For Daniels’ first career start with LSU, he went 26-for-35 passing with 209 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Where he opened the eyes of Tiger fans was his ability on the ground. The dual-threat signal-caller also tallied 16 rushes for 114 yards.
“That’s what the coaches want,” Daniels said. “Like I said, I didn’t do a good enough job in the first half keeping the pace and keeping that tempo. That’s what the coaches want, that’s what the offensive staff wants, we want to push the tempo and execute at a high level though.”
It was a rollercoaster ride for this offense through much of the season opener. With Daniels making something out of nothing on most plays, it was a struggle to consistently get the ball to their weapons. Namely All-American wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.
Following the game, Daniels addressed the miscommunication with Boutte and their conversation on the field following a missed opportunity.
Now, the Tigers transition to game week against the Southern Jaguars. Daniels’ maturity is a piece of his game this program loves most, and it’ll be important he uplifts this group as they put the season opener behind them.
Daniels’ overall play was a mixture of highlight reel plays and a few critical errors, but the Arizona State transfer showed fight and growth through all four quarters.
Kelly reiterated during his Tuesday press conference that this is Daniels’ job, and this program will continue working to improve their offensive sets it starts this week in preparation for Southern in the home opener.
The masterpiece Daniels put together in the fourth quarter was remarkable. The Arizona State transfer went 14-for-18 with 138 yards and two touchdowns in the final frame. He spoke on the up-tempo style of play in the fourth quarter and how it benefited this offense greatly.
Daniels won the starting quarterback job over redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier in one of the more competitive battles in the country. It was seemingly neck and neck for the last few months, with Daniels separating himself towards the backend of camp.
Following Sunday night’s game, the Tigers’ QB1 spoke on the competition and how he stayed true to himself throughout the process.
“Go out there being me everyday. Being consistent and showing that I can lead this team,” Daniels said. “Everything else, that’s the decision coaches decided upon. For me it’s just going out there being that consistent guy that’s going to come to work everyday, no matter what kind of day I’m having that day. But if you want to be a quarterback at this level, you have to put your feelings aside and you have to show the guys you can be consistent each and every day.”
