Ed Orgeron Goes Out in Style at LSU, Leaves Program With One Last Sensational Win

Orgeron proud of how this team fought until the final snap of final game, even when season was at its bleakest

Ed Orgeron walked in and immediately beat his fists on the podium, not having to worry about next week's opponent, recruiting or really anything to do with being a head coach. 

For Orgeron, this has been a long time coming as he openly said he didn't do a good enough job with the program the last two years to warrant another season in Baton Rouge. Back in October when LSU and Orgeron announced his impending departure, Orgeron told the media he'd enjoy every single minute of his time left with the program. 

It certainly appeared true as LSU was more aggressive, played loose, made some daring and sometimes head scratching decisions over the team's final four games against Alabama, Arkansas, UL-Monroe and Texas A&M. Just take that last drive against the Aggies for example. There was no reason to believe, based on how LSU's offense looked in the second half it could march 85 yards in less than two minutes for a game winning score.

But not if you ask Orgeron.

"I thought something good was going to happen," Orgeron said. "I felt we had enough time. We had done so many two-minute drills over the course of the year, we were prepared and I felt that something good was going to happen. We kept making play after play after play."

What Orgeron now leaves behind is a bowl eligible team that avoids ending a 21-year streak without a losing season. It'll be a little while before LSU's bowl game plans become official but the ending to the Texas A&M game was growth as the Tigers were able to put past shortcomings to rest and make clutch play after clutch play down the stretch of that game. 

Orgeron says it comes back to who this team is at its core, a team filled with fighters and a program with a very bright future. 

"I told our players how proud I am of them and how they fought," Orgeron said. "Something good is always going to happen when you fight like that. Our team needed it. We kept on fighting. We kept on practicing. The guys kept on being early to meetings. Kept on working. Nobody ever blinked. Our guys stepped up. There was no whining or moaning about nothing. Our guys kept on fighting together and something good's bound to happen when you do that."