When Missouri jumped out to a 22-7 lead early on Saturday, it looked like one of the SEC’s Tigers was for real and the other was not. LSU, already with two losses on the season and with a difficult schedule still on the horizon, seemed to be on life support.
Enter Jayden Daniels.
The star quarterback, well, played like a star to keep his team alive. He completed 10 of 15 passes in the second half for 189 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 94 yards and another touchdown in his legs. His 283 yards were 87% of LSU’s second-half production, and the Tigers outscored Missouri 32-14 after halftime to avoid a second straight loss.
LSU might not be the playoff team some predicted them to be before the season, but it isn’t for a lack of effort on Daniels’ end. The senior now leads the SEC with a 90.1 QBR, the 4th-best in the country, and he’s second in the nation with 19 touchdown passes. He’s completed 72.9% of his passes for 10.9 yards per attempt, added 422 yards and four touchdowns with his legs, and thrown only two interceptions.
Here’s how ESPN’s rankings sit through Week 7, with Daniels shining at the top.
| Name | Team | QBR | Last Week (Rank) |
| Jayden Daniels | LSU Tigers | 90.1 | 86.1 (1st) |
| Carson Beck | Georgia Bulldogs | 83.3 | 79.2 (4th) |
| Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss Rebels | 81.1 | 85.2 (2nd) |
| Jalen Milroe | Alabama Crimson Tide | 78.6 | 80.3 (3rd) |
| Brady Cook | Missouri Tigers | 74.6 | 78.3 (5th) |
| Spencer Rattler | South Carolina Gamecocks | 73.8 | 73.4 (6th) |
| Max Johnson | Texas A&M Aggies | 68.8 | 71.1 (7th) |
| Graham Mertz | Florida Gators | 65.3 | 64.7 (9th) |
| Payton Thorne | Auburn Tigers | 64.9 | 66.8 (8th) |
| Joe Milton III | Tennessee Volunteers | 56.2 | 56.6 (10th) |
| KJ Jefferson | Arkansas Razorbacks | 54.7 | 53.4 (11th) |
| Devin Leary | Kentucky Wildcats | 49.1 | 47.6 (12th) |
| Will Rogers | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 46.8 | 41.3 (13th) |
| AJ Swann | Vanderbilt Commodores | 33.4 | 34,1 (14th) |