LSU 1997 Independence Bowl Unis

[TFoA]

So, like always, I was on the internet looking up stuff on college football. I run onto The Helmet Project, and I find that LSU wore white helmets for one game, the 97 Independence Bowl vs. Notre Dame. So I look it up on google, and I stumble upon this:

WTF? If they had worn the normal white jerseys with that, it would've looked beautiful, IMO.

But thank God they've only worn these unis twice (they wore them once before against Vandy in 96, except they still wore the yellow helmets...which would've been

But yeah, I wanna know what you guys think on these "special" uniforms.

[gbasalmon]

So, like always, I was on the internet looking up stuff on college football. I run onto The Helmet Project, and I find that LSU wore white helmets for one game, the 97 Independence Bowl vs. Notre Dame. So I look it up on google, and I stumble upon this:

WTF? If they had worn the normal white jerseys with that, it would've looked beautiful, IMO.

But thank God they've only worn these unis twice (they wore them once before against Vandy in 96, except they still wore the yellow helmets...which would've been

But yeah, I wanna know what you guys think on these "special" uniforms.

The yellow is so dark on those, at least in the pictures shown, that they almost look like Tennessee. As you said, the white jerseys would have been immeasurably better with those helmets.

[Discrim]

heh, a few years back I did a Packers concept inspired by LSU's white helmet. For good measure, I kept the regular helmet around...I no longer have it on file, but the jersey had green lettering trimmed in white, and the sleeve stripes were green-white-green, matching the normal helmet's stripe.

the helmets were the normal gold helmet and a white helmet with the same stripe as on that LSU helmet but with green replacing purple, obviously (so that's green-thin gold-white-thin gold-green). the helmet logo was also slightly different on the white, as I added a gold outline and an updated Heisman Packer to it. and for good measure, I had two versions of white pants, one with a green-gold-green stripe to go with the gold helmet, and green-thin gold-white-thin gold-green to match the white helmets.

Heh, you ask me, that was the best Packers concept since sliced bread, I couldn't decide which looked nicer...and LSU looked a little nicer than they usually do.

[whitedawg22]

Some things just weren't meant to be.

[Rocky Mts]

Gerry DiNardo liked to tinker with the LSU unis. He even put the players in purple pants for one game (which they lost). I didn't have a problem with the gold jerseys, except that I would've preferred the familiar shoulder stripes to remain.

[TFoA]

Gerry DiNardo liked to tinker with the LSU unis. He even put the players in purple pants for one game (which they lost).

Please tell me there are photos of this game on the internet somewhere.

[mightynine]

My former roommate owns one of those helmets. Right after the bowl game, they sold them at the Tiger Stadium gift shop.

[B-Rich]

Gerry DiNardo liked to tinker with the LSU unis. He even put the players in purple pants for one game (which they lost).

Please tell me there are photos of this game on the internet somewhere.

It was the 1995 game against Kentucky, I'm pretty sure. Solid purple pants, no stripe; I think we may have had a tiger head logo up near the belt line on the side. Legend has it that the pants were symbolically BURNED after that game, never to be seen again (similar to the Broncos' old vertical striped socks).

Yeah, DiNardo always liked to tinker with the unis... And lots of us watching the game noted that we looked like Tennessee.. at least we won that game, which was a rematch against Notre Dame (we had lost to them earlier in the season).

[TFoA]

Well, I did find out that LSU, like they did the white helmets, immediately sold the purple pants in their team store. They were all purple with a small LSU logo on the hip, no striping.

On second thought, maybe I don't wanna see those unis, because that sounds yuck.

[sacker12]

My former roommate owns one of those helmets. Right after the bowl game, they sold them at the Tiger Stadium gift shop.

I've also seen some of those helmets at several opposing team's equipment rooms, too. I guess their managers used some of them as trade helmets.

[hecticbro]

They should try the white helmets with the purple pants and yellow jersey.

[BamaHater]

LSU has a pair of the purple pants in their museum on the campus and they are just as described here. IMO they are ugly. Never seen a pic though from the game as hard as i've tried. I think all evidence of the game was burned lol.

[Carlisle1974]

I guess their managers used some of them as trade helmets.

That's actually very common amongst equipment managers. I've been in the basement of Miami (OH) University's equipment manager and he has helmets that he's received in trades from all of the MAC schools and schools that Miami's played on their schedule, including LSU and Ohio State.

[sacker12]

I guess their managers used some of them as trade helmets.

That's actually very common amongst equipment managers. I've been in the basement of Miami (OH) University's equipment manager and he has helmets that he's received in trades from all of the MAC schools and schools that Miami's played on their schedule, including LSU and Ohio State.

I know that, especially since I'm an equipment manager myself.

[WJMorris3]

Well, I know the story I heard about the yellow jerseys against Vanderbilt was because Vanderbilt insisted they wear their whites against LSU in Baton Rouge. By rule, LSU had to ask permission to wear their whites at home from each opponent, and Vandy said no.

Since then, the SEC said that any team can wear white at home against SEC teams without asking. They still have to ask for non-conference opponents (Oregon State also forced LSU into colored jerseys a couple years ago.)

[sacker12]

Well, I know the story I heard about the yellow jerseys against Vanderbilt was because Vanderbilt insisted they wear their whites against LSU in Baton Rouge. By rule, LSU had to ask permission to wear their whites at home from each opponent, and Vandy said no.

Since then, the SEC said that any team can wear white at home against SEC teams without asking. They still have to ask for non-conference opponents (Oregon State also forced LSU into colored jerseys a couple years ago.)

I believe that was in 2004. When we played LSU for their homecoming, they also wore the purple jerseys. I still remember that game because we came pretty close to beating them.

[cheo25]

Well, I know the story I heard about the yellow jerseys against Vanderbilt was because Vanderbilt insisted they wear their whites against LSU in Baton Rouge. By rule, LSU had to ask permission to wear their whites at home from each opponent, and Vandy said no.

Since then, the SEC said that any team can wear white at home against SEC teams without asking. They still have to ask for non-conference opponents (Oregon State also forced LSU into colored jerseys a couple years ago.)

I believe that was in 2004. When we played LSU for their homecoming, they also wore the purple jerseys. I still remember that game because we came pretty close to beating them.

LSU wears white at home for all SEC home games and purple for most non-conference home games. The Tigers usually wear white for the home opener (usually against a nonconference opponent), but LSU broke out white in the second home game vs. Arizona (which granted the request and wore red jerseys) last year because of heat reasons (5 p.m. Baton Rouge start for a September home game).

The 2004 Oregon State game was a home opener that started around 5 p.m. Baton Rouge time on the first weekend of September. That's probably why Oregon State forced LSU into the purple jerseys instead of wearing their black. Of course, rain and lightning delayed the start of the game by about 45 minutes.

[CAVALIER]

I liked tyhat Dinardo did some things with the uniforms. My wife's brother was on that team and has both the jersey and helmet. The next year was better because they wore yellow jerseys with the typical LSU shoulder stripes. I still wish they would update the helmet logo and bracket the numbers with a color, but the traditionalists won't let it happen.

[powersurge]

Kind of reminds me of the Georgia Tech unis from a year or so ago.....not as nice looking though.

[sacker12]

I liked tyhat Dinardo did some things with the uniforms. My wife's brother was on that team and has both the jersey and helmet. The next year was better because they wore yellow jerseys with the typical LSU shoulder stripes. I still wish they would update the helmet logo and bracket the numbers with a color, but the traditionalists won't let it happen.

I remember seeing a LSU jersey at a sporting goods store a good while ago, and it was yellow with purple and white shoulder stripes. The numbers were purple with a white dropshadow.