Rivalry in Dixie

Rivalry in Dixie
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Sport(s) Football
Total meetings 46
Series record Southern Miss leads 31–15
First meeting November 28, 1935
Louisiana Tech 27, State Teachers College 0
Last meeting October 25, 2014
Louisiana Tech 31, Southern Miss 20
Next meeting 2015
Largest win Mississippi Southern, 52–0 (1952)
Longest win streak Mississippi Southern, 9 (1950–1958)
Current win streak Louisiana Tech, 2 (2013–present)
Trophy None

Rivalry in Dixie is the college football rivalry game between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

History

La Tech won the first game of the series 27–0 on November 28, 1935. La Tech and USM were conference foes in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1935–41. In addition, La Tech and USM were both founding members of the Gulf States Conference, which began play in 1948. The two football programs competed against each other every season from 1946–72.

The Bulldogs and Golden Eagles played 11 times from 1975–92. The name of the rivalry was coined by Mississippi Southern alumnus and Louisiana Tech head football coach Maxie Lambright. Following the Bulldogs' 23–22 victory over the Golden Eagles in 1976, Lambright declared, "This is the finest rivalry in Dixie." Thereafter, the event became known as "Rivalry in Dixie."

The word "Dixie" refers to privately issued currency from banks in Louisiana.[1] These banks issued ten-dollar notes,[2] labeled "Dix", French for "ten", on the reverse side. The notes were known as "Dixies" by English-speaking southerners, and the area around New Orleans and the French-speaking parts of Louisiana came to be known as "Dixieland". Eventually, usage of the term broadened to refer to most of the Southern United States.

Southern Miss is known for the "World-Famous Dixie Darlings." The USM dance team was established in 1954 as the Dixie Maids. However, after only one week of existence, the band director Dr. Raymond Mannoni decided to change their name to the Dixie Darlings after a Mobile reporter remarked "Look at those delightful darlings of Dixie" after seeing the Dixie Darlings perform. The Dixie Darlings debuted at the Mississippi Southern vs. Alabama game in Montgomery on September 17, 1954. Since then, the Dixie Darlings have become a fixture at Golden Eagle football games.[3] In addition, the Pride of Mississippi Marching Band plays “Are You from Dixie?” following the extra point attempt following a Golden Eagle touchdown.

Dixie Theatre in Ruston, Louisiana.

The historic Dixie Theatre is a landmark in the heart of downtown Ruston, Louisiana. The theater was built in 1928 as the Astor Theater and showed films and presented concerts. The theater was renamed in 1932 as the Rialto and become the Dixie Theatre in the 1950s after being purchased by the Dixie Theater Corporation of New Orleans. The famous flashing star crowning the marquee was added in 1956. In 1996, the Dixie Center of the Arts was established to reinstate the Dixie Theatre as a center for entertainment and the arts in downtown Ruston as it hosts full seasons of events, parties, and concerts.[4]

In 2008, La Tech athletics director and head football coach Derek Dooley and USM athletics director Richard Giannini signed a four-game contract to renew the rivalry. Giannini stated, "We look forward to renewing our series with Louisiana Tech, one of our oldest rivalries in terms of games, and a quality opponent in the Western Athletic Conference."[5] In 2010, Southern Miss won the first game of the renewed series 13–12 on a rainy night in Ruston.[6] The two teams opened their 2011 season in Hattiesburg in spite of heavy rain and high winds from Tropical Storm Lee on Saturday, September 3, 2011 on Fox Sports Net. Southern Miss won a nail-biter 19-17 thanks to a last minute field goal by Danny Hrapmann.

With Louisiana Tech's move to Conference USA starting in 2013, Rivalry in Dixie is once again a conference rivalry. Currently, Southern Miss leads the series 31–15 over Louisiana Tech.[7]

Game results

Louisiana Tech victories are shaded ██ blue. Southern Miss victories are shaded ██ gold.

Date Site Winning team Losing team Series
November 28, 1935 Ruston Louisiana Tech27 State Teachers College0 La Tech 1–0
October 16, 1936 Ruston State Teachers College12 Louisiana Tech7 Tied 1–1
October 15, 1937 Ruston Louisiana Tech7 State Teachers College0 La Tech 2–1
October 3, 1941 Ruston Mississippi Southern19 Louisiana Tech7 Tied 2–2
September 21, 1946 Hattiesburg Mississippi Southern7 Louisiana Tech6 MSC 3–2
October 11, 1947 Ruston Mississippi Southern7 Louisiana Tech6 MSC 4–2
November 13, 1948 Hattiesburg Mississippi Southern20 Louisiana Tech6 MSC 5–2
November 12, 1949 Ruston Louisiana Tech34 Mississippi Southern13 MSC 5–3
November 18, 1950 Hattiesburg Mississippi Southern41 Louisiana Tech20 MSC 6–3
November 17, 1951 Ruston Mississippi Southern33 Louisiana Tech7 MSC 7–3
November 15, 1952 Hattiesburg Mississippi Southern52 Louisiana Tech0 MSC 8–3
November 14, 1953 Ruston Mississippi Southern30 Louisiana Tech0 MSC 9–3
September 25, 1954 Hattiesburg Mississippi Southern28 Louisiana Tech0 MSC 10–3
September 24, 1955 Ruston Mississippi Southern7 Louisiana Tech6 MSC 11–3
September 22, 1956 Hattiesburg Mississippi Southern14 Louisiana Tech0 MSC 12–3
September 21, 1957 Ruston Mississippi Southern7 Louisiana Tech0 MSC 13–3
September 20, 1958 Hattiesburg Mississippi Southern14 Louisiana Tech0 MSC 14–3
November 28, 1959 Ruston Louisiana Tech16 Mississippi Southern0 MSC 14–4
November 12, 1960 Hattiesburg Louisiana Tech10 Mississippi Southern7 MSC 14–5
November 11, 1961 Ruston Mississippi Southern7 Louisiana Tech0 MSC 15–5
November 17, 1962 Hattiesburg Southern Miss29 Louisiana Tech18 USM 16–5
November 16, 1963 Ruston Louisiana Tech10 Southern Miss0 USM 16–6
November 14, 1964 Hattiesburg Southern Miss14 Louisiana Tech7 USM 17–6
November 13, 1965 Ruston Southern Miss31 Louisiana Tech7 USM 18–6
September 17, 1966 Hattiesburg Southern Miss14 Louisiana Tech0 USM 19–6
November 23, 1967 Shreveport Southern Miss58 Louisiana Tech7 USM 20–6
November 2, 1968 Hattiesburg Louisiana Tech27 Southern Miss20 USM 20–7
November 1, 1969 Ruston Southern Miss24 Louisiana Tech23 USM 21–7
November 14, 1970 Hattiesburg Louisiana Tech27 Southern Miss6 USM 21–8
November 13, 1971 Ruston Southern Miss24 Louisiana Tech20 USM 22–8
September 16, 1972 Hattiesburg Louisiana Tech33 Southern Miss14 USM 22–9
October 25, 1975 Ruston Southern Miss24 Louisiana Tech14 USM 23–9
November 13, 1976 Ruston Louisiana Tech23 Southern Miss22 USM 23–10
November 12, 1977 Hattiesburg Louisiana Tech28 Southern Miss10 USM 23–11
September 20, 1980 Hattiesburg Southern Miss38 Louisiana Tech11 USM 24–11
November 20, 1982 Hattiesburg Louisiana Tech13 Southern Miss6 USM 24–12
September 17, 1983 Hattiesburg Southern Miss28 Louisiana Tech10 USM 25–12
September 15, 1984 Hattiesburg Southern Miss34 Louisiana Tech0 USM 26–12
September 7, 1985 Hattiesburg Southern Miss28 Louisiana Tech0 USM 27–12
November 12, 1988 Ruston Southern Miss26 Louisiana Tech19 USM 28–12
November 16, 1991 Ruston Louisiana Tech30 Southern Miss14 USM 28–13
September 19, 1992 Hattiesburg Southern Miss16 Louisiana Tech13 USM 29–13
September 25, 2010 Ruston Southern Miss13 Louisiana Tech12 USM 30–13
September 3, 2011 Hattiesburg Southern Miss19 Louisiana Tech17 USM 31–13
November 9, 2013 Ruston Louisiana Tech36 Southern Miss13 USM 31–14
October 25, 2014 Hattiesburg Louisiana Tech31 Southern Miss20 USM 31–15

References