Jayden Daniels leaves it all in Tiger Stadium one final time
Jayden Daniels left a lasting legacy with his 2023 season and capped it with another impressive outing on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, defeating Texas A&M 42-30. The win moves LSU to 9-3 overall and further cements Daniels as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy at the end of the year.
After a shaky start against an elite defense, Daniels and the Tigers found their footing, scoring 21 points in the final quarter to take the win.
“Texas A&M is a very talented team and they have very good players over there,” Daniels said. “For us, it was just staying the course. We’re going to have adversity, but [eventually] it started to click. I’d say when Brian mossed a dude, that’s when it clicked for us in the second half.”
Once things click for LSU’s offense, it’s usually game over for defenses.
Taking the next step at LSU
In Daniels’ first year at LSU the “clicks” were few and far between, but that only fueled him over the offseason to figure everything out. His teammates call him 5:30 because that’s when he checks into the facility every morning to prepare. Alongside his coaching staff and skill position players, Daniels continued to sharpen his skills heading into the years.
The result was a Heisman-caliber season and an unforgettable year at LSU. Daniels totaled 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, on 72.2 percent passing on the season to go with 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns as a runner. It was truly one of the special seasons in college football history.
“It’s meant a lot to me.” Daniels said of the success this season. “To come here last year and trust the unknown, I didn’t know what I was going to get myself into. Now, playing my last game here, I really haven’t sat down and embraced what I went through, but I tried to embrace every little moment. Just the people I’ve met, the relationships I’ve built on and off the field, that’s what means the most to me.
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“I set a standard for myself and I expect other guys to meet the standard and they’ve met it all year long. I’m just happy to go out there and play with these guys.”
Now, all that’s left for Daniels is the Heisman and a potential bowl game to cap his final season in college before he heads to the next level.
The Heisman campaign has been pushed by LSU and the entire state of Louisiana with head coach Brian Kelly leading the charge. Now, they wait for the votes to come in to see if Daniels is rewarded for his superb season.
“This is against a top ten defense in the country – I think their defensive line is outstanding – and he had four touchdown passes,” Kelly said. “You score 42 points against this defense, it sure as heck can’t hurt you. Then running the way he did, I think he just strengthened his case for the Heisman.”
