“It is a pantheon of concrete & steel. It’s a city that rises defiantly in the Delta Alongside the Father of Waters. It is the humidity of autumn evenings That drapes stately oaks and broad magnolias. It is haunted…and it is loud. It is Halloween night & Cannon blasts. It is a Louisiana gumbo of humanity That cheers its Tigers to victory And destroys the dreams of invading foes. Chance of rain is…NEVER! It is the cathedral of college football And worship happens here. When the sun finds its home in the western sky, It is a field of glory for sure… But much more than that it is a sacred place, And it is Saturday night in Death Valley!”
– Dan Borne
Saturday night in Death Valley is one of the biggest traditions in college football. More than any other college, the Tigers play an overwhelmingly number of their home games at night. While LSU is difficult to beat at any hour in Baton Rouge, their record at night is formidable. Since 1960, the Tigers have won nearly 80% of their games under the lights. The poem above, written by long time LSU P.A. announcer Dan Borne, was transformed into an LSU Tigers hype video.
Which begs the question. How did this tradition get started?
LSU has no serious in state rival anymore, but that used to not be the case. During the golden era of Green Wave football, LSU had to compete with Tulane for the fandom of Louisiana. The annual Tulane-LSU SEC clash, also known as the “Battle for the Rag,” took on place on Thanksgiving Day and often had conference title implications.
Like the Rice-Texas battles of old, Tulane-LSU was the real deal. When Austin College’s Henry Frnka arrived to coach Tulane in 1946, he continued a long Green Wave tradition of playing competitive ball against LSU. In 1948, Frnka led Tulane into Death Valley and crushed the Tigers 46-0 under the lights. The victory, LSU’s worst defeat ever at the hands of Tulane, capped a 9-1 season for Frnka’s squad and included wins over Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Mississippi State. One year later, Frnka led Tulane to an SEC title. The 1949 championship was the last SEC title for Tulane.
In “The Green Wave: A history of Tulane Football,” the establishment of the LSU Saturday night game tradition is mentioned during the era of Austin College Kangaroo Henry Frnka:
“Tulane was the toast of Louisiana college football. It was because of Tulane’s success that LSU was forced to go to night football in Baton Rouge. The Tigers didn’t want to compete with Tulane for the Saturday afternoon crowds.” How ‘bout that? Have you ever enjoyed the atmosphere of Death Valley on a warm Louisiana night? If so, you can thank Austin College.
Night games in Baton Rouge are one of the most intimidating experiences in college football. Don’t take it from me. Just listen to the words of one of Henry Frnka’s SEC proteges:
“Baton Rouge happens to be the worst place in the world for a visiting team. It’s like being inside a drum.” – Bear Bryant
