Herm Edwards: ASU QB Jayden Daniels can do more extending passing plays
Sep 13, 2021, 9:33 AM | Updated: 10:38 am
TEMPE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Jayden Daniels #5 of the Arizona State Sun Devils is tackled by defensive back Phillip Hill #5 of the UNLV Rebels during the first half of the NCAAF game at Sun Devil Stadium on September 11, 2021 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Arizona State coach Herm Edwards admitted Saturday after his team’s victory over UNLV that he wouldn’t mind quarterback Jayden Daniels taking fewer carries and fewer hits.
For sure, Edwards wasn’t complaining after Daniels rushed 13 times for 125 yards, most of which were unscripted scrambles.
ASU won 37-10 behind that effort, but the Sun Devils’ success this year as the quality of opponent ratchets up will require more balance.
In his third year with the program, Daniels will be charged with finding it. Not to mention doing a better job protecting his own health.
“Well, yeah, not running as much. Thirteen times, right? I think that’s a little too much,” Edwards said Monday as he joined Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta. “I say that and then I watch BYU’s quarterback. He is spectacular … he almost leads the team in rushing. He runs for almost 10 yards a carry when he runs.”
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BYU’s Jaren Hall and Daniels — whose teams face one another in Provo, Utah, this coming Saturday — are each in the top-15 nationally in yards per carry through two weeks of the college football season.
Hall has rushed 13 times for 128 yards (9.8 yards per rush) in two games, while Daniels sits at 19 carries for 165 yards (8.7). All but six carries and 40 of Daniels’ yards came over the weekend against UNLV.
As a passer, Daniels completed 20 of 29 passes for 175 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against the Rebels on Saturday.
Edwards said after the game the quarterback missed throws, and on Monday added that there is room for the quarterback to use his legs to create more passing opportunities.
“You like the quarterback, obviously, to sit in the pocket as long as they can, and they’re going to have to make some plays off-schedule,” Edwards told Bickley & Marotta. “That’s part of football. … That becomes very, very cumbersome to (a) defense. The Cardinals’ quarterback (Kyler Murray) did that this week, the Kansas City quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) did that this week.
“They run around, run around, all of a sudden they find someone down the field, make big plays. Jayden has that capability, and I think if he can do more of that, we can get more explosive in the passing game.”
