The crowd of 38,519, the largest to see an LSU-Tulane game in New Orleans, witnessed a bitterly fought contest that was destined to be talked about throughout the winter thanks to an LSU touchdown that shouldn't have been.

Tulane knocked the visitors on their heels in the first quarter when LB "Honest John" Andrews leaped high to snag one of Pinky Rohm's aerials and returned the interception 59y to paydirt. The PAT put the underdogs on top 7-0.

His ground game at a standstill, LSU Coach Bernie Moore inserted his second unit for the second quarter, and they turned the tide with their passing. With Young Bussey sling­ing and Ken Kavanaugh and "Jabbo" Stell catching, LSU moved to its first touchdown, a 9y fling to Kavanaugh. The extra point boot by Jimmy Cajoleas flew wide. So the teams left the field at halftime with Tulane clinging to a 7-6 lead.

The Tigers' superior depth began to take its toll on Tulane in the second half. Bussey's accurate punts kept the Greenies bottled up until LSU cranked up a drive. With the ball on the TU 40, Bussey threw downfield to Kavanaugh to the nine. But the Green Wave dug in and allowed only 5y on the next three plays. Facing fourth down on the four, LSU lined up for a field goal. That decision produced the most controversial play of the day.

This time Cajoleas knelt as the place holder for Guy Milner, the Tigers' most reliable kicker. But Cajoleas fumbled the snap, the ball going behind him. He recovered the ball and started to run with it. Just before the rushers got to him, he tossed the pigskin into a group of players from both sides inside the five. The ball landed in the hands of E Larry King, who fell over the goal to put the Tigers ahead 13-7.

Tulane protested that Cajoleas's knee was on the ground when he picked up the fum­ble, but the referee disagreed. But the officials missed a Tiger infraction that should have negated the touchdown. A picture taken by a New Orleans Item photographer clearly show­ed LSU G John Hugh Smith standing on the 1y line as King received the ball on the two. Since an ineligible player cannot be ahead of the receiver on a pass beyond the line of scrimmage, the Tigers should have been penalized for offensive interference.

Cajoleas said after the game: "Truly, I think the play was legal. The pass was low, and I realized the place kick would never work. So I grabbed the ball after I was on my feet, faded back and looked for a receiver. I saw Larry, and he got the ball. It was some play."

LSU got another break early in the fourth period that helped them put the game out of reach. After a bad pass from center set them back 12y, Rohm punted, but Tulane was called for roughing the kicker. That gave the Tigers a new set of downs. They ran six more plays before punting from the Tulane 34. Rohm's kick was downed on the two.

Following the accepted strategy of that era, the Greenies immediately punted "out of danger," but Rohm's 18y return gave LSU great field position at the TU 27. The weary Green Wave defense was no match for the fresher Tigers, who reached the end zone in four running plays. Rohm covered the last 12y by zipping off tackle and cutting back across the field. LSU 20 Tulane 7

Tulane cranked up a drive in the final minutes. Bill Banker threw for the end zone as the final seconds ticked off only to have Bussey pick it off at the one.

The victory earned LSU the second-place position in the final SEC standings behind Ala­bama. When the Crimson Tide received an invitation to the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl invited LSU for the third straight year.