Chinese Bandits
The Chinese Bandits were the backup defensive unit on coach
Background
In
Dietzel wanted to give the backups on the team an identity they could rally around and take pride in.
Success
In the 1958 preseason, LSU was picked to finish ninth out of twelve teams in the Southeastern Conference.[3] The Tigers had talent on offense, but most did not expect much from their young and inexperienced defense. However, the defense ended the season ranked first nationally in points allowed, as opposing teams averaged under 4.8 per game.[7] The Bandits played nearly a quarter of LSU's total playing time, but came up with some of the biggest plays of the season and at crucial moments.[2] In a tight game against Florida, the unit forced a fumble on the first play they were in the game, which led to the team's only touchdown in a 10–7 victory.[8] The unit did not allow any points scored against them until the eighth game of the season, against Duke.[9] The Bandits were also very effective at defending against the run. Opponents averaged 0.9 yards per carry against them, compared to the White Team, against whom opponents averaged 3.2 yards per carry.[10] What the Bandits became most known for were their gang tackles and goal-line stands. One of these stands came in LSU's second game of the season, against Alabama in Bear Bryant's first game with the team, as the Tide were held at the 5-yard line and forced to kick a field goal. LSU won the game, 13–3.[11] Bryant was quoted after the game as saying, "I've never seen a team with such raw speed. They just knocked our butts off!"[12] The unit had another stand later that season against sixth-ranked Ole Miss, with the Rebels on the Tigers' one-yard line on second down. The Bandits stopped the Rebels on three straight scoring attempts and turned the ball over on downs, and LSU held on for a 14–0 victory.[5] The next season, LSU's defense held opponents to an average of 143.2 offensive yards-per-game, the lowest yards-per-game average an LSU team has ever held opponents to in a season.[13]
With Dietzel's platoon system in place, LSU won fifteen straight games through 1958 and 1959. Dietzel was named Coach of the Year by the
Lineup
Name | Year | Position |
---|---|---|
Mel Branch | Jr. | DE |
Emile Fournet | Jr. | DT |
Tommy Lott | Jr. | DT |
Duane Leopard | Soph. | DT |
Gaynell Kinchen | Soph. | DE |
John Langan | Jr. | LLB |
Merle Schexnaildre | Jr. | RLB |
Andy Bourgeois | Soph. | CB |
Darryl Jenkins | Soph. | S |
Henry Lee Roberts | Soph. | S |
Hart Bourque | Soph. | CB |
Popularity and legacy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/Chinese_Bandits_in_Life_Magazine_1959.jpg/220px-Chinese_Bandits_in_Life_Magazine_1959.jpg)
Although they were backups, the Chinese Bandits became beloved and respected among the team due to their toughness and relentless style of play. Dietzel himself proclaimed, "One of the greatest thrills I had in the coaching business was the Chinese Bandits."[17] Players considered it a privilege to play in the unit. One player even refused his promotion to the starting unit so he could remain a Bandit.[2] Another player, Merle Schexnaildre, happily accepted a move from fullback to linebacker as a junior.[5] Said defensive coach Charles McClendon of the unit:
"They didn't know they weren't a good football team – nobody ever told them. They were 100-percent go-getters."[10]
The Bandits were hugely popular among fans. In 1958, a local restaurant gave away free
When Dietzel left LSU in 1961 to coach at the
See also
References
- ^ a b Vincent 2008, p. 71.
- ^ a b c d e Terrell, Roy (November 17, 1958). "The Bandits of Baton Rouge". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ UPI. p. 42.
- ^ a b "College Football Rules Changes" (PDF). 2016 NCAA Football Records: Football Bowl Subdivision Records. p. 188. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Houma Today. p. 2. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ Scott 2008, p. 108.
- ^ "1958 Louisiana State Fighting Tigers Schedule and Results". Sports-Reference. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- The Times-Picayune. p. 4.
- The Times-Picayune. p. 1.
- ^ a b Fitzgerald 2002, p. 16.
- ^ Vincent 2008, p. 72.
- ISBN 978-0807133743. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- ^ LSU Sports Information Office. "LSU Football 2015 Official Media Guide" (PDF). LSUsports.net. LSU Publications Office. p. 179. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ Segreti, James (January 1, 1962). "Three L.S.U. Squads Face 1 of Colorado". Chicago Tribune. p. 4F. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
- ^ "1962 Orange Bowl: Blocked Punts Propel Tigers". OrangeBowl.org. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
- ^ LSU Sports Information Office. "LSU Football 2015 Official Media Guide" (PDF). LSUsports.net. LSU Publications Office. p. 188. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ Scott 2008, p. 109.
- ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^ Wray, Cheryl (November 8, 2013). "Hot boudin, 'eaux' anything and Chinese bandits? LSU fans will bring favorite traditions to Tuscaloosa". The Birmingham News. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ^ "Army's Chinese Bandits Get Big Test Against Navy Today". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. December 1, 1962. p. 3-C. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- ^ Will, Grimsley (May 12, 1964). "Chinese Bandits No Longer Chinese". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press. p. 10. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- ^ "Those Chinese Bandits". The Gadsden Times. May 14, 1964. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
- Bibliography
- Vincent, Herb (2008). LSU Football Vault: The History of the Fighting Tigers. Whitman Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-0794824280.
- Scott, Richard (2008). SEC Football: 75 Years of Pride and Passion. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-3597-0.
- Francis J., Fitzgerald, ed. (2002). Greatest Moments in Lsu Football History. Sports Publishing L.L.C. ISBN 1-58261-510-1.