I admit it. As I watched Nick Saban hoist the crystal football inside the Superdome, I got a little misty eyed. After watching good teams make runs to 10 win seasons in 1987 and 1996, and living through hell from 1989 to 1994, the 2003 football season will always hold a special place for me. The 2004 National Championship trophy represents the personal culmination of 22 years of cheering, cursing and crying. During all those preseason conversations filled with hope which inevitably led to late season discussions of “what if?,” I always held out hope, even if the flame flickered quite often during the “Curley-bout-Crazy” era. In a season full of blowouts, two plays stick out in my mind: (1) Matt Mauck’s game winning pass to Skyler Green versus Georgia in Tiger Stadium, (2) Manning going down at Ole Miss on the Rebels final offensive drive. The plays typified LSU’s success on both sides of the ball. Excluding the Florida game, the Tigers had timely offensive production and key defensive stops all season.
I can’t add much about LSU’s performance. The DEFENSE was just too DAMN good. Earlier this season, I called them the Nasty Boys, and they lived up to the name time and again this season. The defense put LSU in a position to play for the National Championship. The defense won the Sugar Bowl while special teams and offense gave Oklahoma its scoring opportunities. Spears’ interception and return for a TD to begin the 3rd quarter gave LSU an insurmountable lead which the defense preserved the rest of the way. How fitting was it for Lionel Turner to sack Heisman winning quarterback Jason White to seal the victory?
I’d be remiss in not mentioning the issue with the “split” title.
LSU would beat USC.
Oklahoma was the #1 scoring team in the nation. The Tigers held the Sooners to 14 points. LSU only gave up more than 20 points once the entire season, and that was to Arkansas as the Tigers scored 55 in a route. USC has more Heisman Trophy winners, more All-Americans, more Titles and more national recognition than LSU. But the Tigers have the Nasty Boys, and the Nasty Boys would not be denied.
I want to thank everyone for reading the page each week. You readers keep me going each week even when I’m feeling lazy.
See you next season…
