After the 2021 season ended once again and disappointment for the Tigers, LSU decided to move on from head coach Ed Orgeron and hired Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly. Kelly has exceeded the expectations of many and has led his team to a 9-3 record with a chance to win the SEC Championship. Much of this is due to the success of quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Daniels, a junior transfer from Arizona State was recruited as a 5-star athlete out of the State of California. With the Sun Devils, Daniels threw for 2,943 and 17 touchdowns his freshman year and put together a handful of impressive performances his freshman year which included a win over top 5 ranked Oregon in 2019. However, after a shortened COVID season, Daniels had a disappointing 2021 season before entering the transfer portal.
Under Brian Kelly, however, Daniels has been much more efficient and utilized in the passing game. He has already surpassed his season high in pass attempts and only needs 3 touchdowns and 400 yards to break his career high for those categories in a season as well.
Daniels is also very effective at using his legs as a weapon in the running game. He currently is closing in on 1,000 yards rushing and has scored 11 touchdowns on the ground as well. But what’s most surprising about Daniels, is that he takes relatively good care of the football. He has only lost 3 fumbles and thrown 2 interceptions the entire season.
So what can this Georgia defense need to do to stop the Tigers duel threat quarterback that takes relatively good care of the football? Well, it depends on his health first. Kelly mentioned earlier in the week that Daniels was in a boot, but would be expected to be full go for Saturday. So, assuming he's full strength, it will require a full effort from Georgia's defense.
In his entire career, Daniels is just 2-5 when he has more than 35 passing attempts a game. Keeping Daniels in the pocket and forcing him to throw the ball more than he or Brian Kelly would like him to will be a key part to a Georgia victory. But it will require Stetson Bennett and the UGA offense to can score fast and force LSU to play behind. It will also require major efforts from the D-line and linebacker core to contain Daniels and prevent him from gashing the Bulldogs with his legs.
Georgia has shown that they are more than capable of containing dual-threat quarterbacks on defense and scoring at will on offense. Should the Bulldogs do both on Saturday, it could be a long day for Daniels and company.
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