Jump to content

LSU Tigers football: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Line 126: Line 126:
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=black>year
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=black>year
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=hot pink>Division Championship
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=pink>Division Championship
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=yellow>SEC CG Result
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=yellow>SEC CG Result
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=neon pink>Opponent
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=neon pink>Opponent
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=white>PF
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=blue>PF
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=white>PA
!bgcolor="461D7C"| <font color=purple>PA
|- align="center"
|- align="center"
| 1996 || SEC West || '''N/A''' || Lost tiebreaker to [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] || N/A || N/A
| 1996 || SEC West || '''N/A''' || Lost tiebreaker to [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|Alabama]] || N/A || N/A

Revision as of 01:57, 29 March 2011

LSU Tigers
2010 LSU Tigers football team
First season1893
Head coach
6th season, 61–16 (.792)
StadiumTiger Stadium (LSU)
(capacity: 92,400)
Field surfaceGrass
LocationBaton Rouge, Louisiana
DivisionSEC Western Division (1992–resent)
Past conferencesIndependent (1893-1895)
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1896-1921)
Southern Conference (1922-1932)
All-time record709–387–47 (.641)
Bowl record23–19–1 (.547)
Claimed national titles3 (1958, 2003, 2007)
Conference titles13
Division titles7
Heisman winners1
Consensus All-Americans41
Current uniform
File:SEC-Uniform-LSU.png
ColorsPurple and Gold
   
Fight songFight for LSU
MascotMike the Tiger
Marching bandGolden Band from Tigerland
RivalsTulane Green Wave
Ole Miss Rebels
Auburn Tigers
Alabama Crimson Tide
Arkansas Razorbacks
Florida Gators
WebsiteLSUSports.com

The LSU Tigers football, a.k.a. Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, team represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. LSU entered the 2010 season with 709 victories, the 12th most in NCAA history, and the 4th most of any SEC team, behind only Alabama (792), Tennessee (783), and Georgia (731). LSU entered the 2010 season with a 0.641 all-time winning percentage, the 14th best in the NCAA, and the 4th best in the SEC, behind only Alabama (0.707), Tennessee (0.692), and Georgia (0.646). The LSU football team enjoyed recent success as they won the BCS National Championship in 2004 (2003 season) with a 21-14 win over Oklahoma in the Nokia Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, and victory in the 2008 (2007 season) BCS National Championship Game versus the Ohio State Buckeyes with a 38–24 score, thus becoming the first team since the advent of the BCS to win multiple BCS national titles.

Championships

National championships

The NCAA's website states that "the NCAA does not conduct a national championship in Division I-A football and is not involved in the selection process." It goes on to say that "a number of polling organizations provide a final ranking of Division I-A football teams at the end of each season." LSU officially claims three national championships (1958, 2003 & 2007); however, the school has been recognized as national champions by polling organizations on four additional occasions: 1908, 1935, 1936 and 1962.[1] (The NCAA officially changed the "I-A" designation to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2006.) In the 2007 season, LSU became the first Collegiate Football program to win the BCS National Championship Game twice and the second Collegiate Football program to win the National Collegiate Football Championship with multiple losses with a 12-2 record.

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl Result
1958 Paul Dietzel AP, Coaches 11-0 Sugar Bowl LSU 7, Clemson 0
2003 Nick Saban BCS, Coaches 13-1 Sugar Bowl LSU 21, Oklahoma 14
2007 Les Miles BCS, AP, Coaches 12-2 BCS National Title Game LSU 38, Ohio State 24
Total national championships: 3

Conference championships

LSU has won a total of 13 conference championships in three different conferences. Since becoming a founding member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1933, LSU has won ten conference championships, fourth most in the SEC.

Year Coach Conference Overall Record Conference Record
1896 Allen Jeardeau SIAA 6-0 3-0
1908 Edgar R. Wingard SIAA 10-0 2-0
1932 Biff Jones Southern 6-3-1 4-0
1935 Bernie Moore SEC 9-2-0 5-0
1936 Bernie Moore SEC 9-1-1 6-0
1958 Paul Dietzel SEC 11-0 6-0
1961 Paul Dietzel SEC 10-1 6-0
1970 Charles McClendon SEC 9-3 5-0
1986 Bill Arnsparger SEC 9-3 5-1
1988 Mike Archer SEC 10-1-1 6-1
2001 Nick Saban SEC 10-3 5-3
2003 Nick Saban SEC 13-1 7-1
2007 Les Miles SEC 12-2 6-2
Total conference championships: 13

Divisional championships

Since the SEC began divisional play in 1992, LSU has won or shared the SEC West title 7 times, and is 3-1 in the SEC Championship game.

year Division Championship SEC CG Result Opponent PF PA
1996 SEC West N/A Lost tiebreaker to Alabama N/A N/A
1997 SEC West N/A Lost tiebreaker to Auburn N/A N/A
2001 SEC West W Tennessee 31 20
2002 SEC West N/A Lost tiebreaker to Arkansas N/A N/A
2003 SEC West W Georgia 34 13
2005 SEC West L Georgia 14 34
2007 SEC West W Tennessee 21 14
Totals 7 3-1 - 100 81

All-time record vs. annual SEC opponents

School LSU Record Streak 1st Meeting
Alabama 24-45-5 Won 1 1895
Arkansas 34-19-2 Lost 1 1901
Auburn 24-20-1 Lost 1 1901
Florida 24-30-3 Won 1 1937
Ole Miss 56-39-4 Won 1 1894
Mississippi State 67-33-3 Won 10 1896

Current Coaching Staff

Name Position
Les Miles Head Coach
Steve Kragthorpe Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
John Chavis Defensive Coordinator
Thomas McGaughey Special Teams Coordinator
Frank Wilson Recruiting Coordinator/Running Backs Coach
Ron Cooper Defensive Backs Coach
Steve Ensminger Tight Ends Coach
Billy Gonzales Wide Receivers Coach/Passing Game Coordinator
Brick Haley Defensive Line Coach
Greg Studrawa Offensive Line Coach
Tommy Moffitt Strength and Conditioning Coordinator

LSU Football Coaches

Logos and uniforms

File:SEC-Uniform-LSU-Pro Combat-2009.png
Nike Pro Combat uniform worn against Arkansas for the Battle for the Golden Boot in 2009

LSU has worn nearly the same jerseys since the inception of the program. The team has sported the traditional gold helmet with purple face mask, with white and purple stripes down the center and team logo on the side. LSU's jerseys for home games are white with purple and gold stripes on the shoulder, with purple numbers. The team wears one style of pants, which are gold with white and purple trim.

Seasons

  • The Tigers did not field a team in 1918 due to World War I.

Bowl games

LSU has played in 42 bowl games, compiling a record of 22-19-1. Note that in the table below, the year references the season, and not the actual date the game was played.

Year Bowl Game Winner Loser Record
1907 Bacardi Bowl LSU 56 Havana University 0 1-0
1935 Sugar Bowl Texas Christian 3 LSU 2 1-1
1936 Sugar Bowl Santa Clara (CA) 21 LSU 14 1-2
1937 Sugar Bowl Santa Clara (CA) 6 LSU 0 1-3
1943 Orange Bowl LSU 19 Texas A&M 14 2-3
1946 Cotton Bowl Classic LSU 0 Arkansas 0 2-3-1
1949 Sugar Bowl Oklahoma 35 LSU 0 2-4-1
1958 Sugar Bowl (Title Game) LSU 7 Clemson 0 3-4-1
1959 Sugar Bowl Ole Miss 21 LSU 0 3-5-1
1961 Orange Bowl LSU 25 Colorado 7 4-5-1
1962 Cotton Bowl Classic LSU 13 Texas 0 5-5-1
1963 Bluebonnet Bowl Baylor 14 LSU 7 5-6-1
1964 Sugar Bowl LSU 13 Syracuse 10 6-6-1
1965 Cotton Bowl Classic LSU 14 Arkansas 7 7-6-1
1967 Sugar Bowl LSU 20 Wyoming 14 8-6-1
1968 Peach Bowl LSU 31 Florida State 27 9-6-1
1970 Orange Bowl Nebraska 17 LSU 12 9-7-1
1971 Sun Bowl LSU 35 Iowa State 15 10-7-1
1972 Bluebonnet Bowl Tennessee 24 LSU 17 10-8-1
1973 Orange Bowl Penn State 16 LSU 9 10-9-1
1977 Sun Bowl Stanford 24 LSU 17 10-10-1
1978 Liberty Bowl Missouri 20 LSU 15 10-11-1
1979 Tangerine Bowl LSU 34 Wake Forest 10 11-11-1
1982 Orange Bowl Nebraska 21 LSU 20 11-12-1
1984 Sugar Bowl Nebraska 28 LSU 10 11-13-1
1985 Liberty Bowl Baylor 21 LSU 7 11-14-1
1986 Sugar Bowl Nebraska 30 LSU 15 11-15-1
1987 Gator Bowl LSU 30 South Carolina 13 12-15-1
1988 Hall of Fame Bowl Syracuse 23 LSU 10 12-16-1
1995 Independence Bowl LSU 45 Michigan State 26 13-16-1
1996 Peach Bowl LSU 10 Clemson 7 14-16-1
1997 Independence Bowl LSU 27 Notre Dame 9 15-16-1
2000 Peach Bowl LSU 28 Georgia Tech 14 16-16-1
2001 Sugar Bowl LSU 47 Illinois 34 17-16-1
2002 Cotton Bowl Classic Texas 35 LSU 20 17-17-1
2003 Sugar Bowl (BCS National Championship Game) LSU 21 Oklahoma 14 18-17-1
2004 Capital One Bowl Iowa 30 LSU 25 18-18-1
2005 Peach Bowl LSU 40 Miami (FL) 3 19-18-1
2006 Sugar Bowl LSU 41 Notre Dame 14 20-18-1
2007 BCS National Championship Game LSU 38 Ohio State 24 21-18-1
2008 Chick-Fil-A Bowl LSU 38 Georgia Tech 3 22-18-1
2009 Capital One Bowl Penn State 19 LSU 17 22-19-1
2010 Cotton Bowl Classic LSU 41 Texas A&M 24 23-19-1
Totals 43 23-19-1

Famous moments in LSU football history

  • 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.
LSU Tigers football team bus at New Orleans Marriott viewed from Sheraton New Orleans
File:BCSTrophy.JPG
One of LSU's four 2007 national championship trophies. Pictured is the AFCA National Championship Trophy
  • 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 - BCS national championship -- #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, to which he gestured a hand signal 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.
  • 1997 - #1 Ranked Florida Taken Down by LSU -- After nine straight losses to Steve Spurrier-led Florida, #14 LSU shocked the #1-ranked Gators 28–21 in Tiger Stadium, making the cover of Sports Illustrated. It was the first time LSU beat a #1 ranked team.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Rivals

Tulane Green Wave

LSU's oldest rival is Tulane; the first LSU-Tulane football game was played in 1893 and for the first fifty or so years of Tiger football, no team was more hated by LSU fans than the Green Wave. The series, in which they battle for the Tiger Rag, was played continuously from 1919 to 1994. The intrastate rivalry featured two teams which were geographically close (Baton Rouge and New Orleans are roughly 80 miles (130 km) apart) and drew on socio-political tensions between the state's capital and seat of government and its biggest and most culturally important city. As opponents in the SIAA, Southern Conference and SEC, the Tulane rivalry flourished for many years but slowly declined after Tulane left the SEC and de-emphasized athletics. Until 1949, the series was very competitive, with LSU leading 23–18–5; since 1949, LSU has dominated, going 45–4–2. The two teams renewed the annual series in 2006 and ended it again after the 2009 meeting.

Ole Miss Rebels

LSU's traditional SEC rival is Ole Miss. Throughout the fifties and sixties, games between the two schools featured highly ranked squads on both sides and seemingly every contest had conference, and at times national, title implications. A trophy has now been named for the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry known as the "Magnolia Bowl". Recently, the second to last regular season game has been between these two colleges. There is still a strong rivalry between both schools.

Auburn Tigers

While Auburn's rivalries against Alabama and Georgia may overshadow its rivalry with LSU, in recent years, LSU's biggest rival has been the Auburn Tigers. The two share more than just a nickname, as they have both enjoyed success in the SEC's Western Division and plenty of memorable match ups. Either Auburn or LSU has won at least a share of the SEC Western Division championship for eight of the last eleven years. The home team won every game from 2000 through 2007, until visiting LSU defeated Auburn in 2008. Both the 2007 and 2008 games saw LSU win dramatic, come-from-behind victories with last minute touchdown passes. The game between the two rivals has no official name or trophy, but is unofficially referred to by fans and sports commentators as the "Tiger Bowl".

Alabama Crimson Tide

LSU and Alabama have played every year since the 1960s, with Alabama holding a historic edge in the series, 43–24–5. Many trace the origins of the rivalry back to a 15-game undefeated streak Alabama had in Tiger Stadium, which is generally considered to be one of the most hostile atmospheres in college football. While their rivalries against Auburn and Tennessee may overshadow their rivalry with LSU, the significance of this rivalry increased after Alabama hired former LSU coach Nick Saban in 2007. Prior to the initial Saban season, Sports Illustrated ranked the game #13 in its "Top 20 Games To Watch In 2007" list.[2] The 2007 game saw the LSU Tigers win a dramatic come-from-behind victory, with a final score of 41–34.

Arkansas Razorbacks

The Golden Boot trophy is awarded to the annual winner of the Arkansas-LSU football game.

After the Razorbacks left the Southwest Conference in 1990, Arkansas joined the SEC in 1991 and began a yearly rivalry with LSU. Spurred by both the SEC and the schools, LSU and Arkansas have developed a more intense football rivalry. The winner takes home the Golden Boot, a trophy in the shape of the states of Arkansas and Louisiana that resembles a boot. The game, played the day after Thanksgiving until the 2010 season, is usually the last regular season game for each team and is broadcast on CBS. In 2002, the rivalry gained momentum as the game winner would represent the Western Division of the SEC in the SEC Championship Game. Arkansas won the exciting game on a last second touchdown pass by Matt Jones. In 2006, the Razorbacks, who had already clinched the SEC Western Division and were on a 10-game winning streak, were beaten by LSU in Little Rock. In 2007, Arkansas stunned top-ranked LSU in triple overtime, giving them their first win in Baton Rouge since 1993, and again defended the Golden Boot trophy with a last minute touchdown drive in 2008. A 15th ranked LSU would win back the trophy for the first time in two years in 2009 after the Razorback kicker missed a field goal that would have sent the game into a second overtime, solidifying LSU's record as the third best in the SEC as well as a position to go to the Capital One Bowl. The LSU Tigers were defeated at Little Rock in 2010, with Arkansas winning 31-23.

Florida Gators

LSU is Florida's permanent inter-divisional rival. Florida leads the series 30-24-3. The winner of the Florida-LSU game has gone on to win the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship game three of the last five years. With a few exceptions, this rivalry has been known for close games in recent years, with both teams usually coming into the match-up highly ranked.

Other SEC opponents

LSU has played Mississippi State more often than any other opponent. However, the series is hardly considered a rivalry, as the Tigers hold a commanding lead and have won 10 consecutive games in the series and 17 of 18 since 1992. Until the 1970s, the game was played far more often in Baton Rouge to allow MSU to reap the benefits of the larger gate at Tiger Stadium (which seated 67,500 at the time, more than twice the 32,500 of Scott Field in Starkville).

LSU and Kentucky played every year between 1949 and 2001, but the yearly meeting was ended when the SEC changed its scheduling format in 2002. Longtime LSU coach Charles McClendon (1962–79) was an All-American at Kentucky from 1948-51 under legendary coach Bear Bryant, and Tiger coaches Paul Dietzel and Bill Arnsparger were also assistants with the Wildcats. LSU has generally dominated the series, although Kentucky won the last meeting, ousting the then-No. 1 Tigers 43-37 in triple overtime in 2007 at Lexington. In the previous game at Lexington in 2002, the Tigers won 33-30 on the Bluegrass Miracle, a 75-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Randall to Devery Henderson on the last play of the game.

Traditions

An LSU cheerleader cheers on the team during a game against South Carolina in 2007. Cheerleaders are a part of the pageantry of college football.

Geaux Tigers — A common cheer for all LSU athletics, Geaux Tigers, pronounced "Go Tigers", is derived from a common ending in French Cajun names, -eaux. Acknowledging the state’s French heritage, it is common for fans to issue LSU newcomers an endearing “French” name. Intended to be more humorous than grammatically correct, coaches are especially targeted. Gerry DiNardo became “Dinardeaux”, Nick Saban became “Nick C’est Bon”.

Tailgating — LSU football fans from every corner of the region, well over ninety thousand [3], descend on the Baton Rouge campus for every home game; setting up motor homes and tents for one of Louisiana's biggest parties after Mardi Gras. Visiting team supporters are heckled and LSU fans chant "Tiger Bait! Tiger Bait!", often inciting confrontaions between hot-headed followers. Visitors to Baton Rouge who take the jeers and jaunts with a sporting disposition will be invited to join in on the party, the drink, the regional cajun cuisine, the spirit of Saturday night in Baton Rouge, and the vibrant tradition of LSU football.

March Down The Hill - The LSU players, coaches, cheerleaders, Mike the Tiger, and finally The Golden Band from Tigerland march down the hill between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (AKA, the PMAC) prior to each game. Thousands of fans line up on both sides of the road to watch and cheer for their beloved Tigers. The band plays their drum cadence while marching and just before entering the stadium, "Pregame" is played.

The LSU Band's Pregame Show — The LSU pregame show was created in 1964, and revised over the next nine years into its current format. The marching band lines up along the end zone shortly before kick off. Then the band strikes up a drum cadence and begins to spread out evenly across the field. When the front of the band reaches the center of the field, the band stops and begins to play an arrangement of "Pregame" (Hold that Tiger). While it does this, the band turns to salute the fans in all four corners of the stadium. Then the band, resuming its march across the field, begins playing "Touchdown for LSU." At this point, the LSU crowd chants "L-S-U, L-S-U, L-S-U..."

White Jerseys — LSU is notable as one of the few college football teams that wears white jerseys for home games as opposed to their darker jerseys (in their case, purple). Most other NCAA football teams wear their darker jerseys in home games, even though football is one of the few college sports that do not require a specific jersey type for each respective team (for instance, college basketball requires home teams to wear white or light-colored jerseys while the away team wears their darker jerseys), and is similar to the NFL in letting the home team decide what to wear. The tradition started in 1958, when Coach Paul Dietzel decided that LSU would wear white jerseys for the home games. LSU went on to win the national championship that year. Since then, LSU continued to wear white jerseys at home games. Then in 1982, new NCAA rules prohibited teams from wearing white jerseys at home. Because of this, LSU wore purple jerseys during home games from 1983 to 1994. The team's fans believed wearing purple jerseys brought bad luck to the team and complained often from 1983 and through the 1994 seasons. In 1995, LSU's new coach, Gerry DiNardo, was determined to restore LSU's tradition of white home jerseys. DiNardo personally met with each member of the NCAA Football Rules Committee, lobbying LSU's case. DiNardo was successful, and LSU again began wearing white jerseys at home when the 1995 season began. In LSU's first home game with the white jerseys, unranked LSU prevailed in a 12-6 upset victory over #6 Auburn. In 2000, LSU's new coach, Nick Saban, altered the tradition of the white home jerseys: now LSU only wears white jerseys for the home opener and for home games against SEC opponents. Saban's successor, Les Miles, has continued this pattern. For non-SEC home games other than the home opener, LSU wears purple jerseys at home.

The rule allowing LSU to wear white at home has one stipulation: the visiting team must agree for non-conference games. On two occasions, LSU was forced to wear colored jerseys at home. The first time was in 1996 against Vanderbilt, who was still angry at LSU for hiring Gerry DiNardo, who left Vanderbilt to become LSU's head coach after the 1994 season. LSU wore gold jerseys for that game (a 35-0 LSU victory), and fans were encouraged to wear white in an effort to "white out" the Commodores. The next season, the SEC amended its rule to allow the home team its choice of jersey color for conference games without prior approval of the visiting team.

In 1998 and 2000, Florida coach Steve Spurrier exercised this option and forced LSU to don a colored jersey at Gainesville. The Tigers wore gold in 1998 under Gerry DiNardo (lost 22-10) and purple in 2000 under Nick Saban (lost 41-9). In 2009, LSU wore its purple jerseys at Mississippi State.

In 2004, Oregon State did want not to suffer in its black jerseys in the humid weather of Louisiana in late summer, forcing LSU to wear its purple jerseys for a nationally-televsied game on ESPN. However, by this time, LSU had worn its purple jerseys at home several times under Saban.

In 2009, the NCAA relaxed its rule that previously required most away teams to wear white. The rule now states that teams must simply wear contrasting colors[4].

Chinese Bandits – Whenever LSU forces a turnover or gets the ball back via a defensive stop, the LSU band plays the Chinese Bandits tune. Tiger fans bow to the defense while the tune is played. The term "Chinese Bandits" originated as the nickname that LSU Coach Paul Dietzel gave to the defensive unit he organized in 1958, which helped LSU to win its first national championship. The next season, the 1959 Chinese Bandit defense held their opponents to an average of only 143.2 yards per game. No LSU defense since has done better.

Geaux to Hell Ole Miss — When LSU is playing their rival, Ole Miss, LSU fans shout "Geaux to Hell Ole Miss. Geaux to hell" frequently, and signs with the same saying can be seen throughout the stadium. Ole Miss fans typically respond with "Go to hell, LSU!"

Hot boudin - LSU's famous cheer before games and during about famous food in Louisiana. It goes " Hot boudin, cold coush-coush, come on tigers, push push push." Push is pronounced poosh to rhyme with coush-coush [koosh-koosh]. Coush-coush is a Cajun dish generally served for breakfast.[5]

H style goal posts — LSU's Tiger Stadium sports "H" style goal posts, as opposed to the more modern "Y" style used by most other schools today. This "H" style allows the team to run through the goal post in the north endzone when entering the field.

Yard lines — Tiger Stadium also is notable for putting all yard line numbers on the field, not just those that are multiples of 10. However, the 10-yard-line numbers are the only numbers that get directional arrows, as the rules make no provision for 5-yard-line numbers.

Tiger Bait - LSU fans will yell "Tiger Bait, Tiger Bait" at visiting fans who wear their team colors.

First Down cheer - When the Tigers earn a first down, the Golden Band from Tigerland plays the "Geaux Tigers" cheer. The band also has a specific cheer for second and third downs.

Hall of Famers

The following LSU players and coaches are members of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Players

Player Position Years Induction
Doc Fenton QB & E 1904–1909 1979
Abe "Miracle" Mickal RB 1933–1935 1967
Gaynell "Gus" Tinsley E 1934–1936 1956
Ken Kavanaugh E 1937–1939 1963
Billy Cannon HB 1957–1959 2008
Tommy Casanova CB 1969–1971 1995

Coaches

Coach Years Induction
Dana X. Bible 1916 1951
Michael "Iron Mike" Donahue 1923–1927 1951
Lawrence "Biff" Jones 1932–1934 1954
Bernie Moore 1935–1947 1954
Charlie "Cholly Mac" McClendon 1962–1979 1986

Individual award winners

Coaches

Paul Dietzel - 1959
Nick Saban - 2003

Heisman Trophy voting history

Year Player Place Votes
1958 Billy Cannon 3rd 975
1959 Billy Cannon 1st 1,929
1962 Jerry Stovall 2nd 618
1972 Bert Jones 4th 351
1977 Charles Alexander 9th 54
1978 Charles Alexander 5th 282
2007 Glenn Dorsey 9th 30

Retired numbers

LSU All-Americans

Name Position Years at LSU All-America
AP WCFF AFCA FWAA TSN
Nacho Albergamo C 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987
Charles Alexander RB 1977; 1978 1977; 1978 1977; 1978 1977; 1978
Mike Anderson LB 1970; 1971 1970; 1971 1970; 1971
George Bevan LB 1969 1969
Michael Brooks LB 1985
Billy Cannon RB 1957–1959 1958; 1959 1958; 1959 1958; 1959 1958; 1959 1958; 1959
Warren Capone LB 1972; 1973 1972; 1973
Tommy Casanova DB 1969; 1970; 1971 1969; 1970; 1971 1969; 1970; 1971 1969; 1970; 1971
Wendell Davis RB 1986; 1987 1986; 1987 1986; 1987
Glenn Dorsey DT 2004–2007 2006, 2007 2007 2006, 2007 2007 2007
Ronnie Estay DT 1971
Alan Faneca OL 1997 1997 1997 1997
Kevin Faulk RB 1995–1998 1996
Sid Fournet T 1954 1954 1954 1954
Max Fugler C 1958
John Garlington E 1964–1967 1967
Bradie James LB 2002 2002
Bert Jones QB 1972 1972
Ken Kavanaugh E 1939
Chad Kessler P 1997 1997 1997 1997
Tyler Lafauci G 1973 1973
David LaFleur TE 1996
LaRon Landry S 2003–2006 2006 2006
Chad Lavalais DT 2003 2003 2003 2003
Todd McClure C 1998
Anthony McFarland DT 1998
Fred Miller T 1962
Stephen Peterman G 2000–2003 2003
Patrick Peterson CB 2008–Present 2009
Josh Reed WR 1998–2001 2001 2001 2001 2001
George Rice T 1965
Lance Smith OL 1984
Marcus Spears DE 2004 2004 2004
Craig Steltz S 2004–2007 2007
Jerry Stovall RB 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962
Jim Taylor RB 1957
Gaynell Tinsley E 1935; 1936 1935; 1936
Corey Webster CB 2003; 2004 2004
Ben Wilkerson C 2004 2004
Mike Williams DB 1974 1974
Roy Winston G 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961

Head coaches

Coach Alma Mater First Last Years Games Win Loss Tie Pct.
Dr Charles Coates
Johns Hopkins
1893
1893
1
1
0
1
0
0.000
Albert Simmons
Yale
1894
1895
2
6
5
1
0
0.833
Allen Jeardeau
Harvard
1896
1897
2
8
7
1
0
0.875
Edmond Chavanne
LSU
1898
1900
2
5
3
2
0
0.600
John P. Gregg
Wisconsin
1899
1899
-
6
2
4
0
0.333
W. S. Boreland
Allegheny
1901
1903
3
22
15
7
0
0.682
Dan A. Killian
Michigan
1904
1906
3
16
8
6
2
0.562
Edgar Wingard
Susquehanna
1907
1908
2
20
17
3
0
.850
John W. Mayhew
Vanderbilt
1909
1910
2
9
3
6
0
0.333
Joe Pritchard
Brown
1909
1909
-
5
4
1
0
0.800
Pat Dwyer
Penn
1911
1913
3
25
16
7
2
0.680
E. T. McDonald
Colgate
1914
1916
3
22
14
7
1
0.659
Dana Bible
Carson-Newman
1916
1916
-
3
1
0
2
0.667
Irving Pray
MIT
1916
1922
3
20
11
9
0
0.550
Wayne Sutton
Washington State
1917
1917
-
8
3
5
0
0.375
Branch Bocock
Georgetown
1920
1921
2
17
11
4
2
0.706
Mike Donahue
Yale
1923
1927
5
45
23
19
3
0.544
Russ Cohen
Vanderbilt
1928
1931
4
37
23
13
1
0.635
Biff Jones
Army
1932
1934
3
31
20
5
6
0.742
Bernie Moore
Carson-Newman
1935
1947
13
128
83
39
6
0.672
Gus Tinsley
LSU
1948
1954
7
75
35
34
6
0.507
Paul Dietzel
Miami University
1955
1961
7
73
46
24
3
0.651
Charles McClendon
Kentucky
1962
1979
18
203
137
59
7
0.692
Bo Rein
Ohio State
1980
1980
-
0
0
0
0
n/a
Jerry Stovall
LSU
1980
1983
4
45
22
21
2
0.511
Bill Arnsparger
Miami University
1984
1986
3
36
26
8
2
0.750
Mike Archer
Miami
1987
1990
4
46
27
18
1
0.598
Curley Hallman
Texas A&M
1991
1994
4
44
16
28
0
0.364
Gerry DiNardo
Notre Dame
1995
1999
5
58
33
24
1
0.578
Hal Hunter
Northwestern
1999
1999
-
1
1
0
0
1.000
Nick Saban
Kent State
2000
2004
5
64
48
16
0
0.750
Les Miles
Michigan
2005
Present
6
79
62
17
0
0.785
Totals
1893
Present
116
1151
716
388
47
0.643

Poll history

Template:Multicol Associated Press Poll History

The AP Poll began in 1936.

Year AP Pre-Season Ranking AP Final Ranking
1936
13
2
1937
6
8
1938
NR
NR
1939
NR
1940
NR
NR
1941
NR
1942
NR
1943
NR
1944
NR
1945
15
1946
8
1947
NR
1948
NR
1949
9
1950
NR
1951
NR
1952
NR
1953
NR
1954
NR
1955
NR
1956
NR
1957
NR
1958
1
1959
1
3
1960
NR
1961
5
4
1962
5
7
1963
NR
1964
7
1965
8
8
1966
NR
1967
NR
1968
18
19
1969
10
1970
12
7
1971
9
11
1972
11
11
1973
16
13
1974
9
NR
1975
NR
1976
NR
1977
NR
1978
13
NR
1979
NR
1980
NR
1981
NR
1982
11
1983
12
NR
1984
NR
15
1985
13
20
1986
15
10
1987
6
5
1988
18
19
1989
7
NR
1990
NR
1991
NR
1992
NR
1993
NR
1994
NR
1995
NR
1996
19
12
1997
10
13
1998
9
NR
1999
NR
2000
NR
22
2001
14
7
2002
14
NR
2003
14
2
2004
4
16
2005
5
6
2006
8
3
2007
2
1
2008
7
NR
2009
11
17[8]
2010
21
8
NR = Not Ranked

N/A = Not Available

Template:Multicol-break Coaches Poll History

The Coaches' Poll began in 1950.

Year Coaches
Pre-Season Ranking
Coaches
Final Ranking
1950
NR
1951
NR
1952
NR
1953
NR
1954
NR
1955
NR
1956
NR
1957
NR
1958
1
1959
3
1960
NR
1961
3
1962
8
1963
NR
1964
7
1965
14
1966
NR
1967
NR
1968
NR
1969
7
1970
6
1971
10
1972
10
1973
14
1974
NR
1975
NR
1976
NR
1977
NR
1978
NR
1979
NR
1980
NR
1981
NR
1982
11
1983
NR
1984
16
1985
20
1986
11
1987
5
1988
NR
1989
NR
1990
NR
1991
NR
1992
NR
1993
NR
1994
NR
1995
25
1996
13
1997
13
1998
NR
1999
NR
2000
NR
2001
8
2002
13
NR
2003
15
1
2004
3
16
2005
6
5
2006
9
3
2007
2
1
2008
6
NR
2009
9
17[8]
2010
16
8
NR = Not Ranked

N/A = Not Available

Template:Multicol-end

See also

References

  1. ^ NCAA.org Past Division I-A Football National Champions
  2. ^ "Top 20 Games To Watch In 2007". SI.com. Retrieved 30 September 2007.
  3. ^ http://espn.go.com/page2/s/caple/030918.html
  4. ^ "NCAA changing rules to accommodate USC-UCLA jersey tradition". Los Angeles Times. 19 February 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
  5. ^ http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary/entry?id=2102
  6. ^ a b "LSU Notebook: Tommy Casanova's number retired". Louisiana Gannet News. Retrieved 2009-10-28. [dead link]
  7. ^ "LSU Retires Three Legends' Jerseys". LSUsports.net. Retrieved 2009-12-14.
  8. ^ a b "Football Ranked No. 17 in Final Polls". LSUSports.net. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2010-01-08.

8. http://www.tigerdroppings.com/history/HeadToHead_1.asp?Opponent=Texas%20A%26M