re: Best DEFENSIVE Performance in Tiger Stadium

1979 USC

I was going to post this until I saw that you had, and I totally agree. But I will say that those games back then were so different in that offenses never really attacked. It was a very different coaching mindset. They saw every offensive snap as an opportunity to turn the ball over, so they just handed it off two or three times (sometimes they punted on third down they were so damned paranoid), then punted. If the runner broke off a 7 yard run for a first down, then good, we have two or three more chances to run it. And QBs still threw for around 50% and a good TD-INT ratio was anything over 1.

Let's go waaay back. For an SEC game, it would have to be LSU's 3-3 tie with Tennessee in 1964, in a nationally televised game. The Vols gained only 75 yards, 32 rushing and 43 passing. LSU had 227 yards, 117 rushing and 110 passing, with 13 first downs; Pat Screen went 12 of 19 for 110 yards. Doug Moreau missed 3 fourth-quarter FG attempts.

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'21 vs Bama

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Crazy how bad we were in '22

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I don't have the heart to tell you to go watch '23

Yeah dont forget Ronnie Lott, Hoby Brenner, Anthony Munoz, Keith Van Horne, Jeff Fisher and others was insane.
Would have to include the Florida games 97 vs Spurrier and 07 vs Timmy Tebow!

Although not in TS the 1970 @ ND 0-3 Ara Parseghian called his favorite defensive game!

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'14 vs Ole Miss

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Considering how inept our offense was and how heavily we depended on our defense to even give us a chance, and against the #3 team in the land, I’d say this.

2016 vs Bama

I saw that one live with my entire family in the new South end zone addition. Very fond memories of that one.

My kids wanted to storm the field so we all just made our way down there. It was a very calm event but still very memorable.

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Was it the 07 game against Virginia Tech?

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I literally don't remember anything specific about that game, just that it was a total domination that was probably worse than the score indicated. And it was inevitable and over hours before it even kicked off. I took my roommate to his 1st game in Tiger Stadium. He was a big LSU fan, but had never been. We drove over from Austin Friday after work, got in really late and crashed at a buddy's. So we didn't get out to campus until pretty late Saturday, probably close to 3. We hit a couple of tailgates, then made our way towards the stadium so he could see the band coming down the hill and all the stuff you have to experience at your 1st game in Tiger Stadium.

And even though we knew we were good that year and were coming off 2 great 11-2 seasons, we were expecting a close game as so many had been against good teams at the beginning of Les's tenure. But the deeper we got into campus, the closer we got to the stadium, the nearer we got to kickoff, there was a palpable vibe growing in intensity every minute, like nothing I had ever felt before or since. At some point, maybe an hour before kick, I turned to him and said, "they have no chance."

Somewhat perplexed, he asked, "You got a good feeling, huh?" And we'd watched almost every big game together that I hadn't driven in for, so he was always asking me how I felt before a big game. And sometimes I had a good feeling like I'm sure we all have, but I said "no, this is different. It's not just a feeling. They literally have no chance. We are about to run Virginia Tech right the frick out of Tiger Stadium." And we proceeded to do so. I've been to probably 100 games in Tiger Stadium and don't remember feeling anything like that. And I still can't put my finger on what it was. Went to the Florida game later that year, and it may have been the best environment I've ever experienced there. But the outcome was in doubt. Until it wasn't. But not like Virginia Tech. The game that was over before it began.

Any of y'all remember a similar feeling that night? What was that? Crazy.