LSU finalizes 2003 football schedule

LSU has completed its 2003 football schedule with the addition of I-AA power Western Illinois, senior associate athletic director Dan Radakovich has announced.The Tigers added the Leathernecks to their schedule when a game with San Jose State could not be worked out.

The Tigers will host Western Illinois at 7 p.m. in Tiger Stadium on Sept. 13. The Western Illinois game was added to the Tiger slate as a result of Marshall dropping LSU from its schedule last month.

“At this stage in the year, we found it very difficult to replace Marshall with a I-A opponent,” Radakovich said. “We spent the last month searching, but in the end no I-A opponent was available for Sept. 13.”

A possible matchup with San Jose State fell through because the Spartans' next game following the proposed game with LSU is scheduled for Sept. 18, and the Spartans did not want to have such a quick turnaround between games.

The LSU-Western Illinois contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the teams in football.

Western Illinois, who is a member of the Gateway Conference, posted an 11-2 overall mark last year and reached the second round of the I-AA playoffs before falling to eventual national champion Western Kentucky.

2003 LSU Football Schedule

Date                      Opponent                      

Aug. 30                  Louisiana-Monroe          

Sept. 6                  at Arizona                    

Sept. 13                 Western Illinois             

Sept. 20                 Georgia                       

Sept. 27                 at Mississippi State  

Oct. 11                  Florida