Embattled former LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux made his debut in the Ohio Valley Conference on Saturday, playing quarterback for Jacksonville State University, the preseason favorite to win the OVC.
His debut was against Eastern Illinois University. While the Panthers aren't exactly Georgia or Auburn, they're no slouch as far as OVC or Division I Championship Subdivision teams go.
As a student at EIU, I saw Perrilloux's debut first-hand, and it was quite obvious early on that the troublesome quarterback looked like a man amongst boys playing in the OVC. EIU had beaten the Gamecocks each of the past three seasons and entered the game ranked No. 20 in the Nation in the Division I Championship Subdivision.
Perrilloux often looked like a "video game quarterback" against a usually very solid EIU defense. He would take the snap and if his first read wasn't open, he would scramble around until a receiver got open and hit him with a perfect pass. He dissected the Panthers' defense time and time again and beat them with both his arm and his feet.
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At one point in the first half, JSU was leading 7-0, and after driving from their own one-yard line, Perrilloux leaded the Gamecocks into Panther territory where after a failed option play, Jacksonville State faced a third-and-goal from the 17-yard line.
Perrilloux took the snap and rolled to his left, where he met Panthers' defensive end and OVC preseason defensive player of the year Pierre Walters.
Walters appeared to wrap up Perrilloux for a sack and third down stop. However, Perrilloux threw Walters aside, made a couple of moves, and scrambled to the end zone where he dove in for a touchdown, killing any momentum Eastern had.
It was more of the same for Perrilloux as the game progressed. He finished with a season-high 281 yards on 20-of-25 passing with a TD and rushed for two on the game. JSU took a 21-0 lead into halftime and held on for a 23-10 victory in a game that was not nearly as close as the score.
Perrilloux is clearly a difference-maker for the Gamecocks, who were projected to finish in the middle of the pack in the OVC until his arrival.
Watching him play makes one realize what a shame it was that he was so selfish at LSU. He reportedly missed several practices and team meetings during his time in Baton Rouge and got caught trying to use a fake ID in a casino, leading to his dismissal.
Fans only got to see a glimpse of his potential at LSU, several thrilling moments, including a performance in the SEC Championship Game last fall that earned him game MVP honors. Watching him play on Saturday was similar to seeing Daunte Culpepper at Central Florida years ago.
His off-the-field issues may make teams think twice about drafting him when his time in college is done, but he clearly has the skills.
As I said before, playing Eastern Illinois University is light-years different from playing in the SEC, but NFL scouts will see him shred OVC defenses for the next couple of years, and it's likely he will get an opportunity at some point down the road.
It's just a shame that we can't see him in the national spotlight anymore, because he's truly a special talent.
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about 1 month ago
Sometimes I think about what it would have been like if Ryan would have controlled his giant ego and stayed with the Tigers. He could have been one of the most dangerous weapons on a team already loaded with crazy talent. Though it's looking like we are not as deficient at that position as was once thought, I still wish that Perilloux would have stayed. He is a special talent and I hope that he cleans his attitude up and plays on Sundays in the future.
Btw, I think you missed out on my favorite Perilloux incident. After arriving to a campus bar well after it had closed one saturday night, he demanded that him and his friends get service. When he was refused service, he proceeded to make a huge deal out of it, threaten the people who worked there,called the manager "Osama", then got out of there before the cops showed up. Ryan was obviously looking out for all of us and a true hero in the war on terror lol. Woops, I almost forgot the incident that happened a week earlier where he was allegedly involved in a huge fight with local UFC fighters where one of our players got beaten to hell and guns were apparently drawn. O and the time he was being investigated by federal agents for counterfitting......
I think you see the pattern, I wish it was just him missing meetings...
about 1 month ago
O yeah, good read btw
about 1 month ago
First Cecil Collins, now Ryan.
What ever happened to Cecil, anyway?
Point made.
He'll always be a Hot Dog. Glad he's no longer a Tiger. Those guys have high standards. Standards that Ryan will never - ever- get close to.
about 1 month ago
Good stuff. Glad to see RIP finally getting his act together. He could have pulled a DIVA, and refused to go to a 2A school, but instead, sucked it up, and went.
If he graduates, his cred will go sky high with me. If he bails in his junior year, we'll know he never took school seriously in the first place.
Nice write-up
about 1 month ago
Ryan u are one of my favorite football player in the world.
Yours Truly
Joy Marie Triche
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