LSU band practicing South Carolina’s plays

BATON ROUGE – During football practices all across the country the week of a game, a backup player usually portrays the upcoming opponents’ star offensive player in practice and often wears that player’s number.

This week, LSU’s “Golden Band from Tigerland” will be practicing what South Carolina’s band, also known as the “Mighty Sound of the Southeast,” plays during games for the LSU-South Carolina game set for 2:30 p.m. in Tiger Stadium Saturday on ESPN.

The South Carolina band will not be making the trip to Baton Rouge for the game because of the short notice as the game was just moved on Wednesday from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, to Tiger Stadium because of rampant flooding throughout South Carolina.

“We are in the process of learning their fight song and alma mater,” LSU band associate director Dennis Llinas said Thursday. “We want to make sure we do a very professional job playing their songs on the football field.”

South Carolina’s fight song is called, “The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way” and is from the musical “How Now, Dow Jones,” which used the original song “Step to the Rear” by composer Elmer Bernstein. In 1967, then South Carolina football coach and athletic director Paul Dietzel, who took LSU to its first national championship in 1958 and was the Tigers coach from 1955-61, wrote the words to go with the music.

“Hey, let’s give a cheer, Carolina is here. The Fighting Gamecocks lead the way,” goes the opening line. Dietzel later became LSU’s athletic director from 1978-82 and moved back to Baton Rouge in the early 2000s. He passed away two years ago at 89.

“We Hall Thee Carolina,” is South Carolina’s alma mater.

“We want to whatever we can for the South Carolina players, coaches and fans at the game,” Llinas said. “They’re similar songs to ours, so we will do right by them.”

LSU band director Roy King first had the idea to play South Carolina’s songs when he learned Wednesday that the band would not be making the game. He contacted South Carolina’s band directors and began practicing the songs with the LSU band almost immediately.

What other favorite songs of the South Carolina band that LSU’s band may play and when was still being determined Thursday, Llinas said. South Carolina plays the theme from the film “2001, A Space Odyssey” before games along with the electronic dance song, “Sandstorm.” LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said “Sandstorm” would be played by the LSU band.

“We’re going to play their music,” he said. “To be able to help them out is an honor for us, and we’re glad to be able to do it.”

In addition to songs not usually heard at LSU football games, the live voice of popular LSU public address announcer Dan Borne will not be at the game. Borne, a deacon at his church in Baton Rouge, is scheduled to officiate a wedding of friends on Saturday. It will be just the second LSU home game he will not work since replacing Sid Crocker in 1986. He missed the Kentucky game on Oct. 14, 2006 to attend a religious retreat.

LSU associate sports information director Bill Franques, who has been the public address announcer for LSU baseball games since 1990, replaced Borne for that game in ’06, which LSU won 49-0, and will do so again Saturday.

“You think you have to speak louder than you do at Tiger Stadium because it’s so big,” Franques said. “But you don’t because of the sound system. I won’t be nervous. I really wasn’t that nervous the first time.”

This was because Franques had previous experience on the big microphone at Tiger Stadium in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000.

“Each year after the baseball team won the national championship, I would be on the PA for the celebration we’d have at Tiger Stadium the next football season at halftime of a game,” he said. “So that helped prepare me.”

Franques has also filled in for Borne here and there to do the public address at LSU’s home basketball games.

Borne’s recorded voice will still be heard describing Tiger Stadium and what it means to LSU fans as it is shortly before every home game. Narrated videos of South Carolina football will also be shown on the video boards at Tiger Stadium in addition to the South Carolina band music.

“We’re honored to be able to help out South Carolina and play the game here,” Alleva said. “Our first thoughts and prayers are with all the families and folks that have been injured or killed in South Carolina, and we wish them all a speedy recovery and good graces. We want our fans to support both teams.”