Chris Macaluso
LSUsports.net
Southeastern Conference Football has long had the reputation of being down and dirty, and hard-nosed and dominated by defense.
But fans who showed up to watch LSU battle Kentucky in Commonwealth Stadium on Nov., 1, 1997 expecting a defensive struggle were sorely disappointed.
In an offensive display not seen before or since, the Tigers downed the Wildcats, 63-28, the highest point total ever for an LSU team against a SEC opponent.
Then-first-year head coach Hal Mumme was in the process of building one of the most wide-open offensive attacks in college football. Led by sophomore quarterback sensation Tim Couch, the Wildcat offense came into the LSU contest averaging more than 350 passing yards per game.
“Kentucky was extremely physical that year,” said LSU running backs coach Mike Haywood, who served under then-head coach Gerry DiNardo and now under current coach Nick Saban. “They had a lot of young talent that season and we knew they could score a lot of points.”
LSU’s offensive attack was highly regarded around the country as well, but the Tigers’ strength was in their ground attack. An experienced, deep offensive line cleared the way for a trio of strong runners led by All-American Kevin Faulk. Tiger Tailbacks Kendall Cleveland and highly touted sophomore Rondell Mealey joined with Faulk to help LSU lead the SEC in rushing with more than 240 yards per game heading into the Kentucky showdown.
LSU’s season to that point had been filled with peaks and valleys. The Tigers had lost potential All-American rusher Cecil Collins early in the season to a broken leg against Vanderbilt. But Collins’ injury didn’t keep the Tigers from beating No.1 ranked Florida the next week in what has been called the greatest win in school history.
The elation of the Florida win didn’t last long though, as the Tigers were soundly defeated by Ole Miss the next week. The Kentucky game gave LSU an opportunity to regain the momentum it needed to finish a tough SEC schedule and head into post-season. Mealey opened the scoring flood gates early with a 29-yard touchdown run on LSU’s first offensive possession. A bad snap on the point after gave the Tigers a 6-0 lead just two and a half minutes into the game.
Cleveland followed Mealey’s score with one of his own, hauling in a 6-yard pass from Tiger QB Herb Tyler with 2:13 to play in the first quarter. A failed two-point conversion attempt failed and the Tigers held a 12-0 lead.
But Couch and the rest of the Kentucky offense came to life in the second quarter. The UK quarterback completed touchdown passes of two, 11 and 32 yards. Faulk gave the Tigers their only score of the second quarter on a 21-yard run with 4:34 to play in the half. Tiger receiver Abram Booty hauled in the two-point try after the touchdown, but LSU still trailed at the half 21-20.
Haywood said the LSU coaching staff had some very explicit instructions for its team during halftime.
“We made some changes at the half to try and take advantages of the strengths we felt we had,” he said. “The adjustments we made helped push the team through in the second half.”
The adjustment not only helped push LSU through the second half, they just about pushed Kentucky off its own field. Tyler gave the Tigers the lead again on a 6-yard TD run with 9:06 to play in the third quarter. Tyler plunged into the end zone on the two-point conversion as well to give the Tigers a 28-21 advantage.
The game turned into the Kevin Faulk show from that point on as the Tiger tailback rushed for four TD’s in the second half. Faulk’s first score of the second half came just seconds after Tyler’s scamper. A Kentucky turnover gave Faulk the chance to add to the LSU lead on an 8-yard run with 8:36 to play in the third. Faulk scored again in the quarter, this time on a 4-yard run with 5:56 left.
Meanwhile, the Tiger defense kept Couch in check, allowing just one Kentucky touchdown in the second half on an 8-yard pass to receiver Kevin Coleman with 1:01 to play in the third quarter.
Faulk continued to show off his skills in the fourth quarter with TD runs of 19 an 21 yards. Mealey capped the Tiger offensive explosion with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:48 left in the game giving LSU a 63-28 final advantage.
Faulk’s five rushing touchdowns were the most ever by an LSU running back. He led all rushers with 212 yards as the Tiger offense ran up 400 yards on the ground and 613 total yards for the game. Faulk was named the National Player of the Week for his performance, yet ironically not the SEC Player of the Week, and gave LSU its 600th win in school history.
Haywood said the entire LSU offense was at its peak that night.
“The success LSU had rushing the ball that night was because the offense played very well as a unit,” he said. “We had an aggressive offensive line that provided all of our backs with opportunities to run through some big holes.”
Faulk and the LSU offense continued to shine the next week when the Tigers shut out Alabama 27-0 in Tuscaloosa. Tiger rushers, led by Faulk’s 168 yards, finished the game with 265 yards on the ground.
The Tigers went on to claim an Independence Bowl title that season by beating Notre Dame 27-9, avenging an earlier 24-6 loss to the Fighting Irish in Tiger Stadium.
Haywood said the Tigers ability to run the ball throughout the 1997 season was key to a successful 9-3 campaign.
“I think LSU is known for having good backs and we were just keeping up that tradition that season.”