Ole Miss Week - Go to Hell,Ole Miss!

Although to most of the younger Tiger fans, this isn't as much a rivalry as it is to some of us old farts, but I thought I'd just reminisce about some of the great LSU vs Ole Miss games I've had the pleasure to attend.

Old Fart’s Guide to Great LSU/Ole Miss Games



November 1, 1958. LSU 14 Ole Miss 0
I was still in high school, but a car load of us drove over from Bogalusa for the game. Standing room only crowd with several hundred folding chairs behind the end lines. Tiger’s first game ranked #1 (had jumped Army and tOSU from the week before). First of seven straight years either LSU or Ole Miss, or both, came into the game undefeated. LSU dominated the game on both sides of the ball. Johnny Robinson had one of his finest games on both offense and defense. Two different qbs scored the Tiger tds on option plays.


October 29, 1960. LSU 6 Ole Miss 6
My freshman year at LSU. Game played in Oxford, unusual for that period – caught the student train near Alex Box Stadium about 1:00am for the early afternoon game. The Tigers were 1-4 having lost four straight while Ole Miss was 6-0 and ranked #2. Tigers outplayed the heavily favored Rebels all afternoon, but a missed xp spelled doom as the Rebels kicked a fg late in the 4th quarter to salvage a tie (a bogus personal foul against the Tigers kept the Rebel drive alive!)

November 4, 1961. LSU 10 Ole Miss 7
Ole Miss came into this game undefeated and the presumptive #1 team in the nation. (Actually ranked #2, but #1 Michigan State had lost an early afternoon game – an Ole Miss win against the #6 ranked Tigers would certainly propel them to the #1 ranking.). Stovall and Wendell Harris played great games – Harris scored all ten of the Tigers’ points. Great fourth down pass catch by Bill Traux kept the scoring drive alive (only pass completion of the night for the Tigers). First time since 1956 Ole Miss scored a td in Tiger Stadium.

October 31, 1964. LSU 11 Ole Miss 10
Ole Miss had been the preseason #1, but coming into this game had only a 3-2-1 record and was unranked. The Tigers had not been ranked in the preseason, but went into the game 4-0-1 with a #9 ranking. This was the seventh consecutive year that either the Tigers, the Rebels or both came into this game undefeated. Although the Tigers were undefeated (a tie with Tennessee the week before), the game lacked the luster of the previous LSU/Ole Miss games. Tigers trailing in the fourth quarter 10-3, march down the field,td pass from Cap't Easy to Billy Masters - two point conversion to Doug Moreau, another great win over the Rebs

December 5, 1970. LSU 61 Ole Miss 17
Although I wasn’t at this game, I mention it because it was memorable to me. We were living in Michigan at the time of this game, and our best friends were a couple from Mississippi (Maxine was from Drew, Mississippi and knew Archie and his family real well). Anyway we watched the game with our friends – Archie played in a cast, but it was sweet revenge for the Rebels spoiling our 1969 season.

November 4, 1972. LSU 17 Ole Miss 16
In law school at the time – the famous one second game (you are now entering Louisiana, set your clocks back one second). Great 4th quarter drive by Bert Jones. Often overlooked is that LSU was heavily favored in this game. The Tigers entered the game 6-0 ranked #6 against the 4-3 unranked Rebels. Should have easily won by two touchdowns.


Out of fairness to our Rebel friends I should mention a few more games – less than memorable – that I sat through:

January 1, 1960. Sugar Bowl. Rebs 21 Tigers 0
Rematch of the 1959 win by the Tigers. A friend of mine from high school that played on the 58 and 59 Tigers told me that the team didn’t want to play in the Sugar Bowl that year and certainly didn’t want a rematch with the Rebs. Money talks and Dietzel and AD Corbett agreed to the rematch. Tigers sleepwalked for four quarters.

November 3, 1962. Rebs 15 Tigers 7
Game was nowhere near as close as the score might indicate. Both teams undefeated – Rebels 5-0 ranked #6 and the Tigers 5-0-1 and ranked #4. Ole Miss finished the season 10-0 ranked #3, and this was the Tigers’ only loss of the season.

November 2, 1963. Rebs 37 Tigers 3
Undefeated Ole Miss (4-0-1, #3) dominated a young, but talented 5-1 Tiger team. Lowlite of the game was Labruzzo caught from behind by Ole Miss lineman on a punt return for a sure touchdown. Rebels even managed to block a quick kick by the Tigers.

November 2, 1968. Rebs 27 Tigers 24
The 5-1 Tigers and 4-2 Rebels played a great game, but the Rebels with a young Archie at qb prevailed on a 4th quarter td drive.