Arizona State Football: 3 takeaways from Pac-12 takedown of Cal

1. Jayden Daniels came through in a big way again

Shifting back to the Arizona State offense, Jayden Daniels was as critical to Arizona State’s winning effort as Benjamin. The freshman came through for the Sun Devils on both the ground and through the air as the visitors pulled out the one-score win.

When throwing the ball, Daniels completed 14 of his 24 passes for 174 yards. While he did not throw an interception, the youngster did end up coughing away a fumble in the second half after taking a sack. Arizona State’s defense bailed him out by holding Cal to a field goal, and the Sun Devils were able to weather their one turnover of the day without too much damage

While Daniels never himself got into the end zone, his efforts helped balance Benjamin’s big day out of the backfield. When he opted to tuck the ball and run, the quarterback gained 84 yards on the ground on his 12 carries. Daniels had the longest run of the day by anyone on the field, busting off a 24-yard dash and adding another 15-yard carry along the way.

As he continues to develop, Daniels could evolve into one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the Pac-12 over the next few years. Already he has helped engineer several big wins this season, and there is a legitimate chance that Herm Edwards and his crew could break through and overtake the Trojans and Utes for the division crown.