A night game in Tiger Stadium is a mystique hard to describe.
When the lights shine around the stadium parallel to Nicholson Drive, a football game becomes a buzzsaw of electricity with a roar hard to replicate at any other college football venue in the country. Since 1960, a 231-64-4 record after the sun sets proves the hype of Death Valley.
But on the first day of Southeastern Conference Media Days, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said what every LSU fan must have feared when asked about his team’s 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Tiger Stadium this Saturday.
“You look at their track record, they’re extremely tough to play at their place, especially at night,” Malzahn said. “So, it may be a little bit of an advantage that we’re playing during the day.”
Malzahn’s opinion may have changed since he made those remarks in July, as his team’s challenges against LSU are much greater than what time the game starts. Auburn barely squeaked out a seven-point, overtime win in its home opener against Jacksonville State, a Football Championship Subdivision opponent who was a five-touchdown underdog.
Regardless, LSU welcomes the fellow Tigers in a top-25 matchup, which could go a long way in determining LSU’s SEC West fate. For a roster filled with second-year players, many LSU players haven’t experienced a home game under the sun, playing all seven of its home games at night last season.
Sophomore running back Leonard Fournette, though, said he imagines the only real difference will be the field temperature. But it’s what the New Orleans native expects in Baton Rouge and won’t alter his pregame routine.
“It’s going to be hot,” Fournette said. “But it’s LSU weather.”
The last time LSU lined up on the Tiger Stadium Celebration Bermuda grass in the afternoon, it was for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff in 2013 against Arkansas for LSU’s once-yearly Black Friday contest. The previous week LSU hosted Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. In both games, temperatures hovered in the mid-50s, and it was fairly damp against the Aggies.
With a forecast of 91 degrees as the high Saturday, LSU coach Les Miles understands the challenges of going game speed in those conditions. He said he wants his team to “hydrate at the cellular level” prior to kickoff.
Senior tackle Vadal Alexander said starting game preparations earlier shouldn’t be an issue for his team.
“Most guys are ready to go by noon anyway when we kickoff at 6 p.m.,” Alexander said. “So now, [we’re] just really going to have to get ready to go. I think our guys will be fine.”
As for what junior cornerback Tre’Davious White expects from the environment, the night time magic should carry over to an afternoon game in a pivotal league tilt, he said.
“The atmosphere, the fans, the way they engage and the way they are so into the game, it’s no difference,” White said. “If it’s 7:30 in the morning, 102,000 are going to be there. Every seat is going to be filled. So, we pretty much don’t worry about the time. We can play anybody, anytime, anywhere. So, we are going to prepare well and be ready to go at 2:30 p.m.”