A half-century later, memories of Tulane 14, LSU 0 still vivid for Wave players

The sports year 1973 was filled with intrigue and rivalry – George Foreman knocking out Joe Frazier for the world heavyweight title, Billie Jean King defeating Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” and Secretariat becoming the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 25 years after winning the Belmont Stakes by an astounding 31 lengths.

Secretariat would serve as a motivational tool for the Tulane football team, which also was trying to overcome a 25-year drought of its own.

That drought would end half a century ago Friday – on Dec. 1, 1973 – when the Green Wave defeated eighth-ranked and Orange Bowl-bound LSU 14-0.

Tulane was coming off a 6-5 season in 1972, one that was inches away from being 7-4.

Head coach Bennie Ellender – viewed as a detailed, collected and very serious leader – was hired on Christmas Eve 1970 to succeed Jim Pittman, who left for TCU following the upset victory of Colorado in the Liberty Bowl to cap the “Year of the Green.”

Ellender’s installation took flight during his second spring (1972). “Our defense took tremendous strides and began to jell as a solid unit and with a lot of pride,” the coach said then.

The journey toward the 1973 Tulane-LSU matchup began 364 days earlier. On Dec. 2, 1972, LSU escaped with a 9-3 win.

Despite losing a pair of Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, Steve Foley, who started at quarterback for both of those Tulane teams, said the 1972 LSU game left the most bitter taste in his mouth.

With more than 85,000 inside Tulane Stadium, defenses had ruled the day and neither team had found the end zone. LSU’s three field goals gave the Tigers a six-point edge.

Tulane was driving in the final minute for the potential winning score. “(With) 58 seconds left, I zig- zagged 40 yards getting to the LSU 5-yard line,” Foley recalled.

Five seconds remained on the clock when Foley stepped under center at the LSU 5. “I threw a swing pass to fullback Russell Huber, a little behind him. He had to adjust to catch the pass and LSU safety Frank Racine made an open-field tackle, stopping Huber’s progress at the one-foot line,” Foley explained.

Those 12 inches would be the motivation for the next 12 months.

“It began there,” Foley said. “I remember saying that we had the team to beat LSU in 1973.

“We believed that we had the players to compete. I know that our defense (1972) was good enough to hold LSU to three field goals, no touchdowns allowed to LSU in consecutive games. We had all of the incentive to play above the ground. We had enough talent.”

Foley led the squad in both passing and rushing in ’73, but Ellender believed in depth, getting every player on board. He alternated first and second units.

“I split time with Terry Looney,” Foley said.” Ellender thought we had so much depth that we could substitute. We would keep the offensive line in, but substitute other areas. Sometimes I would play two quarters. Quarterbacks did not check off at the line.”

Billy Laird was Tulane’s offensive coordinator, Ron Toman coached the quarterbacks and running backs and former LSU quarterback Lynn Amedee coached the backs.

Tulane had recorded an impressive 21-16 opening season win over Boston College. The Eagles featured an impressive offense led by quarterback Mike Kruczek who would earn two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers; offensive lineman Tom Condon, a 10-year NFL veteran who would become a major sports agent, and running back Mike Esposito, who ran for 1,293 yards and 15 scores that season.

Foley had 118 yards rushing against Boston College, with a 50-yarder called back due to a flag. “That win gave us a lot of confidence,” he said.

Two weeks later the Green Wave came away with another impressive showing on the road against the Pitt Panthers, 24-6. Head coach Johnny Majors’ group featured a freshman sensation, Tony Dorsett. The Tulane defense made a statement in that game.

“The defensive line and linebackers controlled the line of scrimmage, but we were always mobile in pursuit of the ball,” crowed two-time All-South Independent nose guard Mark Olivari, who set a school record with 14 sacks in 1973.

Defensive tackle Charlie Hall was cited for the win over Pittsburgh. “A great leader, so humble,” Olivari said of his 6-foot-6, 260-pound teammate. “He was AP National Lineman of the week. He tore them up. The following week against Duke (a 24-17 Tulane win) they double teamed Charlie.”

Olivari was selected as the UPI National Defensive lineman of the week against the Blue Devils.

The week prior to the LSU game, Tulane lost to Maryland 42-9 on the road. Coached by Jerry Claiborne, the Terrapins fielded a team which included eventual Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy White and future Saints’ first-round draft pick Joe Campbell.

LSU Tigers had suffered an emotional 21-7 loss to No. 2 Alabama on Thanksgiving night, nine days before the Tulane game. It appeared to be an ideal setting for a Tulane upset the following week.

The week leading up to game time, the emotional speech from George C. Scott from the 1970 movie “Patton,” which won seven Academy Awards, blared through the windows of the room shared by Foley and Olivari at the dormitory where the athletes lived.

Tulane’s defense allowed a mere 11.5 points per game to opponents and recorded three shutouts for the 1973 campaign. LSU ran an option attack. Tulane countered with a mostly zone defense.

Tulane linebacker Jim Gueno, who went on to play five seasons with the Green Bay Packers, was a key component of the defense.

“(Gueno) was a battler, a quiet leader, but he played loud,” stated Olivari.

Linebacker Rusty Chambers led the squad with 153 tackles on the season. He played six NFL seasons before an auto accident cut short his life at age 27. “We called him Kabookie,” Olivari laughed. “I don’t know why. He was a heat seeking missile.”

Gueno fondly remembers his linebacker mate, Chambers. “He was quiet, unassuming, so consistent,” Gueno said. “He was the team captain. Never missed a tackle. A very physical form tackler.”

Olivari was an undersized 205-pound nose tackle. “He was our emotional catalyst,” Gueno said. “He had speed, attitude and desire. He changed the overall game preparation from the inside.”

Holy Cross product Mike Truax manned one flank.” A great athlete, more of a consummate outside linebacker today,” Gueno analyzed.” He was a player you’d want to take a picture of.”

Mike Trapani was on the opposing end of the line from Truax. “He was ferocious for his size,” Olivari said. “I looked up to him. He was a great leader, very disciplined player.”

Strong safety David Griener was the defensive enforcer. “A great teammate,” Gueno exclaimed. “He broke his arm two weeks before the LSU game. He had an operation, had a plate put in and a brace on his arm. He still played in the game. He was one of the toughest players I’d ever known.”

Tulane controlled the tempo from start to finish, intercepting LSU quarterback Mike Miley three times, with Griener recording two.

Tulane threw for just 110 yards, but 37 of those came with 19 seconds remaining before halftime – a Looney-to-Darwin Willie connection, when the 6-foot-3, 230-pound tight end got behind the safety and put the Green Wave up 7-0 heading into intermission.

With a little under two minutes remaining in the third quarter, LSU was facing a third down at the Tulane 28. Miley rarely altered his cadence that game, keeping the snap count fairly consistent. It made it easy for the defense to anticipate the snap count.

Logan Killen was LSU’s center, flanked by All-America right guard and former De La Salle standout Tyler LaFauci.

“I hit the A gap between them,” explained Olivari.” I was in the gap when the ball was snapped. It was an 11 yard loss. I had 2 sacks, Charlie Hall had one.

Olivari also deflected a Juan Roca 49-yard field goal moments later, keeping the shutout intact.

Early in the final quarter, senior running back Doug Bynum scooted 53 yards to the LSU 1, setting up a 1-yard dive by fullback Lynden Lassiter, his only score of the season, putting Tulane up 14-0.

That would be more than enough for the Green Wave to claim its first victory over the Tigers since 1948 – the same year that Citation won the Triple Crown.

Foley fondly recalls that the team was a collection of players with a unique chemistry.

“We weren’t just one player,” he said. “We had a great team, great defense who could control the game, good offensive line, great running backs and receivers. Our defense had a swagger about them.

“We had 40 guys from the New Orleans area. That was a cohesive group, a lot of Catholic League guys,” said the former Jesuit quarterback. “We all knew each other. We were confident in our nucleus. We knew a lot of players at LSU. We had guys you wanted to be in a foxhole with. A bunch of dogs.”