Stanford's Ashton Daniels wins ACC QB of the Week for strong game vs. Louisville

Ashton Daniels' best game of the season comes at a great time as Stanford gets a massive momentum boost ahead of arguably its most important matchup of the season.

Nov 16, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images / Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

After enduring a long six game losing streak, the Stanford Cardinal (3-7, 2-5 ACC) came out for their final home game on Saturday against Louisville with conviction. And in miraculous fashion, the Cardinal got exactly what they needed on a last second field goal, upsetting then ranked No. 19 Louisville and won the game 38-35.

While many will think of the last second kick from Emmet Kenney as being the moment of the game, the play of quarterback Ashton Daniels, and him setting up the victory did not go unnoticed as he earned ACC Quarterback of the Week honors for his big game.

In what was his best game of the season, and arguably one of the best games of his college career, Daniels completed 22 out of 33 of his passes (66.7%) for 298 yards and three touchdowns to only one interception. Daniels also added 22 carries for 34 yards on the ground.

“He was great in all phases,” head coach Troy Taylor said of Daniels’ performance against Louisville. “He played as well as he’s played since I’ve been here in terms of all facets of the game. He’s a really tough guy, so he runs with great physicality and desire. He took hits in the pocket and was able to come back and still maintain his progression and his eyes down field. And that’s really difficult to do because he was under a lot of pressure throughout the game but his mental toughness is what’s been really impressive about him.”

Daniels’ strong game comes at a good time, as prior to that outing, he had been struggling all season long. In the four weeks prior combined, Daniels only threw one touchdown pass while throwing two interceptions and had only thrown for 1,011 passing yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions prior to the game against Louisville. Now, heading into the final two weeks of the season, Daniels has passed for 1,309 yards with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Being the starting quarterback for a majority of the season, Daniels has also shared reps with Justin Lamson and Elijah Brown, with Lamson being used in short yardage/running situations and Brown being a guy who has been considered Daniels biggest competition for the starting job.

Brown, a former standout at Mater Dei High School, has had high expectations since joining the team ahead of spring practices and returning from an injury that he suffered in week two, has been a guy who the Cardinal have been looking to give reps and get him experience.

But Daniels’ experience has made him the guy in most cases this year and after a big game against Louisville, he now has even more confidence and momentum as he plays through the rest of the season. With a big game against Cal next on the docket, he will look to replicate his recent success and deliver the Cardinal their second straight win.