The Saints are preparing to take on the Carolina Panthers on this New Year’s holiday. New Orleans needs a win Sunday in the Superdome in order to keep the Black and Gold’s playoff hopes alive. But they have just one win inside the Dome this season. Cornerback P-J Williams says it’s been frustrating they have not been able to take advantage of the support they get from Who Dat Nation…
cut 16 (17) “….this week”

There will be a football game held in the Superdome on Saturday night as seventh-ranked Baylor faces eighth-ranked Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. The Rebels have been led by Quarterback Matt Corral who could be someone the Saints are looking at in next year’s draft. Kick-off is at 7:45.

The state epidemiologist with the Louisiana Department of Health has recommended that extracurricular activities at schools should stop because of the latest surge of COVID cases fueled by the Omicron variant. But Louisiana High School Athletic Association executive director Eddie Bonine sent out a memo that says the LHSAA will not halt their winter sports seasons.

In college basketball, last night, Louisiana Tech and the Ragin Cajuns started conference play on the right foot. The Bulldogs beat Marshall 79-56 as the Thundering Herd shot just 29-percent from the field. Cobe Williams led the Bulldogs with 22 points.

U-L Lafayette defeated Appalachian State 71-55 as Jordan Brown had 16 points.

ULM allowed 12 three-pointers and got crushed by Coastal Carolina 94-64.

The 19th ranked LSU Lady Tigers won their 12th straight last night beating 13th ranked Georgia in Athens 68-62.

The Saints face a must-win situation on Sunday in order to make the playoffs when they host the Carolina Panthers in the final home game of the year. But the Black and Gold have won only once inside the Dome this year. Offensive tackle James Hurst can’t pinpoint why they haven’t been more successful in New Orleans…:
Cut 15 (20) “cheer about”
The game kicks off at 3:25pm.

Meanwhile it appears Saints Quarterback Jameis Winston’s recovery is moving along. He was captured on video by his rehab doctor on Thursday throwing a football for the first time since he underwent knee surgery last month.

In college hoops Louisiana Tech extends its home win streak to eight following an easy 79-56 victory over Marshall Thursday night. The game was the Conference USA opener for both teams.

UL-Lafayette had an easy time over App State in their Sun Belt Conference opener, winning 71-55 on the road.

ULM was riding a 6-game win streak going into their game last night but ended up falling hard to Coastal Carolina 94-64.

The LSU women’s basketball team improves to 13-1 following its biggest win of the year. The Tigers prevailed over No. 13 Georgia on the road to claim the 68-62 victory.

New Orleans Saints legend Sam Mills has become a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his final year of eligibility. The NFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the former NFL players under consideration for Modern-Era player category honor on Thursday.

The LSU men’s basketball team is no longer undefeated as they lost their SEC opener to Auburn last night 70-55. The Tigers fell behind 18 to one and never were able to get back in the game. The Bayou Bengals will get the weekend off and host Kentucky and Tennessee next week.

Elsewhere  last night, third-ranked Purdue defeated Nicholls 104 to 90. Another big scoring night for Colonels Guard Ty Gordon, who had 29 points.

Tulane opened American Athletic Conference play by beating Memphis 85-84.

Louisiana Tech begins Conference USA play by hosting Marshall. The Ragin Cajuns are at Appalachian State. U-L Coach Bob Marlin is not with the team as he tested positive for COVID. ULM brings a six-game winning streak into tonight’s game against Coastal Carolina.

LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte says ignore the rumors that he’ll enter the transfer portal, Boutte announced on Twitter he’s locked in at LSU.

The Saints have activated eleven players from the COVID list including quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill. New COVID protocols in the NFL allow vaccinated players to return earlier if their symptoms go away. Coach Sean Payton was asked if he was concerned if players would hide their symptoms in order to come back to the field earlier…
Cut 16 (13) “…they feel.”

Just two more days left in 2021 and the biggest sports story of the year came in October when LSU athletic director Scott Woodward told Coach Ed Orgeron 2021 is his last as the Tigers football head coach….
cut 15 (09) “….met that standard”
LSU finished the regular season with a 6-and-6 record.

The LSU men’s basketball team is no longer undefeated as the Bayou Bengals failed to recover from a slow start and lost their SEC opener at Auburn 70-55. Auburn started the game on an 18-to-1 run as LSU missed its first 16 field goal attempts. The Tigers trimmed the deficit down to six points twice, but the 17 turnovers committed by LSU were just too much to overcome.

Meanwhile, LSU football coach Brian Kelly has named Robert Steeples as a defensive assistant. He’s currently the assistant special teams’ coach for the Minnesota Vikings and he had a brief NFL career as a cornerback. Earlier this week, Kelly named Matt House as his defensive coordinator. Baton Rouge sports talk show host Matt Mascona says Kelly has a track record of hiring good assistant coaches…
cut 29 (09) “…successful hire”

The Saints return to the practice field today and they are getting some players back from the COVID-19 list, including quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian, linebackers Demario Davis, Kwon Alexander and Kaden Ellis, tight end Adam Trautman and special teams captain J-T Gray.

The Saints will host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. New Orleans lost to Carolina in week two, but since then the Panthers have really struggled and the return of Quarterback Cam Newton hasn’t helped the offense or the firing of Joe Brady as offensive coordinator. Coach Sean Payton on their two-quarterback system with Newton and Sam Darnold…
cut 18 (16) “….rely on the tape”
Kick-off this Sunday in the Superdome is at 3:25.

The 16th ranked LSU basketball team tips off SEC play tonight with a trip to 11th ranked Auburn. The undefeated Tigers have yet to play a true road game. Coach Will Wade says Auburn Arena is not an easy place to play for a visitor….
Cut 17 (18) “ …great fans.”
Both teams are averaging around 80 points a game, while the Tigers lead the SEC in field goal percentage defense at 34-percent, while Auburn is 39-percent. Tip off is at 6 PM.

U-L Lafayette begins Sun Belt play at Appalachian state tomorrow. But Coach Bob Marlin will not be there was he’s tested positive for COVID-19.

Louisiana Tech will welcome Marshall to the Thomas Assembly Center for the start of Conference USA play tomorrow. The Bulldogs have won 15 straight home games, while the Thundering Herd has dropped three straight overall.

LSU football coach Brian Kelly has named Matt House as the Tigers new defensive coordinator. House is currently the linebackers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs and Baton Rouge sports talk show host Matt Moscona says current Chief and former LSU Tiger Tyrann Mathieu has said it’s a great hire by LSU…
cut 13 (09) “with it”
House spent three seasons with Kentucky, two as defensive coordinator. House’s 2018 Kentucky defense ranked sixth in the nation in points allowed, he’s also credited with helping to defensive lineman Aaron Donald when he was at the University of Pittsburgh.

The man who introduced NFL great John Madden to one of his favorite dishes – the TURDUCKEN – mourns the passage of the football legend. New Orleans butcher Glenn Mistich says he first met Madden in 1996, during the Saints – Rams game. During an appearance on WWL radio, the subject of the “turducken” came up…:
Cut 9 (12) “…the All-Madden Team.”
A “turducken” is a chicken, stuffed inside a duck, stuffed inside a turkey.

New LSU Football Coach Brian Kelly has named Matt House as his defensive coordinator. House is currently the linebackers coach at Kansas City and previously served as a defensive coordinator on the collegiate level at Kentucky, FIU and Pittsburgh. Baton Rouge sports talk show host Matt Mascona says House seems like a solid hire…
cut 12 (07) “….NFL experience”
House will remain with the Kansas City Chiefs until their season ends. K-C defensive back and former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu gave a ringing endorsement of House.

New Louisiana Tech football coach Sonny Cumbie left Texas Tech on a high note. Cumbie serving as interim coach of the Red Raiders helped Texas Tech trounce Mississippi State 34-7 in the Liberty Bowl.

Two Saints have been removed from the COVID restricted list, Safety Malcolm Jenkins and tight end Juwan Johnson.

LSU basketball opens SEC play tonight and it’s a tough assignment as the 16th ranked Tigers visit 11th ranked Auburn. Both teams are averaging around 80 points a game, while the Tigers lead the SEC in field goal percentage defense at 34-percent, while Auburn is 39-percent. Coach Will Wade says if LSU can’t score 70 points, they probably don’t win…
Cut 18 (23) “ ..puncher’s chance”

In action yesterday, Northwestern State fell to top-ranked Baylor 104-68.

The Pelicans had their most exciting win of the season as they rallied back from a 23-point first-half deficit to beat Cleveland 108-to-104. Rookie Herb Jones had 26 points.

LSU head football coach Brian Kelly has named a new defensive coordinator. Matt House, a coach with a Super Bowl Championship on his resume and current linebacker coach for the Kansas City Chiefs will begin his job with the Bayou Bengals once the NFL season wraps up.

The LSU men’s basketball team begins SEC play tonight as the Purple and Gold Tigers face their biggest challenge of the season taking on Number 11 Auburn on the road. The War Eagles are 11-and-1 and led by forward Jabari Smith, who is averaging 16 points a game. LSU Coach Will Wade says Smith could be the number one pick in next year’s NBA draft…:
Cut 16 (13) “phenomenal player”
Both teams are averaging around 80 points a game and Wade says if LSU can’t score 70 points, they probably don’t win. Tipoff is at 6pm.

Louisiana Tech football fans got a promising preview of their new coach last night as Sonny Cumbie lead Texas Tech to a 34-7 Liberty Bowl victory over Mississippi State. Cumbie had been serving as the interim head coach for the Red Raiders since the school fired Matt Wells back in October. He replaces outgoing Bulldogs coach Skip Holtz next season.

With that victory the SEC now sits at 0-4 in 2021 Bowl Games. Auburn also lost yesterday to 20th ranked Houston 17-13 in the Birmingham Bowl. Former LSU Quarterback TJ Finley started for the War Eagles and threw for 227 yards and one touchdown.

In their biggest and most exciting win of the season, the New Orleans Pelicans prevailed over the Cleveland Cavaliers last night 108-104. The Pels trailed by as many as 23 points in the first half but outscored the Cavs 32-21 in the 4th quarter to match the second-largest comeback in team history and winning for the sixth time in their last eight outings.

Just a frustrating game to watch on Monday as the Saints fell to the Miami Dolphins 20-3. Rookie Ian Book had a rough NFL debut as he threw a pick-six on the second pass of his professional career and he was sacked eight times. Coach Sean Payton says it’s hard to evaluate Book’s performance because they struggled to keep him upright…
cut 16 (16) “…he does”
NFL Analyst Mike Detillier says the score could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the defense. But he says without a stable offensive line you don’t have a chance at winning…
Cut 14 (13) “…you ain’t winning.”
Only two starting offensive linemen played for the Saints last night and they were down to their eighth string offensive tackle by the end of the game.

Points could be tough to get for the Pelicans tonight as they host Cleveland. Leading scorer Brandon Ingram is doubtful with Achilles soreness, Josh Hart, who is averaging 13 points a game, is questionable with an ankle injury and New Orleans top scorer off the bench, Nickeil Alexander-Walker remains out due to COVID.

The 16th ranked LSU men’s basketball team is at 11th ranked Auburn to begin SEC play tomorrow night. LSU is 12-and-0, while Auburn is 11-and-1 and they’ve won eight in a row. Both teams are averaging around 80 points a game, while the Tigers lead the SEC in field goal percentage defense at 34-percent, while Auburn is 39-percent. Auburn likes to shoot the three-ball, knocking down 35-percent of their three-point shots. Tip-off is at 6 PM.

The SEC is off to an 0-3 start in bowl games. Auburn lost today to 20th ranked Houston 17-13 in the Birmingham Bowl. Former LSU Quarterback TJ Finley started for Auburn and threw for 227 yards and one touchdown. Auburn scored just one touchdown on the day.

The Saints were missing 16 players from their active roster due to COVID-19 and it showed in last night’s game against Miami as they couldn’t match-up with the Dolphins and lost 20-3. Coach Sean Payton says they had guys on the field who never practiced with the team…
Cut 15 (15) “…next week’s game.”
The Saints will close out the home schedule this Sunday when they take on Carolina. The Panthers are also dealing with a potential COVID outbreak as they have over a dozen players on the reserve COVID-19 list, including two of their top defensive players, defensive end Brian Burns and linebacker Shaq Thompson.

The Saints will need to win their final two games of the regular season to get into the playoffs and they need the Eagles to lose their final two. San Francisco losing to the Rams in the regular-season finale would also help.

The Pelicans will play their final game of 2021 tonight when they host Cleveland. New Orleans will likely play this game without its leading scorer as Brandon Ingram is listed as doubtful with Achilles’ soreness. Guard Josh Hart is questionable with an ankle sprain and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is out as a result of COVID protocols.

The LSU men’s basketball team is ranked 16th in both polls and will open SEC play tomorrow on the road against Auburn. Auburn is ranked 11th.

Today, Northwestern State visits top-ranked Baylor.

Hunters are happy to know that, so far, no cases of Chronic Wasting Disease have been presented in the Louisiana deer herd. State Wildlife & Fisheries veterinarian Dr. Jim Lacour says nearly 300 deer – submitted by hunters – have been tested, and all are negative…:
CUT 13 (09) “…get things done.”
State wildlife officials have intensified testing in Union and Morehouse Parishes after Arkansas authorities found chronic wasting disease in a deer taken near the Louisiana-Arkansas line in early December.

With 16 players from the Saints active roster not playing last night, you didn’t have much hope that New Orleans would be able to pull of a victory against a Miami team that had won six in a row. That’s exactly how it played out against the Dolphins as New Orleans lost 20-3. Rookie Quarterback Ian Book was intercepted twice and sacked eight times in his NFL debut…
cut 17 (17) “…whole night”
Linebacker Zach Baun says they knew they had an uphill mountain to climb…
cut 29 (12) “…next man up mentality”
New Orleans hosts Carolina this Sunday.

————————–

The Pelicans will play their final game of 2021 tonight when they host Cleveland. New Orleans will likely play this game without its leading scorer as Brandon Ingram is listed as doubtful with Achilles soreness. Guard Josh Hart is questionable with an ankle sprain and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is out as a result of COVID protocols.

The 19th ranked LSU women’s basketball team closed out nonconference play with an 83-47 win over Samford last night. Jailin Cherry had 22 points. The Lady Tigers begin SEC play on Thursday at 13th ranked Georgia.

The men’s basketball team is ranked 16th in both polls and will open SEC play tomorrow on the road against Auburn. Auburn is ranked 11th.

Nicholls guard Ty Gordon has been named Southland Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for a third consecutive week after scoring 26 points in a loss to Oregon State. The Colonels are at third ranked Purdue tomorrow. Northwestern State visits top ranked Baylor tonight.