It was tough to pick 10 of the most iconic moments in LSU sports lore, let alone rank them. So many players, teams and coaches have contributed to the legacy of LSU athletics. Here’s how I ranked them.
10. LSU vs Loyola Marymount: Feb. 3, 1990
The Tigers’ 148-141 overtime victory over Loyola Marymount was the greatest game ever played inside the PMAC.
The duo of guard Chris Jackson and center Shaquille O’Neal didn’t disappoint fans that packed what was then called “The Deaf Dome.” Jackson scored 34, and O’Neal put together a monster triple-double with 20 points, 24 rebounds and 12 blocks.
 
9. Women’s basketball team reaches fifth straight Final Four: March 31, 2008
The LSU women’s basketball team beat North Carolina in New Orleans, 56-50, advancing to the Final Four for the fifth straight season.
Four coaches ­- Sue Gunter, Pokey Chatman, Bob Starkey and Van Chancellor – took the Lady Tigers to at least one Final Four during the “Drive for Five”.
 
8. Bluegrass Miracle: November 9, 2002
LSU was down by three with two seconds left in the game. Kentucky players had already doused coach Guy Morriss with Gatorade.
Then, in one of the most improbable finishes in college football history, LSU quarterback Marcus Randall miraculously connected on a 75-yard tipped Hail Mary pass to wide receiver Devery Henderson to win the game, 33-30.
 
7. LSU defeats No. 1 Florida: October 11, 1997
After the score was tied through three quarters, No. 14 LSU used a Cedric Donaldson interception for a touchdown to put the Tigers ahead for good, upsetting the No. 1 Florida Gators, 28-21. It was the first time LSU had ever beaten a top-ranked team.
The victory sent a message to the national television audience – LSU football was a force to be reckoned with.
 
6. Hodson to Fullerin the Earthquake Game: October 8, 1988
Not only was it a huge upset for unranked LSU against No. 4 Auburn, but to LSU fans in attendance, it’s the night Death Valley shook.
On a fourth down with just seconds remaining, down 6-0, quarterback Tommy Hodson threw a bullet that hit wide receiver Eddie Fuller in the back of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. Tiger fans broke out into a roar after the play that registered as an earthquake on a campus seismograph.
It was one of many dramatic finishes inside Tiger Stadium that earned LSU football fans the title of the most spirited in the country.
 
5. No. 11-seed LSU men’s basketball team reaches Final Four: March 22, 1986
 
LSU coach Dale Brown shocked the men’s basketball world, taking the highest-seeded team ever to the Final Four.
The Tigers used a Ricky Blanton lay-up with 15 seconds left to seal the victory against No. 1 seed Kentucky, 59-57.
Brown reaching the Final Four in such improbable fashion is testament to his legendary coaching ability. It was one of the biggest Cinderella runs in college basketball history.
 
4. LSU wins second BCS title: January 7, 2008
LSU football fans waited 45 seasons between the Tigers’ first and second national titles. They only had to wait four between the second and third.
Despite falling behind 10-0 early against Ohio State, LSU used a career-high four-touchdown performance from quarterback Matt Flynn and cruised to a 38-24 victory against the Buckeyes.
The win made LSU the first school to win two BCS National Championships.
3. Warren Morris walk-off homer to win College World Series: June 8, 1996
Trailing 8-7 to Miami in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 3 of the College World Series with two outs, senior second baseman Warren Morris was LSU’s last hope.
No one expected the No. 9 hitter in the lineup to deliver the most clutch hit in LSU baseball history.
Morris swung at the first pitch and sent the ball over the right field fence, securing LSU coach Skip Bertman’s third national title.
 
2. Pete Maravich sets NCAA Scoring Record: January 31, 1970
Going into the game, Pete Maravich trailed Oscar Robertson by 40 points for the NCAA career scoring mark. With 4:43 left in the second half, the Pistol sank a jump shot, giving him the record.
Maravich went on to score 3,667 points, averaging 44.2 a game, in his three year career at LSU. No one will ever come close to breaking his record, even with a three-point line.
Pistol Pete is without question the best athlete in LSU history.
1. Billy Cannon’s run on Halloween Night: October 31, 1959
When you think of Saturday Night in Death Valley, you think of Billy Cannon’s 89-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Cannon fielded the punt, eluded a multitude of defenders and scored what would be the only touchdown in the Tigers’ 7-3 victory over bitter rival Ole Miss. This run won him the Heisman Trophy and helps defines LSU football.
 
 
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Contact Micah Bedard at [email protected]
 
Micah Bedard is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Houma. Follow him on Twitter @DardDog.