The Saints are still alive for a playoff berth in the NFC after beating Carolina 18-10 yesterday. It was another dominating performance by the defense as they sacked Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold seven times. Coach Sean Payton credits the defense for keeping their playoff hopes alive…
cut 20 (15) “…takeaways”
In order for the Saints to get the last spot in the NFC playoffs, New Orleans will need to beat Atlanta on Sunday and the 49ers would have to lose to the Rams. Both games will kick off at 3:25.

Joe Burrow and Ja”Marr Chase and the Cincinnati Bengals are champions of the AFC North after rallying to beat the Kansas City Cheifs 34-31. Chase set an NFL rookie record with 266 yards receiving.

The LSU Tigers have released their depth chart ahead of tomorrow night’s Texas Bowl matchup against Kansas State and the Bayou Bengals only have 44 scholarship players on the depth chart. Damon Clark, Neil Farrell and Tyrion Davis-Price are some of the top players who have opted out. Despite the key absences, interim head coach Brad Davis says the preparation has been good…
cut 17 (17) “….victorious”
New Head coach Brian Kelly is with the team in Houston, but will not coach the team tomorrow night. Kelly has made his offensive coordinator hire public. Mike Denbrock is leaving Cincinnati as the Bearkats offensive coordinator to be the O-C in Baton Rouge. Denbrock has coached with Kelly at Notre Dame and Grand Valley State. Kelly says Denbrock is one of the best offensive minds in the game.

The Saints playoff hopes are still alive after an 18-10 win over the Panthers. The offense produced four field goals and Taysom Hill threw a touchdown pass to Alvin Kamara. But it was the defense that won the game. New Orleans sacked Carolina quarterback Sam Darnold seven times and kept the Panthers off the scoreboard in the second half. Hill understands the defense is leading the way…
cut 19 (19) “…being scored”
So for the Saints to make the playoffs, they need to beat the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday and they need the Rams to knock off the 49ers. If that happens New Orleans gets the final playoff spot in the NFC playoffs and would play the Rams during wild card weekend.

LSU football has named Mike Denbrock as the Tigers new offensive coordinator. Denbrock just helped Cincinnati go through the regular season undefeated and also coached with Brian Kelly at Notre Dame and Grand Valley State.

In basketball….the LSU Lady Tigers and the Ragin Cajuns mens’ basketball teams are off to 2-and-0 starts in league play.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball is 2-0 in Conference USA play after a come from behind win over Western Kentucky on Saturday. The Bulldogs trailed by 17 points but still won their 17th straight game in the Thomas Assembly Center by beating the Hilltoppers 74-73. Tech coach Eric Konkol…
Cut 16 (24) “…just a way”
Kenneth Lofton junior had 22 points and Tech is at UTEP on Thursday.

The Saints will not have their starting center for tomorrow’s game against Carolina. Erik McCoy has been placed on the COVID-19 restricted list, but receiver and return specialist Deonte Harris was removed from the list and is eligible to play after serving a three-game suspension.

On the injury front, receiver Tre’Quan Smith has been ruled out with a chest injury. Offensive tackle Terron Armstead practiced on a limited basis Friday and is questionable for Sunday. Mark Ingram, Ty Montgomery, Bradley Roby, Carl Granderson, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey are also listed as questionable.

LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price has opted out of the Texas Bowl and he’s also not returning for his senior season as the Baton Rouge product is entering the NFL draft. On the coaching front, LSU has reportedly hired Jamar Cain to be the Tigers new defensive line coach and run game coordinator. Cain was actually at Oklahoma the last two seasons but followed Lincoln Riley to USC.

In Ruston today, college basketball fans can ring in the new year by watching Louisiana Tech take on Western Kentucky at 1 PM in a game that will be televised on the CBS Sports Network. The Bulldogs are 10-and-3 and coming off a 79-56 win over Marshall to tip-off Conference USA play. Western Kentucky is playing its first league game today and they are 8-and-5 overall and have victories over Ole Miss and Louisville.

The Ragin Cajuns are at Coastal Carolina. Both teams won their Sun Belt opener, while ULM is at Appalachian State. Both teams lost their conference opener.

The Pelicans begin 2022 by facing the defending NBA champs as New Orleans is in Milwaukee to take on the Bucks. Pels starting center Jonas Valanciuansas has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss the next five days. But New Orleans top player off the bench, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has cleared health and safety protocols.

And tonight’s the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans as Baylor faces Ole Miss in the Superdome.

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.