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Blast from the Past: 40th anniversary of 1979 team this year
Posted on 6/25/19 at 10:51 am
Posted on 6/25/19 at 10:51 am
I was reading up on the 1979 Tigers and figured this would be interest to some here.
For those who don't know, 1979 was a significant year for LSU. LSU fired Charlie Mac before the 1979 season but allowed him to coach the team anyway. They finished 7-5 with several memorable games, including the legendary 17-12 loss to #1 USC and a 3-0 loss to #1 Alabama later in the year, with two 4th quarter interceptions thrown by Steve Ensminger.
It's kind of sickening how much it seems like the same damn story as today:
Leading up to the Bama game, LSU AD Paul Dietzel turned town $500,000 from ABC, who wanted to move the game from Saturday night to afternoon. I got pretty fired up reading this article about it, which includes this quote about the Tiger Stadium crowd from Bama safety Tommy Wilcox:
Despite the Bama loss I still found this pretty interesting to read about. It was before my time, but I'm sure some of y'all are old enough to remember this season first hand. Hope LSU will do something to recognize the 1979 team this year.
For those who don't know, 1979 was a significant year for LSU. LSU fired Charlie Mac before the 1979 season but allowed him to coach the team anyway. They finished 7-5 with several memorable games, including the legendary 17-12 loss to #1 USC and a 3-0 loss to #1 Alabama later in the year, with two 4th quarter interceptions thrown by Steve Ensminger.
It's kind of sickening how much it seems like the same damn story as today:
quote:
For only the fourth time in this decade, Alabama did not score a touchdown in a game...The three points might as well have been 300, the way Alabama's defense worked. Unless Bryant put himself in at cornerback, LSU was not going to score tonight. LSU never moved into Alabama's end of the field in the second half.
Leading up to the Bama game, LSU AD Paul Dietzel turned town $500,000 from ABC, who wanted to move the game from Saturday night to afternoon. I got pretty fired up reading this article about it, which includes this quote about the Tiger Stadium crowd from Bama safety Tommy Wilcox:
quote:
"They don't care about anything except huntin', drinkin' and football. When a game is played at night, they have more time to booze it up, and when they get going, there's nowhere for that noise to go except onto the field."
Despite the Bama loss I still found this pretty interesting to read about. It was before my time, but I'm sure some of y'all are old enough to remember this season first hand. Hope LSU will do something to recognize the 1979 team this year.
20
Posted on 6/25/19 at 11:11 am to St8lyOaks
Just so you youngsters know, Bama has been stealing Louisiana talent for a long time. Wilcox was an AA DB at Bama, but a legendary high school QB from Louisiana (Bonnable) Turned down LSU to play for Bear.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 11:29 am to michael corleone
quote:
Just so you youngsters know, Bama has been stealing Louisiana talent for a long time. Wilcox was an AA DB at Bama, but a legendary high school QB from Louisiana (Bonnable) Turned down LSU to play for Bear.
First, its Bonnabel.
Second, his dad played for Tulane and hated LSU because of the beatings they got from the Tigers. Our Head Coach at Bonnabel was his teammate. Tommy was never coming to LSU no matter what. It was between Ole Miss and Alabama. When John Fourcade chose Ole Miss, Tommy went Bama. He went as a QB and after his first redshirt year, Coach Bryant told him he could be an All SEC QB running their wishbone, or an ALL American Safety and play sooner. He doesn't hate LSU, heck most of his Louisiana family have gone to LSU.
This post was edited on 6/25/19 at 11:32 am
Posted on 6/25/19 at 11:56 am to St8lyOaks
quote:
the legendary 17-12 loss to #1 USC
Loudest Tigers Stadium has ever been in my lifetime and I started going to games there in 1973...and...it's not even close.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 12:19 pm to Tiger Ugly
It was unbelievable how loud it was. But that Bama game was the most frustrating thing I'd ever seen up to that point.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 1:12 pm to St8lyOaks
In four home games with Steve Ensminger playing quarterback (twice) or calling plays (twice) against Alabama, LSU has scored a total of 3 points.
To be fair, he split time with David Woodley in his two games as QB. But LSU lost 24-3 in 1977, 3-0 in 1979, 10-0 in 2016, and 29-0 last year.
To be fair, he split time with David Woodley in his two games as QB. But LSU lost 24-3 in 1977, 3-0 in 1979, 10-0 in 2016, and 29-0 last year.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 1:14 pm to Tiger Ugly
I'll never forget it. Was my first game in Tiger Stadium. My dad was in graduate school at LSU at the time and we sat with some of his classmates. It was ELECTRIC in that stadium. Of course some of those Auburn games from the mid 90s to the late Aughts were off the chain too.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 2:45 pm to Tiger Ugly
Now that we're getting a home and home with UT I really hope we get one with USC soon enough.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 3:21 pm to St8lyOaks
That was my freshman year. I was at both of those games.
You will never convince me that Benji Thibodeaux faced masked Paul McDonald!
You will never convince me that Benji Thibodeaux faced masked Paul McDonald!
Posted on 6/25/19 at 3:22 pm to St8lyOaks
I listened to that USC game on the radio coming from a Shaw football game. You could almost FEEL the crowd through the radio. They stayed and cheered for a long time after the game ended, John Ferguson said he never saw anything like this. "They won't go home." And it was as loud afterward as during.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 3:30 pm to St8lyOaks
quote:
the legendary 17-12 loss to #1 USC
I was there, one of the greatest games ever in TS, we got screwed by the Zebras, we had that game won
Posted on 6/25/19 at 3:33 pm to 777Tiger
Agreed. My first game in TS and it was amazing... a constant roar from start to finish... That LSU team had no biz being on the field with that USC team... but yet outplayed them... a sad ending for sure.... I have never felt so deflated after any sporting event I have been to after that game.... I am not much for moral victories BUT the better team lost that night....,
Posted on 6/25/19 at 3:38 pm to St8lyOaks
Posted on 6/25/19 at 3:41 pm to dukke v
quote:
a sad ending for sure..
it's been a long time, and I'd have to look it up for the exact details, but towards the end of the game we were up, on third down two SC linemen basically stood up just before the snap, no call and had we stopped them they would have had to punt, refs let the play go and Thibodeaux was given 15 yards on a very questionable facemask call that extended the drive, they scored a TD, we still came close to pulling it out after the kickoff with very little time remaining
Posted on 6/25/19 at 3:43 pm to 777Tiger
You are correct.... that’s what happened....I remember USC players after that game saying “ I don’t ever want to play here again as an opposing team”
Posted on 6/25/19 at 3:44 pm to 777Tiger
quote:
it's been a long time, and I'd have to look it up for the exact details, but towards the end of the game we were up, on third down two SC linemen basically stood up just before the snap, no call and had we stopped them they would have had to punt, refs let the play go and Thibodeaux was given 15 yards on a very questionable facemask call that extended the drive, they scored a TD, we still came close to pulling it out after the kickoff with very little time remaining
USC vs LSU September 29, 1979
Posted on 6/25/19 at 3:44 pm to Old
Nice link dummy......
Posted on 6/25/19 at 4:33 pm to 2geaux
quote:
You will never convince me that Benji Thibodeaux faced masked Paul McDonald!
According to It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium by John Ed Bradley, Cholly Mac complained on his death bed about that bogus call.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 5:12 pm to St8lyOaks
It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium was mostly focused on that 1979 team. Although it was before my time, it was a very interesting perspective.
The author grew up a huge LSU fan but basically couldn't watch games after he graduated in '79. He looked up to Mac as a father figure and felt somewhat responsible (as did all the players) that they fell short of beating Bama. I didn't realize the fact that Mac was fired BEFORE the season, not sure if the book mentioned that part.
The author grew up a huge LSU fan but basically couldn't watch games after he graduated in '79. He looked up to Mac as a father figure and felt somewhat responsible (as did all the players) that they fell short of beating Bama. I didn't realize the fact that Mac was fired BEFORE the season, not sure if the book mentioned that part.
Posted on 6/25/19 at 6:06 pm to Old
There was also on the same play Benji was flagged, obvious false start by the SC line.
Best quote after this game came from Brad Budde, AA OL of SC and don of KC Chiefs great Ed Budde: “This place makes Norte Dame look like Romper Room.”
Best quote after this game came from Brad Budde, AA OL of SC and don of KC Chiefs great Ed Budde: “This place makes Norte Dame look like Romper Room.”
This post was edited on 6/25/19 at 6:07 pm
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