Billy Cannon (20)

T I G E R S C O A C H E S P R E V I E W R E V I E W R E C O R D S H O N O R S H I S T O R Y L S U M E D I A National Champions 1958 11-0 or years, LSU fans eagerly anticipated the coming of each new football season Fwith talk of the two Tiger teams regard- ed as LSU’s national champions—the great 10-0 team of 1908 and “next year.”After 50 The 1958 LSU Football National Champions years, next year finally came in 1958. After seasons of 3-5-2, 3-7 and 5-5 Rouge for its home opener against Hardin- team signal-caller Durel Matherne ran for under coach Paul Dietzel, and a team which Simmons. Against the Cowboys, the Tigers scores in the 14-0 Tiger triumph over their included only three seniors among its 55- built a 20-6 halftime lead and used it to coast archrivals. man roster, it didn’t seem likely that 1958 to its victory before only 45,000 fans,indicat- Now 7-0 and ranked No. 1 by AP, the would be “next year.” Indeed, with a squad ing that few had any idea what kind of team Tigers had yet to impress the UPI board of dominated by juniors and sophomores, many this would become. coaches enough to earn the top rating, stay- pointed toward 1959 as the year LSU would LSU, now ranked No. 11, hit the road ing in the No. 3 position going into a home make a run at the top. again the following week and served notice game with Duke. Although the Blue Devils The LSU Fighting Tigers opened the to the college football world. The Tigers rout- did some things no other team could do 1958 campaign Sept. 20 at Houston against ed the Miami Hurricanes 41-0 at the Orange against LSU all season—take an early lead, the Rice Owls.Although early in the season, Bowl to improve their record to 4-0, their best outgain the Tigers 353-yards to 285 and put a Dietzel’s Tigers, divided into three units—the start since 1937. total of 18 points on the board—it was simply White team, the Gold team (later shortened No. 9 LSU completed the first half of its not enough. LSU bombed Duke for 22 to Go) and the Chinese Bandits—showed schedule with a 32-7 victory over Kentucky points in the second quarter to take a 28-6 unusual poise and balance.LSU scored in before a home crowd of 65,000, the largest halftime lead and went on to a 50-18 victory. each period en route to a 26-6 victory over a yet to see the Tigers play. Sixty-three thou- When the UPI poll came out the follow- team it lost to the two previous seasons. sand turned out the following week anxious ing week, LSU was a unanimous No. 1 selec- The following week, the Tigers traveled to see if the Bayou Bengals could snap a tion, a position it would not relinquish until it to Mobile to take on Alabama in its first game three-game losing streak to Florida in LSU’s sustained a bitter 14-13 defeat at the hands under Paul “Bear”Bryant. LSU came away Homecoming game.The outcome was in of Tennessee in week eight of the 1959 sea- with a hard- doubt until the final three minutes, when son. Coach Paul Dietzel with half- fought 13-3 placekicker/fullback Tommy Davis booted a One week later, LSU traveled to Jackson, back Johnny Robinson win before 29-yard field goal, giving the Tigers a 10-7 Miss., for a game against Mississippi State. It (34), quarterback Warren return- victory. was a game in which 8-0 LSU could lose Rabb (12) and halfback ing to Now 6-0, LSU earned the AP poll’s No. everything and the 3-4 Bulldogs could lose Billy Cannon (20). Baton 1 ranking. But the Tigers knew they had to nothing. On a muddy field and with the overcome Johnny Vaught’s deadly Tigers tense, Miss. State took a 6-0 halftime Ole Miss Rebels if they wished to lead and made it hold up until LSU faced a remain on top, something they fourth and goal situation at State’s 5 in the hadn’t done since 1950. third quarter.With a possible national cham- The Rebels drove to sec- pionship on the line, Rabb rolled left and ond-and-one,just a foot found Billy Hendrix in the end zone to tie the from LSU’s end zone, game. Davis’extra point put LSU ahead 7-6 early in the second quar- and allowed the Tigers to escape Jackson 9-0. ter before 67,500 fans, the With one game against ancient rival first sellout in Tiger Tulane separating LSU from its first recog- Stadium history. They nized national championship (in those days, were turned back by a the wire services awarded their national superb defensive effort championship trophies before the bowl by the White team games), some wondered how the Tigers defenders. After that, would approach the 3-6 Green Wave, but a it was all LSU as White quote from Tulane halfback Claude “Boo” team quarterback Mason took care of that.After losing to Warren Rabb and Go Vanderbilt, Mason told a reporter,“We’ll beat 3 0 4 2002 LSU FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE T I G E R S C O A C H E S P R E V I E W R E V I E W R E C O R D S H O N O R S H I S T O R Y L S U M E D I A THE 1958 SQUAD White Team LE . Billy Hendrix 6-0 185 Rayville, La. LT. Lynn LeBlanc 6-2 201 Crowley, La. LG . Larry Kahlden 6-1 210 Weimar,Texas. C . Max Fugler 6-1 203 Ferriday, La. RG . Ed McCreedy 6-1 195 Biloxi, Miss. RT . Charles “Bo”Strange 6-1 202 Baton Rouge, La. RE . Mickey Mangham 6-1 192 Kensington, Md. QB . Warren Rabb 6-0 190 Baton Rouge, La. LH . Billy Cannon 6-1 204 Baton Rouge, La. RH. Johnny Robinson 6-0 185 Baton Rouge, La. FB . J.W. Brodnax 6-0 202 Bastrop, La. Go Team LE . Scott McClain 6-2 180 Smackover, Ark. The Chinese Bandits pose for Life Magazine in 1958. LT. Dave McCarty 6-2 200 Rayville, La. LG . Al Dampier 6-1 201 Clayton, La. LSU because they’ll choke.” found an opponent with little to C . Bobby Greenwood 5-10 195 Lake Charles, La. Whether the Tigers would lose but much recognition to gain RG . Mike Stupka 6-0 205 Bogalusa, La. choke was subject to debate at in 8-2 Clemson, as Frank Howard’s RT . Jack Frayer 6-2 210 Toledo, Ohio halftime, as LSU led only 6-0 troops tried to deny LSU its first RE . Don Norwood 6-3 202 Baton Rouge, La. before a then Southeastern perfect season in 50 years. QB . Durel Matherne 5-11 188 Lutcher, La. Conference record crowd of 83,221 After fighting off a series of LH . Don Purvis 5-7 160 Crystal Springs, Miss. in Sugar Bowl Stadium. However, bad breaks, including a fractured RH. Donnie Daye 5-10 184 Ferriday, La. LSU took command in the second hand by Rabb in the first quarter, FB . Tommy Davis 6-0 204 Shreveport,La. half, taking full advantage of Green LSU got a break of its own when Wave mistakes en route to a 35- Chinese Bandit Duane Leopard Chinese Bandits point fourth quarter and a 62-0 recovered a fumbled punt attempt CB . Andy Bourgeois 5-10 174 New Orleans, La. thrashing of Tulane, the most lop- on the Clemson 11. On third and LE . Mel Branch 6-1 210 DeRidder, La. sided score in the history of the eight at the 9, Billy Cannon took a LT. Emile Fournet 5-11 195 Bogalusa, La. series. Incredibly, LSU would handoff from Matherne and hit LB . John Langan 6-3 183 Carbondale, Ill. defeat the Greenies by the same Mickey Mangham with a touch- RG . Tommy Lott 5-9 188 Texarkana,Ark. score in 1961 and 1965. down pass on the halfback option RT . Duane Leopard 6-2 205 Baton Rouge, La. With a 10-0 record and for the game’s only score. RE . Gaynell Kinchen 6-3 196 Baton Rouge, La. national championship in hand, The following season, a more S . Darryl Jenkins 6-1 163 Franklinton, La. LSU accepted an invitation to take experienced LSU team demon- S . Henry Lee Roberts 6-0 172 Little Rock,Ark. on the Tigers of Clemson, in the strated how difficult it was to CB . Hart Bourque 5-8 165 Gonzales, La. 25th annual Sugar Bowl Classic on repeat as a national champion, LB . Merle Schexnaildre 5-9 182 Houma, La. NewYear’s Day, 1959.Once again, going 9-1 during the regular sea- LSU son. Only the loss to Tennessee separated LSU from the school’s second straight title. This defensive stand by the Chinese Bandits was called “The Great Wall of China.” The Chinese Bandits Kneeling: Mel Branch,Emile Fournet, Tommy Lott, Duane Leopard, Gaynell Kinchen. Standing: Andy Bourgeois,Darryl Jenkins, John Langen, Merle Schexnaildre, Henry Lee Roberts and Hart Bourque.

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