LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels turned in the top statistical performance of the season against Florida and went from being a long shot for the Heisman Trophy to a serious contender.
Daniels passed for 372 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 234 and two TDs in a 52-35 win Saturday night, and his 606 yards of total offense were a national season high.
He became the first player in Football Bowl Subdivision history with 350 yards passing and 200 yards rushing.
“If he didn’t win (the Heisman) tonight, then he’s got to be the leading candidate,” coach Brian Kelly said. “He did something tonight that nobody has ever done. If that doesn’t make you the leading candidate, then maybe the Heisman isn’t for the best player.”
Daniels' rushing total was a school record for a quarterback, and joined Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel (2013) as the only Southeastern Conference players with 200 yards passing and 200 rushing in a game.
Daniels also became the only FBS player with 12,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing in a career.
FanDuel Sportsbook listed Daniels (plus-700) as the fourth choice among bettors behind quarterbacks Bo Nix of Oregon (minus-115) and Michael Penix Jr. of Washington (plus-260) and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State (plus-500).
HOLDING GABRIEL RESPONSIBLE
Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel was responsible for eight touchdowns in a 59-20 win over West Virginia. He passed for five and ran for three while amassing 473 yards of total offense.
Washington State's Anthony Gordon was the last player responsible for so many TDs, with nine against UCLA in 2019.
ALL-PURPOSE CHART TOPPER
Cody Schrader's 321 all-purpose yards for Missouri in a 36-7 win over Tennessee were an FBS season high.
He ran 35 times for 205 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 116 yards, and his all-purpose total was second in program history behind Devin West's 333 against Kansas in 1998.
Schrader became the first Mizzou player with 90 yards rushing and 90 yards receiving, a feat he accomplished in the first half.
THE 200 CLUB
Daniels and Schrader were among four players to rush for 200 yards. The others were UCF's RJ Harvey, who ran 24 times for 206 yards against Oklahoma State and San Jose State's Kairee Robinson, who had 19 attempts for 200 against Fresno State. There have been 25 200-yard rushing performances this season.
TURNOVER TROUBLE
Nebraska's FBS-high turnover total increased to 27 after it threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in a 13-10 loss to Maryland. The Cornhuskers played three quarterbacks in the game, and each was intercepted.
The Cornhuskers have thrown 14 interceptions and lost 13 fumbles. Their 27 giveaways are the most through a Week 11 since San Jose State turned the ball over 39 times in 2017, according to Sportradar.
Jeff Sims has the second-highest interception rate since at least 2000 for a quarterback with more than 40 attempts. Sims, who started the first two games and has been a backup since, has been picked off on 12.8% of his attempts (6 of 47) this season. Baylor's Kerry Dixon had a INT rate of 13.8% (9 of 65) in 2000.
DANDY DANSBY
Michael Dansby, who hadn't played in San Jose State's previous three games, made a dazzling return. He ran back an interception 98 yards for a touchdown early in the second half to break open a 42-18 win over Fresno State. It tied for second-longest interception return in the FBS this season and was the longest by an SJSU player since Gerald Jones’ 99-yard pick-six against Nevada in 2003.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
