Andrew Hatch's parents better have been sitting down when he gave them the news.

"I'm transferring to LSU."

Nothing against Louisiana State, but he was transferring from Harvard.

A recent article in the Tiger Weekly school newspaper gives you an indication of how diametrically opposite the national championship football school from the deep South is from the renowned Ivy League school.

Under a headline: "Has LSU failed tradition?" the paper glumly reported that LSU lost its traditional place in the Princeton Review's list of top party schools.

The article did somewhat cheerily point out LSU was No. 8 in both least amount of studying and limited amount of class discussion.

What is even more improbable than the transfer is Hatch, whose last real action was with the Harvard JVs in 2005, is starting for the vaunted Tigers.

"I definitely appreciate the opportunity to be out here," he told me after LSU's opener against Appalachian State last Saturday. "The chance to play here is awesome. The chance to play here is something you can't pass up."

When asked to compare the schools he said diplomatically, "It's different. But you can't beat it. I love it."

Strangely enough, he's probably seeing more action for the defending national champions than he would be for the Division 1-AA Crimson.

Harvard boasts 6-foot-5 Chris Pizzotti of Reading, a fifth-year senior who is a returning All-Ivy Leaguer.

Hatch, a 22-year-old sophomore, turned in a steady if unspectacular performance last Saturday against reigning 1-AA champion Appalachian State (7 for 14 passing, 77 yards, 1 TD, 0 interceptions; 7 for 43 rushing) in a rare morning game in Death Valley. The traditional 7 p.m. kickoff was switched due to Hurricane Gustav.

Yesterday's game vs. Troy was canceled due to Gustav, but Hatch will have a fight on his hand to keep the job. Redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee, who threw 68 TD passes his final two years as a Texas schoolboy, was ranked the No. 7 quarterback in the country his senior year by Rivals.com.

And 6-foot-5 true freshman Jordan Jefferson of nearby Destrehan, La., may be the most talented of the bunch.

Still, the former Harvard JV player has held them off thus far.

Coach Les Miles was pleased with the 6-4, 224-pound Hatch, who was third string last fall.

"He had a couple nice scrambles," he said. "We could expect a little more (from both). It's a prelude to what they'll be."

Football fans can't question Hatch's unusual move because he's playing. But if Ryan Perrilloux, he of the $40 million arm and $2 brain, didn't finally force Miles to throw him off the team, Hatch would have been on the bench.

The Henderson, Nev., native made the decision to transfer when he hurt his knee while doing a two-year Mormon mission in Chile. He opted to walk-on to reunite with his friend Gary Crowton, the LSU offensive coordinator who had offered Hatch a scholarship to BYU. Hatch opted for Harvard, though, when Crowton was fired by BYU.

His charmed life in Louisiana began when he soon was given a scholarship by Miles.

Lee, who also saw considerable time vs. Appalachian State, admits he was never Ivy League material.

"I know nothing about the Ivy League," he said.

He knows a lot about Hatch and that's made a potentially contentious relationship a close one.

"We get along great," he said. "We have each other's backs. He's a great kid. We always golf."