re: SEC Program's Bowl Histories. Lets take a look.

LSU's first bowl victory was the inaugural Bacardi Bowl in Havana Cuba in 1907.

LSU beat the University of Havana 56-0:

Looking back, it is difficult to imagine how LSU's precedent-setting game against Havana University on Christmas Day, in 1907, failed to touch off a second war with Spain. The appearance of the first American college team on foreign soil came at a time when the Cuban situation remained touchy in the wake of the Spanish-American war. "Remember the Maine!" had not yet died away. U.S. Army garrisons were still stationed at Camp Columbia, and U.S. Navy vessels rode at anchor in the harbor where the hull of the sunken battleship was visible above the water.

To make matters more explosive, Havana was football mad, the university team having run roughshod over every service team- Army, Navy, or other- in the area. With no more fields to conquer, Cuban officials turned to the United States in search of a prestige opponent. They found a willing one in LSU, and the invitation extended to Wingard was readily accepted, although it meant keeping his club in training for an extra month.

The international match caught the fancy of Tiger fans in Baton Rouge who quickly raised $2,000 for Wingard and company to take with them to Havana to wager. Upon arrival, LSU quickly discovered that Cuba was looking forward to the Christmas Day game as a sort of crusade. Americans residing there told Wingard that Havana officials were scouring the island for the biggest and meanest physical specimens they could find, operating on the theory that football was a game entirely of brute force. Wingard's biggest problem was not in bringing his 13-man squad to an emotional peak- that was easy- but in protect­ing the members of the team from homesick Americans who showered them with hospitality. It was said that whenever two Americans met in Cuba the custom was to have a friendly drink, ordinarily a daiquiri, and something to eat, usually arroz con polio (a rich concoction of stewed chicken and saffron rice), neither of which was an ideal training table item.

It was the large cheering section of American servicemen- and their inflammatory yell- which made the occasion a possible powder keg. Before the game the chant began:

"Lick the Spicks, Kill the Spicks Rah! Rah! Rah! Louisiana!" [Ed.: STTDB! All class, all the time...]

When Wingard's 13-man "light brigade" ran onto the field for pre-game warmups, they noticed an odd sight on the Cuban bench- a number of large glass demijohns filled with wine. Every now and then one of the Cuban players, who were as large as advertised, would run over and take a swig of wine. Center of attention was a 300-pounder named A. C. Infante-Garcia who, it was reported, had been brought in especially to handle W. M. Lyles, the 200-pound LSU guard. Just before the opening whistle, Fenton gave Lyles a tip. "Hit that guy in the stomach with your head," Doc told him, "and he's done for."

The crowd of 10,000- the speculators inherited a goldmine- had hardly been seated comfortably when, on the first play from scrimmage, Lyles rammed his shoulder into the midriff of Infante-Garcia. Fenton chuckled when he told what happened. "The big guy spouted wine like an artesian well," he said. "I give you my word. We nearly had to swim to get out of there." No one was more surprised than Lyles, whose confidence skyrocketed. "Well, I'll be damned," he said. "Let's go to work." The sight of the supine 300-pounder touched off a 56-0 rout- ten touchdowns at five points each and six conversions. The home team never threatened.



George Ellwood "Doc" Fenton:



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