Russell Bruce
September 22, 2009
Zenobia Barrow
September 24, 2009
Saturday is homecoming for the Nicholls Colonels. It also marks a return of sorts for one of their opponents.
Prior to last season, Ryan Perrilloux was expected to take the reins of the LSU Tigers and help defend their National Championship trophy with the graduation of Matt Flynn.
But after the Louisiana native experienced off-the-field troubles, LSU head coach Les Miles dismissed the highly touted quarterback from his team.
Nearly two years after he last set foot on a Bayou State football field, the senior returns to lead the Jacksonville State Gamecocks against Nicholls.
“I’m looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd, my family and friends,” Perrilloux said via teleconference. “It’s going to be a great feeling to be back down south in the Louisiana atmosphere. I’m just honored to have that chance to go back.”
While the Reserve native’s career has been scrutinized, he admitted it’s taught him a lot about life. Perrilloux said he has no ill feelings toward LSU. In fact, he still wears his purple and gold wristbands on campus.
Perrilloux said he lives a quieter campus life, spending down time with his girlfriend, Jerealle Blanks, and his 1-year-old daughter, Ryleigh.
“Hopefully, (the fans will be) there to support me,” he said. “It’s been two years. I can’t change anything that happened in the past, all I can do is move forward. I’ve matured a lot and I learned that as long as I continue to put God first and do good things, good things will happen to me.”
Jacksonville State head coach Jack Crowe is 2-1 against the Colonels. His team leads the series 8-6. Nicholls’ got its lone 14-6 win in 2002.
“Those guys love playing,” the coach said. “It’s a very physical mentality down there. We had some experience against a form of the option against Georgia Tech, but Nicholls has a lot more physical version of it. We’re looking forward to what should be a fun game.”
As for his quarterback, the coach said he is thrilled Perrilloux has the opportunity to return home.
“He’s the most fierce competitor I have ever been around,” Crowe said. “I’ve been around the ACC, SEC and great football players on great football teams. He loves the game. He can’t practice long enough. He is constantly challenging the game plan. I have never seen a player play through injuries like this guy has. There’s a reason why every coach says he was a coach pleaser.”
So far this season, Perrilloux has shined, going 25-for-49 for 506 yards, throwing for four touchdowns with no interceptions in the two games he’s played this season.
He has also rushed for 110 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Nicholls head coach Jay Thomas said he is expecting his defense to be in for a dogfight.
Even in the loss to Louisiana Tech last week, the coach believes his team prospered.
“I feel like we grew up and matured in a lot of areas Saturday, but we still have some things to clean up,” he said. “We played some smart fundamental football in the first half of that game, and we are starting to see our younger players mature.
“We just hope we can carry that over into this Saturday,” he added.
Thomas said he is again stressing to his players the importance of winning at home, but especially emerging victorious during one of the biggest games of the season.
The Gamecocks enter Saturday’s showdown 1-2. They opened the season with a 37-17 loss to Georgia Tech followed by a 19-9 loss to Florida State.
Their only win came last week against Alabama A & M 45-13.
The Colonels also enter the game 1-2 after falling to the Bulldogs 45-13 this past weekend.
They opened the season with a 72-0 thrashing by Air Force before winning their home opener 14-7 the following weekend against Duquense.
Former LSU and current Jacksonville State quarterback Ryan Perrilloux returns to his home state Saturday for the first time since being dismissed from the Tigers two years ago. The Gamecocks will face the Nicholls Colonels. It will be a homecoming for Perrilloux and the Colonels. * Photo courtesy of STEVE LATHAM
