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Life Magazine Captured LSU's Chinese Bandits

By Bert Hancock

In 1958, while Elvis and the Everly Brothers were stirring the charts and westerns like Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel were invading America’s living rooms, a specialist squad of “foreign” defenders and a Heisman talent named Billy Cannon burst forth to grab LSU’s first ever national crown.

LSU had struggled historically, and the Tigers appeared to be one of the least likely candidates for such monumental success in ‘58. For one thing, the school had failed to even win (or tie) the Southeastern Conference since 1936 (22 years). What’s more, head coach Paul Dietzel’s three year mark at LSU sat at 11-17-2–hardly the stuff of inspiration.

It’s hard to garner a lot of encouragement when your last season of 5-5 was your best. Further compounded is that the Tigers dropped their last four of 1957 after teasing fans’ hopes.

Largely from these shoulder slumping results and limited depth, experience, and size, LSU was projected near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference heap, at no better than ninth. Another coach visiting the practices referred to the Tigers as a frighteningly scrawny bunch.

Leadership Overcomes Deficiencies

But the baby-ish Paul Dietzel (just 29 when given the head coaching job as the youngest on his staff) possessed terrific organizational talents as well as an eye and pitch for recruiting. His landing of greats such as Billy Cannon, Johnny Robinson and Warren Rabb in 1956 built the foundation for what was to hit Baton Rouge by the fall of ‘58.

Scooter Purvis, a back on the title squad, remembered, “He (Dietzel) got just about every player in the state he wanted.” Meanwhile, a tackle on the team, Dave McCarty recalled, “We had great organized practices…we didn’t waste any time.”

One of those blue-chip standouts, of course, was Billy Cannon, who boasted sprinter speed and exceptional shot putting ability, making him known as either “the fastest shot putter” or the “strongest sprinter.” Cannon didn’t just have the talent, he also owned quite a bit of confidence in himself, as well as his team. Amidst the bad mouthing of the LSU program, he stunned pundits by predicting, “It (the SEC race) will be between us and Ole Miss.”

The Tigers first handled the Rice Owls, then a strong program led by Hall of Fame head coach Jess Neely, 26-6. By week four, which saw a 41-0 plastering of Andy Gustafson’s Miami Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl, Dietzel’s squad looked for real, and pollsters took notice. LSU now rose to No. 9 in the nation, right behind that Ole Miss squad that Cannon confidently predicted his team would challenge for the SEC crown.

The two appeared headed for a collision course battle. Though Ole Miss won its fifth game, LSU’s pounding of respected Blanton Collier’s Kentucky bunch soared the Tigers all the way to #3, while the Rebels had to settle for #6.

The biggest key to Tigers’ greatness

LSU’s defense played the biggest role in its nation-shocking success. A change in the tightly bound substitution rule in 1958 had allowed any player the option of returning to the field in the same half—something that had been only permitted for starters in prior seasons.

With that, LSU head coach Paul Dietzel created a unit solely of defensive specialists, naming them the Chinese Bandits. Dietzel took the name from an old comic book character who stated that Chinese bandits were the most vicious people alive. The salty unit helped LSU hold opponents to a futile six points per game.

After getting by Florida, the Tigers now carried the nation’s No. 1 ranking into its biggest game, versus Ole Miss, ranked a lofty No. 6 itself and feeling perhaps equally deserving of top billing.

Showdown Time With Ole Miss

A then record 68,000 filled Tiger Stadium Saturday night, creating an indescribable buzz of intensity and anticipation with every play. Standout back Scooter Purvis vividly relived the feeling: “It was as if the crowd was out there with us, as if the crowd was saying, ‘We’re all playing this sucker.’”

Ole Miss, taking advantage of a fumbled punt attempt and the hard running of its star back Charlie Flowers, hammered to within a whisker of a score. But Max Fugler, the stout center (played both ways), almost single-handedly stuffed the vaunted Rebels from scoring, teaming with Billy Cannon on fourth down to ensure the critical goal line stand.

Mississippi would never have such a golden chance the remainder, as LSU’s defense, aided by the  “Chinese Bandits,” skunked the Rebels’ offense. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ offense generated just enough spark to score twice, making the final, relished result 14-0.

The stunning Tigers now had a clear path to the mythical national championship, and next proceeded to plaster Duke, 50-18. Dietzel’s program did face one more intense test, against the other Mississippi program, State. Though facing the Bulldogs on the road, a downpour, and plenty of mud, the Tigers survived, 7-6.

After waltzing by Tulane, 62-0, LSU was crowned the champion by the pollsters. The title was given at the time before the bowl games, but LSU proved its worth there, too, beating Clemson, 7-0, in the Sugar Bowl.

Fittingly, the Chinese Bandits had again helped the Tigers register a shutout. Incredibly, ten of the 11 opponents were held to seven points or less!

The national title would be LSU’s first and only for nearly half a century.