If ever there was a blowout win, it was the LSU Tigers beating the Purdue Boilermakers 63-7 in the Citrus Bowl. It was a dominant performance on both offense and defense as LSU held the opposition scoreless till the final quarter. The Boilermakers could not get close to the level the Tigers played.
It was a happy outing for all LSU fans and college football fans who had the chance to marvel at the exceptional performance on display. However, there was always a shadow hanging over the game after star receiver Kayshon Boutte was declared unavailable for the Citrus Bowl.
He has chosen to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft despite earlier saying he would choose to forgo it and return for his senior year at LSU. This change of heart came after he was ruled out of the game.
Many have speculated that the reason for this change was due to a potential sex scandal that he and other members of the team were involved in. When the Tigers visited Atlanta earlier this season, apparently members of the coaching staff were also involved in the alleged fracas.
This was not something NFL fans on Twitter were willing to let go despite the phenomenal performance today. Here are some reactions:
One tweeted:
"Not the first time multiple LSU players and coaches have been in a bed.....amiright or amiright"
Did LSU Tigers force Boutte to enter NFL Draft?
Despite the win, there must be cause for concern for the university as fans chose to focus on the scandalous aspect of it than their blowout win. After all, LSU are a university and not a professional sports team, and incidences of discipline gone awry are the last thing they need.
Kayshon Boutte was supposed to enroll for the spring semester. There were reports that after the scandal where he was allegedly centrally involved, the university did not want him to return and remain with them.
After all, the Tigers chose to mark him unavailable, and coach Brian Kelly all but confirmed that it was not a nothingburger when asked. He said:
“Unavailable, as you know, means I can’t speak to some of the reasons behind it, or I would have been more specific."
So, there's a possibility that Boutte was left with no choice but to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft at such a late stage, as he realized that he did not have a future at the university. The alleged incident, if true, is a shame for the player and the team and a unwanted distraction from what was a phenomenal victory.
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