2004 BCS Championship

Jan. 4, 2004, Superdome
LSU 21, Oklahoma 14

NEW ORLEANS -- They're the best in the bayou and on Bourbon Street.

The LSU Tigers hardly care if the rest of the country considers them co-champs in college football.

Boosted by thousands of purple-and-gold partyers, LSU held off Heisman Trophy winner Jason White and Oklahoma 21-14 at the very end Sunday night in the Sugar Bowl, proving they belonged in the Bowl Championship Series finale.
Freshman Justin Vincent ran loose for 117 yards and was selected the Sugar Bowl's most outstanding player, defensive end Marcus Spears scored on an interception return and coach Nick Saban's team never trailed in bringing LSU its first crown since 1958.

Defensive end Marquise Hill and his LSU teammates blitzed White a lot, often putting him on his back.

White found his touch in the fourth quarter and led the Sooners down the field in the final minutes. But on fourth down at the LSU 12, White's pass was tipped and it trickled off the hands of star receiver Mark Clayton in the end zone.
Oklahoma got the ball back once more, and White was sacked on its final play as the LSU band blared yet another version of "Hold that Tiger!"

White finished 13-for-37 for 102 yards with two interceptions.

Up to 1 million people were expected to swarm the French Quarter -- LSU's campus in Baton Rouge is only 70 miles away -- and the Tigers' victory brought in Mardi Gras about two months early for those fans wearing beads and painted faces.

Vincent gave a glimpse of what was to come on the very first play from scrimmage. The MVP of the Southeastern Conference championship game juked right, cut back left and galloped up the middle for 64 yards.

LSU fumbled away its chance to score right away when Mauck bobbled a snap on first-and-goal at the 1 and Strait recovered. Mauck is known for having better hands than that -- he was a catcher in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system.

White gave the ball right back, though. On the Sooners' second play, he made an ill-advised throw that Corey Webster intercepted at midfield. And this time, LSU quickly took advantage.

Shifty receiver Skyler Green went in motion, took a handoff from Mauck and danced around the right side untouched for a 24-yard touchdown.

The top-scoring team in the country, Oklahoma was blanked in the opening quarter for the first time this season.

Oklahoma broke through midway in the second quarter, literally, when two Sooners burst through LSU's punt-block formation and Brandon Shelby smothered Donnie Jones' kick. They took over at the 2, and Jones' 1-yard burst tied it.
LSU took the ensuing kickoff and zoomed down the field 80 yards behind Mauck and Vincent. Mauck completed passes to four receivers and Vincent carried three times for 43 yards, capped by a snaking, 18-yard TD run for a 14-7 lead.

When the third quarter began, the fans got even wilder because of Spears. On the first play, he sacked White. On the next, Spears dropped back into coverage in the right flat and seemed to surprise White, making an easy interception.
The big defensive end barreled toward the end zone and no one was going to stop him, scoring standing up when White bounced off him at the goal line.

Scoring Summary:
LSU: Green 24 yd run (Gaudet kick); OU: Jones 1 yd run (Dicarlo kick); LSU: Vincent 18 yd run (Gaudet kick); LSU: Spears 20 yd interception return (Gaudet kick); OU: Jones 1 yd run (Dicarlo kick)

MOP: Justin Vincent (LSU)