A Look Back at the History Between LSU and Texas: We’ve Been Expecting You

Dwight Eisenhower has just been inaugurated as president. The Korean War has come to an armistice. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin has just passed away. Chevrolet has just released the first Corvette. The Cuban Revolution has begun with Fidel Castro. Tiger Stadium’s horseshoe had just closed, finishing the lower bowl, creating a capacity of 68,000. All of this was happening the last time Texas played in Baton Rouge. In an exciting 20-7 upset, LSU took down the Longhorns to start the 1953 season.

Texas and LSU have met 18 times, with the Longhorns holding a 9-8-1 series advantage over the Tigers. The first meeting came in 1896 with LSU winning in Baton Rouge 14-0. The vast majority of those 18 came prior to 1955, with the two having only met three times since then. LSU won the 1963 Cotton Bowl, and then the two did not meet for forty years.

The 2003 Cotton Bowl would be the first meeting since 1963. LSU would fall to Texas in that one 35-20. Marcus Randall quarterbacked the Tigers, completing 19 of his 45 passing attempts. Yes, you read that right. Those 19 completions went for 193 yards and one touchdown pass to LaBrandon Toefield. Randall added 11 carries for 78 yards, but Domanick Davis led the Tigers with 85 yards on 13 carries, with one going for a score. Michael Clayton led LSU in receiving with six receptions for 88 yards. Bradie James led the Tiger defense with seven total tackles, while Norman Lejeune, Byron Dawson and Melvin Oliver recorded one sack each. Marcus Spears recorded an interception, and Corey Webster forced three fumbles. For the Longhorns, Chris Simms completed 15 of his 28 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns and an interception to Spears. Selvin Young and Cedric Benson were the leading Texas rushers with 57 and 51 yards, respectively, with Benson picking up a score. Roy Williams was the leading receiver with four catches for 142 yards and a score.

The last time the two met was in 2019, with LSU ranked sixth and Texas ranked ninth. Ed Orgeron was the head coach for the Tigers, and Tom Herman led the Longhorns. LSU would start the scoring with an 11-play drive that led to a 36-yard field goal. Texas would answer in the second quarter with a 55-yard touchdown pass from Ehlinger to Brennan Eagles. The Longhorns led 7-3, but the lead would not hold; LSU responded with a six-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Justin Jefferson. LSU forced a punt and followed it with another field goal to make it 13-7. The Tigers forced a three-and-out before Burrow found Jefferson again on a 21-yard score. Texas would rally back in the third quarter with an Ehlinger two-yard rushing touchdown and a touchdown pass from Ehlinger to Jake Smith for 20 yards that sandwiched an LSU field goal, making it 23-21 Tigers. The fourth quarter was an offensive battle. Terrace Marshall Jr. would catch a 26-yard touchdown from Burrow before Texas would follow suit with a 44-yard score from Ehlinger to Devin Duvernay. On the next Tiger drive, Clyde Edwards-Helaire would run it in from 12 yards out to make it 37-28. Texas kicker Cameron Dicker would make it 37-31. With 3:59 left, LSU needed to kill the clock and add points to tighten its grip on the win. On second and 10, Burrow would take a sack to make it third and 17 from their own 39-yard line. With Burrow in the shotgun and Justin Jefferson in the slot to his right, Burrow climbed the pocket to make an outrageous leaping throw to a crossing Jefferson, completing it beyond the line to gain, but Jefferson had other plans. Jefferson would stiff-arm a tackler and take it in for a 61-yard score. That made it 45-31. Texas would score another touchdown from the Ehlinger-Duvernay combo to make it 45-38, but would fail to recover the onside kick, giving the Tigers their first win in Austin since 1938 and their first win over the Longhorns since that 1963 Cotton Bowl.

Burrow on that day completed 31 of his 39 passes for 471 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Edwards-Helaire carried the ball 15 times for 87 yards and one score. Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall Jr. all eclipsed 100 yards receiving, with Jefferson catching three touchdowns to Marshall’s one. Michael Divinity Jr. led LSU in tackles with 10. Five different Tigers also had a sack. For Texas, Ehlinger completed 31 of his 47 passes for 401 yards and four scores while also leading in rushing with 60 yards on 19 carries for one score. Devin Duvernay was his leading receiver with 12 catches for 154 yards and two scores. Caden Sterns led the Longhorns in tackles with nine. Four different Longhorns also recorded a sack, while Joseph Ossai added to his sack total with one interception.

LSU and Texas will play for the first time as SEC foes, with the Longhorns having joined the conference in 2024. Texas comes in with a 7-2 record ranked sixth, while LSU is 6-3 and ranked 21st. Kickoff is set for 6:30 PM CST in Tiger Stadium, with the game airing on ABC.