The Florida State Seminoles dropped to 1-1 after a 27-24 loss to No. 19 SMU on Monday night. Not only did they lose, but quarterback Ashton Daniels didn't look good in this contest.
Daniels finished the game 12-of-23 for 125 passing yards and one passing touchdown. Completing just 53 percent of his throws is a negative, but Florida State's lack of success on third down was jarring. Against SMU, the Seminoles were 2-of-15.
Being that bad on money downs shows Daniels had problems moving the chains to keep the offense on the field and put up points. The best quarterbacks can convert critical third downs, and Daniels didn't look like one.
Ashton Daniels faces tough questions after Florida State's third-down mess
The competition will only increase as the season goes on. Even with Florida State's win over New Mexico State in Week 0, it wasn't a convincing one. And it didn't take long for the negative vibes to continue.
No matter how you slice it, Daniels was pitiful. Film is out on what he struggled with on third down for other teams to use, and rest assured, some of those looks will be thrown their way again. Aside from Florida State's lackluster third-down performance, Daniels hasn't looked good in either game.
Through two games, Daniels has gone 29-of-50 (58 percent) for 327 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He has also taken four sacks. Of course, everything doesn't fall on Daniels' shoulders, but he has been a part of the problem. And those issues have followed him throughout his college career.
Daniels is now 6-21 as a starter at Florida State, Auburn, and Stanford. While he is two games into his Seminoles tenure, those numbers don't help his case at all.
Daniels doesn't look smooth as a passer or comfortable in the pocket enough to instill a ton of confidence in him going forward. His track record being this shaky is another piece of evidence working against him.
Head coach Mike Norvell isn't in a position to sit back calmly and trot Daniels out there if he's not playing well. Norvell needs to win in order to keep his job, and based on the loss to SMU, the offense has a lot of room to grow.
Mike Norvell should at least consider a QB change
Malachi Marshall could be a name to keep an eye on. Despite getting a later start to his Seminoles career this spring, Marshall has impressed both his coaches and teammates. Norvell raved about his arm talent and his study habits this summer.
Not only were his words a positive endorsement for Marshall, but it goes to show the lack of hold Kevin Sperry had on the QB2 job. He's another QB recruit who has struggled to develop under Norvell. With his job on the line, would Norvell roll with Sperry over the new guy in Marshall? Doubt it.
Daniels is the QB1 for this group, but if he continues to play as he did against SMU, it'll only be a matter of time until he stays on the sideline and Florida State throws out another QB to see what they can do.
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