The LSU-Alabama game that was going to take place this Saturday in Baton Rouge has been canceled due to Covid-19 issues within the LSU program.  The game is expected to be rescheduled.  For the time being LSU will turn its attention to Arkansas, who they are scheduled to play next weekend.  Orgeron says that LSU should get a lot of their players back next week and could be ready to go against the Razorbacks.

Cut 4 (15)

CBS Sports National College Football Writer Dennis Dodd says it’s not a surprise that we would lose a game of this magnitude because despite team’s best mitigation efforts these college players aren’t living in a bubble…

13 (13)

Even though we are seeing more and more canceled high school football games because of COVID-19, the LHSAA is moving forward with plans to have a postseason, with the championship games at the Superdome from December 26th to the 28th. In December, the Saints are allowed to have 15-thousand fans at their home games. Executive Director Eddie Bonine Bonine says he’s not sure the exact number that will be allowed in the Dome, but they’ll do what the local authorities ask…

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Bonine says schools with a COVID issue during the postseason will be removed from the bracket and their opponent will advance to the next round.

A COVID outbreak on the LSU football team has led to the postponement and possible cancellation of this weekend’s contest in Tiger Stadium against Alabama. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 3 (24) “…I’m Matt Doyle”

Two other SEC games scheduled for this Saturday are also postponed, Mississippi State-Auburn and Texas A-and-M against Tennessee. There’s a report LSU-Alabama could be played next week and the Tigers-Arkansas game scheduled for November 21st would be moved to December 19th, the date of the SEC Championship game.

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ULM’s football game at Arkansas State this Saturday has been postponed until December 12the due to COVID-19 concerns with the Warhawk program.

The LHSAA announces they still plan on holding its football championship games in the Superdome December 26th to the 28th. The regular season ends next weekend and for teams to qualify for the playoffs, they must have played four games. Executive Director Eddie Bonine is glad they’ve made it this far with a vast majority of the games being played…
cut 17 (24) “….good”
Bonine says if a team can’t compete in a playoff game because of COVID, their season will end and their opponent advances to the next round.

LSU and Alabama are scheduled to square off this Saturday in Baton Rouge but that game is in Jeopardy of being canceled due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the LSU program.  LSU head coach Ed Orgeron would not provide information on which players are quarantined but reports says the team is down to one scholarship quarterback, which is freshman TJ Finley.  Even if LSU was at full strength, they would go into the game as big underdogs.  Orgeron says his players have no plans of backing down.

Cut 19 (07) “after them”

The other major story involving LSU football includes receiver Koy Moore, who claims he was violated by Baton Rouge officers who thought he had drugs and a gun.  Chief Murphy Paul says BRPD is still collecting facts and it’s too early to tell if Moore’s civil rights were violated.  He says the officers face additional training and potential punishment if they were in the wrong.

Cut 5 (10) “as well.”

Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson is having a breakout season.  He has recorded 7 ½ sacks so far this season, good for third in the NFL.  After the Saints’ week one win over the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said Hendrickson was the easiest guy to block on the Saints defensive line.  Hendrickson says he didn’t use that statement as bulletin board material for his big game on Sunday night.

Cut 17 (11) “wrong”

With high school football schedules changing every week, the Catholic High Bears and the Acadiana Rams have decided to play each other as the two Louisiana powerhouses will face off on Saturday in Baton Rouge.  This is a big-time game, as both programs are ranked near the top of the state power rankings.  The regular season for the Ouachita Lions has officially come to an end.  The school has canceled the rest of its season due to Covid-19 issues.  As for the postseason, the school will wait and see how things unfold.  Ouachita played West Monroe last Friday, who have also canceled their remaining games.

LSU Coach Ed Orgeron says several players are in quarantine as the Tigers are just a few days away from taking on top-ranked Alabama in Baton Rouge. Orgeron says a small number of players testing positive for COVID-19 led to a high number of players going into quarantine. The Tigers are reportedly down to one scholarship quarterback, freshman TJ Finley…
cut 18 (25) “…ready to go”
And Orgeron says quarterback Myles Brennan might miss the rest of the season, because of the injury he suffered in the loss to Missouri.

After picking up two more sacks in the blow out win over the Buccaneers, Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson has 7.5 sacks on the year, which ranks third in the NFL behind Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald. Hendrickson says the season is only halfway through…
cut 16 (13) “…eight games”
The Saints are 6-and-2 and battling with Green Bay and Seattle for the number one seed in the NFC. New Orleans hosts San Francisco this Sunday.

Will ULM be able to play at Arkansas State on Saturday? The Warhawks have suspended football activities after several positive coronavirus cases among athletic department staff members. If yesterday’s round of testing goes well, it’s possible ULM can safely resume activities later today.

And Former Ragin Cajuns receiver Al Riles was fatally shot in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday. He was U-L Lafayette’s leading receiver in 2016.

This Saturday’s game between the Tigers and top-ranked Alabama is in jeopardy as Coach Ed Orgeron says he has several players in quarantine as a result of positive COVID-19 cases within the football program.
cut 13 (11) “…Saturday night”
According to the Advocate, the only quarterback on LSU’s roster available to practice is TJ Finley. Orgeron would only say they are thin at the QB position and that Myles Brennan might miss the remainder of the season with the injury he suffered in the third game of the year.

ULM is also dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak as the football program has suspended football activities for the second time in 2020. A spokesperson for the athletics department says the suspension is due to positive coronavirus cases among athletic department staff members.

The Saints completed a season sweep of Tampa Bay last night with a thorough beat down of the Buccaneers 38 to 3. Quarterback Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes, while Tampa’s Tom Brady was intercepted three times. New Orleans is now 6-2 and in control of the NFC South race. Coach Sean Payton says they have to remain on top of their game…
cut 30 (16) “….beginning tomorrow”
The Saints host San Francisco this Sunday.

Three Baton Rouge Police officers have been placed on paid leave following a social media post from LSU freshman wide receiver Koy Moore in which he claims the cops violated him after they suspected he was in possession of a gun and drugs. Moore says he was let go when he told the officers he was an LSU football player. Coach Ed Orgeron says there’s no place for racism or social injustice in this country.

The Saints proved they are still the class of the NFC South last night as they conducted an absolute beat down of the Buccaneers trouncing Tampa Bay 38-3. New Orleans started fast as Drew Brees threw two first-quarter touchdown passes and finished with four on the night as 12 different players caught passes. It was one of Sean Payton’s best nights as a play-caller…
cut 18 (17) ” good football team”
The loss goes down as the worst margin of defeat for Bucs QB Tom Brady, who finished with a quarterback rating of 40. That’s the third-lowest in his career. It’s also the first time Brady has been swept by a divisional opponent.

LSU and Baton Rouge police say they are investigating claims made by freshman LSU wide receiver Koy Moore, who says he violated numerous times by police officers on Saturday night. Moore, who is black, says cops pulled guns on him claiming he had guns and drugs in his possession and unzipped his pants. Moore says they backed off after he told them he was an LSU football player.

ULM has suspended all football-related activities after a few Athletics Department administrative staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The university says a new round of COVID tests for football student-athletes coaching staff and some suppport personnel has been scheduled for this morning and the team hopes to resume football-related activities as early as tomorrow afternoon or tomorrow night. ULM is at Arkansas State this Saturday.

After beating Arkansas State, U-L Lafayette is back in the AP Top 25 poll at number 25. The Cajuns will host South Alabama this Saturday.

Most of the so-called experts had Tampa Bay winning last night’s battle between the Bucs and Saints, but it was all Black and Gold as New Orleans trounced Tom Brady and the Buccaneers 38-3. The Saints offense was clicking on all cylinders with the return of receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Michael Thomas. Drew Brees threw four touchdowns, while New Orleans defense intercepted Brady three times and the future Hall of Famer finished with his third-worst passer rating in his career. Coach Sean Payton says they were locked in…
cut 19 (15) “…were playing”
The Saints hit the halfway mark with a six and two record and they have the top seed in the NFC. Green Bay and Seattle also have six and two records. New Orleans will host a struggling San Francisco team this Sunday.

It’s Alabama week for the LSU Tigers as the top-ranked Crimson Tide will travel to Baton Rouge this weekend for a 5 PM kick-off on Saturday night. Bama is a 23.5 point favorite. It’s reportedly the largest point spread deficit LSU has faced in 21 years.

The Ragin Cajuns are back in the AP Top 25 after beating Sun Belt West rival Arkansas State 27-20. Louisiana comes in at number 25 in the latest AP poll. On Saturday, the Red Wolves tied the game at 20 late in the 4th quarter on a long pass play, but the Cajuns quickly came back and Elijah Mitchell scored on a two-yard touchdown run for the winning score. Coach Billy Napier
cut 17 (17) should work”
The Cajuns host South Alabama this Saturday.

New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas is still listed as questionable for the upcoming game against their NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Thomas returned to practice this week but was a limited participant.  Thomas, the 2019 NFL Offensive player of the year, is one of the top receivers in the league and could provide the Saints with an added weapon against a very good Bucs defense.  Quarterback Drew Brees says he’s excited to potentially have him in the lineup this week.

Cut 18 (20) “lineup”

Louisiana Tech’s game against North Texas this Saturday has been postponed due to Covid-19 cases within the Mean Green program.  The two teams have agreed to reschedule for December 7^th.  The Ragin Cajuns host Arkansas State, ULM is at Georgia State and Tulane visits East Carolina.

The SEC men’s basketball schedule for the 2020-21 season has officially been released. LSU will begin their season against Louisiana Tech on December 6^th and will begin conference play on December 29^th when they host the Texas A&M Aggies before wrapping up the regular season against Vanderbilt on March 2^nd.  The Tigers finished last season tied for second in the conference and return some key players from last year’s squad, including Javonte Smart, Darius Days and Trendon Watford.  Those veterans combined with a number of talented freshman could have LSU in a position to compete for the conference title.

Conference USA announced its updated scheduling format for men’s and women’s basketball.  The conference will transition to an 18-game conference schedule while only holding these games on Friday and Saturday in order to keep student-athlete’s health at the forefront.  LA Tech will get its season started on Nov. 27 at home against UT Arlington.

The New Orleans Saints will face a big challenge on Sunday night when they go on the road to take on their division rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Not only are these two teams rivals, but the winner of this game will become the leader in the NFC South.  The Saints offense will need to bring its a-game because the Bucs have a great defense which ranks towards the top in league in numerous areas.  The Saints will get an offensive weapon back, as receiver Emmanuel Sanders has been removed from the Covid-19 list and has been a full participant in practice.  Quarterback Drew Brees says he plans to use all his weapons on offense in order to move the football.

Cut 17 (17) “the ball”

Receiver Michael Thomas has returned to practice on a limited basis

Louisiana Tech’s game against North Texas this Saturday has been postponed due to Covid-19 cases within the Mean Green program.  The schools are hoping that the game can be rescheduled in December.

The NBA Players Association has approved the league’s proposal to start a shortened 72-game regular season on December 22nd.  Training camps would begin around the beginning of December while the NBA Draft would take place on November 18^th.

Louisiana Tech has been picked to finish seventh in the Conference USA preseason basketball poll.  The Bulldogs return 11 letter winners from last years team, which went 22-8 overall, and obtained a 13-5 league record.  Tech returns two of their top three scorers from a year ago in Amorie Achibald and Kalob Ledoux.  Archibald averaged 11.3 points per game last season while shooting 42 percent from the field.  The Bulldogs also return two of their top three rebounders from last year in JaColby Pemberton and Isaiah Crawford.  Tech gets its season started on November 27^th at home against UT Arlington.

Stephen F Austin has been picked to repeat as Southland Champs. Nicholls is expected to finish fourth, McNeese sixth, UNO eighth, Northwestern State 10th and Southeastern Louisiana 11th.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara has been playing at an MVP level this season, but he and the Black and Gold face a tough test on Sunday night in Tampa Bay against a Buccaneers squad that ranks number one in rush defense, allowing just 70 yards a game. Kamara on why the Bucs are so good at stopping the run…
cut 19 (20) “….the run”
The winner of Sunday night’s game in Tampa will have the inside track on winning the NFC South.

Representatives of the NBA Players Association have approved the league’s proposal to start a shortened 72-game regular season on December 22nd. Training camps would start around December first. The NBA draft is November 18th.
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Louisiana Tech’s scheduled football game against North Texas on Saturday has been postponed due to COVID-19 cases and contact tracing with the Mean Green football program. The schools are hoping the game can be played during the week of December fifth.

So that leaves just three Louisiana college football teams playing on Saturday. The Ragin Cajuns host Arkansas State at 11 AM, ULM is at Georgia State and Tulane visits East Carolina. For the Cajuns, they are trying to stay in first place in the Sun Belt West, while the Warhawks are still searching for their first win and the Green Wave are trying to get back to the five-hundred mark at 4-and-4.

In college basketball news….Louisiana Tech has been picked to finish seventh in Conference USA. Also league games will be played on Friday and Saturday.

Stephen F Austin has been picked to repeat as Southland Champs. Nicholls is expected to finish fourth, McNeese sixth, UNO eighth, Northwestern State 10th and Southeastern Louisiana 11th.

And there’s a report the SEC basketball schedule will come out today.