LSU’s Harold Perkins has his personal ‘Jordan flu recreation’ vs. Arkansas

Freshman linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. had himself a historic day within the No. 7 LSU Tigers’ 13-10 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Perkins, a former five-star recruit, had eight tackles, 4 sacks and two compelled fumbles on Saturday. He sealed the win when he stripped Arkansas quarterback Cade Fortin and the fumble was recovered by LSU’s Mekhi Wingo.

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What made the efficiency extra spectacular was that Perkins did all of it whereas sick with the flu.

“He bought sick earlier than the sport,” LSU coach Brian Kelly mentioned after the sport. “He threw up as we had been going into our workforce assembly.”

Kelly invoked the “Jordan Flu Recreation” when he spoke to Perkins this morning. In Recreation 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan, whereas sick and dehydrated, scored 38 factors in 44 minutes to offer the Chicago Bulls a 3-2 sequence lead in opposition to the Utah Jazz en path to Chicago’s fifth NBA title.

“I mentioned, ‘Hey, you already know, MJ threw up when he had his best recreation,'” Kelly mentioned.

“[Perkins] mentioned, ‘Who’s MJ?'”

Whereas he won’t know of His Airness, Perkins put himself in elite firm along with his recreation in opposition to the Razorbacks.

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He tied LSU’s report for sacks in a recreation with Chuck Wiley who had 4 sacks in a recreation in 1995. In accordance with ESPN Stats and Info, no LSU participant has had three sacks and a compelled fumble in a recreation since not less than 2004.

With 4 sacks and two compelled fumbles, Perkins is simply the fourth FBS participant ever to have that stat line and the primary to do it in a Energy 5 recreation since Chase Younger did it with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2019. Younger’s efficiency got here in his All-American junior season earlier than changing into the No. 2 general draft decide within the 2020 NFL draft.

One other reminder that Perkins is only a freshman.