Weekend Watch List: Hatch's job? Just don't screw it up at LSU

Harvard coach Tim Murphy has been inundated by the media and Yale week is still months away. The subject: A junior varsity quarterback from 2005 who never saw the field for the Crimson.

"I've gotten a few calls," Murphy said.

Andrew Hatch's 'experience' might be the deciding factor for Les Miles. (US Presswire)

That's an understatement considering that once-faceless J.V. quarterback might be the face of LSU on Saturday, starting for the Tigers when they open defense of their 2007 national championship.

Actually, there isn't much choice for LSU coach Les Miles, who had withheld the name of his starter against Appalachian State at least through Friday. Andrew Hatch has the most "experience" among his quarterbacks -- two passes in mop-up duty last season.

What seems like a Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland movie from the 1940s (A Harvard Man in Dixie) is reality. If Hatch doesn't start, the sophomore will at least play -- a lot. His competition is redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee and true freshman Jordan Jefferson. Neither has played a snap.

"What people have to understand down in LSU is that the kid (Hatch) has never taken any legitimate snaps in a varsity game," Murphy said. "They've got to cut him a little bit of slack."

Doubtful at LSU, where it's all about the W's. Tiger baiters aren't going to let a little thing like quarterback slow their expectations. Excluding that position, the Tigers are solid-to-loaded at every other spot. Plus, it has won two national championships this decade with less-than-athletic quarterbacks (Matt Mauck and Matt Flynn).

Ryan Perrilloux was kicked off the team in the offseason, meaning the best quarterback on the field Saturday will likely be Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards. LSU fans are expecting the same walkover that Michigan fans did last season. But the Mountaineers aren't coming over to get a paycheck. The three-time defending I-AA national champions believe they can win, especially against an inexperienced quarterback.

"He's not going to embarrass himself," Murphy said of Hatch. "Like anything else, it's going to be different when they turn those lights on."

The entire Tiger Nation, then, can't wait for an answer to the ultimate question: Did Harvard have a I-A quarterback or does LSU have a Harvard J.V. quarterback?

"That's a fair question," said Murphy, who oversees the non-scholarship I-AA program.

"We've had a pretty good culture of evaluating and recruiting and developing quarterbacks. We probably don't have the wideouts, cornerbacks and running backs they have in the SEC, but we've had some really good quarterbacks. When Andrew was here, he was among some really good kids. We felt like he could be a I-A quarterback."

Harvard has had two quarterbacks play in the Hula Bowl all-star game since 2002. In 2005, Ryan Fitzpatrick was the first Ivy League quarterback to be drafted since 1984. He is currently a backup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Murphy said Neil Rose (2003) had an NFL free-agent offer but chose to enter private business where -- with a Harvard degree -- he could probably make more money. Current starter Chris Pizzotti is also a pro prospect.