Two games, decided by a grand total of two points. When LSU and Georgia get together, deuces are wild.
The last meeting between the Tigers and Bulldogs took place Oct. 2, 1999 in Athens, Ga. No. 10 Georgia survived a last second touchdown by LSU to win, 23-22.
Josh Booty made his first career collegiate start in that contest, completing 19-of-45 passes for 280 yards. But Booty was picked off three times by the Georgia defense and recorded his only touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter.
Booty hit Reggie Robinson on a 39-yard touchdown strike with 18 seconds to play. LSU coach Gerry DiNardo gambled by going for the two-point conversion to win the game, rather then send it into overtime. But Booty floated what should have been the game-winning conversion and it was tipped away by Georgia defender Will Witherspoon. The Tigers were unable to recover an onside kick in the waning moments of the contest.
The Tigers led at halftime, 16-13. But Georgia quarterback Quincy Carter quickly drove the field on the LSU defense and hit Randy McMichael with a 12-yard touchdown strike in the third quarter to regain the lead.
Georgia running back Jasper Sanks ripped the LSU defense for 156 yards in 27 carries. Patrick Pass added to the ground assault with 69 yards, which included a back-breaking 58-yard score in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs shut down the Tigers rushing attack, limiting Mealey to a meager 25 yards rushing. John Corbello had a busy day for LSU, hitting field goals of 37, 31 and 40 yards.
The Oct. 2, 1999 result eerily resembled the Oct. 3, 1998 result in Baton Rouge.
Death Valley failed to live up to its namesake, as the No. 12 Bulldogs escaped the usually unfriendly confines with a 28-27 upset of No. 6 LSU.
LSU failed to punch the ball into the endzone in the fourth quarter, only able to muster two Chris Chavin field goals. Carter and Tigers quarterback Herb Tyler battled back and forth all game, with Carter getting the win over Tyler in the end.
Tyler completed 16-of-26 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, finding Kyle Kipps and Reggie Robinson for scores. Carter equaled Tyler’s two touchdown passes and completed 27-of-34 passes for 318 yards.
Kevin Faulk led the Tigers’ ground game with 88 yards on 17 carries. The one-two punch of Faulk and Mealey produced only one score, however, on Mealey’s 20-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter.
The loss sent the No. 6 LSU Tigers into a tailspin. Following the defeat, LSU fell to No. 6 Florida, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Alabama, No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 13 Arkansas. The Tigers registered only one victory in 1998 following the loss, defeating No. 24 Mississippi State, 41-6.
Even with Georgia’s recent luck, LSU leads the all-time series, 12-9-1. The Tigers are 4-4-1 against the Bulldogs in Death Valley.
If the odds-makers have a sense of humor, the line for this weekend’s contest will be two points.