This year's Tigers defense is is a reminder of the LSU Tiger’s 1959 unit.
I was at LSU in 1959 and will have to admit that this year's defense is much better because of size, speed, coaching and depth. Of course, we went both ways back in the old days.
The famous Chinese Bandits were our defensive specialists (Actually our third team) and the heaviest starter was defensive end Mel Branch at 210, Duane Leopard was the only Bandits starter who weighed more than 200 at 205. The other defensive end was Andy Bourgeois, former St. Aloysius standout, at 174. But this is a story for another day. The first string was named the White Team and featured halfbacks Billy Cannon and Johnny Robinson (two first-round draft choices), quarterback Warren Rabb and center-linebacker Max Fugler. Robinson would become one of the best safeties to every play in the NFL.
Nick Saban did return the defensive tradition to LSU following some embarrassing years of total offense allowed, including the school record 408.7 a game in 1996 and nine seasons of 300 yards or more surrendered a game in the 1990s. His 2003 national champions allowed 252 yards of total offense a game, which at the time was the lowest allowed by the Tigers since the 1962 team, filled with seniors from McClendon's last recruiting class of 1979, that allowed 246.1 yards a game.
It's still very early with South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier due in on Saturday and offensive juggernaut Florida on Oct. 6, but this season's Tigers defense is setting a historical pace. LSU was No. 1 this week in total defense with 128.3 yards allowed per game. The only mark better than that in Tigers historical history is the 143.2 yards allowed by the 1959 defense, coordinated by McClendon under head coach Paul Dietzel.
