The case for Perrilloux

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By Cedric Meyer

How do you defend someone who has seemingly been given every opportunity in the world, plus a few extra, but continually finds a way to make the least of it? In Ryan Perrilloux’s case, it’s simple.

From purely a football perspective, there’s no denying LSU football took a step backwards by kicking the troubled quarterback off the team.

Despite his off-the-field issues, Perrilloux proved his worth under the lights. In the SEC Championship game against Tennessee, Perrilloux gave us what we thought was a glimpse of the future completing 20 of 30 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown pass. He was selected Most Valuable Player, and the win propelled LSU into the National Championship game. The player who was heralded as one of the top recruits in school history was blossoming before our very eyes.

Entering the 2008 season, the Tigers’ offense was shaping up to be one of the most explosive in the country. Behind one of the nation’s best offensive lines, the three headed monster of Keiland Williams, Charles Scott and Richard Murphy were set to be unleashed on the SEC.

With Perrilloux at the helm, Brandon Lafell and Demetrius Byrd hoped to form one of the nation’s most feared receiving tandems. And as witnessed in the National Championship game, tight end Richard Dickson showed that he could add a new dimension to an offense already oozing with talent.

Now the Tigers are left with uncertainty and liability, two words that ironically could fittingly describe Perrilloux.

Enter redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee and Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch, the two likely candidates to replace Perrilloux. The duo has as many combined starts as you, me and the hammered guy next to you in Tiger Stadium.

Neither of these names strike fear into SEC defensive coordinators. Because of their inexperience, teams will force Lee or Hatch to beat them by constantly putting eight and nine men in the box in order to compensate for the LSU’s powerful rushing attack. It’s not rocket science, but LSU’s opponents would be foolish to challenge anyone but Lee or Hatch.

Passing the ball could be a nightmare as I fully expect teams to relentlessly blitz the majority of next season. For some reason I can’t get the 2003 Georgia game out of my head. To refresh your memory, Georgia QB David Greene was injured for a few plays forcing a young D.J. Shockley into action. Shockley, who would turn out to be a pretty good college quarterback down the road, looked and played like a fish out of water. The LSU defense chewed him up and spit him out, and it only took Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt a series to realize Shockley had no business being on the field.

Quarterback and pitcher are regarded as the two most important positions in team sports. Both have the utmost influence during games in their respective sports. LSU not only had a quarterback, but to quote Les Miles a “damn strong” one at that, at least on the field. Simply put, with two minutes left in the fourth quarter down by six on the road in Gainesville, who would you want under center? Put aside all of the off-the-field issues that would have zero effect on this situation, and the answer should be painfully obvious.

Keep in mind that no National Title has ever been won with a team full of angels. The ramifications of losing a quarterback who has fought the fires of the SEC can not be overstated. With road games at Auburn, Florida and South Carolina looming, in addition to a home date with Georgia, a three or four loss season isn’t only possible but frighteningly realistic.

Originally Published: Issue 607 - May 6, 2008

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