Magnolia Bowl

Magnolia Bowl
LSU Tigers
Ole Miss Rebels
First meetingDecember 3, 1894
Ole Miss, 26–6
Latest meetingSeptember 30, 2023
Ole Miss, 55–49
Next meetingOctober 12, 2024
TrophyMagnolia Bowl Trophy (since 2008)
Statistics
Meetings total112
All-time seriesLSU leads 63–42–4[1]
Largest victoryLSU, 52–3 (2011)
Longest win streakLSU, 8 (1928–1937)
Current win streakOle Miss, 1 (2023–present)
Map
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150km
100miles
Ole Miss
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LSU
Locations of LSU and Ole Miss

The Magnolia Bowl is a name given to the LSU–Ole Miss football rivalry.[2][3][4] It is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the LSU Tigers football team of Louisiana State University (LSU) and the Ole Miss Rebels football team of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). The teams compete for the Magnolia Bowl Trophy.[5] The Tigers and the Rebels first met in 1894, and have been regular opponents in Southeastern Conference (SEC), meeting annually, without interruption, since 1945.[6]

The rivalry was at its height during the 1950s and 1960s, when both teams were highly ranked and during which time both teams claimed a national championship.[7] The rivalry died down from the 1970s to the 1990s, owing to Ole Miss not returning to conference or national prominence since the 1970s and because LSU has seen new rivalries emerge when the SEC split into two divisions in 1992, most notably Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, and Florida.[8] Even though the rivalry has not attracted the same national attention in recent years, it still stirs up passion in both Oxford and Baton Rouge.[9][10]

In 2008, the student bodies of both schools elected to christen the yearly contest the "Magnolia Bowl",[11] the magnolia flower being the state flower of both Louisiana and Mississippi, and award a trophy to the winner.[12] Ole Miss defeated LSU 31–13 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to become the first winner of the new trophy.[2]

The 2007 Magnolia Bowl

It is the second most played rivalry for both teams.[13][14] The 2011 edition in Oxford was the 100th meeting between the two schools.[15] It was also the most lopsided game in series history, as top-ranked LSU defeated Ole Miss and coach Houston Nutt 52–3.[16] In many cases, wins have come in streaks with the longest being 8, (LSU: 1928–1937). The next longest win streak is 6, a total reached by both Ole Miss and LSU. The Tigers won from 2002 to 2007, while the Rebels were able to defeat LSU from 1952 to 1957. LSU leads the series 63–41–4, with Ole Miss having vacated one victory and LSU vacating two.[17][18]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference series was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Ole Miss vs. LSU – Game Recap – ESPN". ESPN.com. AP. November 22, 2008. Jevan Snead threw two touchdown passes, Markeith Summers ran for a 13-yard score out of the 'Wild Rebel' formation and Ole Miss won its fourth straight game, 31–13 against No. 18 LSU on Saturday in a rivalry game newly dubbed the Magnolia Bowl.[dead link]
  3. ^ RABALAIS, SCOTT (October 20, 2017). "LSU vs. Ole Miss: Five memorable games from the Tigers' storied rivalry with the Rebels". TheAdvocate.com.
  4. ^ "No. 25 LSU rolling into rivalry game with No. 23 Ole Miss". USA Today. AP. October 21, 2016. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  5. ^ Rogers, Sara (February 14, 2014). "New Magnolia Bowl trophy livens historic rivalry". TheDMonline.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  6. ^ "A brief Magnolia Bowl history". redcuprebellion.com. October 16, 2017.
  7. ^ "LSU-Ole Miss has deep-rooted history". ESPN. October 24, 2014. The meat of this rivalry came in the late 1950s and early 1960s. From 1958–63, five games were played in which both teams were ranked in the top six. Ole Miss was undefeated entering four of those games, LSU twice. Only once during that time did a team enter the game with more than one loss – 1960, when 1–4 LSU tied No. 2 Ole Miss 6–6 in Oxford.
  8. ^ Hood, Brian. "The 25 Best SEC Football Rivalries". bleacherreport.com.
  9. ^ "The LSU-Ole Miss rivalry is back with a vengeance – I'll drink to that!: Ron Higgins". NOLA.com. October 22, 2014.
  10. ^ Prewitt, Morgan (November 19, 2015). "Rivalry between LSU, Ole Miss during Miles' tenure includes blowouts, shootouts". THE DAILY REVEILLE.
  11. ^ "Ole Miss-LSU Football Rivalry Now the Magnolia Bowl – Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site – Football". Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  12. ^ "Magnolia Bowl: The history of the Ole Miss, LSU rivalry". TheDMonline.com. October 21, 2016.
  13. ^ "Ole Miss Welcomes the Nation's No. 1 in LSU". olemisssports.com.
  14. ^ "Tigers Defense, Randall, Plod Past Ole Miss, 14–13". lsusports.net. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  15. ^ "LSU football team rolls over Ole Miss, continues on path toward title game". NOLA.com.
  16. ^ "LSU vs. Ole Miss – Game Recap – November 19, 2011 – ESPN". ESPN.com. AP. November 20, 2011. Archived from the original on August 2, 2018.
  17. ^ "Winsipedia – Ole Miss Rebels vs. LSU Tigers football series history". winsipedia.com.
  18. ^ Mandel, Stewart. "Vacated LSU wins leave Les Miles out of CFB Hall of Fame consideration". The Athletic. Retrieved June 22, 2023.