by www.LSUsports.net, LSU Sports Interactive
BATON ROUGE -- For the third time in six years, LSU is BCS Bowl bound as the fourth-ranked Tigers will face 11th-ranked Notre Dame in the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on Jan. 3.
Sunday’s announcement capped a 24-hour stretch that saw the Tigers go from being what appeared to be a sure Rose Bowl opposite Michigan to ending up just 70 miles down the Interstate-10 in New Orleans against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
The BCS Bowl picture began to change on Saturday afternoon when Southern Cal dropped a 13-9 decision to UCLA, thus taking the Trojans out the national championship contest and putting them in the Rose Bowl. Florida then stamped its ticket for the BCS title game, jumping past No. 2 Michigan, following its 38-28 victory over Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game.
That victory sent Michigan to the Rose Bowl to face Southern Cal and sent LSU to the Sugar Bowl to play Notre Dame.
“We are very excited to be heading to the Sugar Bowl and to play in a BCS Bowl,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “Our team is looking forward to this game. You want to celebrate a great season with a quality opponent in a bowl game and Notre Dame offers just that. Anyway you cut it Notre Dame is a great team. They only lost two games, which were to two highly ranked teams and they have great tradition. They have great history and it should be a tremendous match up.”
LSU will be making its 13th trip to the Sugar Bowl, three of those appearances coming this decade. The Tigers beat Illinois, 47-34, in the 2002 Sugar Bowl and then followed that with a 21-14 win over Oklahoma in the 2004 Sugar Bowl to claim the 2003 BCS National Championship.
LSU is 5-7 all-time in Sugar Bowl contests.
Both LSU and Notre Dame bring identical 10-2 records into the contest and both the Tigers and Irish had their only losses of the season come to teams ranked in the top 10. LSU dropped road games to Auburn and Florida, while Notre Dame lost to Michigan at home and to Southern Cal on the road.
The Sugar Bowl matchup will be LSU’s first against the Irish since a 39-36 loss in South Bend in 1998. LSU is 4-5 all-time against Notre Dame, which includes a 1-0 mark in bowl games. LSU beat Notre Dame, 27-9, in the 1997 Independence Bowl in Shreveport.
Notre Dame is looking for its first bowl win since defeating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl to cap the 1993 season. The Irish stand 13-14 in postseason play and have lost eight straight bowl games.
Miles said he is not disappointed about missing out on coaching in the Rose Bowl. He did say that the commitment LSU fans made to buying Rose Bowl tickets was remarkable.
“Not at all,” Miles said when asked about being disappointed about not playing in the Rose Bowl. “You have to understand; when you have 42,000 pre-sale tickets from our fans into a venue like the Rose Bowl it increases the prestige of this program. Everybody understands that our fans always travel well and any bowl game that gets us will have a great number of LSU fans and I was so proud in seeing the 42,000 fans willing to go to the Rose Bowl. I just felt like ‘Wow,’ that shows how powerful this fan base can be.”
LSU has already sold out of its allotment of Sugar Bowl tickets, going through the 17,500 it is allotted to the contest before going on sale to the general public.
“It’s going to be a great event and we are excited about having the opportunity of bringing LSU football to the wonderful city of New Orleans and to the Louisiana Superdome,” Miles said. “The idea that we have already sold our allotment of tickets for the Sugar Bowl tells me that our fans are excited about playing there. It is going to be a great venue and certainly there are a number of family members and friends that could have not made that west coast trip. They are going to be able to go down to New Orleans and enjoy this game - I promise.”
LSU HEAD COACH LES MILES QUOTES
On how the team reacted to its BCS selection...
“I believe our players are looking forward to this game. You want to celebrate a great season with a quality opponent and Notre Dame is just that. Anyway you cut it Notre Dame is a great team. They only lost two games, which were to two highly ranked teams and they have great tradition. They have great history and it should be a tremendous match up.”
On the national championship selections...
“I personally feel the BCS made the right decision with the national championship game. The SEC champion should be playing for the national championship. I hope in years to come we will be in a similar situation. I think this is a step forward from what we had in the past where there was an undefeated Auburn team that didn’t get to play in the national championship. I feel this is a step in the right direction.”
On if there is disappointment with not going to the Rose Bowl...
“Not at all. You have to understand, when you have 42 thousand in pre sale tickets from our fans into a venue like the Rose Bowl it increases the prestige of this program. Everybody understands that our fans always travel well and any bowl game that gets us will have a great number of LSU fans and I was so proud in seeing the 42 thousand fans willing to go to the Rose Bowl. I just felt like ‘Wow,’ that shows how powerful this fan base can be.”
On how he feels the atmosphere will be for the Sugar Bowl...
“The idea that we already have 25 thousands tickets sold for the Sugar Bowl already, we look forward to playing there. It is going to be a great venue and certainly there are a number of family members and friends that could have not made that west coast trip. They are going to be able to go down to New Orleans and enjoy this game - I promise.”
On if there should be a playoff system in the BCS...
“I think if Florida would have been put on the outside looking in, than we would be talking about changing the system. The good news is the No. 1 versus No. 2 right now is the way most of the country sees it. I always want the SEC champion to have a shot at playing for the national championship. As long as that happens I think the system is working for our benefit.”
LSU PLAYER QUOTES
WR Craig Davis
On playing Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl...
“I think we are up for the challenge. We are ready to handle the situation we are about to go into. Notre Dame is a great team. They have great coaches and great players. We have the same thing over here. It is going to be a hard fought battle.”
WR Dwayne Bowe
On not playing in the Rose Bowl...
“Not the Rose bowl, but the Sugar Bowl is the next best thing. We are happy to be there. For me, I came as a freshman and played in the Sugar Bowl and now as a senior I will leave with the Sugar Bowl. It is a great feeling.”
On the match up with Notre Dame...
“It is going to be a great game. They have a great defense with hard hitters. We have a powerhouse offense, fast running and it will be exciting to watch.”
On his first reaction to not going to the Rose Bowl...
“It didn’t matter where we went as long as I go out with a bang in my last game. I am going to play to the best of my ability and have fun.”
On Florida being in the National Championship...
“They deserve it they are a great team. I want them to win and take it home for Florida.”
On playing in Louisiana...
“It’s a great feeling. We are doing this for the state after Katrina and everything that happened. We are going to go out there and get all those thoughts out of people’s minds and finish up strong.”
On winning one more game to set the record as a senior class...
“I think it is an important win, but the only thing on our mind right now is playing Notre Dame. As long as we know we can go out there and play ball and win we can set the record.”
FS LARON LANDRY
On what he thought after the outcomes of Saturday’s games...
“I understood that our plans on going to the Rose Bowl were probably going to be altered. It is not that big of a deal, because we are still playing a good team in Notre Dame. We had a great season and look forward to this opportunity. We are going against a team with a Heisman trophy candidate at quarterback and I am excited about the challenge.”
On if this game brings back memories of the 2003 Sugar Bowl...
“It was a different season and a different bowl game. However, it is always great to play in my hometown and it gives a lot of family and friends a chance to come see us play. I am probably going to need a thousand tickets to satisfy everybody.”
DT GLENN DORSEY
On an SEC team going to the national championship...
“I hope they go and represent the SEC well. Florida is a great team and it took care of business when it needed to. I am happy for them and wish them good luck.”
On if he is disappointed they are not going to the Rose Bowl...
“I was a little disappointed because I have never been to California and I was looking forward to going out to the west coast, but last season we had the same record and didn’t get a BCS invite. We are just happy for this opportunity.”
DE CHASE PITTMAN
On going to the Sugar Bowl...
“We are really excited on where we are right now. We know we still have to work hard and prepare for this game. There aren’t too many teams that I would rather play in this game than Notre Dame.”
