1970 LSU Tigers football team
American college football season
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The 1970 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season.
| 1970 LSU Tigers football | |
|---|---|
SEC champion | |
Orange Bowl, L 12–17 vs. Nebraska | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 6 |
| AP | No. 7 |
| Record | 9–3 (5–0 SEC) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive scheme | I formation |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Home stadium | Tiger Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 LSU $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Tennessee | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Auburn | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 20 Ole Miss | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Following a 3–0 loss to No. 2 Notre Dame at South Bend, LSU was extended a bid to face Big Eight Conference champion Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. However, the bid was contingent on the Tigers defeating both Tulane at New Orleans and Ole Miss at Baton Rouge in the final two weeks of the season.
Still steaming about being shut out of the major bowl games in 1969 despite a 9–1 record, LSU responded to the challenge. The Tigers overcame a stubborn Tulane squad, which went on to defeat Colorado in the Liberty Bowl, and then dismantled Ole Miss 61–17 in front of a large television audience and nearly 70,000 fans in Tiger Stadium. In that game, Tommy Casanova tied an NCAA record with two punt return touchdowns in a single game, Craig Burns returned a third punt for a touchdown, and Ronnie Estay sacked Rebel quarterback Archie Manning for a safety.[1]
In the Orange Bowl, LSU led Nebraska 12-10 after three quarters, but a late touchdown by Jerry Tagge lifted the Cornhuskers to a 17–12 victory and the Associated Press national championship.
Casanova and linebacker Mike Anderson were recognized as consensus All-Americans.
As of 2025, this is the last season in which LSU did not play Florida. The Tigers and Gators will not play in 2026 unless they meet in the SEC Championship Game.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 19 | Texas A&M* | No. 12 | L 18–20 | 67,590 | [2] | ||
| September 26 | Rice* |
| W 24–0 | 65,000 | [3] | ||
| October 3 | Baylor* |
| W 31–10 | 60,000 | [4] | ||
| October 10 | Pacific (CA)* | No. 19 |
| W 34–0 | 48,000 | [5] | |
| October 17 | Kentucky | No. 15 |
| W 14–7 | 67,508 | [6] | |
| October 24 | at No. 6 Auburn | No. 14 | W 17–9 | 62,301–62,392 | [7] | ||
| November 7 | at No. 19 Alabama | No. 11 | ABC | W 14–9 | 60,371 | [8][9] | |
| November 14 | Mississippi State | No. 9 |
| W 38–7 | 64,000 | [10] | |
| November 21 | at No. 2 Notre Dame* | No. 6 | L 0–3 | 59,075 | [11] | ||
| November 28 | at Tulane* | No. 6 | W 26–14 | 81,233 | [12] | ||
| December 5 | No. 16 Ole Miss | No. 8 |
| ABC | W 61–17 | 67,590 | [13] |
| January 1, 1971 | vs. No. 3 Nebraska* | No. 5 | NBC | L 12–17 | 80,699 | [14] | |
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Roster
| 1970 LSU Tigers football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Team players drafted into the NFL
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddy Lee | Quarterback | 7 | 126 | Chicago Bears |
| Mike Anderson | Linebacker | 9 | 216 | New York Jets |
| John Sage | Linebacker | 17 | 420 | Philadelphia |
| Dennis Mclean | Offensive Lineman | 10 | 261 | Pittsburgh Steelers (He decided to serve in Vietnam rather than join the NFL) |
