LSU’s defense is having trouble tackling and keeping opposing teams out of the end zone, but the offense is rivaling the 2019 team that set all kinds of records. The 2019 Tigers set an NCAA record for 8,526 yards of total offense, an average of 568 yards per game. The 2023 Tigers are averaging 551 yards a contest. LSU Coach Brian Kelly….
cut 20 (20) “…about the defense”
LSU is at Missouri this Saturday. Mizzou is averaging 32 points a game and averaging 453 yards a game. Brady Cook is averaging 301 passing yards a game and Luther Burden leads the SEC in averaging 128 yards per game.

385 high school principals showed up in Baton Rouge today and 68-percent of them voted to keep the definition of a select school as it was used last year. Nine public schools upset they were shifted from non-select to select filed a lawsuit seeking a vote on the issue. Todd Black, co-host of the Louisiana Prep Scoreboard Show, says it’s likely the nine schools who were upset will drop their legal challenge…
cut 18 (15) “…wants to happen”
This means we’ll have eight championship brackets for football just like last year, four on the select side and four on the non-select side.

In the latest high school football polls, Edna Karr, St. Thomas More, University High, Calvary Baptist and Ouachita Christian are all ranked number one still. Catholic of New Iberia has cracked the top ten in Two-A and Logansport has done the same in One-A.

LSU coach Brian Kelly says he has the utmost confidence in his defensive coordinator Matt House. Through five games, the Tigers’ defense ranks 105th in scoring defense, allowing 31 points a game. Kelly says one major reason why LSU’s defense has struggled is the number of young players on the field…
Cut 18 (15) “…at a higher level.”

The Saints have failed to score more than 21 points in ten straight games, but head coach Dennis Allen is not planning on making any changes with his offensive staff…
Cut 16 (16) “…on the board.”
A lot of the criticism is coming down on Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.

At 1 PM, high school principals will hold a special meeting in Baton Rouge to vote on the definition of a select school. A yes vote would keep the select definition the LHSAA used last year that resulted in several public schools being defined as select schools, which prompted a lawsuit.

Louisiana Tech’s Smoke Harris has been named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week. Harris had a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown in Friday night’s 24-10 win over UTEP. Tech hosts Western Kentucky on Thursday.

Nicholls Safety Tyler Morton was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Morton had an interception and a forced fumble in the Colonels 31 to 10 win at McNeese to open Southland play. Nicholls hosts Houston Christian and McNeese is at Texas A-and-M Commerce.

The Major League Baseball playoffs start today…former LSU pitcher Kevin Gausman gets the start as the Blue Jays begin a best of three series at Minnesota.

LSU Coach Brian Kelly says he has the utmost confidence in defensive coordinator Matt House despite the Tigers troubles on defense. But Kelly wants to get more from his defensive line, which is why he’s hired former assistant Pete Jenkins. The 82-year-old is considered a guru when it comes to coaching defensive linemen. Kelly says he’ll help out John Jancek, who took over as D-Line coach when Jimmy Lindsey had a medical emergency before the start of preseason camp…
cut 19 (19) “….in that room”
LSU is at Missouri for an 11 AM kick off on Saturday. Chris Hilton, Aaron Anderson and Omar Speights are listed as questionable.

Saints Coach Dennis Allen says he’s not making changes with his coaching staff after New Orleans failed to score more than 21 points for a tenth straight game in a 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A lot of the criticism is coming down on Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. Allen says the longtime OC understands the fans want to see better results…
Cut 17 (13) “…get it fixed.”
New Orleans is at New England on Sunday. The Patriots are 1-and-3 and just lost two of their best defensive players to injuries, rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker Matthew Judon.

The Pelicans begin training camp today and can Zion Williamson stay healthy? Pelicans Vice President David Griffin is very encouraged by the commitment Williamson showed during the offseason.

The Major League playoffs start today…former LSU pitcher Kevin Gausman gets the start as the Blue Jays begin a best of three series at Minnesota.

A lot of criticism is coming down on Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael after a dismal performance for the Black and Gold offense on Saturday as New Orleans lost its second straight, a 26 to 9 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coach Dennis Allen said there are no plans to make any coaching changes.

Quarterback Derek Carr is also not playing well as he threw for only 127 yards in yesterday’s loss…
cut 12 (08) “….right now”
The Saints have been held to 21 points or less in ten consecutive games, dating back to last year. New Orleans is at New England this Sunday. The Patriots are 1-and-3 after getting crushed by the Cowboys in Dallas, 38 to 3.

The Pelicans begin training camp tomorrow. At media day today, Zion Williamson said during the offseason he worked on being unguardable.

Following Saturday’s disappointing loss to Ole Miss, LSU fell 10 spots in the AP Top 25 poll to number 23. The Tigers are now 3-2 overall, 2-1 in the SEC. Getting into the college football playoff is a pipe dream, even repeating as SEC West champs is a long shot. Coach Brian Kelly says it’s very disappointing, but they can’t give up….
cut 20 (20) “…get better”
Kelly has confirmed they’ve hired former LSU defensive line coach Pete Jenkins as an analyst. This would be Jenkins fourth stint with LSU. He was at LSU in the 1980s, with Nick Saban when he got hired at LSU and Ed Orgeron also had Jenkins as his defensive line coach when he got the job.

The Saints offense was for the most part a no-show in yesterday’s 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Saints Quarterback Derek Carr played despite a banged up shoulder, but only threw for 127 yards. Coach Dennis Allen was asked about Carr’s performance…
cut 16 (14) “…we had”
Alvin Kamara returned from a three-game suspension and could not provide a spark, despite getting eleven carries and catching 13 passes. Chris Olave only had one catch for four yards. Sunday marked the tenth consecutive game that the Saints have been held to 21 points or fewer.

New Orleans is now 2-and-2 and they’ll head to New England this Sunday. The Patriots are having their offensive struggles they lost 38 to 3 to Dallas yesterday. Mac Jones threw for 150 yards and he was intercepted twice.

What is up with LSU’s defense? They gave up a school record 706 yards in a 55-49 loss to Ole Miss. Brian Kelly says they are trying to coach up their personnel…
cut 19 (12) “…every week”
This Saturday 23rd ranked LSU is at 21st ranked Missouri.

ULM lost an absolute heartbreaker on Saturday night as Appalachian State kicked a 54-yard field with no time left to beat the Warhawks 41-40. ULM failed to score on third and goal earlier in the quarter and couldn’t run out the clock late in the fourth quarter. Coach Terry Bowden is sick to his stomach over his loss…
Cut 17 (14) “…a long time”
ULM hosts South Alabama this Saturday.

The Saints failed to find the end zone in a disappointing 26-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a battle of first-place teams in the NFC South. Despite the return of running back Alvin Kamara from a three-game suspension, New Orleans only had 197 yards of total offense. Coach Dennis Allen says it was an unacceptable performance…
Cut 15 (15) “…very good”
Kamara got plenty of chances. He carried the ball 11 times for 51 yards and he caught 13 passes but for just 33 yards. A-K not happy with what they are doing on offense…
cut 30 (18) “…I like losing”
The Saints have lost two in a row and they’ll play the next two on the road, at New England this Sunday and at Houston in two weeks.

The LSU Tigers defense had an all-time bad performance on Saturday night in Oxford as the Rebels outscored the Bayou Bengals 55 to 49. LSU gave up a school record 706 yards and Coach Brian Kelly says everyone should be mad….
Cut 18 (11) “…acceptable”
Missed tackles have been a big a problem. According to Pro Football Focus, LSU had a season-high 11 missed tackles in Oxford.

ULM missed out on a big win to open up Sun Belt play on Saturday night in Monroe. Instead Appalachian State kicked a game-winning 54-yard field goal as time expired as the Mountaineers left northeast Louisiana with a 41-40 victory.

The Ragin Cajuns fell to Minnesota 35-24. U-L Lafayette opens Sun Belt play this Saturday by hosting Texas State in a game that can be seen on ESPN-U.

Louisiana Radio Network Sports, I’m Jeanne Burns

The top two scoring teams in the Southeastern Conference meet today at 5 PM as 13^th ranked LSU visits 20^th ranked Ole Miss. Both teams are averaging 42 points a game. But Ole Miss has yet to get its top running back going, Quinshon Judkins. Coach Brian Kelly says he knows Judkins is a talented back that’s capable of having a big night….

Cut 15 (11) “…best players”

A win for LSU and they improve to 3-0 in the SEC. The Rebels are trying to avoid a second consecutive loss.

Louisiana Tech won on the road last night for the first time since 2020 as the Bulldogs defeated U-TEP 24-10. Jack Turner threw for 152 yards and a touchdown, while Tyre Shelton rushed for 104 yards and a score. Tech is 2-and-0 in Conference USA.

__________________________________________________________

The Ragin Cajuns look to pull off the upset later this morning as they visit Minnesota. ULM hosts Appalachian State to begin Sun Belt Play. Nicholls and McNeese meet in Lake Charles to begin Southland play. Both teams are looking for their first win of the season. Northwestern State hosts Eastern Illinois, while Southeastern Louisiana hosts Tarleton State and Tulane takes on U-A-B in New Orleans.

In high school football last night, Calvary Baptist defeated Westgate 32-22. Ruston edged Neville 14-10, Oak Grove over Mangham 28-12 and Edna Karr beat Brother Martin 19-7.

Saints Quarterback Derek Carr is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carr practiced for the first time this week yesterday, but he was limited by a shoulder injury. Former LSU star and Buccaneers linebacker Devin White is also questionable as he has a foot injury.

Louisiana Radio Network Sports

13th ranked LSU is at 20th ranked Ole Miss on Saturday for a 5 PM kick off in Oxford. The Fighting Tigers have struggled on defense and they’ve had trouble stopping teams on third down. Coach Brian Kelly says at practice this week, they harped on the fundamentals…
Cut 14 (11) “…third down”

Saints running back Alvin Kamara makes his season debut Sunday when New Orleans hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at noon. Kamara was suspended the first three games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy stemming from a fight at a Las Vegas casino. Kamara says he stayed active while away from the team
Cut 18 (14) “…to play”

Louisiana Tech jumps back into Conference USA play tonight as they travel to the Sun Bowl to face the UTEP Miners in El Paso, Texas. Tech enters the game with a 2-3 record, while the Miners are 1-4 after losing to UNLV last weekend. Second year Bulldogs Coach Sonny Cumbie says UTEP is better than what its record shows…
Cut 16 (17) “…football team.”
The Bulldogs have not won a game on the road since December of 2020.

The Ragin Cajuns are making a long road trip as they will face Minnesota in Minneapolis on Saturday at 11 AM. U-L Lafayette has 18 sacks on the season, which leads the nation and defensive tackle Marcus Wiser returns for this game after serving a one-year suspension for using a prohibited over-the-counter substance.

The 13th ranked LSU football team leaves today for the Magnolia State where they’ll play 20th ranked Ole Miss tomorrow. The game features the top two scoring offenses in the Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss will try to get its running game going. 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year, Quinshon Judkins has only rushed for 201 yards in four games after rushing for 15-hundred yards last year.

The Saints are hoping the return of running back Alvin Kamara from a three game suspension will jump start their offense. New Orleans ranks 20th in the league in total offense, 25th in scoring, averaging just 18 points per game. Kamara says it will take a collective effort to get the offense going…
cut 19 (17) “…..run the ball”
Kamara and the Saints host Tampa bay at noon on Sunday.

Louisiana Tech returns to Conference USA play by visiting UTEP at 8 PM tonight on the C-B-S Sports Network. The Bulldogs have not won a game on the road since December 2020. Offensive lineman Abe Delfin believes the streak comes to an end tonight….
cut 17 (17) “….this week”
Tech is 2-and-3 on the year, while the Miners are 1-and-4.

The Ragin Cajuns are at Minnesota on Saturday. It’s the fourth meeting between the two schools and the Golden Gophers have won every time.

ULM kicks off Sun Belt play by hosting Appalachian State. It’s the seventh time the two schools have faced each other and the Mountaineers have won the last three meetings and six of seven overall.

Nicholls and McNeese kick-off Southland play with a 7 PM kick off in Lake Charles. Both teams are winless. The Cowboys had a two touchdown lead over Eastern Illinois in the fourth quarter and lost. Eastern Illinois is at Northwestern State tomorrow.

After missing the last two games with a hip injury, LSU Coach Brian Kelly says senior linebacker Omar Speights will play tomorrow against Ole Miss. Kelly says they’ll need to manage Speights’ workload against the Rebels…
cut 29 (16) “…right manner”
Kelly says redshirt freshman receiver Aaron Anderson injured his hamstring at practice yesterday and they’ll have to see how he responds before determining if he’ll be able to play.

Louisiana Tech plays tonight as the Bulldogs visit UTEP. The Miners are 1-and-4, while Tech is 2-and-3 and looking for its first road win since 2020. The Ragin Cajuns are at Minnesota tomorrow, while ULM opens Sun Belt play by hosting App State.

Saints Quarterback Derek Carr did not practice for a second consecutive day yesterday as he continues to nurse a shoulder injury. But running back Alvin Kamara will play Sunday against Tampa Bay as he’s completed his three-game suspension. Kamara will provide a boost to an offense that’s scored just 53 points through three games, the third lowest point total in the N-F-C….
cut 20 (15) “…execute better”
Kamara spent his time away from the team working out with his personal trainers in Miami.

High school football last night, Ouachita Christian clobbered Ouachita Parish 48-14, Union Parish over Franklin Parish 55-33, Byrd beat Benton 61-34. And it was Patterson over Franklin 14 to 8 in overtime.