GeauxTo
01-15-2007, 05:36 PM
Glenn Guilbeau: Losing Russell ensures QB derby for LSU
January 15, 2007
BATON ROUGE -- Funny, a year ago today the LSU world was clamoring for Matt Flynn to be the starting quarterback.
Some could not understand why anyone would think otherwise. Others thought Ryan Perrilloux should be given a chance immediately. And if one of these things did not happen and happen soon, Flynn or Perrilloux or both would transfer. Egad!
Flynn was coming off a very good game. He was the most valuable player in the Peach Bowl, which he started because JaMarcus Russell injured his shoulder in the Southeastern Conference championship game. Russell, if you believed the LSU fans and radio shows at the time, had also flunked out and chose not to go to the Peach Bowl because he wasn't a team player.
Flynn completed 13 of 22 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers' 40-3 win over Miami. His 51-yard touchdown toss to Craig Davis for a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter was a huge play.
In truth, tailback Joseph Addai should have been the MVP after gaining 130 yards on 24 carries. His running set up Flynn's passing, which early on suffered. If not Addai, the MVP could have gone to the offensive line, which provided for 272 yards of rushing.
Addai and that line were healthy for the first time since mid-season, and for the first time since mid-season LSU had more dangerous options than just the quarterback.
But some emotional reporters caught up in the moment and the novelty of a new quarterback and the fact that they just liked Flynn voted for Flynn. Some of these same reporters believed there would be a "quarterback derby" between Flynn, Russell and Perrilloux and kept believing and writing that through the summer.
A host of a nightly SEC radio show said he couldn't see how Russell could be one of the preseason All-SEC quarterbacks because he wasn't sure if Russell was the best quarterback at LSU. Never mind that Russell had the second best pass efficiency rating of the returning SEC quarterbacks, and Russell did that with strained tendons in his right wrist for the last half the season that were completely shredded by the season's end. Florida's Chris Leak and Auburn's Brandon Cox were the All-SEC picks over Russell.
I love to say I told you so. So, I told you so.
There was never a quarterback derby. In fact, Russell has been the clear starter since Marcus Randall finished playing in the third quarter of the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1, 2005. Despite all the stories and radio talk, Russell was never threatened. LSU coach Les Miles never even saw fit to name Russell the starter going into the 2006 season despite the persistence of one Flynn-on-the-brain reporter. Miles' reasoning? Tony Dungy has never named Peyton Manning his starter, either.
It's a year later and suddenly Russell has passed Flynn, Perrilloux, Cox, Leak, Brady Quinn and Troy Smith and has surprisingly similar numbers to Drew Brees, who has two great tailbacks to help him as opposed to none. Can I have my Heisman vote back, please?
I saw Quinn and Smith play in the postseason. I'm not impressed. Russell had his bad games at Auburn and especially at Florida, but he's better than those two.
Russell may actually be the first player picked in the NFL Draft "" not just the first quarterback "" but the first player.
Anybody out there still think Flynn's better? Will LSU even have Perrilloux next season? Perrilloux's status at the moment is uncertain depending upon his role "" or lack therof "" in a counterfeiting scheme. Actually, Flynn is a talented quarterback and may prove to be a good starting quarterback for LSU, but watch Perrilloux overtake him if he's still around. There may actually be a quarterback derby this time.
January 15, 2007
BATON ROUGE -- Funny, a year ago today the LSU world was clamoring for Matt Flynn to be the starting quarterback.
Some could not understand why anyone would think otherwise. Others thought Ryan Perrilloux should be given a chance immediately. And if one of these things did not happen and happen soon, Flynn or Perrilloux or both would transfer. Egad!
Flynn was coming off a very good game. He was the most valuable player in the Peach Bowl, which he started because JaMarcus Russell injured his shoulder in the Southeastern Conference championship game. Russell, if you believed the LSU fans and radio shows at the time, had also flunked out and chose not to go to the Peach Bowl because he wasn't a team player.
Flynn completed 13 of 22 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers' 40-3 win over Miami. His 51-yard touchdown toss to Craig Davis for a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter was a huge play.
In truth, tailback Joseph Addai should have been the MVP after gaining 130 yards on 24 carries. His running set up Flynn's passing, which early on suffered. If not Addai, the MVP could have gone to the offensive line, which provided for 272 yards of rushing.
Addai and that line were healthy for the first time since mid-season, and for the first time since mid-season LSU had more dangerous options than just the quarterback.
But some emotional reporters caught up in the moment and the novelty of a new quarterback and the fact that they just liked Flynn voted for Flynn. Some of these same reporters believed there would be a "quarterback derby" between Flynn, Russell and Perrilloux and kept believing and writing that through the summer.
A host of a nightly SEC radio show said he couldn't see how Russell could be one of the preseason All-SEC quarterbacks because he wasn't sure if Russell was the best quarterback at LSU. Never mind that Russell had the second best pass efficiency rating of the returning SEC quarterbacks, and Russell did that with strained tendons in his right wrist for the last half the season that were completely shredded by the season's end. Florida's Chris Leak and Auburn's Brandon Cox were the All-SEC picks over Russell.
I love to say I told you so. So, I told you so.
There was never a quarterback derby. In fact, Russell has been the clear starter since Marcus Randall finished playing in the third quarter of the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1, 2005. Despite all the stories and radio talk, Russell was never threatened. LSU coach Les Miles never even saw fit to name Russell the starter going into the 2006 season despite the persistence of one Flynn-on-the-brain reporter. Miles' reasoning? Tony Dungy has never named Peyton Manning his starter, either.
It's a year later and suddenly Russell has passed Flynn, Perrilloux, Cox, Leak, Brady Quinn and Troy Smith and has surprisingly similar numbers to Drew Brees, who has two great tailbacks to help him as opposed to none. Can I have my Heisman vote back, please?
I saw Quinn and Smith play in the postseason. I'm not impressed. Russell had his bad games at Auburn and especially at Florida, but he's better than those two.
Russell may actually be the first player picked in the NFL Draft "" not just the first quarterback "" but the first player.
Anybody out there still think Flynn's better? Will LSU even have Perrilloux next season? Perrilloux's status at the moment is uncertain depending upon his role "" or lack therof "" in a counterfeiting scheme. Actually, Flynn is a talented quarterback and may prove to be a good starting quarterback for LSU, but watch Perrilloux overtake him if he's still around. There may actually be a quarterback derby this time.