The Saints completed the sweep of Carolina as they defeated the Panthers 31-26 for a third time this season and advance to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. New Orleans couldn’t get its running game going, but hall of fame quarterback Drew Brees threw for 376 yards and two touchdowns and the Saints defense kept Carolina out of the end zone in the final seconds. Head Coach Sean Payton also gives credit to the Who Dat Nation for bringing the noise during the game…
cut 18 (19) “….formations”
Up next for the Saints, they’ll play the Minnesota Vikings at 3:40 on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota beat New Orleans in the regular season opener 29-19.

The search is on for a new offensive coordinator at LSU now that Head Coach Ed Orgeron and Matt Canada have split ways after just one season. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says is a very important hire for Orgeron, because if he misfires again, it could mean the end of his tenure at LSU…
cut 6 (05) “…third chance”
Orgeron says he’s looking for someone that has a wealth of experience that is totally committed to the vision of the program and has the drive to do whatever it takes to see it through.

Louisiana Tech’s Amik Robertson has been named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American team. Robertson had a team-high five interceptions during the 2017.

In basketball…LSU’s Tramont Waters has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week. The point guard from Connecticut knocked down a miraculous shot to upset Texas A-and-M on Saturday.

In the NBA…the 19-and-19 Pelicans host the Detroit Pistons tonight.

The Saints are moving on in the playoffs after beating the Carolina Panthers 31-26 in front of a raucous Superdome crowd. New Orleans defense came up with a big stand in the final minute of the game and Drew Brees threw for 376 yards and two touchdowns…:
Cut 16 (19) make em”
The Saints will now head to Minnesota Sunday to take on the Vikings for a trip to the NFC Championship.

Two SEC teams will face off tonight in the College Football Playoff national championship game. Alabama is back in the big contest for a third straight season, and will kick off against Georgia in the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta around 7:30. President Donald Trump is expected to attend.

In men’s hoops, LSU got past No. 11 Texas A&M 69-68 on the road Saturday following two Termont Waters 3-pointers in the final 12.4 seconds.

Nicholls beat Houston Baptist 72-71 on Saturday night. UL-Lafayette picked up an 81-64 victory over Coastal Carolina. Louisiana Tech finally broke into the Conference USA win column by holding off UTEP 97-88. Southern picked up its first conference win, beating Grambling 80-69. Stephen F. Austin beat Northwestern State 64-56. Southeastern stayed undefeated in the Southland with a 72-70 win over Abilene Christian.

In the NBA, Minnesota cruised past New Orleans 116-98 over the weekend. The Pelicans host Detroit tonight.

LSU athletics reportedly paid 1.7 million dollars to buy out the final two years of Matt Canada’s contract. So the search is on for a new offensive coordinator. Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham believes Athletics Director Joe Alleva is willing to spend a lot on a new play caller..:
Cut 4 (09) “your coordinators”
He says this is a very important hire for Orgeron, because if he misfires again, it could mean the end of his tenure at LSU.

The separation is official. Matt Canada is no longer LSU’s offensive coordinator. Tigers Head Coach Ed Orgeron says it was tough a decision, but he chose to go in a different direction in order to get the program where it needs to be. Coach O says the search for a new offensive coordinator begins immediately and he’ll look to identify a coach with a wealth of experience. The Advocate Reports Canada will receive one-point-seven million dollars to coach somewhere else.

For Carolina to upset the Saints tomorrow in the NFC Wild Card Game, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton needs to have a big game. Newton can be erratic as a passer, but New Orleans Defensive end Cam Jordan says it’s never easy to play against Newton…
cut 30 (13) “…get after em”
Kick-off tomorrow is at 3:40.

After falling by three points to 17th ranked Kentucky on Wednesday, the LSU Tigers get a chance to upset 11th ranked Texas A&M in College Station. The Aggies are 0-2 in the SEC, but they are getting back six-foot-nine forward D-J Hogg from a three-game suspension. He’s the Aggies leading scorer at 15 points a game and is shooting 50-percent from three-point range. Tip-off is at 1:15.

Tonight in the Cajundome, U-L Lafayette hosts Coastal Carolina. The Cajuns are the lone unbeaten team in the Sun Belt at 3-0. If they win tonight, it will equal their best conference start in four years.

ULM looks to even its record to 2-2 in league play as the Warhawks host Appalachian State at 2 PM. In Ruston tonight, Louisiana Tech goes after its first win in Conference USA as the Bulldogs host UTEP for a six PM tip.

In the Southland….McNeese hosts UNO. the Privateers are 4-0 in league play, while the Cowboys have won three of their last four.

The Saints will host division rival Carolina this Sunday in a wild-card playoff game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. New Orleans started its season with an 0-2 record, but began an eight-game winning streak by beating the Panthers in Week 3. The Saints also beat the Panthers 31-21 at home on December 3rd. Saints sideline reporter Kristian Garic says there’s a belief that it is difficult to beat a team three times in one season, but history shows that’s not the case….
cut 18 (14) “…rematches”
Two Saints players are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, defensive end Trey Hendrickson and offensive tackle Terron Armstead. Carolina has four players questionable, including former LSU Tiger and offensive guard Trai Turner and wide receiver Devin Funchess.

The Advocate reports to expect an outcome regarding LSU offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s future by Sunday. The report goes on to say that Canada’s representatives and LSU are discussing a contract buyout. Canada still has two more years remaining on a three-year contract that still owes him three-point-three million dollars. Sources say Head Coach Ed Orgeron wants to take the Tigers offense in a different direction.

In high school football, St. Frederick in Monroe needs a new head coach as Jeff Tannehill is out after five seasons. Tannehill led the Warriors to the state championship game in 2014.

In college basketball tomorrow, after losing to 17th ranked Kentucky on Wednesday, the Fighting Tigers visit 11th ranked Texas A-and-M. The Aggies are 0-2 to start SEC Play.

UL Lafayette looks to imrove to 4-0 in Sun Belt Play as they host Coastal Carolina. UNO can also go to 4-0 in the Southland as they are at McNeese.

The Saints meet their division rival Carolina on Sunday in an NFC Wildcard matchup. New Orleans has won seven straight inside the Dome. Saints Sideline reporter Kristian Garic says the fans made a difference when New Orleans beat Atlanta on Christmas Eve to clinch a playoff spot and they should be ramped up even more this Sunday….
cut 17 (20) “…loud Superdome”
Before the Saints playoff game on Sunday, it’s the Bills versus the Jaguars in an AFC wildcard matchup. Former LSU Tiger Leonard Fournette has purchased rolex watches for his offensive linemen. Fournette rushed for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns during his rookie season.

LSU atheltics director Joe Alleva says they expected other schools to come after defensive coordinator Dave Aranda and he says they were ready to put a plan in place to keep Aranda, who has signed a contract extension. Alleva added that keeping Aranda is a step for the future of the program.

Now the next order of business is to resolve the situation involving offensive coordinator Matt Canada. The Advocate reports Canada’s representatives and LSU are deep into negotiations that would allow Canada to coach somewhere else this season. Canada signed a three-year deal in December of 2016 and the school owes him just over three-million dollars to buy out the remainder of his contract.

In college basketball…the Ragin Cajuns moved to 3-0 in the Sun Belt with a 78-45 win over Appalachian State. ULM got its first conference win of the year by beating Coastal Carolina 82-72, Louisiana Tech fell to 0-3 in Conference USA with a two-point loss to U-T-S-A and Tulane rallied to beat SMu 73-70.

The Saints and the Carolina Panthers will meet for the third time on Sunday in the NFC Wild Card Round. In an effort to avoid distractions, the Saints have been prohibited from playing ping pong or Ninentdo 64 in the locker room. Quarterback Drew Brees will be making his 12th postseason start…
cut 30 (18) “…is no different”

In basketball, the Pelicans beat Utah 108-98 last night, while LSU fell to 17th ranked Kentucky. Tonight….the Ragin Cajuns host Appalachian State in a battle of two teams that are 2-0 in the Sun Belt. ULM hosts Coastal Carolina and Louisiana Tech takes on U-T San Antonio in Ruston. Tulane also hosts SMU.

Dave Aranda is staying. Still no word on Matt Canada. Kelley Ray has the latest on LSU’s coordinators…
Cut 2 (31) “I’m Kelley Ray”

Texas A-and-M has reportedly hired Notre Dame’s Mike Elko as defensive coordinator.

In Hammond, Southeastern Louisiana announces Greg Stevens is back as the Lions offensive coordinator. Stevens spent the last four seasons at Eastern Illinois. He was calling plays at S-L-U in 2012 and 2013 and in 13 Southeastern won a Southland Championship.

One of the top defensive coordinators in the country is staying in Baton Rouge. LSU and Dave Aranda have reportedly agreed to a four-year contract that will pay him on average 2.5 million dollars a year. Texas A-and-M came after Aranda with a strong offer, but Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says LSU showed him the money…
cut 11 (12) “…years after years”
As expected, edge rusher Arden Key will not return for his senior season. He’s declared for the NFL draft and despite injury troubles this past year, he’s expected to be a first round pick.

The LSU men’s basketball team battled last night, but came up short in an upset bid of 17th ranked Kentucky. The Wildcats responded well in the second half to a five-point halftime deficit to beat the Bayou Bengals 74-71. Duop Reath had 24 points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort.

The Saints continue preparations today for their NFC Playoff match-up with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Second-year safety Von Bell is looking forward to his first playoff game…
cut 19 (16) “…prove it”
Rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore has been named the N-F-L’s Defensive rookie for December. The former Ohio State Buckeye also won the award in October. Lattimore leads the Saints in interceptions with five.

Multiple media reports say Texas A-and-M is making a strong push to hire LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.There was a report on Monday that said Aranda declined the Aggies original offer, but now sources indicate A-and-M is offering even more money and would give him the freedom to hire his own staff. Aranda is currently the highest paid defensive coordinator in the country making 1.8 million dollars.

There’s reportedly mutual interest between Arizona and former LSU Head Coach Les Miles for the Mad Hatter to become the Wildcats new head football coach. Arizona fired Rich Rodriguez this week over misconduct allegations. Miles has made it known he would like to coach again.

UL-Lafayette has hired ULM wide receivers coach and recruting coordinator Tim Leger. The former McNeese State offensive coordinator will coach the wide receivers for the Ragin Cajuns.

And the SWAC announced today that Duer Sharp is no longer the league’s commissioner. The conference says Sharp left to pursue other opportunities.

The LSU men’s basketball team begins SEC play tonight by hosting 17th ranked Kentucky. Freshman point guard Tremont Waters has led the Tigers to a 9-3 record and tonight he’ll match-up against fellow freshman Quade Green, who won four state championships in high school as a prep star in Philadelphia. Green and Waters have played against each other since the 7th grade and Waters knows his game well…
cut 19 (17) “….he’s improved”
Tip-off is at 7:30 on the SEC Network.

On Fox Sports Southwest, the Pelicans will look to snap a two-game losing streak when they visit the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. Utah has lost 10 of its last 13. Out of the next eight games, six are on the road for the Pels. Tip-off tonight is at 8 PM.

The LSU football team returned from Orlando yesterday and offensive coordinator Matt Canada was on the plane. But it is still expected the 45-year-old play caller will not return for a second season with the Tigers.

Former LSU Tigers Alan Faneca and Kevin Mawae are among 15 finalists to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s the third year that Faneca has been a finalist, second for Mawae. Former Grambling standout and Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls is up for consideration for the first time in his 20th year of eligibility.

According to Pro Football Focus, former LSU cornerback Tre Davious White was the NFL’s best performing rookie during 2017. The Saints had three players finish in the top 5. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore finished second, running back Alvin Kamara came in fourth, behind Kansas City running back Kareem Hunt and Saints offensive tackle Ryan Raymczyk finished fifth.

SEC play begins tonight for the up start LSU men’s basketball team and the Tigers draw a tough assignment as they host 17th ranked Kentucky. LSU will lean heavily tonight on freshman Tremont Waters, who is averaging 17 points, six assists and shooting 45-percent from three point range. Waters says they are looking forward to playing one of college basketball’s traditional powers…
cut 18 (19) “…they do”
Kentucky began SEC play on New Year’s eve and beat Georgia 66-61. Tip-off is at 7:30.

In college hoops tonight…McNeese, Nicholls and Northwestern are all on the road. The Cowboys visit Abilene Christion, the Colonels are at Stephen F Austin and the Demons travel to Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi.

The LSU football team returned from Orlando yesterday and offensive coordinator Matt Canada was on the plane. But it is still expected the 45-year-old play caller will not return for a second season with the Tigers. Also, January 15th is the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft. Derrius Guice, Arden Key, Kevin Toliver, Donte Jackson, Toby Weathersby and Will Clapp all have decisions to make.

The Ragin Cajuns have added former LSU and Louisiana Tech assistant Jabbar Juluke to their coaching staff. Juluke will be the assistant head coach and running backs coach for UL Lafayette. The former Edna Karr Head coach was at Texas Tech this past season.

The Saints return to the practice field today to get ready for their NFC playoff game against Carolina. Panthers Quarterback Cam Netwon struggled in the second half of the season throwing the football as he only threw for 200 or more yards in a game twice in the last nine contests.

The LSU men’s basketball team has made great strides during the first year with Will Wade as head coach. The 9-and-3 Tigers are coming off a road win over Memphis, but tonight they face 17th ranked Kentucky at the PMAC. Sophomore Skylar Mays on the team’s mindset heading into the SEC opener…
cut 17 (17) “….their jersey’
Tip-off is at 7:30 on the SEC Network.

In the Southland, Nicholls, Southeastern Louisiana, McNeese and UNO are all off to a 2-0 start in league play. McNeese is at Abilene Christian tonight, Nicholls visits 11-and-3 Stephen F Austin, and UNO hosts Lamar. The Cardinals are also 2-0 in league play.

And the Pelicans look to snap a two-game losing streak as they visit the Utah Jazz.