LSU-Ole Miss meeting in 1964 among many great games in storied rivalry

The Ole Miss-LSU rivalry conjures up great personal memories for many fans on both sides. Nearly 60 seasons ago, I made my very first trip to Tiger Stadium to see the Tigers host the Rebels.

It was October 31, 1964. It took a lot to give up Halloween night as a youngster, but this was an easy decision. My traveling party arrived at Tiger Stadium on the old ‘Tiger train’ which originated from New Orleans and made a couple of stops en route to Baton Rouge. It was a very popular option for many fans at that time.

The stadium was a bit smaller then, with 68,000 seating in a horseshoe configuration. Built 40 years earlier in 1924, it had 12,000 seats in that enclosure.

At that time, there were many two-way players. LSU fielded 50 players on that game day while Ole Miss carried 43. The biggest man for LSU was lineman Dave McCormick who was 6-foot-6, 240 pounds. He would go onto a lengthy NFL career. Ole Miss had one player at 240, right tackle James Harvey.

Recognizable names on the ’64 squad for LSU fans include quarterbacks Pat Screen, Billy Ezell and Nelson Stokley. Ezell was the team’s leading passer with 384 yards and four touchdowns for the season. The backfield featured New Orleans products Gawain DiBetta, Joe LaBruzzo and Don Schwab, a fullback who was the team’s leading ground gainer that year with 683 yards. The Tiger receivers were Doug Moreau, Billy Masters and Kenny Vairin. The line was manned by two-way performers Ruffin Rodrigue, Max Estay, George Rice, Remi Prudhomme and John Demarie.

LSU head coach Charlie McClendon was 0-2 against the Rebels at that time in his third campaign at the helm. His staff included Charlie Pevey, Scooter Purvis, Dave McCarty, Pop Strange, Doug Hamley and future New Orleans Saints head coach John North.

Johnny Vaught’s Ole Miss squad led throughout the game that night until late and looked to have a win locked up with a 10-3 advantage headed into the final five minutes. Then the Tiger defense recovered a fumble at the Ole Miss 47-yard line.

LSU had just beaten North Carolina 20-3 three weeks earlier but the star quarterback Screen took a hard hit in the second quarter against the Tar Heels and never played a full game the remainder of that season or the next.

So it was Ezell, a junior from Greenville, Mississippi, who guided the offense to the end zone. His 19-yard strike to 6-foot-5 target Billy Masters on third down pulled LSU within a point, 10-9.

Masters utilized his size against defenders, but in this case he improvised which changed the outcome. The play called was “Flanker Circle route” but Masters spotted an opening and took off downfield on a ‘go’ route. Ezell spotted him in the moonlight. Masters ended up playing 10 seasons in the NFL.

The deciding two-point attempt was a gutsy call. Moreau, the current LSU radio color analyst, had accounted for three points on a 33-yard field goal but the left footed kicker was the primary target on the two-point play. Ezell delivered the ball, but Ole Miss sophomore defensive back Tommy Luke got a fingertip on the pass, causing the ball to wobble a bit. Moreau, displaying excellent concentration, managed to corral the pass and give the raucous Tiger faithful reason to exhale in jubilation.

That game day experience was special and remains a treasured memory. I still have the game program, worth ever bit of the 50 cents I paid for it that day.

Now known as the Magnolia Bowl, LSU has won seven out of the previous 10 encounters with Ole Miss but the rivals have split the past four played in Oxford.

PASSING FANCY

Jayden Daniels is one of only six FBS quarterbacks to have ever thrown for 10,000 career yards and run for at least 2,000. In 46 contests with Arizona State and LSU, Daniels has tossed for 10,233 yards and accounted for 2,341 on the ground.

Others to have accomplished that feat:

Dan LeFevour (2006-2009) Central Michigan
Marcus Mariota (2012-2014) Oregon
Trevone Boykins (2021-2015) TCU
Colin Kaepernick (2007-2010) Nevada
Robert Griffin III (2008-2011) Baylor

Daniels has accounted for more career rushing yards than the 2011 Heisman winner Griffin and is within 134 yards of overtaking him in the passing department as well. If Daniels throws for an additional 2,673 yards the remainder of the season, he will surpass everyone on that list of outstanding dual threat quarterbacks.

Among his high water mark in 1+ seasons with the Tigers, Daniels was the first Tigers quarterback to run for three scores and throw three more in the 45-35 win over Florida last year. His five touchdown passes against Grambling this season put him in rare company at LSU, adding his name to a list that includes Max Johnson (vs. Central Michigan), Zach Mettenberger (vs. UAB) and Joe Burrow. It comes as no surprise that the prolific Burrow turned the five touchdown trick three times, had six scoring tosses against Vanderbilt and posted seven against Oklahoma in a national semifinal.

Daniels is slotted in the sixth spot by oddsmakers for the Heisman Trophy.

Malik Nabers has established himself among premier receivers in college football. He tallied 72 catches for 1,017 yards and three scores last season. Thus far in 2023, the Southside High alum has accumulated 32 grabs for 523 yards and five touchdowns.

If Nabers maintains his current pace, he would finish the season with 128 catches for 2,092 yards and 20 touchdowns. Those figures would mean breaking the catches and yardage mark at LSU while tying Ja’Marr Chase in scoring grabs. Nabers need 43 receiving yards to become the 12th receiver in LSU history to reach 2,000 yards for his career.

Entering Week 5, Nabers and Brian Thomas form the best receiving combo in the SEC. The duo has combined for 57 catches for 936 yards and 10 scores. LSU has scored on 20 of their 24 possessions through four games, fueled in large part by the explosive passing attack.

CAN YOU DIGG IT?

LSU running back Logan Diggs had a coming out party in his first season with the program when he totaled 115 yards rushing in the win over Grambling. He joined Cecil “The Diesel” Collins as the last Tiger runner to have accumulated over 100 yards in his debut when he had 172 yards on the ground against Auburn.