In a primetime showdown under the lights, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels will go head-to-head. Milroe and Daniels have led their teams to similar but amazing starts and both teams are still in contention for the College Football Playoff. Ahead of their showdown, it is time to look at where the quarterbacks are at this moment.
Milroe has had an up-and-down but fairly successful season so far. He has 1,617 yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions while also rushing for 142 yards and five touchdowns.
“It’s funny, everyone always mentions my running ability and everything like that, but in the offseason all I do is throw,” Milroe said. “I do zero training when it comes to running. My intent when I’m on the field is to throw the ball because the ball can get there faster than my legs can on any drive. When it comes to running, if it happens, it happens. I try to just be a point guard with the football.”
LSU head coach Brian Kelly said Milroe’s running ability is impressive, but he isn’t overlooking Milroe’s passing ability either.
“He’s going to stay in the pocket and throw the football,” Kelly said. “The way they create offense is through a balance of running the football and putting you in formations where they can get some shots down the field. He throws the ball well.”
Kelly points to Milroe’s ability to hit open targets when given the chance downfield as a key aspect of Milroe’s game and the stats support Kelly’s words.
Milroe is currently third in the country in yards per attempt, averaging 10.57 yards per game and is the eighth-most efficient passer this season. Milroe is also ranked 18th in total quarterback rating with a rating of 76.5.
Against Tennessee on Oct. 21, Milroe threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns, proving that his passing ability should not be overlooked.
“I think it has a lot to do with confidence,” Saban said about Milroe’s improvements in the passing game. “Experience is an accumulated learning of past mistakes on or off the football field. Milroe has embraced that throughout this season and regaining the starting job.”
After a lackluster offensive performance against USF on Sept. 17, Milroe regained the coveted QB1 position from Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson. Since then, Alabama’s offense has only improved.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, however, is another story.
Despite his team having two losses to No. 4 Florida State and No. 11 Ole Miss, Daniels is one of the frontrunners for the Heisman trophy this season.
He ranks first in passing touchdowns (25), total offense per game (386.8) and passing efficiency (204.32). He is currently second in the country in total quarterback rating (89.1) behind Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy (93.7). Daniels is also second in passing yards behind Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
A crucial part to Daniels’ success is a talented wide receiver room. Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., who have 981 and 732 receiving yards respectively so far this season, have been the sparkplug for LSU’s offense.
Like Milroe, Daniels has also been great with his legs, rushing for 521 yards and five touchdowns. The Tigers have both the number one total offense and scoring offense in college football, averaging 552.9 yards and 47.4 points per game.
Saban said Daniels is one of the reasons why.
“They’re the No. 1 offensive team in the country and it starts with Jayden Daniels,” Saban said. “This guy’s a phenomenal player, he’s a dual-threat player, he’s a great passer, he makes lots of plays with his feet, he’s fast. Not only can he scramble to run, but he can also scramble to throw.”
Milroe and the Alabama offense will need their best game of the season to take down with the No. 1 offense in the nation.
Saturday night’s game from Tuscaloosa will kickoff at 6:45 p.m. CT and will air on CBS.
