Jacksonville State's high-profile quarterback has played in big games and big stadiums, and he's even done it in the same big city. The LSU transfer leads the Football Championship Subdivision team into Atlanta to face Georgia Tech on Thursday night.
It's a fitting debut for Perrilloux, who is far more used to the limelight than most of his teammates. His last significant action with the defending national champions came when he was named MVP of the Southeastern Conference championship game last season in the same city, if a different stadium.
"That's a great opportunity,” Perrilloux said in a phone interview. "I'm used to playing in front of big crowds on big stages. Basically what I want to do is play hard and be disciplined and execute our gameplan. I think the team's ready. It's going to be a great opportunity for us to go out and show what we can do on a big stage.”
Largely due to Perrilloux's presence, the Gamecocks were picked to win the Ohio Valley Conference. That's still a long way from the Yellow Jackets' Atlantic Coast Conference, or from Perrilloux's old SEC.
Once the nation's top prep prospect, he is trying to start fresh after getting kicked off the LSU team for off-the-field problems, including skipping classes, missing a team meeting and getting caught trying to use a false ID to get into a Baton Rouge casino.
Perrilloux's first game at 55,000-seat Bobby Dodd Stadium won't exactly allow him time out of the spotlight. He faces plenty of scrutiny because of his past history and the expectations his arrival gave Jacksonville State fans.
Perrilloux showed the ability to run and make highlight-reel plays at LSU. He said there won't be any added pressure to force throws or make big plays out of nothing against a team that presumably has more depth and talent.
"The pressure is to go out and win. That's the pressure,” Perrilloux said. "I'm going to play within the system and play within the gameplan and try to make plays when the opportunities present themselves.”
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Jacksonville State University quarterback Ryan Perrilloux knows all about playing in big games. associated press
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