ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Saints running back Alvin Kamara is participating in live practices this week remotely via TVU networks technology after testing positive for the coronavirus last week. Schefter tweets that Kamara has a transreceiver at his home and is viewing practice as the Saints implement the game plan for Sunday’s playoff game against the Bears. New Orleans is hopeful Kamara will be able to play.

Only three-thousand fans will be in the Dome for Sunday’s game. Coach Sean Payton says the team will need to create its own energy in order to have a home-field advantage.
cut 17 (17) “…other factors.”
And there are tickets still available for Sunday’s game as an allotment of tickets was returned from the Bears.

LSU football has hired Carolina Panthers quarterback coach Jake Peetz as its offensive coordinator and Carolina offensive assistant DJ Mangas as the passing game coordinator. Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says both coaches are in their 30s and worked with former LSU assistant Joe Brady…
cut 29 (11) “…be hired”
LSU reportedly interviewed 34-year-old University of Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman today as the Tigers are looking to replace former D-C Bo Pelini.

Louisiana Tech receiver Cee Jay Powell has reportedly entered the transfer portal after catching 37 passes last season.

In basketball…Freshman Cam Thomas had 26 points as the Tigers beat Georgia in overtime. Southeastern, Northwestern State and UNO all lost in Southland play, while Nicholls rallied to beat Lamar 76-69.

Saints All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas has reportedly returned to practice on a limited basis ahead of Sunday’s playoff game against the Chicago Bears.  Coach Sean Payton is hopeful that Thomas will be available on Sunday.

Cut 16 (09) “significant”

LSU named a pair of Carolina Panthers to its coaching staff.  Quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz is the Tigers’ new Offensive Coordinator and offensive assistant DJ Mangas will be the Passing Game Coordinator.  Both of these coaches worked with former LSU assistant Joe Brady this past season.  Brady was LSU’s passing game coordinator in 2019 and connected well with Heisman Winner Joe Burrow, ultimately winning the national championship.  Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says the goal is to re-create that magic, but with different coaches and players.

Cut 20 (12) “in there”

Louisiana Tech’s receiving corps has gotten a little thinner as senior wideout Cee Jay Powell has entered the transfer portal.  Powell was one of the more consistent pass catchers for the Bulldogs the last two seasons.  He was second on the team in receptions during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, totaling 80 catches for 759 yards.

The New Orleans Pelicans dropped a close one to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night 111-110.  The Pelicans were led offensively by Zion Williamson’s 29 points and Brandon Ingram’s 24 point double-double.  While the team shot 49 percent from the floor, they shot just 4-22 from three-point range.

Nicholls St took down the Lamar Cardinals 76-69 to improve to 3-5 on the season.  Najee Garvin led the way for the Colonels with 19 points and 8 rebounds.

The Southeastern Louisiana men’s basketball team fell to Sam Houston 70-52 last night.  The Lions will travel to Thibodeaux to take on Nicholls on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Northwestern State lost 75-67 to Incarnate Word last night, dropping their record to 1-12.

LSU football Coach Ed Orgeron has hired Carolina Panthers quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz as the Tigers new offensive coordinator and Panthers offensive assistant DJ Mangas is LSU’s new passing game coordinator. Both men worked under former LSU assistant and current Carolina offensive coordinator Joe Brady. In 2019, Brady helped create one of the most prolific offenses in college football history and Tiger Rag Editor Ron Higgins says Orgeron is hoping to re-create that magic, but with different coaches and players…
cut 20 (12) “…in there”
LSU men’s basketball defeated Georgia in overtime 94-92 last night. Javonte Smart hit two big three-pointers at the end of regulation to tie the game and finished with 21 points.
According to an email sent by the Saints to season ticket holders, there will be three-thousand fans in the Superdome for Sunday’s playoff game against the Vikings. So New Orleans will not enjoy a Dome-field advantage with 70-thousand screaming Who Dats. During his conference call with reporters, Coach Sean Payton provided an idea of how to fill up the Dome, jokingly suggesting to quarantine thousands of Saints fans…
cut 18 (17) “….taken off or not”
The Pelicans lost their second straight home game last night as New Orleans fell to the Thunder 111 to 110. New Orleans is now 4-4, 1-2 on its four game homestand that ends Friday with a game against Charlotte.

In the Southland…Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana and UNO lost last night, while Nicholls knocked off Lamar 76-69.

The LSU football program has made two significant hires today as Jake Peetz has been named the offensive coordinator and DJ Mangas has been named passing game coordinator. Both served on the Carolina Panthers staff this past season, where former LSU assistant Joe Brady is the offensive coordinator. Peetz served as Carolina’s quarterbacks’ coach in 2020 and has 10 years of NFL experience, while Mangas served as an offensive analyst for LSU during its 2019 national championship season.

Alabama wide receiver and Amite native DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy last night, becoming the first receiver to win the award since Desmond Howard in 1991. Smith credits the hard work he put in while growing up in Amite City.
Cut 3 (11) “prove everybody wrong”
He’s only the second Louisiana native to win the prestigious award. Springhill native John David Crow won the award in 1957 after a standout season as a halfback for Paul Bear Bryant at Texas A&M.
The LSU men’s basketball team looks to bounce back tonight against Georgia following last Saturday’s loss to Florida. Tigers coach Will Wade says the Bulldogs like to play at a fast pace and they lead the SEC in rebounding margin…
cut 27 (17) “…for us”
Tip-off is at 6 PM.

Also tonight, Nicholls, Southeastern Louisiana, and Northwestern State all have home games tonight. S-L-U plays its first home game in 308 days when they take on Sam Houston. The Bearkats beat Nicholls in its southland opener. The Colonels host Lamar tonight, while the Demons return to Prather Stadium to take on Incarnate Word.

While the Pelicans host the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. New Orleans looks to rebound from a bad overtime loss to Indiana on Monday.

Alabama wide receiver and Amite native DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy last night, which is a rare accomplishment for a receiver.  Despite choosing Alabama over the home-state LSU Tigers, Smith says his hometown has been very supportive throughout his college career.

Cut 4 (14) “my journey”

The New Orleans Saints will host the Chicago Bears on Sunday in the first round of the NFL playoffs.  Even though the Saints are playing well, Tight End Jared Cook says the team will need to raise its level of play in the postseason.

Cut 19 (11) “next step”

The game is scheduled for 3:30.

The LSU men’s basketball team looks to bounce back tonight against Georgia following their recent loss to the Florida Gators.  The Tigers are 1-1 in the SEC and 6-2 overall.  Head Coach Will Wade says he had a spirited talk with his team after the loss to Florida.

Cut 18 (16) “capable of being”

The Southeastern Louisiana men’s basketball team will host Sam Houston tonight in the Southland Conference opener at 7 p.m.  The Lions are the only team in the Southland that hasn’t played a home game this season.

It’s been almost a month since the Northwestern St men’s basketball team has played a game inside Prather Coliseum, but they will do just that as they host Incarnate Word tonight at 6:30.

Following a close loss to Sam Houston in the conference opener, the Nicholls St men’s basketball team hopes to bounce back as they host Lamar tonight in a midweek matchup.  Tipoff is a 7 p.m.

Amite City native and Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith was awarded the Heisman Trophy last night. Smith is the first receiver to win the award since Desmond Howard did it in 1991.

Four players with ties to Louisiana are finalists for the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame, New Orleans native Peyton Manning, former LSU Tiger Alan Faneca, Saints linebacker Sam Mills and former John Ehret standout Reggie Wayne.

The Saints are hoping running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Michael Thomas will be available for Sunday’s playoff game against Chicago. Tight end Jared Cook says having Thomas on the field makes it harder on defenses…
cut 20 (17) “….red zone”
Kick-off Sunday is at 3:40.

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron is hoping to hire a new offensive and defensive coordinator this week. Orgeron reportedly interviewed Carolina Panthers quarterback coach Jake Peetz and offensive assistant DJ Mangas yesterday and Coach O plans to talk with University of Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman on Thursday.

The LSU men’s basketball team looks to bounce back tonight against Georgia following last Saturday’s loss to Florida. Tigers coach Will Wade says the Bulldogs like to play at a fast pace and they lead the SEC in rebounding margin…
cut 17 (17) “…for us”
Tip-off is at 6 PM.

Also tonight, Nicholls, Southeastern Louisiana, and Northwestern State all have home games tonight.

While the Pelicans host the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight.

LSU football coach Ed Orgeron hopes to hire a new offensive and defensive coordinator this week. Orgeron is reportedly interviewing Carolina Panthers quarterback coach Jake Peetz and Panthers offensive assistant D-J Mangas for the offensive coordinator job today. Both spent this past season learning under former LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady. Multiple reports say Orgeron will interview Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman for the vacant D-C position at LSU.

Sunday’s Saints-Bears playoff game is a rematch of a regular-season contest that New Orleans won in Chicago about two months ago. Nick Foles was the starting Q-B for the Bears in that game and now it’s the more mobile Mitch Trubisky. Coach Sean Payton says Chicago’s offense is different with Trubisky as the signal-caller…
cut 17 (17) “….team yeah”

Former Amite star and Alabama standout DeVonta Smith could become the first receiver since 1991 to win the Heisman Trophy as a virtual ceremony takes place tonight. Smith has caught 105 passes for 1,641 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide. His High School football coach at Amite Zephaniah Powell says Smith stepped up his game after fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle broke his ankle against Tennessee on October 24th…
Cut 19 (18) “…been big.”

The Pelicans are off tonight after a tough overtime loss to the Pacers last night. Tomorrow New Orleans hosts Oklahoma City, LSU faces Georgia in the PMAC.

The LSU football team could make some coaching hires this week according to Head Coach Ed Orgeron.  The team is searching for an offensive and defensive coordinator this offseason and some names have surfaced as the top candidates.  LSU will reportedly interview a pair of offensive assistants with the Carolina Panthers in Jake Peetz and DJ Mangas for the offensive openings.  Cincinnati Bearcats defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman could interview for the defensive coordinator job in Baton Rouge this week as he is considered a top candidate.

Alabama wide receiver and former Amite star Devonta Smith is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy tonight. A virtual awards ceremony will take place as Smith is one of four finalists. His high school football coach at Amite, Zephaniah Powell, says it’s amazing Smith might win the Heisman.

Cut 18 (18) “well deserved”

The New Orleans Pelicans lost a close one last night to the Indiana Pacers 118-116 in overtime.  Brandon Ingram led the way offensively for the Pelicans as he poured in a game-high 31 points, while forward Zion Williamson added a 24 point double-double.  Williamson says despite the loss, he saw some positives with his team.

Cut 28 (23) “keep improving

The Pelicans will host the Thunder tomorrow at 7 p.m.

The New Orleans Saints will host the Chicago Bears on Sunday for the first round of the NFL playoffs.  The Saints are hoping to be back to full strength after Michael Thomas has missed the past few games and running backs Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray were absent for last Sunday’s game after being placed of the Covid-19 list.  Their status for the upcoming game is up in the air.

With the Saints set to host Chicago on Sunday, instead of Saturday, that opens the door for running back Alvin Kamara to play against the Bears. Kamara is on the reserve COVID-19 list after testing positive for the coronavirus on New Year’s Day. Coach Sean Payton says it remains to be seen if Kamara can play as he’s set to miss practice this week…
cut 16 (11) “…be smart”
It’s also expected that wide receiver Michael Thomas will play Sunday after ending the regular season on injured reserve with an ankle injury that has not fully healed since he hurt it in week one.

The Lions will reportedly interview Saints scouting directors Jeff Ireland and Terry Fontenot as they search for a new general manager. Detroit also wants to speak with Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell about their head coaching vacancy.

LSU will reportedly speak with Carolina Panthers quarterback coach Jake Peetz and offensive assistant DJ Mangas this week. Yahoo Sports says Peetz will interview for the offensive coordinator position and Mangas is up for the passing game coordinator job. Both men spent this past season with the Panthers, where former LSU assistant Joe Brady is the passing game coordinator. Mangas also spent 2019 as an offensive analyst at LSU.

Former Amite standout and Alabama wide receiver Devonta Smith is the favorite to win the Heisman, which will be awarded tonight during a virtual ceremony. His high school football coach Zephania Powell says he’s seen Smith become more explosive during his time in Tuscaloosa…
cut 20 (10) “…off the ball”

The Pelicans blew a six-point lead in the final 20 seconds and lost to Indiana 118-116 in overtime to fall to 4-and-3 on the season last night.

The Saints were without their top running backs and starting safety Marcus Williams, but still crushed the Carolina Panthers 33-7. New Orleans Quarterback Drew Brees tossed three touchdown passes and the defense intercepted five passes. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson says he’s not surprised they didn’t miss a beat…
cut 17 (18) “…this thing”
The Saints will host the Chicago Bears this Sunday in an NFC playoff matchup. Since the game is on a Sunday, it increases the chances running back Alvin Kamara can return after testing positive for COVID. Safety Malcolm Jenkins says the team understands the importance of avoiding a COVID outbreak now that the postseason has arrived…
cut 10 (12) “…the playoffs”

The LSU basketball team fell to 1-1 in SEC play as they lost to Florida in Gainesville, 83-79. Field goal percentage was the key stat, as the Gators shot 50-percent from the field, while the Tigers shot 41-percent. LSU Coach Will Wade says his team missed a lot of shots near the rim
cut 20 (20) “….to finish.”
The Tigers will host Georgia on Wednesday.

Several LSU football players have announced they will return next season, including starting guard Ed Ingram, linebacker Micah Baskerville and defensive tackle Glen Logan. Linebacker Jabril Cox has announced he’s entering the draft, while tight end Arik Gilbert has reportedly entered the NCAA transfer portal.