Perrilloux goes from backup to MVP

ATLANTA - The game was over and done with and LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux was headed onto the podium to accept the Most Valuable Player award.

But Les Miles wasn’t going to let one more chance to coach fall by the wayside.

Before the enigmatic and unquestionably talented Perrilloux could reach for the proof of his shining moment, Miles grabbed him in a bear hug and whispered in his ear for several seconds.

“I told him that it’s doing things right that makes the difference,” Miles said of the moment he shared with Perrilloux after LSU secured a 21-14 triumph against Tennessee in the SEC championship game. “It’s competing and going to class and doing things right that will keep him in this position. Nothing else.”

Nothing else. On this night, that’s all that mattered for Perrilloux.

Not the off-the-field trouble or the cocky brashness that preceded his arrival or the questions about if he was really good enough to be an SEC quarterback.

Perrilloux wasn’t perfect, but he was close enough. He threw for 243 yards on 20-of-30 passing and provided enough of a threat with his legs to keep the Vols’ defense on its heels.

His one major gaffe — an interception near midfield when Perrilloux seemed to be heav-ing the ball out of desperation — didn’t hurt LSU and he shrugged it off. In fact, the throw was affected when he cut a finger on his throwing hand that required a few stitches.

When the Tigers coaches were conservative in the first half and played things close to the vest, he stayed patient and didn’t try to improvise.

“The adrenaline definitely was flowing, but the coaches, they just stayed calm, we prepared well, I felt like I prepared well, and we just came out and just executed,” Perrilloux said. “I just did whatever Coach asked me to do.”

At halftime, offensive coordinator Gary Crowton loosened the reins a little, and Perrilloux responded. He uncorked a 48-yard pass to Brandon LaFell on a play when he juked an oncoming rusher and slid into a crevice of open space just long enough to reestablish eye contact with LaFell, who was loping down the middle of the field on a deep post pattern.

With that play provided a jolt of momentum, Perrilloux pumped a right-on-the-money 27-yard touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd three plays later to put LSU ahead 13-7.

“When he breaks the pocket like that, he always keeps his head up and that’s why I kept running hard because he’s always got a chance to make a big play happen,” LaFell said.

“I told him before the game, either we’re going to win and you’ll be the MVP or we’ll lose and you’ll still be the MVP. He was rushing things a lot early on and we had to slow him down and get him to calm down.”

It likely helped that Perrilloux didn’t have to wonder what his role was in the title game.

Fifth-year senior and regular starter Matt Flynn suffered a shoulder injury on Nov. 23 in a 50-48 triple-overtime loss to Arkansas and took very few snaps all week.

Crowton set the stage for Perrilloux on Sunday and the Tigers prepared all week with him as the starter. Miles was steadfast that Flynn would play if he could, but when he wasn’t able to throw with much zip in pregame workouts Saturday, the final decision was made.

“Coach always prepares each player like they’re going to play,” Perrilloux said. “We just tried to execute the game plan that was at hand and get the victory, and basically it was a team effort as far as us just coming out and executing on all three phases.”

Team effort indeed. But it took a special effort from a maligned quarterback to make the offense click to the tune of 464 total yards. Perrilloux completed passes to nine different receivers.

“Ryan was a great quarterback (Saturday) and everybody got a chance to see it,” said Byrd, who led the Tigers with 72 receiving yards. “I’m happy he got a chance to show what he can do, and he picked the biggest stage to show the world.”