Some games are bigger than football.
That was the case as for the first time in the history of the two programs, LSU and Southern University met on the football field. The event was a coming together for not just the two programs, but for the city of Baton Rouge.
A week that was filled with anticipation, celebrating and unity was capped off with more of the same Saturday evening. The atmosphere surrounding LSU’s campus was one not seen since the now distant 2019 season. Streets were packed with cars and tailgate tents filled what seemed like every inch of green space around campus.
The game was sold out. Around 100,000 people filled Tiger Stadium, creating the pregame atmosphere many expected when the game was first scheduled. Two college football teams from the same city playing each other is rare. When that city is a football-crazed town like Baton Rouge, special things can happen.
For LSU, not only was it a celebration of the city, but the first home game for new Head Coach Brian Kelly. The excitement for his debut in Tiger Stadium was clear from the moment the team walked down Victory Hill. Thousands of fans lined South Stadium Drive to greet Kelly and the team before making their way into the stadium.
After the game, Kelly reflected on the entire event, and the opportunity for LSU to play Southern.
“It was an exciting day in Baton Rouge,” Kelly said. “We were excited about this matchup against Southern. It was great for the city, the community, to play a traditional HBCU school.”
The energy and anticipation built up all the way until the opening kickoff. Both teams took the field to thunderous roars, as a packed crowd filled with both purple and gold and blue and gold cheered on the two teams.
All of that emotion came to a head as the teams took the field for the kickoff when the Southern band played the infamous “Neck” song. A song that has lived in infamy at LSU after its ban due to profanity, “Neck” made both sets of fans go crazy when it blared through Death Valley.
On the field, that energy only seemed to carry over for LSU. On the opening kickoff, a big hit from Zavier Carter forced a Southern fumble giving LSU the ball in prime field position to start the game. An 18-yard run by Jayden Daniels on third down put LSU on the board first, and from there it was all LSU.
The Tigers went on to score a school record 37 points in the fourth quarter, propelling them to a 51-0 halftime lead. At halftime, though, is when the fireworks started again.
The Southern band took the field first, putting on a show that garnered more crowd noise than just about any play on the field.
After both bands did their individual performances, the two came together for a joint performance, lining up in the shape of a heart, followed by the Baton Rouge area code 225 before performing the cupid shuffle. It was a symbol of unity and togetherness for the two schools, celebrating the city the institutions share.
When the game resumed in the second half, it was more of the same. LSU went on to win 65-17. Even with the lopsided result, the mood remained festive though, the Southern section of the stadium exploded after an interception returned for a touchdown gave the Jaguars their first points, despite still being down 58-7 at the time.
Southern actually outscored LSU 17-14 in the second half, and though much of the crowd dwindled after halftime, the ones still in attendance continued to bring the energy. After the final whistle, the two bands continued to play for upwards of 20 minutes in a battle of the bands type of spectacle.
All of these things capped off what this event was and was expected to be. A blowout on the field, but a spectacle not seen in the history of Tiger Stadium.
