Running down LSU’s history at the Citrus Bowl ahead of matchup vs. Purdue

The Tigers aren’t quite where they wanted to be in the postseason after back-to-back losses to end the regular season cost them a shot at the College Football Playoff or New Year’s Six.

Still, at 9-4 in Year 1 under Brian Kelly, LSU can’t complain too much about its season or its bowl destination. The team draws Purdue in the Citrus Bowl, one of the most prestigious non-NY6 games.

Played under a number of different names over the years, the Citrus Bowl has existed in some capacity since 1947. This year’s appearance will be LSU’s sixth in the game, tying for the most of any program. It’s the Tigers’ first Citrus Bowl appearance since 2018, and they’re 2-3 all-time in this game.

Here’s how prior contests in this game have gone for LSU.

2017: Notre Dame 21, LSU 17

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The last time the Tigers played in this game, Brian Kelly stood on the opposite sideline as the head coach at Notre Dame. Despite a good game from [autotag]Danny Etling[/autotag], LSU finished the 2017 season — coach Ed Orgeron’s first full campaign with the Tigers — at 9-4 after the Fighting Irish scored a go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes to play.

2016: LSU 29, Louisville 9

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The Tigers’ Citrus Bowl matchup went much better the prior year, dominating Louisville and Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson in a blowout win. It was an excellent game from the Tigers’ defense, which allowed Jackson to complete just 10 of 27 passes while also suffering a safety. [autotag]Derrius Guice[/autotag] had 138 yards and a touchdown in the win.

2009: Penn State 19, LSU 17

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

This game was called the Capital One Bowl back then, and LSU came up just short against coach Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions in this one, ending the season at 9-4. It was a rainy day, and both offenses struggled in the sloppy conditions. PSU ultimately survived on a go-ahead field goal with less than one minute to play.

2004: Iowa 30, LSU 25

Syndication: HawkCentral

In the final game of the Nick Saban era in Baton Rouge, the Tigers came up short against Iowa despite a 9-2 finish in the regular season as the defending national champions. Saban had already accepted the Dolphins job coming into this game, and the Hawkeyes ultimately walked this one off on a 56-yard passing touchdown to Warren Holloway as time expired.

1979: LSU 34, Wake Forest 10

AP Photo/Phil Sandlin

There was quite a gap between LSU’s second appearance in this game and its first. To find the debut performance, we have to go all the way back to 1979 when this was the Tangerine Bowl. In the final game of the Charles McClendon era, LSU dominated the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest wouldn’t make it to another bowl game until 1992, and the two teams have never faced since.

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Story originally appeared on LSU Tigers Wire