Following Sunday’s disappointing loss to the Bengals, second-year safety Kenny Vaccaro talked about how the team is struggling without the veteran leadership once supplied by the now departed Malcolm Jenkins, Roman Harper and Jonathan Vilma. Coach Sean Payton says he had no problem with what Vaccaro said…
cut 17 (19) “….to him”
The Saints next game is Monday against Baltimore.

Last night former LSU Tiger Zach Mettenberger threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but it wasn’t enough as Pittsburgh rallied to beat Tennessee 27-24.

In the NBA…The Pelicans blew a 16-point third quarter lead and lost to Portland 102-93.

The Louisiana Tech men’s basketball team gave up 48 points in the 2nd half last night and lost to Temple 85-72. The Owls did a lot of their damage from the free thow line where they were 34 of 49. Raheem Appleby had 26 points to lead Tech and the only other double-digit scorer for the Bulldogs was Erik McCree, who had 14 points.

Elsewhere last night…Northwestern State beat Lyon College 75-64. Nicholls State lost its season opener at North Texas, falling by the score of 71-57. ULM walloped Champion Baptist 106-39 and the Ragin Cajuns fell to Tulsa 64 to 53. Shawn Long had 15 points and four rebounds for U-L-L. He now has 700 rebounds in his college career.

And there are reports that U-L Lafayette defensive backs coach Tim Rebowe will be named the new head football coach at Nicholls State. Rebowe spent time with the Nicholls program in the late 1990s and filled several different roles.

After breaking down the game film from the Saints 27-10 loss to the Bengals, Coach Sean Payton is hopeful the team can correct the mistakes that have led to their four-and-six record. Payton says providing better protection for Drew Brees and getting off the field on third down needs to be better in the final six games

cut 16 (18) “those things”

New Orleans will try to snap a two-game losing streak next Monday, when they host the Baltimore Ravens.

The Steelers scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to rally to beat the Tennessee Titans 27-24 in Monday night football action. Former LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger threw for 263 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as the Titans fall to 2-8 on the season.

The Portland Trailblazers came back from a 16 point third quarter deficit to beat the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 102-93 last night. Anthony Davis lead all scorers with 31 points as the Pels fall to 5-4. The Pelicans road trip continues tonight at Sacramento.

In college hoops, ULM broke the school record for largest margin of victory with a 106-39 win over Champion Baptist. Four Warhawks reached double figures in scoring as the team improves to 2-0.

Also in the Sun Belt, UL-Lafayette came up short against Tulsa last night, 64-53. The Ragin’ Cajuns were lead by 15 points from Shawn Long, as their record falls to 1-1.

Northwestern State earned their 400th victory in Prather Coliseum with a 75-64 win over Lyon College. The Demons are 1 – 1.

Louisiana Tech fell to Temple, 82-75, in the Coaches vs Cancer Classic in Philadelphia.

In women’s hoops action, it had to go to overtime, but the LSU women beat Jackson State 52-44.

More tough news for the Saints today after a brutal loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks could miss the next four to six games because of a broken thumb and it’s very possible safety Rafael Bush will miss the rest of the season because of a fractured fibula. New Orleans will try to snap a two-game losing streak next Monday, when they host the Baltimore Ravens.

Tonight on Monday night football…Zach Mettenberger will start at quarterback for the Titans who will host the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sunday was a big day for running backs from Louisiana. Jeremy Hill had a career-high 152 yards rushing in the Bengals win over the Saints. Another former LSU Tiger, Alfred Blue, rushed for 156 yards on 36 carries in the Texans 23-7 victory over Cleveland. And former Dutchtown star, Eddie Lacy, had a 32-yard touchdown catch in the Packers 53-20 win over the Eagles.

LSU fans are still wondering today why true freshman Brandon Harris didn’t get a chance in LSU’s 17-0 win over Arkansas. Starting Q-B Anthony Jennings didn’t play well and Coach Les Miles admits they thought about putting Harris in the game…
cut 18 (10) “….at victory”
Unfortunately, Jennings play on the field, led to some so-called fans harassing and threatening the sophomore signal-caller on twitter.

U-L Lafayette announced today they will retire Charles Tillman’s number five jersey during this Saturday’s game against Appalachian State. The Cajuns have won six in a row and they are tied with Georgia Southern for first place in the Sun Belt.

Tonight in college hoops….the Ragin Cajuns are at Tulsa, Louisiana Tech visits Temple, Nicholls State travels to North Texas and Northwestern State hosts Lyon College.

The Pelicans begin a four-game road trip at Portland.

Just a dreadful game for the Saints yesterday as they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 27-10. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 255 yards, but it only resulted in one fourth quarter touchdown. The Saints defense allowed former LSU running back Jeremy Hill to rush for 152 yards. And the Bengals converted 9-of-13 times on 3rd down. Coach Sean Payton says that’s unacceptable…
cut 20 (18) “…at least”
And the news keeps getting worse for the Saints. Rookie wide receiver Brandin Cooks is expected to miss the next month with a broken thumb. Brooks is the team’s second leading receiver and the team’s punt returner. And Saints Safety Rafael Bush has a broken fibula and is likely done for the season.

LSU’s offense looked as bad as it’s ever looked on Saturday in a 17-0 defeat to Arkansas. Terrence Magee was LSU’s leading rusher and he only had 24 yards on seven carries. The senior from Franklington says losing two in a row is no fun…
cut 17 (15) “….this thing”
Quarterback Anthony Jennings threw for only 87 yards and sacked four times. He also had a fumble. Coach Les Miles said they stuck with Jennings, instead of bringing in Brandon Harris, because Jennings gave them the best chance to win.

In other college football action…the Ragin Cajuns won their sixth straight on Saturday as they defeated U-L-M 34-27. The Warhawks have lost six in a row, the last four have been by single digits.

Grambling State’s seven game winning streak ended on Saturday with a 27-23 loss to Alabama State.

A frustrating season for the Saints, became more aggravating on Sunday with a 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s second straight loss at home, New Orleans hasn’t done that since 2012, when Head Coach Sean Payton was suspended for a season. Payton takes the blame for the team’s inconsistent season…

cut 19 (15) “every area”

Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 255 yards, but it only resulted in one 4th quarter touchdown. The Saints fall to 4 and 6.

Elsewhere in the NFC South, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their second game of the season as they blew past the Washington Redskins 27-10. Bucs quarterback Josh McCown threw for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns. And Atlanta upended Carolina 19-17. The Falcons improve to 4 and 6 and, due to their conference record, move into first place in the division.

LSU’s offense failed to score a single point on a frigid night in Fayetteville as they lost to the Razorbacks 17-0 on Saturday. The Tigers only rushed for 36 yards and had 123 total yards as LSU fell to 3-and-4 in the SEC. Coach Les Miles didn’t have many answers after the game…

cut 16 (12) “get that”

LSU had another bad night throwing the football. Quarterback Anthony Jennings threw for only 87 yards and sacked four times. He also had a fumble. The Tigers next visit Texas A&M on Thanksgiving.

Southeastern Louisiana defeated McNeese State 28-9 Saturday as Lions quarterback Bryan Bennett threw for 185 yards and four touchdowns. Southeastern is one win away from a Southland Conference championship.

Northwestern State quarterback Zach Adkins threw for 180 yards and five touchdowns as the Demons crushed Nicholls State 48-21.

UL-Lafayette remain undefeated in Sun Belt play as they held off ULM 34-27.

The first round of the high school football playoffs did not go without its fair share of upsets.

There were two major upsets in 5A last night as Scotlandville beat Ruston 18-14 and 25th seed Covington blanked number 8 Carencro 34-0.

In 4A….Peabody as a 21-seed beat 12th seeded Minden 24-6.

In 3A…the number 27 seed, North Vermilion, knocked off Buckeye 24-20.

In 2A…27th seeded Winnfield outscored 6th seeded Welsh 41-34. 10th seeded Oak Grove was upset by 23rd seeded South Plaquemines 34-14.

And in Division Four…13th seeded Ascension Episcopal beat 4th seeded Hamilton Christian 21-16.

In the NBA…The Pelicans won big over the Timberwolves 139-91. Jrue Holiday lead all scorers with 24 points.

In college hoops…Louisiana Tech beat Southern 85-76. It was Oklahoma State over Southeastern Louisiana 83-55. Texas A-and-M crushed Northwestern State 109-86.

LSU heads into tonight’s game as a one-point underdog, even though Arkansas has lost to 17 straight against SEC opponents. Hogs Head Coach Bret Bielema says it would mean a lot if they can end the streak against LSU…

cut 18 (16) “our guys”

There’s a report that LSU running back Kenny Hilliard is out for the season, because of a shoulder injury. Kickoff is scheduled for 7PM and you can watch it on ESPN2.

Tenth ranked Southeastern Louisiana hosts 13th ranked McNeese State this afternoon at three o’clock at Strawberry Stadium. ULM takes on in state rival U-L Lafayette tonight in Monroe. Kickoff is at 7PM in Malone Stadium. Both of those games can be seen on ESPN3.

The Saints are looking to get back to .500 as they host the Cincinnati Bengals tomorrow afternoon in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

There’s a report that LSU running back Kenny Hilliard is out for the season, because of a shoulder injury. Coach Les Miles said earlier in the week that it was questionable whether Hilliard would play against Arkansas after getting injured against Alabama. If Hilliard is out for the year, the Patterson native finishes his LSU career with over 15-hundred yards rushing and 27 touchdowns.

LSU goes into tomorrow’s game as a one-point underdog, even though the Razorbacks have lost 17 straight against SEC opponents. The Hogs have lost some close games this year, but Arkansas Coach Brett Bielema says his guys are still battling…
cut 19 (11) “…of fun”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 7 PM.

Tonight at 7 P-M. The Pelicans host the Minnesota Timberwolves. New Orleans is looking to improve 5-and-3 on the year.

The high school football playoffs are tonight and there’s plenty of good match-ups around the state. In Five-A, Sulphur will travel to play their old head coach Paul Bourgeois and the East Ascension Spartans. In Three-A, Jena is at Mansfield. And in Two-A, Ferriday visits Lake Arthur.

In the NFL… Saints cornerback Kennan Lewis is questionable for Sunday’s game Cincinnati. Lewis hurt his knee last week against the 49ers. Lewis expressed optimism that he will be able to play. Linebacker Curtis Lofton and Robert Meachem are also questionable with ankle injuries.

And in other college football action on Saturday. Tulane hosts Memphis for homecoming. It’s the final home game of the year for ULM and Southeastern Louisaina. The Wahrawks will host U-L Lafayette, while the Lions will take on McNeese State. The Cowboys need to win to stay alive for an F-C-S playoff berth.

The forecast for Fayetteville on Saturday doesn’t look as bad as it did earlier this week. Snow is no longer in the forecast and temperatures will be in the low to mid 30s. LSU and Arkansas kick-off on Saturday night at 7 PM.

The weather should not be that bad tomorrow night in Monroe, where the Warhawks host U-L Lafayette. U-L-M has lost five in a row, the last three games have been decided by a combined 11 points. Coach Todd Berry says even though they’ve had some frustrating losses, he expects his players to give great effort on Saturday as they have not given up on the season…
cut 17 (19) “….this week”
For U-L Lafayette, a win on Saturday will give Coach Mark Hudspeth 100 victories for his career.

It will be cold night for high school football fans as they enjoy the first round of the playoffs. In Five-A….ninth-seeded West Monroe hosts Sam Houston. The winner of that game will play the winner between Carencro and Covington.

In Division One–…Teurlings Catholc hosts Holy Cross. The winner of that game will face Rummel in the quarterfinals.

The college basketball season tips-off tonight…Louisiana Tech, who has eyes on making the NCAA Tournament, are in Baton Rouge to face Southern. Northwestern State begins its season against Texas A-and-M. Southeastern Louisiana travels to Oklahoma State and U-L Lafayette faces Louisiana College in the Cajundome.

LSU hosts Gardner-Webb tomorrow and tonight in the NBA…the Pelicans take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. New Orleans is 4-and-3, while the T-Wolves are two-and-five.

LSU will attempt to bounce back from a tough overtime loss to Alabama when they visit Arkansas on Saturday night. The Razorbacks are looking to end a 17-game SEC losing streak and Hogs Head Coach Bret Bielema says it would mean a lot if they can end the streak against LSU…

cut 18 (16) “our guys”

The Razorback have lost several close games this season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7PM and you can watch it on ESPN2.

A huge Southland Conference game happens tomorrow in Hammond. 10th ranked Southeastern Louisiana hosts number 11 McNeese State in Strawberry Stadium. The Lions come into the contest 5-and-one in the conference with a share of the lead. The Cowboys are just one game behind. The game can be seen on ESPN3 beginning at 3PM.

ULM will look to an end a five-game losing streak when they host in-state rival U-L Lafayette on Saturday. The Warhawks have lost their last three games by a combined 11 points and Coach Todd Berry says it won’t be any easier on Saturday night when they face the Ragin Cajuns, who are undefeated in Sun Belt play

cut 16 (22) “get pressure”

Berry says even though they’ve had some frustrating losses, he expects his players to give great effort on Saturday as they have not given up on the season. The game can be seen on ESPN3.

In college basketball news, the Ragin’ Cajuns tip off their season tonight against Louisiana College. Also, Louisiana Tech begins their 2014-2015 campaign as they visit Southern.

Last season, Saints Quarterback Drew Brees threw 12 interceptions, so far this year, he’s been picked off ten times through nine games. Brees says he remains confident in his abilities, and Coach Sean Payton says Brees understands the mistakes he’s making, but it’s not all his fault…
cut 18 (10) “….into that”
This Sunday the Saints host Cincinnati. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is having a tough season as he’s been intercepted nine times and thrown only eight touchdowns.

What kind of game will LSU get from quarterback Anthony Jennings? He’s completed only 47-percent of his passes. It’s expected to be cold on Saturday night in Fayetteville and there’s a 20-percent chance for precipitation. Expect LSU to rely on its running game. Leonard Fournette has rushed for 736 yards and seven touchdowns.

LSU athletic hall of famer and world series manager Alvin Dark has passed away at the age of 92. Dark was an all-SEC halfback for the LSU football team in 1942 and also played on LSU’s baseball team, before transferring to Southwestern Louisiana Institute, now U-L Lafayette. He was also a football- baseball star for the Bulldogs, who are now the ragin Cajuns. He was a shortstop on the New York Giants 1954 World Series championship team and managed the Oakland As to a 1974 World Series title.

In college hooops…LSU’s sophomore Jordan Mickey is a first-team All-SEC preseason selection by the league’s coaches. Vanderbilt’s Damian Jones, who is from Baton Rouge, is also on that list.

Ragin Cajuns forward Shawn Long has been named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List, which goes annually to the Division One “Mid-Major” Player of the Year.

The Ragin Cajuns tip off their season tomorrow night against Louisiana College. Also, Louisiana Tech visits Southern.