| 1959 Sugar Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | January 1, 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1958 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Tulane Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Billy Cannon, LSU | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | LSU by 15 points[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | John J. Lynch (SEC) (split crew between SEC & ACC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||||
The 1959 Sugar Bowl featured the top-ranked LSU Tigers and the 12th-ranked Clemson Tigers. LSU had already secured the consensus national title, as the final editions of both major polls were released a month earlier in early December. Also, 37 other selectors selected LSU as National Champions. With Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon at halfback, LSU was favored to win by fifteen points.[1]
Coincidentally, LSU clinched the national championship on the same field Nov. 22, scoring 56 second half points to swamp Tulane 62–0.
The game's only score came in the late third quarter, when Cannon threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Mickey Mangham for a 7–0 lead. LSU had recovered a poor snap from punt formation deep in Clemson territory to set up the score. LSU quarterback Warren Rabb broke his hand on the third play of the game, but it was not discovered until late in the second quarter.[2]
LSU's defense shut out Clemson and Cannon was named Sugar Bowl MVP.[2]
LSU's shutout victory over #12 Clemson was convincing and highlighted LSU as the only team in the country to go undefeated. Army, Auburn, and Air Force did not lose all season but they each had one game that ended in a tie. LSU's total first place votes was 130 to win the 1958 National Championship in the AP poll. LSU received 29 of the 35 first-place votes to win the #1 ranking in the Coaches poll. LSU earned the #1 rankings in the AP and Coaches poll during week 6 and held on to the #1 rankings for the rest of the year to win the 1958 National Championship in both major polls.[3][4][circular reference] LSU also was awarded the national championship by 37 other selectors.