The hype continues to build for tomorrow’s LSU game against the Wisconsin Badgers. Many Tiger fans are excited to see freshman running back Leonard Fournette in his first college game. But Fournette is not the only freshman who will play on offense. Wide receivers Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn could catch a few passes, and freshman Q-B Brandon Harris is expected to get some snaps.

Louisiana Tech has a difficult challenge to begin the 2014 season as the Bulldogs are at third ranked Oklahoma tomorrow night. The game is listed as a sell-out in Norman and Bulldogs wide receiver Paul Turner says staying focused is the key when playing in front of 82-thousand fans….
cut 14 (16) “….put in place’
Tech is a 38-point underdog.

The Saints concluded the preseason last night with a 22 to 13 loss to Baltimore. Now Coach Sean Payton will decide which 22 players to cut from the active roster. Back-up quarterback and receiver are two of the bigger position battles. Veteran Robert Meachem could be cut loose, he caught one passe for 52 yards last night. Luke McCown and Ryan Griffin have been competing to be Drew Brees’ back-up. Griffin was 11 of 21 for 126 yards yesterday, while McCown completed all four of his passes.

In college football last night….Pete Thomas’ nine-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter gave ULM a 17-10 win over Wake Forest last night. At one point, ULM trailed ten to nothing.

Northwestern State had a 17-point halftime lead, but lost to Missouri State 34 to 27. And Tulsa defeated Tulane 38 to 31 in double overtime. It’s the Green Wave’s 16th straight defeat in games played outside of Louisiana.

Two Louisiana teams begin the college football season tomorrow against Top 25 opponents. The 13th ranked Tigers will face 14th ranked Wisconsin at a neutral site in Houston. LSU Coach Les Miles says the plan is to play two quarterbacks, Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings, but that could change depending how the game goes:
CUT 13 (10) “right there”
Louisiana Tech is also facing a Top 25 team as the Bulldogs will visit third ranked Oklahoma tomorrow night. And a big crowd is expected at the newly refurbished Cajun field for Saturday night’s game between UL Lafayette and the Southern Jaguars.

Last night ULM got a nice victory. The Warhawks beat Wake Forest 17-10 at JPS Field in Malone Stadium. ULM trailed at the half 10-0 before rallying for 17 unanswered points on Wake Forest in Monroe. The Warhawks next host Idaho on September 6th.

The defending the Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana Lions kickoff the 2014 season by hosting Jacksonville on Saturday night in Strawberry Stadium. The Lions are coming off an 11-and-3 season and their first playoff appearance on the F-C-S level. Coach Ron Roberts to get back to the playoffs they need to start the year with a victory:
CUT 16 (23) “the road”
The game kicks off tonight at 8pm.

The Saints lost their final preseason game last night to the Ravens by a score of 22-13. Quarterback Drew Brees did not play but backup Luke McCown completed all four of his passes. The Black and Gold begin the regular season next Sunday in Atlanta.

The college football season kicks off tonight in Louisiana with a couple of games in the Bayou State. At six P-M, the Warhawks will host Wake Forest at Malone Stadium. The Demon Deacons have a new head coach by the name Dave Clawson, so ULM head coach Todd Berry says they are not exactly sure what Wake Forest will do tonight….
cut 18 (21) “…to adjust”

Tulane will play its first ever game in the American Athletic Conference as the Green Wave is at Tulsa. Northwestern State opens the season at home tonight against Missouri State. The Demons won last year’s match-up with the Bears 23-17.

The Saints wil close out the preseason tonight by hosting the Baltimore Ravens at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The starters are expected to play only a few plays, if at all. Several position battles will continue to unfold tonight especially at back-up quarterback, reserve wide receiver and kicker.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted today that he didn’t get right when he suspended Ravens running back Ray Rice for two games after he allegedly struck a woman who he later married inside a casino elevator. Goodell says the Personal Conduct Policy has been changed and now a player will be subject to a six game suspension for a first offense domestic violence situation. A second offense will result in a one-year suspension.

The son of former LSU Coach Gerry Dinardo has been arrested in Baton Rouge. Michael Dinardo is a 21-year-old student at LSU and an arrest affidavit says several plastic bags of weed and two firearms were found at his residence.

The Saints final preseason game is tonight as they host the Baltimore Ravens in the Mercedes Benz Superdome. The starters will not play much, if at all, which means plenty of playing time for back-up QBS Ryan Griffen and Luke McCown. Plenty of roster spots will be won tonight, especially at receiver and back-up safety.

The regular season begins tonight for three college football teams in Louisiana. ULM will host Wake Forest and Pete Thomas will start at quarterback for the Warhawks. Coach Todd Berry says the North Carolina State transfer is comfortable with ULM’s offense…
cut 17 (20) “…we’re in”
Kick-off is at six PM. Also tonight, Northwestern State hosts Missouri State and Tulane is at Tulsa.

Tonight on LPB a special will air on LSU running back Leonard Fournette, who grew up in the 7th ward of New Orleans and now is the most popular man on the LSU campus. “Road to Stardom: The Leonard Fournette Story” is produced and directed by Kenny Chenier (Shin-Yay). He says the documentary features interviews with Tiger Coach Les Miles and recruiting coordinator and running back coach Frank Wilson…:
CUT 9 (08) “and the person”
The special airs on LPB tonight at 7pm.

The son of former LSU Coach Gerry Dinardo has been arrested in Baton Rouge. Michael Dinardo is a 21-year-old student at LSU and he was booked on charges of intent to distribute marijuana and possessing a firearm. The arrest affidavit says several plastic bags of weed and two firearms were found at Dinardo’s residence.

And IndyCar has announced they’ll hold the first ever Grand Prix of Louisiana at the NOLA Motorsports Park in suburban New Orleans on April 12th.

The ULM Warhawks kick-off their 2014 season tonight hosting Wake Forest in a nationally televised game on ESPNU. Head coach Todd Berry says this is a rare opportunity for the Warhawks to play in front of the home fans early in the season. Berry is hopeful tonight’s crowd is rowdy…:
CUT 16 (12) “going on”
Kick-off is scheduled for 6PM.

Also today Northwestern State and Missouri State will meet for the second straight year to open the season. It’s a white-out game and will be the first time The Demons have worn white jerseys in Turpin Stadium history. Kickoff is 6pm.

Tonight the Saints play their final preseason game. The contest against the Ravens kicks off at 7pm in The Dome and can be seen on Cox Sports Television.

Louisiana Public Broadcasting will air a special tonight about the life of LSU’s Leonard Fournette, one of the nation’s most heavily recruited football prospects out of St. Aug. “Road to Stardom: The Leonard Fournette Story” is produced and directed by Kenny Chenier (Shin-Yay). He says the program documents Fournette’s early days growing up in the 7th Ward of New Orleans…:
CUT 7 (15) “football game”
The special begins tonight at 7 on LPB and will play again Saturday at 4.

In prep football, West Monroe junior quarterback Jon Randall Belton will miss the season with a torn ACL. The News Star reports Belton injured the knee early in a Friday scrimmage.

NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale will be the site of the Verizon IndyCar Series’ Grand Prix of Louisiana in 2015 race officials announced Wednesday. It’ll be held April 10-12 next year and will feature top cars and drivers.

The Saints conclude their preseason schedule on Thursday with a home game against Baltimore. One of the position battles during fall camp has been at center. Based on playing time in the last preseason game, it appears Jonathan Goodwin over Tim Lelito will be the starting center, but Coach Sean Payton says he’s not ready to make that announcement…
cut 18 (16) “….position flexibility’
Another position battle is at field goal kicker, Shayne Graham and Derek Dimke are fighting to make the team. Payton says both kickers are good enough to be in the NFL.

The IndyCar Series announced today it plans to hold the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana on April 12th. The race will take place at NOLA Motorsports Park in suburban New Orleans.

Ragin Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth says kicker Stephen Brauchle has left the program and plans to transfer. That means Hunter Stover will handle the kicking duties this season. UL Lafayette opens the season on Saturday at home against Southern. The game will be available on ESPN 3.

On today’s SEC teleconference, Coach Les Miles made it seem that defensive tackle Quentin Thomas will play against the Badgers on Saturday. There was a concern the former Breaux Bridge star would be lost for the season, because of a torn biceps.

On the high school level…West Monroe quarterback Jon Randall Belton is out for the season, because of a torn A-C-L injury. Belton injured the same knee last year as well. He’s considered one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in the country for the 2016 class and a big reason why the Rebels were picked as one of the favorites to win the Class Five-A state championship. Dustin Mitchell will take Belton’s spot as the Rebels starting Q-B.

The Saints final preseason game is Thursday night at home against Baltimore. Several jobs are on the line, including at kicker, where Derek Dimke and Shayne Graham have been battling. Coach Sean Payton says it’s a tough choice, because both are good enough to kick in the NFL…
Cut 17 (15) “made a decision”
On Saturday, the Saints will have to reduce their roster from 75 players to 53.

Ragin Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth says kicker Stephen Brauchle has left the program and plans to transfer. That means Hunter Stover will handle the kicking duties this season. UL Lafayette opens the season on Saturday at home against Southern. The game will be available on ESPN 3.

On today’s SEC teleconference, Coach Les Miles made it seem that defensive tackle Quentin Thomas will play against the Badgers on Saturday. There was a concern the former Breaux Bridge star would be lost for the season, because of a torn biceps.

Three Louisiana college football teams will kick off their season tomorrow night. ULM will host Wake Forest at six P-M on ESPN-U. Northwestern State will face Missouri State at Natchitoches. And Tulane will visit Tulsa, where they’ll play their first game in the American Athletic Conference.

Southeastern Louisiana will open up its 2014 season by hosting Jacksonville on Saturday night. Lions Coach Ron Roberts expects former LSU Tiger Derrick Raymond to start at left cornerback and he also anticipates former Ragin Cajuns wide receiver Dylan Bossier will also see some playing time.

The Saints roster now stands at 75 after cutting eight players yesterday. The most high profile cut was linebacker Victor Butler. The former Dallas Cowboy was signed in 2013 by the Saints to be a starter, but he never played because of two separate injuries. Coach Sean Payton says its an unfortunate situation…:
CUT 16 (14) “foot forward”
The Saints final preseason game is tomorrow night at home against Baltimore.

Quarterback Drew Brees welcomed his first baby girl into the world on Monday, but he isn’t announcing the name just yet. This is child #4 for Drew and Brittany and the QB says he doesn’t think they will have any more kids after this…:
CUT 1 (10) “(laughter)”

In the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans announce they’ve signed veteran small forward John Salmons to a free agent contract. During his career, 12 seasons long, Salmons has averaged 9.4 points, 3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Salmons is 6’6 and has appeared in 874 games with 429 starts first with Philadelphia then Sacramento, some time in Chicago, Milwaukee and most recently Toronto.

This information from the Houston Texans…the game between NO. 13 LSU and No. 14 Wisconsin Saturday in NRG stadium is completely sold out. The Tigers and the Badgers will kick off at 8pm and you can watch it on ESPN if you’re not traveling to Houston.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette kicker Stephen Brauchle (broccoli) unexpectedly announced Tuesday he is planning to transfer. Coach Hudspeth said Hunter Stover will be the one who handles kicking duties for the season.

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees was back at practice today, one day after his wife gave birth to their fourth child. It’s the first girl for Drew and Brittany Brees and they are holding off on announcing the girl’s name until its officially on the birth certificate. Brees also says this will likely be the last addition to their immediate family….
cut 14 (10) “…laughter”
The family’s first girl will be a little sister to brothers Baylen, Bowen and Callen.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said today that outside linebacker Victor Butler has been released. Butler was signed by the Black and Gold during the 2013 offseason and he was expected to be a starter. But Butler never played a down for New Orleans, because of injuries. The Saints wrap up the preseason on Thursday night at home against Baltimore.

LSU Football Coach Les Miles is not letting the cat out of the bag as far as who will be the starting quarterback. Miles says Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings will both play this Saturday against Wisconsin, but the team will not know who the starter is until Thursday. The head coach also says he doesn’t anticipate the battle for starting Q-B to be a distraction for his team….
cut 18 (19) “….that’s the reason why”

Louisiana Tech Head Coach Skip Holtz has made a determination on who will start the Bulldogs season opener against Oklahoma. It will be Iowa transfer Cody Sokol, who will make his first collegiate start at quarterback on the Division One-A level.

LSU Football Coach Les Miles is not saying who will be the starting quarterback in Saturday’s game against Wisconsin, but expect Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris to both play in this top 25 match-up. Miles says how the two Q-Bs perform during the games, will determine how long they go with a two quarterback system….
cut 17 (17) “…..not occurred’
Miles added that he doesn’t aniticipate the battle for starting Q-B to be a distraction for his team.

Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz has named Cody Sokol as the Bulldogs starting quarterback as he won the job over incumbent Ryan Higgins. Sokol is a fifth-year transfer from Iowa, but he’ll make his first division one collegiate start against the third ranked Sooners this Saturday.

It’s cut down day for the Saints. The roster must be reduced to 75 players. It’s been reported linebacker Victor Butler will be released. Butler was a key free agent acquisition going into the 2013 season, but never played a game for the Black and Gold, because of injuries. Quarterback Drew Brees was not at practice yesterday as his wife gave birth to their fourth child, a baby girl.

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has been named a title sponsor for a new bowl game that will be played in Nassau. The game will be called the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. It will take place on Christmas Eve, most likely featuring teams from Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.

In other sports news…LSU baseball players Conner Hale and Andrew Stevenson have been named to Perfect Game’s Summer League All-America teams. The NCAA has approved a waiver so that Illinois State transfer Jamaal Samuel can play this season for the Warhawks mens’ basketball team.