Revenge.
Though some coaches try to keep their players from using it as motivation while preparing for a big game, there’s no denying the role it plays in the psyche of a team trying to avenge a loss.
Former LSU football coach Charles McClendon didn’t have to use the word revenge to inspire his players when they took the field and beat Tennessee 20-10 on Oct. 12 1974. McClendon said his team knew the importance of the task at hand.
“Our guys knew who they were playing that night,” he said. “They paid attention to who were the best teams in the country.”
In the Tigers’ sites that Fall evening was a Volunteer team which had handed LSU a 24-17 loss in the Bluebonnet Bowl just two seasons earlier, a loss which disappointed an LSU team seeking just its third-ever 10-win season. McClendon said he didn’t have to remind his players of the bowl game defeat for them to prepare for the next head to head battle.
“Any time you play a team the caliber and quality of Tennessee you’d better be ready,” he said. ” Tennessee always has a good team. One thing I didn’t have to remind the guys was that teams like Tennessee were going to always be good.”
The 1974 season was no exception. While the Volunteers weren’t fielding their strongest squad ever, they did come into the showdown in Tiger Stadium in the hunt for another post-season appearance. The Vols entered the contest with a 2-1-1 record, having been shutout 21-0 to Auburn in its only conference game to date.
LSU had struggled to that point in ?74 winning its opening game 42-14 over Colorado, but losing its next game to Texas A&M by a touchdown 21-14. After playing Rice to a 10-10 tie in third game of the year, the Tigers lost their conference opener to Florida 24-14. The Tennessee game promised to be a tough one, but it provided LSU an opportunity to right its ship before heading into the teeth of a tough Southeastern Conference schedule.
Leading the way for the Tigers on offense was senior quarterback Billy Broussard, who had been saddled with the difficult task of replacing All-American Bert Jones in 1973. Broussard, who was known for his speed and running ability, started slowly in ?74 after being sidelined with a separated shoulder during spring practice.
Calling the plays for the Vols was senior QB Condredge Holloway, who was named the most valuable player in the ?72 Bluebonnet Bowl. McClendon said Holloway was an especially potent quarterback because he ran an option offense unlike any other the Tigers had seen.
“We assigned one defensive player to check Holloway the entire game,” McClendon said. “We had to keep him in the pocket and keep him from running the ball and I think we did a pretty good job.”
The game remained scoreless until the second quarter, when Volunteer kicker Ricky Townsend booted a 33-yard field goal. LSU didn’t trail for long though, as Tiger running back Brad Davis capped a 75 -yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 2:07 left on the first-half clock.
The Tiger defense stopped the Vols on three plays after the kickoff, forcing a punt. But the LSU returner fumbled the kick away, giving Tennessee the opportunity to take the lead heading into the locker room. Holloway wasted no time, hitting split end Larry Seivers for a 33-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive and giving the Volunteers a 10-7 half-time advantage. But it would prove to be Tennessee’s last points of the evening.
The Tiger defense dominated the second half, while the LSU offense put together two impressive touchdown drives. LSU sophomore tailback Terry Robiskie capped a 46-yard drive late in the third quarter with a 7-yard TD run to give the Tigers the lead for the second time. A bad point after try left the score 13-10. Broussard finished the next Tiger drive when he dove into the end zone from 1-yard out with 9:49 left in the game. The PAT sailed through the uprights and the Tigers walked away with a 20-10 victory marking just the second time in the 17-game series LSU was victorious.
The victory is what is known in LSU circles as a “Wall Game,” the display in the chute of the locker room at Tiger Stadium commemorating only the Tigers most significant victories.
The momentum from the win was short-lived for the Tigers as Kentucky upset LSU the next week 20-13 in Lexington. The Tigers rebounded the following game though, pounding arch-rival Ole Miss 24-0 in front of a sold-out crowd at Tiger Stadium. LSU followed the Ole Miss shut-out win with a shutout loss 30-0 to Bear Bryant’s Alabama squad.
The Tigers finished the ?74 season with a 5-5-1 overall record, which McClendon said was a little disappointing. But, he added, the win over Tennessee that season showed that his team was capable of playing with a lot of heart.
“Any time you play a team as good as Tennessee and win, you point to that victory with pride,” he said. “When you have to play Tennessee, Ole Miss and Alabama in one season, you have to have an unbelievably strong team to win all those games. We won two of the three. I was very proud of that.”