LSU will be in the spotlight on Monday Night Football matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Commanders, and Tigers' fans might have a few debates during the game.
Which quarterback was better? Joe Burrow – who won the 2019 Heisman Trophy and led LSU to a 15-0 season and a national championship – likely will be the answer. Unless, of course, it's Jayden Daniels — the rookie who won the Heisman Trophy for LSU in 2023 with a ridiculous statistical season. This is a rare matchup between two Heisman Trophy winners from the same school. That adds an extra layer of intrigue to that Monday Night Football matchup.
Here is a closer look at Burrow and Daniels college stats, their Heisman Trophy seasons and what to expect in their Monday Night Football matchup.
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Did Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels play together at LSU?
This question is not as ridiculous as it first appears given the transfer portal and the number of seven-year quarterbacks in the FBS.
Burrow played at Ohio State for three seasons from 2015-17 before transferring to LSU ahead of the 2018 season. He was a two-year starter for the Tigers.
Daniels was a freshman at Arizona State in 2019 – when Burrow played his final season at LSU. Daniels played three seasons for the Sun Devils before transferring to LSU in 2022. He also was a two-year starter for the Tigers.
Joe Burrow vs. Jayden Daniels LSU stats
Who had the better two-year statistical run? Let's look at the statistics exclusively from their time with the Tigers.
Here is a look at their two-year totals at LSU:
| QB | COMP | ATT | PCT | YDS | TDS | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDS |
| Joe Burrow | 621 | 906 | 68.5% | 8,565 | 76 | 11 | 767 | 12 |
| Jayden Daniels | 502 | 715 | 70.2% | 6,725 | 57 | 7 | 2,019 | 21 |
Burrow's numbers improved dramatically in 2019 when LSU brought in passing game coordinator Joe Brady – now the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. The numbers are closer than expected, however, especially knowing that Daniels had a better two-year completion percentage and fewer interceptions under Brian Kelly.
Daniels 70.2% career completion percentage is a school record. Burrow owns the school career passing TDs record with 76. When you add up total yards between passing yards and rushing yards, Burrow has a 9,332-8,744 advantage on Daniels. Burrow accounted for 88 total TDs compared to Daniels at 78 total TDs.
Burrow was 25-3 as a starter for LSU. Daniels was 19-7 as the starter for the Tigers.
Joe Burrow's Heisman Trophy season
Burrow's 2019 season was one of the best individual seasons of all time. Burrow – with the help of receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase – led the Tigers to the national championship with a perfect season. He finished with a record 6,039 total yards of offense in 15 games.
Burrow set the single-season TD record with 60 TDs, which was broken two years later when Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe threw for 62 TDs. Burrow's single-season total of 5,671 yards ranks fourth all time, and he set multiple College Football Playoff records in the two-game stretch against Oklahoma and Clemson. Sporting News voted Burrow's year No. 2 as the greatest individual season of all time behind Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders' legendary 1988 season.
Joe Burrow 2019 stats at LSU
| YEAR | COMP | ATT | PCT | YDS | TDS | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDS |
| 2019 | 402 | 527 | 76.3% | 5,671 | 60 | 6 | 368 | 5 |
MORE: Why LSU wins the all-time CFP since 2000
Jayden Daniels' Heisman Trophy season
The Tigers went 10-3, but Daniels' remarkable accomplishments piled up throughout the 2023 season. He had a school-record 4,946 total yards of offense. That was 412.2 yards per game, which was slightly ahead of Burrow at 402.2 in 2022. Daniels played in 12 games that season and opted out of the Reliaquest Bowl against Wisconsin.
Daniels' signature game was in a 52-35 victory against Florida on Nov. 11, 2023. Daniels had 372 passing yards and 234 rushing yards – a total of 606 yards – and five total TDs against the Gators. That was another school record.
Daniels also had an impressive TD:INT ratio with 40 TDs and four interceptions. He had five games with at least four TD passes, and he finished with 50 total TDs. Between LSU and Arizona State, Daniels had 124 total TDs in his college career.
Jayden Daniels 2023 stats at LSU
| YEAR | COMP | ATT | PCT | YDS | TDS | INTs | RUSH YDS | TDS |
| 2023 | 236 | 327 | 72.2% | 3,812 | 40 | 4 | 1,134 | 10 |
Joe Burrow vs. Jayden Daniels: Who has edge on MNF?
The Bengals are a 7.5-point favorite on Monday Night Football despite an 0-2 record. Burrow is 1-1 on Monday Night Football. He led the Bengals to a 19-16 victory against the Los Angeles Rams on MNF in Week 3 last season. That came at home after a 0-2 start. Burrow has 422 passing yards, 2 TDs and no interceptions this season, and he has 24 rushing yards.
Daniels will make his first start on Monday Night Football. The Commanders have won their last three games on MNF. Daniels has 410 passing yards. He has not passed for a TD, but he also does not have an interception through two games. He does have 132 rushing yards and two TDs, and that makes the matchup against the Bengals interesting.
