LSU Tigers Football - Famous Moments in LSU Football History

Famous Moments in LSU Football History

• 2012 - "BCS National Championship Game"-For the first time in BCS National Championship history, two SEC teams, the #1 LSU Tigers and the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide, faced each other in the National Championship Game. Alabama won the game, 21-0. The SEC-only title game added impetus to the push for a national playoff system and hastened the death of the BCS system as implemented up to that time.
• 2011 - "The Game of the Century" - The ninth regulation game of the season for LSU found the #1 nationally ranked Tigers against the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide in a match called the "Game of the Century" or the "Matchup of the Year". Both teams were undefeated and both teams were coming off a bye week; viewed as important to the BCS Championship game as the "inside track" by many sportswriters, the press built up the game in a Super Bowl-style atmosphere. Ultimately, the game came down to field position and a series of field goals as the top-ranked defense of both teams prevented any touchdowns. Alabama missed three field goals and a fourth was blocked during regulation, leading to a 6-6 tie heading into overtime. On the first possession of OT, Alabama again missed a field goal from 52 yards out, only to watch LSU earn the win on the next possession with a chip-shot field goal. As a result, it's the second-lowest scoring matchup between #1 and #2 teams in the history of the NCAA, with a 9-6 decision.
• 2010 – Last Ditch in Death Valley – In the 5th game of the 2010 season, undefeated #12 LSU trailed the Volunteers 14 – 10 with 0:04 left on the clock and the ball spotted on the Tennessee 2 yard line. On 3rd & Goal, after a failed QB sneak attempt and with time disappearing off the clock, LSU attempted to send in several players for a substitution package. Seeing that the time was about to expire, Center T-Bob Hebert snapped the ball before Jefferson was ready, the ball was fumbled, Jefferson was tackled, and the clock expired. On further review, Tennessee was penalized half the distance to the goalline for illegal participation. Amid the confusion in the waning seconds, Tennessee coaches sent 4 players onto the field when they saw LSU make a substitution. Only 2 players then left the field, leaving the Vols with 13 players lined up on defense. Due to the penalty, LSU got the ball back for a single untimed play on the 1 yard line. With their last play, LSU's Stevan Ridley received the toss sweep, charging forward, only to be hit near the line of scrimmage, but continued to drive forward through two Tennessee defenders and into the endzone for the game winning score – final score LSU 16, Tennessee 14.

• 2008 – The Comeback – The Tigers trailed in a makeup game from Hurricane Gustav 31–3 midway through the third quarter against Troy. The Bayou Bengals came back with 37 consecutive points and rallied to win 40–31.
• 2008 – 2008 BCS National Championship Game – #2 LSU defeats #1 Ohio State University in the BCS national championship 38–24, becoming the first school to win two BCS national championship titles and improving their BCS record to 4–0, the best of any team. They also became the first two loss team to ever play in the BCS national championship.
• 2007 – The Greatest Game Ever Played – #2 LSU played what was hyped as one of the most important games of the 2007 season against #9 Florida. The game is also known for the LSU students leaving thousands of messages on the phone of Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow, prompting him to give a "telephone" hand gesture to the LSU student section following an early touchdown. Florida began the fourth quarter with a 24–14 lead, but behind solid defense and being a perfect 5 for 5 on fourth down conversions, the Tigers were able to take the lead 28–24 with 1:06 left in the game after a Jacob Hester touchdown to defeat the Gators.
• 2006 – LSU vs Tennessee – QB JaMarcus Russell completes a touchdown pass to WR Early Doucet with 9 seconds to go to beat Tennessee in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville after a breakout performance by Tennessee backup QB Jonathan Crompton.
• 2004 – Sugar Bowl – LSU becomes the BCS national champion by defeating Oklahoma 21–14.
• 2002 – "The Bluegrass Miracle" – #16 LSU survived an upset bid from unranked Kentucky by winning the game 33–30 on a miraculous 75-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired. Kentucky fans, believing they had won, had already rushed the field and torn down one goal post.
• 2001 – SEC Championship Game – #21 LSU staged an upset victory over #2 Tennessee, winning 31–20. The victory earned LSU a spot in its first Sugar Bowl since 1986, and knocked the Volunteers out of national title contention.
• 2000 – Goodbye Goalposts - In head coach Nick Saban's first season, LSU returned to national prominence by beating #11 Tennessee in overtime 38-31 on ESPN after which the goal posts were torn down for only the 2nd time in the history of Tiger Stadium. The victory over Tennessee also marked the first time that LSU played in an overtime game at home. And just a few weeks, later the goals posts were again ripped down as LSU beat Alabama 30-28 on CBS in Baton Rouge for the first time in 31 years. This was the 3rd and final time that the goal posts came down in Death Valley.
• 1997 – #1 Ranked Florida Taken Down by LSU – After nine straight losses to Steve Spurrier-led Florida, #14 LSU shocked the #1-ranked defending national champion Gators 28–21 in Tiger Stadium, making the cover of Sports Illustrated. It was the first time LSU beat a #1 ranked team and the first time the goalposts were ever torn down in Tiger Stadium.
• 1995 – Bring Back The Magic Game – Wearing its white jerseys at home in Tiger Stadium for the first time since 1982, LSU upset #5 Auburn, winning the game 12–6 as LSU DB Troy Twillie intercepted Auburn QB Patrick Nix's 11-yard pass into the end zone with no time remaining. This game marked a return to national significance in head coach Gerry DiNardo's first season.
• 1988 – "The Earthquake Game" – Unranked LSU staged a near literal earth-shattering upset victory over #4 Auburn in Tiger Stadium, winning the game 7–6 with 1:41 remaining on a TD pass from QB Tommy Hodson to TB Eddie Fuller. The reaction of the crowd was so immense that it registered as an earthquake on a seismograph in LSU’s Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex.
• 1982 – Shut-down of Bear Bryant's last offense – LSU defeated Alabama 20–10 in Birmingham during Bear's last game against LSU. Bear retired a month later, at end of season, {& died two months later} but during his post-game interviews, Coach Bryant acknowledged LSU's defense as being so impressive as for him to call that game "an old-fashioned butt-whipping" after LSU's Defense had held 'Bama to just 80-yards of total offense, lowest offensive production in 'Bama history. Later that week, LSU's defensive front seven of Melancon & Joiner {OLB}, Marshall, Elko & Dardar {DL}, Richardson & Williams {ILB} were named "AP Sportswriters' Defensive Player of the Week", first time an entire front-seven unit was so named. The LSU Secondary of Britt, Hobley, Dale & Clark were instrumental in the shutdown but were not included in the AP honor {why not AP?}.
• 1972 – Jones to Davis - "The Night The Clock Stopped" – #6 LSU survived an upset bid from unranked Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium by winning the game on a TD pass from QB Bert Jones to RB Brad Davis. Ole Miss fans say the 1972 contest featured a few seconds of free football. The Tigers trailed the Rebels 16–10 with four seconds to play. After a lengthy incompletion by Jones, the game clock still showed one second remaining. The Tigers used the precious second to win the game on the "last play," 17–16. A song was written to commemorate the game, called "One Second Blues", (track #11) which is featured on the CD "Hey Fightin' Tigers". The alleged home-clock advantage inspired a sign at the Louisiana state line (as you left Mississippi) reading, "You are now entering Louisiana. Set your clocks back four seconds." For that year, the Ole Miss yearbook reported the score for the game as "Ole Miss 16, LSU 10 + 7 ".
• 1966 – Cotton Bowl Classic – Unranked LSU upset #2 Arkansas, winning the game 14–7 and snapping Arkansas' 22-game winning streak.
• 1960 – Sugar Bowl – On Jan 1, 1960, one of the most anticipated rematches in college football history took place. This game, however, would not be the classic that transpired only weeks before. (When LSU upset the Rebels 7-3 in Baton Rouge) Ole Miss dominated the game from start to finish and came away with a decisive 21-0 win over the Tigers. LSU finished the season having only given up 29 points. While the Rebels only allowed their opponents 21 points the entire year. No one team scored on Ole Miss' first team defense.
  • TEAM STATS: First Downs OLE MISS 19 LSU 6, Rushing OLE MISS 51-140 LSU 32-(-15), Passing OLE MISS 15-27-2 LSU 9-25-1, Passing Yards OLE MISS 223 LSU 89, Total Offense OLE MISS 78-363 LSU 57-74, Punting OLE MISS 6-37.5 LSU 12-34.3, Fumbles-Lost OLE MISS 4-2 LSU 2-0 Penalties-YDS OLE MISS 7-65 LSU 4-30
• 1959 – Billy Cannon's Halloween Night Run – Late in the game between #1 LSU and #3 Ole Miss, LSU was trailing 3–0. Then Billy Cannon returned a punt 89 yards for a TD, breaking seven tackles. The Rebels then drove down the field but were stopped on the LSU 1 yard line as the game ended resulting in a 7–3 victory for LSU in Tiger Stadium.
• 1959 – Sugar Bowl – #1 LSU wins the 1958 national championship, beating #12 Clemson 7–0. The only score was a pass from Billy Cannon to freshman Mickey Mangham, one of the smallest players on the team. The game was played at the old Tulane University stadium in New Orleans.
• October 3, 1931 - LSU Plays very first night game in Tiger Stadium.
• November 25, 1924 - First Game played at Tiger Stadium.
• 1914 - LSU's largest loss margin came on October 31, 1914 in a game against Texas A&M in Dallas, Texas. The final score was Texas A&M 63, LSU 9.
• 1908 - LSU 10-0 Doc Fenton leads LSU to its very first National Championship. This National Championship title, awarded by the National Championship Foundation, is not claimed by LSU. This season also lead to an SIAA football co-championship. LSU's largest ever margin of victory (to date) came against Baylor University in a home game for LSU at State Field on November 10, 1908 in Baton Rouge. The final score was LSU 89, Baylor 0.
• October 26, 1895 - LSU 1st Win in Baton Rouge.
• 'November 30, 1894 - LSU achieves its first victory in a football game. LSU beats Natchez AC 26-0. Samuel Marmaduke Dinwidie Clark has the honor of scoring the very first touchdown in LSU history.
• November 25, 1893 - LSU plays first football game in school history.