Ole Miss Flashback: Rebels convincingly beat No. 5 LSU in Death Valley in 1997

Coming off a stunning 28-21 win over Steve Spurrier’s then No. 1 Florida who had won 25 SEC games in a row, the last thing the 1997 LSU Tigers were worried about the following week in Death Valley was Ole Miss.

In fact, the Tigers’ upset of Florida was played on their video board while the Rebels warmed up pregame.

The win over the Gators was billed the biggest win in LSU history while Ole Miss entered the game 3-2 and would be playing their third Top 10 team in their last four games having lost to powerful Auburn and Peyton Manning-led Tennessee previously.

Nobody gave Tommy Tuberville’s squad much of a shot, but the Rebels, behind a gameplan LSU did not expect from the Rebel offense that used crossing routes all day to several different receivers and a swarming defense that produced 15 tackles for loss and 6 quarterback sacks.

Ole Miss showed they were ready to play early on with a defensive stop and an early drive that was capped by a 15-yard sweep by RB John Avery, the fastest player on the field that day and most days he was a Rebel.

LSU Quarterback Herb Tyler answered quickly with a 72-yard TD burst on an option play that had given the Gators fits the week prior.

That’s when Reb Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone spring the trap, utilizing the crossing routes to befuddle the Tiger defense. Quarterback Stewart Patridge, who had time to throw most of the day behind the line that included Todd Wade, Terrence Metcalf, Keydrick Vincent, Boyk Kitchen (from New Orleans) and Matt Luke, started working his magic to various receivers – TE Rufus French, WR Ander Rone, WR Grant Heard, WR Cory Peterson and WR Robert Reed.

Drag routes, slants, crossing patterns, corner posts, Patridge threw them all and ended the day 27-43 for 346 yards, a TD and no interceptions.

The Rebs took a 14-7 lead on a 54 yard reception by Rone and a patented dive over the top by freshman RB Deuce McAllister, a dive that would become his trademark of being virtually unstoppable.

LSU Running Back Kevin Faulk, as good as there was at the time, scored twice before half to give the Tigers a 21-14 lead at intermission, but they would not score again against a Rebel defense that registered an unbelievable 15 tackles for loss and 6 QB sacks, 2 each by Michael Boone and Andre Harrison, 1 by DT Mitch Baker and 1 by now Grove Collective Executive Director Walker Jones, a Reb LB that season.

The second half belonged to Ole Miss. 22-0 in fact.

The third quarter started flowing the Rebs’’ way when Rebel DB Gary Thigpen blocked an LSU field goal attempt and Ole Miss had a short march that ended with a short Avery TD dash. PK Steve Lindsey missed the PAT, but the Rebels had sent another message – they were there to stay.

LB Armegis Spearman recovered an LSU fumble on the Tigers’ next possession, Patridge hit Heard for a nice gainer and then got in the end zone with a pass from Stew Pat to RB Alishma Alexander. The two-point conversion failed, but Ole Miss regained the lead 26-21 late in the third stanza.

Baker’s sack killed one LSU drive and lightning then struck for the Rebels when Patridge hit a streaking Heard for a 60-yard TD for a 33-21 margin with 10:29 to go in the game.

DB Timothy Strickland thwarted another LSU drive with an interception and Ole Miss drove 41 yards for a Lindsey field goal for the final 36-21 margin. LSU failed on a fourth down attempt to keep a last-ditch drive going and the Rebels ran out the clock for their biggest win, by far, of the Tuberville era.

Ole Miss ended with 488 yards of total offense, 346 through the air via Patridge’s arm, a bevy of quality receivers and Mazzone’s brilliant plan. French ended with 6 catches for 42 yards while Peterson had 5 for 47, Rone 3 for 89, Head 3 for 78 and a TD and Reed 3 for 45.

Avery led the rushing attack with 128 yards and 2 scores.

On defense LB Broc Kreitz and Strickland ended with 8 tackles each and Jones and Ronnie Heard ended with 7 apiece.

LSU had 391 yards with 172 of those coming from Faulk. An interesting note – LSU had never lost when Faulk had gained 100 yards in a game.

“LSU was loaded with NFL talent,” said Jones, “but what people don’t remember is that we had a lot of future NFL players on our team as well. Todd Wade, John Avery, Deuce McAllister were first rounders, I think, and Nate Wayne, Ken Lucas, and Derrick Burgess made All-Pro during their careers, if my memory serves me right.

“Also, Ronnie Heard had a good career as did Terrence Metcalf and Rufush French, Keydrick Vincent and Armegis Spearman all made it to the NFL.”

The win over the Tigers is a very fond memory of Jones and his playing days.

“It was a total team effort. Everyone contributed,” said Walker. “We beat a Top 5 team on their home field, Death Valley even, and it really wasn’t that close after halftime. We dominated them after halftime. You don’t get many moments like that. It was special.”

1997 was the first year off a strict probation and the Rebels went 8-4 with a thrilling one-point win over Mississippi State – the famous two-point conversion to win it – and a win over Marshall in the Motor City Bowl.

Looking back, however, in a season full of thrills and spills, no game captured the essence of the 1997 Rebels like their day in the sun in Death Valley.

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