the Gators within striking distance.
If Florida had any chance to win, they would have to keep the score close and run the football, and for about three quarters they were doing just that. But eventually, Florida had to play catchup and Daniels & the LSU offense was too much for a worn out Gator defense.
The LSU defense did enough for the Tigers to win the game, and that’s probably what we’ll get the rest of the season.
The ugly
John Emery Jr
The former Destrehan running back probably played his last year in an LSU uniform as he suffered a significant non-contact injury and exited the game. In is time as a Tiger, Emery has seen a national championship, eligibility questions and now an injury thar may likely end his season.
Filling in for Emery were two seniors, who made significant scoring plays in the game. Kaleb Jackson will likely fill Emery’s role going forward. The highly touted freshman has that same spark Emery had when he was a freshman.
Targeting
LSU fans let the SEC officials know how outraged they were after Andre Sam was ejected for a targeting hit. While last week’s hit on Daniels wasn’t reviewed and resulted in a concussion, Sam’s hit on the Florida RB was a result of a player trying to make a football tackle.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly showed his displeasure with the call after the game, questioning whether officials know what is and what isn’t a targeting call. Either way, LSU players have come out on the wrong side of it for two weeks in a row now. Sam will be available to return next week, since his hit occurred in the first half of the game.
Up next for LSU, they host the Georgia State Panthers in their final non-conference game of the season. Then the Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies to end the regular season.