PERRILLOUX 'BEAT UP': The Associated press reported Sunday that LSU backup quarterback Ryan Perriloux was "beat up" during an altercation at a Baton Rouge nightclub.
Attorney Nathan Fisher said Perrilloux called him early Friday morning to ask him whether he should press charges. The attorney said he advised the quarterback not to do so.
"My understanding is he got beat up," Fisher told The Advocate of Baton Rouge. "I'm confident after listening to what he said that he's innocent of any wrongdoing."
Perrilloux was at the Varsity Theater, just off the LSU campus, Thursday night with friends, including several LSU football players
SAINTS
The Saints are back!
With their second West Coast victory in three weeks, the Saints (3-4) are back in the NFC South pennant race because quarterback Drew Brees got hot when his team needed him most. They are within one game of the division lead.
Brees was back on target in a 31-10 route of the 49ers on Sunday at MonsterPark and hit 31-of-39 passes for 339 yards and four touchdowns. The Saints had beaten Seattle two weeks ago.
In winning their third straight, the Saints jumped to a 24-0 lead with a steady offensive effort including catches by nine receivers and four scoring drives of longer than 72 yards.
Marques Colston, playing at 231 pounds this season, caught three touchdown passes and missed catching another two. He had 8 catches for 85 yards. Brees, behind an offensive line that is improving weekly, avoided a sack for the forth straight game.
Reggie Bush suffered bruised lower ribs late in the game, but gained 113 yards in three quarters. He rushed 10 times for 64 yards (6.4) and caught 7 passes for 49 yards. He continued to run out of bounds on certain plays which will enable to avoid hits that could take him out of games earlier. Backup running backs Aaron Stecker rushed for 35 yards on 12 carries and rookie Pierre Thomas carried three times for 9 yards. Thomas needs more carries as Bush's backup.
The Saints, who led the NFL in dropped passes with 22, entering this game, had several receivers on display. Redskins castoff David Patten had 5 catches for 109 yards, tight end Eric Johnson had 2 catches for 29 yards against his former team, Devery Henderson caught 2 passes for 23 yards, tight end Billy Miller caught 2 for 17, Terrance Copper 2 for 10 including a touchdown, Stecker was 2 for 4 and Lance Moore 1 for 10.
Brees orchestrated the victory and said his offense was fast-paced and very efficient. "We could have been better on third downs," said the quarterback, "but we didn't have that many third downs. Mostly it felt like a lot of first downs (26). Our defense did a good job, and you feed off each other." The Saints held the 49ers' Frank Gore to 41 rushing yards. He played on a sprained ankle. It was the fifth game of the season the Saints' defense held an opponent to under 100 yards rushing, winning football.
49ers quarterback Alex Smith, returning from a separated shoulder, also struggled. He had a painkilling shot before the game and took at beating because after the half because the Saints' defense was teeing off on him. He taped his collarbone down and finished the game. He was sacked twice.
Brees found Colston uncovered for the Saints' first touchdown with just 3:37 in. Copper's 2-yard TD pass capped a 91-yard drive midway through the second quarter, putting the Saints up 17-0.
"With the talent we have at receiver, you never know whose day it's going to be," said Colston after the game. "It was good to get our swagger back."
Saints defensive end Charles Grant suffered a sprained ankle in the first quarter, but returned after more taping.
The Saints return home this week to oppose the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2).
LSU RANKINGS
LSU STILL NO. 3: The week off didn't have any affect on LSU's standing in the BCS as the Tigers came in at No. 3 in this week's edition of the BCS.
The Tigers return to action on Saturday, traveling to to face No. 17-ranked Alabama. LSU goes into the game with a 7-1 over-all record while the Crimson Tide stands at 6-2. Each team is 4-1 in SEC play.
OhioState is No. 1 in the BCS with a .9756, followed by BostonCollege at No. 2 with a .9559 average. LSU holds the No. 3 spot with a .8879 average. ArizonaState and Oregon round out the top in the standings.
In this week's polls, LSU remained at No. 3 in all three major rankings--Associated Press, Harris Interactive and USA Today Coaches Poll. The Tigers trail top-ranked OhioState and BostonCollege in all three polls.
It's hard for a SEC team to go undefeated. OhioState and BostonCollege don't want to see LSU in the national championship game because the Tigers would be big favorites. True football fans believe LSU-OhioState would be the best game.
Soundbites...
JaMarcus Russell, Raiders rookie quarterback who hasn't played yet this season, on watching Vince Young quarterback the Titans: "I feel like if he (Young) can go out there and do it, I know deep down in my mind I can go out there as well. It's a matter of time before I get out there."
Verge Ausberry, LSU associate athletic director, a former Tigers linebacker, on not understanding the Tigers fans' mentality about Nick Saban: "Nick was our coach and he put LSU back in the national spotlight. And Les Miles picked it up from there and made it continue on. I have a lot of respect for Nick and what he did for our program. We were losing for about 10 years before he came here. Right now, Les Miles is my guy. And I want him to beat Nicks butt."
