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BATON ROUGE, La. — Jayden Daniels accounted for 606 total yards and five touchdowns and became the first quarterback in FBS history to have at least 350 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in a game as No. 19 LSU defeated Florida 52-35 on Saturday night.

Daniels continued to make his case for the Heisman Trophy, leading the Tigers (7-3, 5-2 SEC) to touchdowns on five consecutive second-half possessions, completing 17 of 26 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, and running 12 times for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

“If [Daniels] didn’t win [the Heisman Trophy] tonight, he has got to be the leading candidate,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “Unless the Heisman is just about popularity. If you want to be the most popular, then fine, but he is the best player in college football.

“He did something tonight that no one has ever done. If that doesn’t make you the leading candidate, then maybe the Heisman isn’t really for the best player.”

Having been in concussion protocol throughout the week leading up to the game because of an injury suffered last week against Alabama, Daniels was quick to credit his teammates and supporting cast.

“God created me to be tough and get through stuff quickly,” he said. “This was my first concussion to get over, and I did everything they said I needed to do to play and progress daily. It all worked out.

“I try to be as patient as I can in the pocket and let plays open up, but when I see a lane open up, I’m going to be decisive and take it.”

Florida (5-5, 3-4 SEC) took its only lead in the third quarter 28-24 on a 21-yard touchdown run by Trevor Etienne and Graham Mertz‘s 1-yard run.

But Daniels scored from 51 yards out on the ground and then on LSU’s ensuing possession found Noah Cain for a 38-yard touchdown pass to make it 38-28.

His career night continued into the fourth quarter when he connected with Brian Thomas for a 37-yard touchdown to make it 45-35.

Daniels connected with Thomas again late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Thomas had 150 yards on six catches and a pair of scores.

LSU took a 10-point lead early in the second quarter. Damian Ramos had a 28-yard field goal and Daniels added an 85-yard touchdown run, the longest in LSU history for a quarterback, to make it 17-7.

“Usually those guys tire out,” Kelly said of his quarterback’s long run. “Smokey the Bear usually jumps on his back at about 30 yards and lactic acid kicks in and they are gone. [Jayden] kept going. He’s a phenomenal athlete. He’s the best playmaker in the country. I’ve watched them all.

“You can say whatever you want, we are 7-3 and whoever else is undefeated. That doesn’t mean anything. What matters is who is the best player, and he is the best player. A night like tonight kind of solidifies that.”

Both teams scored on their opening possessions. LSU took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Josh Williams to cap a 7-play, 75-yard drive.

Florida answered, going 75 yards in 8 plays, tying the game at 7 when Mertz found Eugene Wilson III for a 9-yard touchdown.

Etienne led the Gators, rushing for 99 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries.

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Cristobal: QB Beck cleared for summer workouts

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Cristobal: QB Beck cleared for summer workouts

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — Miami coach Mario Cristobal said Monday that quarterback Carson Beck has been cleared to participate in all team summer activities and is approaching 100 percent following elbow surgery last year.

Cristobal said Beck has been throwing for the past three weeks as part of his rehab regimen. Beck missed all of spring practice and has yet to throw to Miami’s receivers as part of organized team activities. But that is all about to change when Miami begins summer workouts next week.

“He’s good to go,” Cristobal told ESPN at the ACC spring meetings. “He’s exceeding every benchmark.”

Beck underwent surgery on his right elbow to repair his ulnar collateral ligament, which he injured on the final play of the first half in second-ranked Georgia‘s 22-19 overtime win against Texas in the SEC championship game Dec. 7.

Beck started at Georgia for two seasons, going 24-3, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had him rated as the No. 5 quarterback for the 2025 draft. But given his injury and inconsistent performance in 2024, Beck entered the portal in January. He quickly opted for Miami, where he will replace No. 1 NFL draft pick Cam Ward.

Beck threw for 7,426 yards over his two seasons as Georgia’s starter, fifth most among all FBS passers since 2023, with 57 total touchdowns and 23 turnovers.

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Canes LB Hayes out of hospital after tragic crash

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Canes LB Hayes out of hospital after tragic crash

Miami Hurricanes linebacker Adarius Hayes, who was one of the drivers in a two-vehicle crash that left three people dead and at least two others injured, has been released from the hospital, the university said Monday.

The three people who died as a result of the crash were all in a Kia Soul, which collided with a Dodge Durango being driven by Hayes on Saturday afternoon in Largo, Florida, police said.

A 78-year-old woman who was driving the Kia and two of her passengers — 10-year-old Jabari Elijah Solomon and 4-year-old Charlie Herbert Solomon Riveria — died in the crash, police said. Another passenger in the Kia was hospitalized with serious injuries, police said.

No tickets or criminal charges have been filed, though the investigation is continuing.

“We are deeply saddened to learn the crash resulted in three fatalities, as confirmed by Largo Police, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those lost,” the Hurricanes said in a statement.

The school is still working to gather further information.

“There were no signs of impairment with either driver of the vehicles,” Largo Police public information officer Megan Santo said in a statement distributed Sunday.

Hayes, a four-star recruit coming out of Largo High, played in 12 games for the Hurricanes as a freshman in 2024, mostly on special teams. He finished the season with four tackles and one interception, which he returned 25 yards in Miami’s 56-9 victory over Florida A&M on Sept. 7.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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NCAA prez is open to Trump’s idea of commission

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NCAA prez is open to Trump's idea of commission

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — NCAA president Charlie Baker said Monday he was “up for anything” when asked about a President Donald Trump-proposed commission on collegiate athletics.

Reports surfaced last week that Trump was going to create the commission.

While his conversations at ACC meetings with league football coaches, men’s and women’s basketball coaches, athletic directors and other school officials focused on governance and the pending House settlement, Baker was asked during an informal media availability for his thoughts on the presidential commission.

“I think the fact that there’s an interest on the executive side on this, I think it speaks to the fact that everybody is paying a lot of attention right now to what’s going on in college sports,” Baker said.

“I’m up for anything that can help us get somewhere.”

Baker noted the NCAA has already spent time in Washington asking for congressional help that is focused on three big issues. Among the biggest: a patchwork of state laws that relate to how collegiate athletics work in individual states; and whether student-athletes should be considered employees.

“I think [Congress] can help us. I really do,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said during an interview with ACC Network. “We have been very bold in the desire for a national standard when it comes to name, image and likeness. We need to make sure that we have something that comes out of Washington that connects all 50 of the states because we’ve had a piecemeal project and it’s really undermined college sports. It’s been a race to the bottom. So that’s one. Two is we need some legal protection. We cannot sustain one legal case after another legal case after another legal case. A reaffirmation that these are student-athletes. Those three things to me will be very important to see if that can come out of the commission.”

Baker said, “People in our office have talked to folks who are working on this, but I don’t think they’ve decided the framework around who they want to put on.”

When asked whether he felt the creation of a commission would enhance the NCAA’s chances at legislative relief, Baker said, “I don’t have a crystal ball on that one. I don’t know. I do think, though, that it’s quite clear at this point that there are a lot of people interested in college sports, and we do need some help at some point to create some clarity around some of these issues in Washington. Creating clarity one lawsuit at a time is just a really bad way to try to move forward.”

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