The One Second Blues

by Terry Hoover

LSU QB Bert Jones

I'll get us started here with my memories of the 1972 LSU-Ole Miss game in Tiger Stadium. I was about 8 years old at the time and went to the game with my father and a friend of his and his young son. My father later passed away of a heart attack when I was nine, so this memory with him was extra special to me.
Well, things seemed bleak for the Tigers as fans were leaving the stadium early to beat the traffic rush. We stayed and the Tigers ended up with one more drive with former LSU great Bert Jones leading the Tiger offense. Jones ended up with only one second left on the clock on about the Ole Miss 20 yard line with the Tigers trailing 16-10. Ole Miss fans would later complain that the one second left on the clock should have run off on the previous play and should have ended the game. Anyway, Bert Jones found halfback Brad Davis in the end zone for a tying touchdown on the games last play and of course the remaining Tiger fans went wild. Showing no time left on the clock, kicker Rusty Jackson came in and booted the extra point through the uprights and the Tigers came out with a thrilling 17-16 victory over arch rival Ole Miss.
This game will always be a special one to me as it was a great childhood memory to share with my dad.