Rivalry in Dixie
| Sport | Football |
|---|---|
| First meeting | November 28, 1935 Louisiana Tech 27, State Teachers College 0 |
| Latest meeting | November 25, 2016 Southern Miss 39, Louisiana Tech 24 |
| Next meeting | 2017 |
| Trophy | None |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 48 |
| All-time series | Southern Miss leads 33–15 |
| Largest victory | Mississippi Southern, 52–0 (1952) |
| Longest win streak | Mississippi Southern, 9 (1950–1958) |
| Current win streak | Southern Miss, 2 (2015–present) |
Rivalry in Dixie is the college football rivalry game between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
La Tech won the first game of the series 27–0 on November 28, 1935. La Tech and USM were conference foes in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1935–41. In addition, La Tech and USM were both founding members of the Gulf States Conference, which began play in 1948. The two football programs competed against each other every season from 1946–72.
The Bulldogs and Golden Eagles played 11 times from 1975–92. The name of the rivalry was coined by Mississippi Southern alumnus and Louisiana Tech head football coach Maxie Lambright. Following the Bulldogs' 23–22 victory over the Golden Eagles in 1976, Lambright declared, "This is the finest rivalry in Dixie." Thereafter, the event became known as "Rivalry in Dixie."
The word "Dixie" refers to privately issued currency from banks in Louisiana. These banks issued ten-dollar notes, labeled "Dix", French for "ten", on the reverse side. The notes were known as "Dixies" by English-speaking southerners, and the area around New Orleans and the French-speaking parts of Louisiana came to be known as "Dixieland". Eventually, usage of the term broadened to refer to most of the Southern United States.
Southern Miss is known for the "World-Famous Dixie Darlings." The USM dance team was established in 1954 as the Dixie Maids. However, after only one week of existence, the band director Dr. Raymond Mannoni decided to change their name to the Dixie Darlings after a Mobile reporter remarked "Look at those delightful darlings of Dixie" after seeing the Dixie Darlings perform. The Dixie Darlings debuted at the Mississippi Southern vs. Alabama game in Montgomery on September 17, 1954. Since then, the Dixie Darlings have become a fixture at Golden Eagle football games. In addition, the Pride of Mississippi Marching Band plays “Are You from Dixie?” following the extra point attempt following a Golden Eagle touchdown.
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