LSU's starting QB? We'll find out Saturday

On paper, LSU's problems at quarterback are a huge advantage for Appalachian State, which plays the Tigers in Baton Rouge on Saturday.

Ryan Perrilloux, the expected starter, was booted off the team in May, and now any of three players could wind up with the job - pick one.

But the thing to keep in mind that while inexperienced, all three are national-caliber talents, far more highly recruited than the Mountaineers' marvelous quarterback, Armanti Edwards.

"They've got quarterbacks," said Appalachian coach Jerry Moore. "It's just a matter of which one they're going to play."

The candidates are Andrew Hatch, a sophomore transfer from Harvard; redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee; and true freshman Jordan Jefferson.

Lee might be the most talented of the bunch, but Hatch reminds some of Matt Flynn, who led the Bayou Bengals to the national crown last year.

LSU said it would not name a starter until Saturday, and Tigers coach Les Miles wasn't giving anything away in his weekly conference call.

"Our quarterbacks, I have great confidence in all three of them to be honest with you," he said. "I can’t tell you who will take the field first. I can tell you I’ll be comfortable with whoever that is. I would not be surprised if all three played at certain times."

The main reason it won't matter who starts all that much is that LSU has so much talent returning at other offensive positions.

"The great thing about a quarterback is it's news if you have a veteran team around him," Miles said. "Receivers that know where they're supposed to be, an offensive line that can give him protection, some guidance and veteran backs that know how to carry the football.

"We're going to ask him to do the things we need from the quarterback slot but not to do anything that they're not capable of doing."

- Stan Olson