The state of college football the last time LSU football didn't face Mississippi State
BATON ROUGE — LSU football has faced Mississippi State every year since 1944.
But that streak will end next season when the SEC disbands its divisional system and adds Texas and Oklahoma to the conference. As a result, LSU will not face the Bulldogs next season for the first time since 1943.
The landscape of college football is radically changing and not just in the SEC. The Big 12 and Big Ten are adding four schools each, the ACC is adding three more programs and the College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams in 2024.
However, this isn't the first major evolution college football has undergone. The sport has changed a lot over the decades, especially since the last time LSU didn't face Mississippi State.
Here's a look at the state of college football the last time LSU didn't face Mississippi State.
LSU wins its first-ever bowl game
LSU won its first bowl game in the 1943 season (played on Jan. 1, 1944), defeating Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl 19-14.
Coach Bernie Moore had led the Tigers to three consecutive Sugar Bowls that all ended in defeat from 1935-37, LSU's first three appearances in bowl games. But, even if LSU would crack the top 25 of the AP poll a few more times after that run of Sugar Bowl appearances, it wasn't until Moore's 10th season at the helm in 1943 that the Tigers found themselves in a bowl game again.
Moore coached for four more seasons and lead the Tigers to the Cotton Bowl in 1946 before Gaynell Tinsley took over as coach in 1948.
Mississippi State did not have a season in 1943
Due to World War II, Mississippi State could not field a team during the 1943 season. The Bulldogs had faced LSU every year since 1926 up until that point.
But Mississippi State wasn't alone in canceling its season because of the war. Ole Miss, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Auburn and Alabama also did not play football in 1943. In fact, only four SEC teams played games that season: Georgia Tech, Tulane, LSU and Georgia.
Georgia Tech had the best record in the SEC and won the Sugar Bowl
Georgia Tech finished the 1943 season with an 8-3 record, losing three of its opening six games to Notre Dame, Navy and Duke before ending its year strong with five consecutive victories.
The turnaround began when the Yellowjackets demolished No. 20 LSU at home, 42-7, before destroying Tulane in New Orleans the next week. Georgia Tech later took down in-state rivals Georgia to finish the regular season and end conference play undefeated, as it all led to the Yellowjackets winning their first Sugar Bowl over Tulsa.
Georgia Tech went on to win eight more bowl games, including three more Sugar Bowls, as a member of the SEC. It stayed in the SEC as a prominent program until 1964 when it became an Independent school.
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Notre Dame was the national champion... but lost its final game
Notre Dame entered the final game of its 1943 campaign with an undefeated record and five wins over top-10 opponents in Michigan, Navy, Army, Northwestern and Iowa Pre-Flight.
But in the final game of its season, the Fighting Irish lost. Notre Dame fell to Great Lakes Navy on the road, 19-14.
However, despite the defeat, the Fighting Irish were still crowned national champions by AP and quarterback Angelo Bertelli was awarded the Heisman Trophy, despite leaving the team six games into the season because he was activated to serve in the war for the Marine Corps.
Bertelli's win was the first time a Notre Dame player won the award, and Notre Dame's national championship was its fifth in program history.
There were eight FBS conferences in 1943
College football today has 133 FBS programs split among 10 conferences, including four independent schools. But in 1943 the numbers were much different.
There were eight conferences and 76 schools in the FBS the last time LSU didn't face Mississippi State, including 34 programs which were independent. The overall number of schools playing that year was even lower than what college football was accustomed to around the time, as 95 programs held seasons in 1944 and 121 schools played in 1942.
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Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: The last time LSU football did not face Mississippi State in 1943
