The Saints will host the Miami Dolphins tonight with a rookie quarterback and a COVID-depleted roster that results in defensive starters Demario Davis and Malcolm Jenkins also not playing. Ian Book will get the start at quarterback with Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian also out as a result of COVID. Book is excited about the opportunity…
Cut 15 (15) “…go out an perform.”
The Saints have had 21 players test positive for COVID since Tuesday. They only have three healthy linebackers on the active roster, with Demario Davis, Kaden Elliss and Kwon Alexander all out because of COVID.

The Saints are in eighth place in the NFC standings and trail Philadelphia by a half a game for the final playoff spot.
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Big game from Joe Burrow yesterday as the LSU Heisman trophy winner threw for a Cincinnati franchise record 525 yards in a 41-21 win over the Ravens.

Former LSU and Destrehan wide receiver Justin Jefferson broke Odell Beckham’s record for most receiving yards by a player in his first two seasons. Jefferson had eight catches for 116 yards and now has 2,851 receiving yards.

The Pelicans four game winning streak ended last night with a 117 to 112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. New Orleans leading scorer Brandon Ingram led the game in the first quarter with Achilles soreness. Josh Hart had 29 points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort, while Garret Temple had 22 points.

The 21st ranked LSU women’s basketball team will host Samford tonight as the Lady Tigers look for their eleventh straight win. Khayla Pointer continues to lead LSU in scoring averaging 17 points per game.

Pro Bowl special teamer J-T Gray is the latest Saint to end up on the COVID-19 reserve list. Joining Gray are three assistant coaches, including assistant offensive line coach Zach Strief.

But sources say Head Coach Sean Payton’s quarantine time is over and he’s back with the team.

Rookie Ian Book will make his first professional start at quarterback on Monday when the Saints host the Dolphins. With fellow Q-Bs Taysom Hill and Trevor Simien both on the COVID list, New Orleans is bringing in former Jaguars starting quarterback Blake Bortles to serve as Book’s backup.

Here’s a little on Ian Book. He was drafted in the fourth round earlier this year and has yet to take a snap in the regular season. At Notre Dame, Book completed 64-percent of his passes for 8,948 yards and 72 touchdowns, 20 interceptions. He also rushed for 15-hundred yards and 17 touchdowns.
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The Pelicans take a four-game winning streak into the Christmas break after a 110 to 104 win over the Orlando Magic. Brandon Ingram had 31 points. New Orleans next game is Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pels are just two games back of San Antonio for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Conference play begins next week for college basketball. 17th ranked LSU will tip-off SEC play by visiting 12th ranked Auburn on Wednesday.

Louisiana Tech is nine and three on the season and they begin Conference USA play by hosting Marshall on Thursday at the Thomas Assembly Center.

ULM has won six in a row heading into Sun Belt play. The Warhawks start league play on the road by visiting Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State on Thursday and Saturday of next week. The Ragin Cajuns will visit App State on Thursday and then Coastal on Saturday.

The Saints cancelled practice yesterday as they placed nine players on the COVID reserve list including two quarterbacks, starter Taysom HIll and Trevor Siemien. Also joining that group where offensive tackle Jordan Mills and defensive linemen Jayln Holmes and Christian Ringo. They join tight ends Adam Trautman and Juwan Johnson, along with Coach Sean Payton.

That means tight end Nick Vannet is the only active tight end on the roster. Vannet played for Denver last season, when the Broncos had all of their quarterbacks go on the COVID list a day a before they were set to play the Saints….
cut 4 (09) “…last year”
The Saints are set to host Miami on Monday night.

Last night in the NFL, Tennessee topped the 49ers 20-17. San Francisco’s record falls to 8-and-7. Two games in the NFL tomorrow…Cleveland at Green Bay and Arizona hosts Indianapolis
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The Pelicans won their four straight last night as they made the Orlando Magic disappear 110 to 104. Big not from Brandon Ingram as he had 31 points, while Josh Hart had 22 points and Devonte Graham had 20 points.
And COVID is starting to impact the Pelicans as guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been placed on the COVID-19 reserve list.

The SEC has updated its protocols when it comes to men’s and women’s basketball teams affected by COVID. The SEC says a team will be required to play if they have seven players and at least one coach. The commissioner can step in and reschedule or declare a no-contest.
Yesterday in college football bowl action. UCF defeated Florida 29-17. The SEC is off to an 0-and-2 start in bowl games. Miami of Ohio defeated North Texas 27-14. Today’s game between Memphis and Marshall has beeen canceled as a result of a COVID with the Hawaii football program.

Rutgers will replace Texas A-and-M in the Gator Bowl and play Wake Forest on New Year’s Eve.

The Saints will take on a red-hot Miami Dolphins team on Monday night. The Dolphins have won six in a row, only allowing a total of 79 points in those games. New Orleans Acting Head Coach Dennis Allen says Miami is also playing complimentary football on offense…:
Cut 16 (22) “win games”
Sean Payton remains away from the team after testing positive for COVID-19 last Friday. Allen says Payton is doing better but did not give a clear timeline on when the head coach will return.

Fans going to the game Monday are encouraged to wear black to match the uniforms the Saints players will be wearing in the contest.

The LSU men’s basketball team finishes non-conference play still undefeated and that’s for the first time since the year 2000. The Tigers easily cruised to a 95-60 victory over Lipscomb on Wednesday. Coach Will Wade’s team will take a break for Christmas before getting ready for SEC action at Auburn next Wednesday.

Louisiana Tech Men’s Basketball concluded their non-conference slate with a 99-56 win over Crowley’s Ridge College.

LSU linebacker Damone Clark has posted a farewell message to fans on Twitter as he’s opted out of the Texas bowl. The Tigers will play Kansas State on January fourth without two of its best players on defense. Defensive tackle Neil Farrell Junior has also opted out.

The latest surge in COVID cases is impacting the world of college football.

An outbreak with the Texas A-and-M program means the Aggies will not play Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl. the College Football Playoff said if a team cannot play in a semifinal, the opponent will advance to the title game and if both teams cannot play, the winner of the other semi is the champion.

Saints defensive end Cam Jordan was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week today. Jordan had two sacks and a forced fumble in the shutout win over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. New Orleans next game is Monday night at home against the Dolphins. The oddsmakers have the Saints a 3 point favorite and not making points are expected. The over-under is 38.5 points.

LSU linebacker Damone Clark has posted a farewell message to fans on Twitter as he’s opted out of the Texas bowl. The Tigers will play Kansas State on January fourth without two of its best players on defense. Defensive tackle Neil Farrell Junior has also opted out.

The latest surge in COVID cases is impacting the world of college football.

A COVId outbreak with the Texas A-and-M program means the Aggies will not play Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl.

Today the College Football Playoff said if a team cannot play in a semifinal, the opponent will advance to the title game and if both teams cannot play, the winner of the other semi is the champion. The title game in Indianapolis could be moved as late as January 14th.

The 17th ranked LSU men’s basketball team looks for their 12th straight win tonight when they host Lipscomb. The Tigers have three players averaging in double figures. Tari Eason, who comes off the bench and averages a team-high 16 points a game. Darius Days is averaging 15 points and nine rebounds a game and Xavier Pinson has transferred in from Missouri to average 10 points and five assists a game. Coach Will Wade says Pinson has been a great addition out of the transfer portal….
cut 18 (19) “…get”
Tip-off is at 7 PM.

The Pelicans have won three in a row after beating Portland 111 to 97 last night. Brandon Ingram has been playing some great basketball lately and last night he averaged 28 points. New Orleans is at Orlando tomorrow.

Saints defensive end Cam Jordan was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week today. Jordan had two sacks and a forced fumble in the shutout win over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

The Saints didn’t get any help last night in their chase for the final playoff spot in the NFC.

With Philadelphia beating Washington 27-17 last night, the Saints are now in ninth place in the NFC Standings. They need to move ahead of the Eagles and Vikings to grab the final playoff spot in the NFC.

In other NFL news…former LSU Tiger and Tampa Bay running back Leonard Fournette is expected to be placed on I-R and miss the rest of the regular season with a hamstring injury.

LSU defensive tackle Neil Farrell Junior has announced he will not play in the Texas Bowl against Kansas State on January fourth. He’s the first Tiger to indicate he’s opting out. The fifth-year senior had 45 tackles this past season and recorded a career-high 9.5 tackles for a loss.

The 16th ranked LSU basketball team hosts Lipscomb tonight in the Tigers final game before a short Christmas break. The Tigers are one of six teams in Division one that’s still unbeaten after rallying back from a first-half double-digit deficit to beat Louisiana Tech on Saturday. A week earlier they trailed by 15 to Georgia Tech before rallying to win by 16. LSU Coach Will Wade would rather not have to rally from big deficits to win…
Cut 16 (16) “…fall off”
Tip off is at 7:00.

Double-digit losses for several Louisiana schools last night. Texas A-and-M topped Northwestern State 80-61, Iowa slammed Southeastern Louisiana 93-62, Kansas State clobbered McNeese 74-59 and Oregon State knocked off Nicholls 83-61. But the Pelicans won their third straight last night, a 111-97 win Portland.

The Saints upset win over Tampa Bay on Sunday goes down as one of the more improbable victories in team history. They did without their head coach, Sean Payton and also both starting offensive tackles were out because of injuries. Acting head coach Dennis Allen says it was a great win, but they have another game to worry about on Monday against Miami…
Cut 18 (18) “ ..Miami”
Minnesota’s 17-9 win over Chicago last night vaults the Vikings past the Saints for the final playoff spot in the NFC.

Tonight’s re-scheduled NFL game between Washington and Philadelphia also has playoff implications. Both teams are 6-and-7 and it would help the Saints if the Washington Football Team won because they own the tiebreaker over W-F-T.

LSU defensive tackle Neil Farrell Junior has announced he will not be playing in the bowl game against Kansas State on January fourth. He’s the first Tiger to indicate he will not play in the game. The fifth-year senior had 45 tackles this past season and recorded a career-high 9.5 tackles for a loss.

The LSU men’s basketball team continues to move up in the polls. The 11-and-0 Tigers are ranked 16th and 17 in A-P and coaches poll and LSU will host Lipscomb tomorrow night at 7:00 inside the PMAC.

ULM has won six straight. The Warhawks scored 45 points in the second half to beat Lamar 80-77. Russell Harrison led the way with 25 points.

Tonight…Northwestern State is at Texas A-and-M, Southeastern Louisiana visits Iowa, McNeese travels to Kansas State and Nicholls faces Oregon State in Corvallis.

The Pelicans host Portland tonight. New Orleans is playing better as of late, winning three of its last four. Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is questioanble with a hamstring.

The Saints are off today as they have some time to enjoy their nine-to-nothing win over Tampa Bay. They don’t play again until they host Miami on Monday night. Quarterback Taysom Hill is impressed with how the defense blanked the Buccaneers…
cut 30 (12) “…incredibly well”

Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport is playing at a high level when healthy this season. Davenport has a career-high 6.5 sacks. Acting head coach and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen says Davenport keeps getting better every year….
cut 19 (21) “…in the past”

Gary Goff is the new head coach at McNeese. Goff led Valdosta State to the Division Two championship game and had 22-and-3 record during two seasons at the Gulf South Conference school. Goff plans on running the air raid offense at McNeese….
cut 17 (21) “…air raid offense”
Goff is 48-years-old and also has head coaching experience at Tiffin University where he turned around a losing program.

In basketball, the Pelicans host Portland tonight. The LSU men’s basketball hosts Lipscomb tomorrow night. The undefeated Tigers are up to 16 and 17 in the respective Top 25 polls. ULM won its sixth straight last night as the Warhawks scored 45 points in the second half to outscore Lamar 80-77. Russell Harrison matched a career-high 25 points in the win.

Minnesota’s 17-9 win over the Bears last night puts the Vikings ahead of the Saints for the final playoff spot in the NFC. Minnesota and New Orleans are both 7-and-7, but the Vikings win the tiebreaker over New Orleans based on best win percentage in conference games. The Saints host the Dolphins on Monday, while the Vikings host the Rams on Sunday.

Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport is playing at a high level when healthy this season. Davenport has a career-high 6.5 sacks. Acting head coach and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen says Davenport keeps getting better every year….
cut 19 (21) “…in the past”

Gary Goff is the new head football coach at McNeese after a successful stint at Division Two Valdosta State, where he led the Blazers to a 22-and-3 record and a National Championship appearance. Goff says this is a special moment for him and his family…
cut 16 (13) “…doing it”
Goff also coached eight seasons at Tiffin University in Ohio and is 60-53 in ten playing seasons of coaching. He started his college coaching career as a wide receivers coach at Southeastern Louisiana in 2003.

In college basketball, the LSU men’s and women’s basketball teams continue to move up in the polls. Will Wade’s team is now ranked 17th heading into tomorrow night’s home game against Lipscomb. The Lady Tigers who beat Clemson 70-56 yesterday are ranked 21st.

Last night…ULM defeated Lamar 80-77. Russell Harrison tied a career-high 25 points for the Warhawks.

It was an impressive victory for the Saints last night as the Black and Gold blanked the Buccaneers nine to nothing in Tampa Bay. New Orleans’s defense got after Bucs Quarterback Tom Brady, sacking him four times and forcing two turnovers. Saints defensive end Cam Jordan recorded his 100th career sack during the game…
Cut 12 (11) “…this game.”
The Saints are now 7-and-7 and they’ve defeated Tampa Bay twice and the Green Bay Packers, who is also a Super Bowl contender. Safety C-J Gardner-Johnson had an interception last night and says teams should not overlook the Black and Gold…
Cut 14 (12) “…rude awakening.”
The Saints next game is a week from tonight against the Miami Dolphins, who have won six in a row after starting the season one and seven.

LSU Quarterback Myles Brennan got engaged last night and he proposed to his girlfriend Erin on the 50-yard line at Tiger Stadium. Brennan had a video crew their to capture the magical moment, you can check it out on Brennan’s Instagram page.

In his final game in a Ragin Cajun uniform, Quarterback Levi Lewis threw for 270 yards and a touchdown in U-L Lafayette’s 36-21 win over Marshall in the New Orleans Bowl. Lewis finishes his career 35-and-7 as a starting quarterback for U-L Lafayette and this was his first win in the Superdome after two previous tries…
cut 17 (12) “…to win”
Former Rummel standout Chandler Fields will seek to replace Lewis next season. But he’ll face competition from Fresno State transfer Ben Wooldridge, former Warren Easton star Lance Legendre, and former Ouachita Christian standout Hunter Herring.