Inside quarterback Jayden Daniels’ historic 606-yard game against Florida

ASHBURN, Va. — A smile appeared on Jayden Daniels’ face.

It was his first press conference as a member of the Washington Commanders, and Daniels, dressed in an all-black suit and dark gray baseball cap, was listening to a question from a local reporter.

The night before, after selecting the former Louisiana State University quarterback No. 2 overall in the 2024 draft, Washington general manager Adam Peters colorfully told reporters that Daniels, at his best, could have a soul-stealing impact on opposing defenses.

The reporter, echoing Peters’ words, was looking to get some clarity on the rookie quarterback’s suspension.

What does it look like when Jayden Daniels is Takes the soul away from the defense“He asked?”

“Florida Game 2023,” Daniels said, his smile widening.

“Can you explain?” the reporter asked.

“Just turn on the tape and watch that game,” the midfielder replied, laughing.

What Daniels did for the Florida Gators on Nov. 11, 2023, was historic. He became the first Florida Gators quarterback to throw for at least 350 yards and run for at least 200 yards in a single game. He also set a Southeast Conference record with 606 all-purpose yards. He finished with 372 passing yards and three scores on 17 completions while running 12 times for 234 yards and two scores. Daniels’ performance in the 52-35 win over Florida lifted him into first place for the Heisman Trophy, which he would later win. For Peters and the Commanders, it demonstrated the arm accuracy and electric running ability they hope will help revive a flagging franchise.

“It was like, ‘Okay, this is real. This is a really unique game. I don’t think you’ll see many games like this from anyone ever,’” Peters said.

Daniels showed glimpses of the skills he showed against the Gators in his first two NFL games. He rushed for 88 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the opener. He led seven scoring drives — using his arm (226 yards) and legs (44 yards) — in a win over the New York Giants in Week 2. He’ll get his next chance against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+) as the Commanders look to start 2024 with a 2-1 win.

After a four-game, 13-loss streak, the team’s seventh straight winless season, the team is now in a rebuilding phase. And it’s not just Daniels that the team needs to be a playoff contender. But Peters and new coach Dan Quinn want Daniels to be a key part of the team, and the Florida game was a strong testament to that.

Here’s the story of that night in Baton Rouge, told by those who were there.

the introduction

There was concern about Daniels’ status before the game. He had entered concussion protocol after coming off LSU’s 42-28 loss to Alabama the previous week. Daniels left the game after racking up 219 yards passing and 163 rushing, feeling remorse for a game he told his coaches they would have won had he not been injured. It set up an anxious week for LSU before the Florida game. Daniels participated in a non-contact practice three days earlier, practiced the next day and cleared the protocol later that night. But doubts about his availability — or effectiveness — persisted.

Former Florida offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton, now an assistant offensive line coach for the Commanders: Our defensive coordinator (Austin Armstrong) was a little bit happy that he might have missed that game, but he came in and showed his quality. He came in on Saturday and lit up the game.

Peters: Get rid of the numbers, just to come back and play is unbelievable and play the way he played with courage and mentality. That shows his competitiveness.

legs

One of Daniels’ most notable plays came when Louisiana State took a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Daniels used a read option with quarterback Caleb Jackson, and kept the ball when he saw Florida defensive back Brincelli Omanmillen collide with Jackson. He outran quarterback Jalen Kemper to the left sideline before sprinting untouched for an 85-yard touchdown.

Daniels: Normally nobody gets hit hard in the outside zone. That was the only time I’ve ever done one of those things, which is ridiculous and crazy. But this happened. This safety played it wrong. (Receiver) Malik Nabers made a great block on two (defenders) and from there I was alone on the sideline. … In my head I was like, ‘Man, I got this score.’

Mike Denbrook, former Louisiana State University offensive coordinator: (Daniels runs) so smoothly that I think that’s what fools people, you know what I mean? They’re like, yeah, well, he’s fast. And then when they play him, nobody can catch him, and they’re like, ‘Oh my God. No, he’s really fast.’

Chris Blair, LSU radio commentator: Jayden looks like he’s on a (moving dock) from the waist up. He looks like he’s floating. … Look at the separation, look at how dominant this is. … Whenever anybody says Florida 2023, I say Jayden Daniels at 85 yards.

Denbrook: I looked at the people around me in the press booth and said, ‘This game is over.’

Daniels showed his running ability again late in the third quarter. This time, on an intended pass when Louisiana State trailed 28-24, Daniels waited in the pocket for four seconds before darting across the middle. By the time he reached the end zone, he had outpaced seven defenders and sprinted 51 yards.

Former Louisiana State University midfielder Brian Thomas: How did he get out of that situation or how did he make that great play? I mean it’s crazy to be able to watch that and be a part of something like that. It’s amazing to see him go out on the field and be able to make someone make a mistake like that.

Cole Kubelik, an analyst for the SEC Network, described the matchup: That was definitely the most ridiculous run he had in the match.

Ricky Pearsall, former Florida player: A lot of my teammates were saying he was fast, but how fast is he really? I mean he beat our defense, so he’s very fast.

Peters: This is Florida, this isn’t like Middle Tennessee or anything. … He was just a running back and killing the corners of high-end athletes.

arm

Daniels showed a knack for reading coverage throughout the win. He completed five passes that gained 38 yards or more before finishing with three touchdowns in the final 18 minutes. Earlier, he showed his ability to use his eyes, a sign of his growing game. He passed the ball to Thomas for 41 yards in the second quarter, holding the player with his eyes before swiping a deep ball down the left sideline.

Peters: He was really good at passing in that game early on, putting the ball in the right spot. He made easy throws. Not everyone can do that. And obviously he made a lot of great deep throws as well. That shows how mentally prepared he is, because early on in that game, he was really calm in the pocket, he got his lead, he made some really good reads, he got the ball out quickly.

Daniels’ last big play against Florida was a 37-yard pass to Thomas, who was selected 23rd overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars the following spring. Before the series, Denbrook had told Daniels that if Florida’s safeties got too close to the line of scrimmage, they had a chance to make a big play. With just over nine minutes left and LSU leading 38-35, Daniels got the look he wanted and threw a perfect pass to Thomas.

Denbrook: I told Jayden that if we could get Brian one-on-one in the corner, it would be a done deal… Brian missed the corner, Jayden saw it right and obviously put the ball in the right place.

Thomas: As soon as I saw how DB played me, I knew what I was about to do. I knew he was coming at me.

Daniels: (Nabers) was open in the middle, but I saw the safety there, so I knew Brian was behind him, so I was able to throw the ball to the post and he made a great catch for a score. It’s just about playing with a clear vision and letting my guys make plays.

Heisman position

After the touchdown pass to Thomas, Daniels ran to the sidelines where he and backup quarterback Jarrett Nussmeyer earned Heisman status.

Daniels: It’s a game for little kids. I think people are over-exaggerating…

Stapleton: He got Heisman status after one touchdown. I think we single-handedly helped him get that status.

Blair: I just felt like, is there a player in the country that does better than what this guy does consistently? … For me it was a no-brainer.

Persal: We were impressed with him at first, and I know some of my teammates were teasing him and I don’t know what happened, but two seconds later, he started to come into this game, and I was like, ‘Okay, here we go. This is the Heisman Trophy right here.’

Stapleton: We knew he was a dominant player. We knew he was someone we couldn’t completely stop. We just had to deal with him. But he exceeded expectations in terms of what I thought he would do.

Consequences

Daniels said he received at least 100 text messages by the next morning, which helped him realize the magnitude of his performance.

Daniels: (This game) helped me move into a different category where my name was mentioned. Obviously, I was able to go out and do something that no one in the history of NCAA football has ever done before. And then I started to feel like everyone started to recognize me a little bit more.

cube: Many players can control a game in one way or another. But he proved that he can do it with his eyes, his legs, his arms, and maybe his mind. Whatever you give him, he won’t just take it. The things he did were insane.

Stapleton: When he first came in (on his pre-draft visit in April), I mentioned the game to him and he laughed and giggled and smiled as sarcastically as he could, and I left like, ‘Oh my God.’ But he’s so smart. I’m excited to be on the same team as him.