Two former Auburn quarterbacks opened Week 0 in very different spots, but both left the first Saturday of the season with something to show for it.
Ashton Daniels and Florida State got on the field first, and the Seminoles were supposed to make quick work of New Mexico State as a 31-point favorite. Instead, the game turned into a much tighter test than most expected, even if FSU still walked away with a 17-point win. Daniels finished 17 of 27 for 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and he added eight carries for 30 yards and another score on the ground.
The interception came in the second quarter and drew boos from the Seminole crowd, a telling moment in a game that never really looked as comfortable as the spread suggested. That uneven showing immediately sparked plenty of reaction online about what Daniels and Florida State might be in for in 2026.
Daniels’ Auburn run last season was brief but productive enough to keep him in the conversation. In four games for the Tigers, he passed for 797 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 57.1 percent of his throws.
He also ran for 280 yards and two touchdowns. Before that, he spent three years at Stanford, where he totaled 3,986 passing yards with 21 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
Jackson Arnold’s day looked cleaner, even though UNLV came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard against Memphis. The Rebels lost a game that could matter when the College Football Playoff picture and the race among Group of Five teams start to take shape, but Arnold’s performance stood out. He threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns and completed 67.6 percent of his passes.
Backup Alex Orji was expected to see action, but head coach Dan Mullen kept Arnold in after UNLV jumped out to an early lead. Mullen has clearly had confidence in Arnold, and he also made it plain he didn’t understand what happened to him at Auburn.
“I didn’t understand what they were doing with him.”
Arnold’s Auburn stint never really got off the ground the way people hoped after his first two years at Oklahoma. He eventually lost the starting job, and the Tigers’ offense remained the clear issue. Across ten games, he finished with 1,309 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.
Auburn’s other quarterback situation for 2025 looks much quieter. Former five-star Deuce Knight transferred to Ole Miss in the offseason and is expected to develop behind Trinidad Chambliss after his strong showing against Mercer for the Tigers last season.
Now Daniels and Arnold head into next Saturday with momentum to build on, while Auburn and its new starter Byrum Brown are aiming to get rolling too.
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