The Saints left for Atlanta today where they’ll play the Falcons tomorrow night in a big NFC South matchup. New Orleans is 9-3 and they lead the NFC South, while the Dirty Birds are 7-and-5 and this is a must win for them, if they want to win the division. New Orleans running back Mark Ingram goes into the game as the second leading rusher in the NFC, with 922 yards.

The Pelicans continue their four-game homestand tonight as they host the Denver Nuggets. These two teams met on November 17th in the Mile High City and the Nuggets beat New Orleans 148-114. That’s the most points given up by the franchise since its move to New Orleans.

In college hoops action….Tulane has already defeated Southern today 95-76. Louisiana Tech begins a four-game homestand against Stephen F Austin. The Bulldogs have won 10 straight at home. Loyola College is at the Ragin Cajuns. UL Lafayette has won six of its last seven.

LSU running back Derius Guice has left open the possibility he may return for his senior season. In an Instagram post Guice says a decision on his football future will be made after the Tigers play Notre Dame in the Citrus Bowl. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says he’ll be shocked if Guice returns and it will be interesting to see what offensive linemen, like Will Clapp will do…
cut 18 (17) “…could leave’
LSU senior quarterback Danny Etling has been named SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Louisiana Tech’s Teddy Veal ahs been named Conference USA’s co-newcomer of the year. The transfer from Tulane had 69 catches for 832 yards and five touchdowns during the 2017 campaign.

The Advocate is reporting that LSU’s coaching staff will get a combined $115,000 in bowl bonuses. Coach O will get an extra 25 grand for leading the team to the Citrus Bowl on New Years Day. Position Assistants getting 10 grand and coordinators earning 15. The bonuses are subject to approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors at its annual fall meeting Friday.

With the end of the season looming, talk of juniors who won’t return to LSU is heating up. Tiger running back Derrius Guice, widely considered to be a first round draft pick in 2018, said he’s not going to make a decision on whether or not to come back to LSU until after the bowl game. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says Arden Key is another player likely to leave LSU and be picked in the first round. He says also expected to go pro are cornerbacks Donte Jackson and Kevin Toliver…:
Cut 17 (07) “declaration yet”

ULM will be looking for some new quarterbacks as they’ve lost their second and third string play callers on the same day. Garrett Smith is leaving Monroe, after losing the starting QB job to Caleb Evans. Smith is now looking to transfer to another school. Shortly after Smith’s announcement, third string QB Will Collins also said he’d be leaving ULM. He didn’t play at all this season.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Falcons Coach Dan Quinn is appealing to fans to be in their seats for the Saints game tomorrow night, instead of “using the coasters.” The Dirty Birds new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, features clubs suites and other amenities that may be keeping fans from being 100% focused on the game. Quinn said when the Saints come to town, they need fans to make it as loud as they can.

KLFY in Acadiana is reporting that those in the running to replace outgoing Ragin Cajuns Head Coach Mark Hudspeth include LSU Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada, former Florida OC Doug Nussmeier and Penn State Defensive Coordinator Brent Pry.

In college hoops today, Tulane is hosting Southern, Stephen F Austin is at Louisiana Tech, UL-Lafayette hosts Loyola.

Two quarterbacks have announced their departure from ULM. Warhawks backup QB Garrett Smith said through Twitter that he was transferring, and with another year of eligibility he’ll likely seek another opportunity. Smith lost the starting gig last year to Caleb Evans. Shortly after Smith’s announcement, third string QB Will Collins also said he’d be leaving ULM. He didn’t play at all this season.

KLFY in Acadiana is reporting that those in the running to replace outgoing Ragin Cajuns Head Coach Mark Hudspeth include LSU Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada, former Florida OC Doug Nussmeier and Penn State Defensive Coordinator Brent Pry.

There’s possibly a shakeup taking place in Louisiana Tech’s Bowl game. Multiple reports indicate Arkansas has hired SMU head coach Chad Morris. He just finished his third year as the Mustangs’ leader, finishing 7-5 on the season and earning a bowl bid against the Bulldogs in the Frisco Bowl. This hire could mean Morris won’t coach SMU in the game.

There has been a lot of buzz over the Instagram post by LSU star running back Derrius Guice which says he will decide whether to enter the draft after the Citrus Bowl against Notre Dame. The junior is expected to be selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft if he leaves early. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says he would be shocked if Guice stayed another year..:
Cut 16 (16) “draft stock”
Guice says he is fulling healthy now, but nobody wants to play injured.

The Saints normally don’t practice on Tuesday, but they are on a short week as they next play the Falcons tomorrow night. With little recovery time, the injury list has grown. Running back Mark Ingram and Offensive Lineman Andrus Peat did not suit up yesterday. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore was limited.

The 12-12 New Orleans Pelicans host the 13-10 Denver Nuggets tonight inside the Smoothie King Center.

Usually, Tuesday is an off day for the Saints, but they were on the practice field today getting ready for Thursday night’s NFC South matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. As it stands now, the Saints appear to be in good position to make the playoffs, But running back Mark Ingram says nothing is guaranteed…

Cut 18 (14) “….keep getting better”

On the injury front, cornerback Marshon Lattimore was on the practice field for today’s walk-thru. He’s missed the last two games because of an ankle sprain.

The Pelicans fell to 12-and-12 on the season after losing to Golden State 125-115 last night. New Orleans led by 20 points at halftime. It’s the third time they’ve had a double digit lead over the defending champs, but still lost the game. New Orleans hosts the Denver Nuggets tomorrow night.

LSU star running back Derrius Guice has left the door open that he could return for his senior season. In an Instagram post, Guice said it wasn’t easy playing this season, because of an injured knee. The Baton Rouge product says he’s now fully healthy and a decision on whether he’ll leave or stay at LSU is still in the air and he won’t know until after the bowl game. If Guice enters the NFL draft, he’s expected to be a first round pick.

ULM quarterback Garrett Smith is leaving Monroe. Smith made 17 starts for the Warhawks and threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. But Smith made just one start this season as sophomore Caleb Evans established himself as the starting Q-B, so Smith is now looking to transfer to another school.

And in college baseball, Tiger Rag Magazine reports infielders Rankin (Rank-in) Woley and Mason Templet (Tom-play) are transferring from the program. Woley made eight starts last season and Templet, a former star player at St. Thomas More in Lafayette, was hitless in six at-bats as a freshmen last year.

Surprising news from LSU star running back Derrius Guice. The junior posted on Instagram last night that he was not going to make a decision about whether to enter the draft until after the Tigers bowl game against Notre Dame. It’s expected that Guice would be selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft if he decided to leave school early. Guice said he’s been frustrated with a knee injury and added nobody wants to play that way.

The combination of Saints running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara has been so on fire that fans are looking for a nickname for the duo such as Thunder and Lighting, or Smash and Dash. Ingram says the run game is without-out-doubt one of the reasons the 9-3 Saints are one of the best teams this year:
Cut 17 (16) “great running game”
As it stands now, New Orleans appears to be in good position to make the playoffs.

Louisiana Tech is heading to a bowl game for a fourth consecutive season as they’ll play SMU in the first ever Frisco Bowl. The game will be played on the same day as the start of the new early signing period. Bulldogs Head Coach Skip Holtz says they’ll figure out how to sign recruits and play a football game at the same time..:
cut 20 (18) this year”
The Frisco Bowl will be held on December 20th in Frisco, Texas.

Last night the Warriors rallied past the Pelicans in New Orleans, 125-115. Jrue Holiday scored 34 for the Pels, and E’Twaun Moore had a career-high 27 points. DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant both received their second technical fouls of the game when bickering in the final minutes and were both ejected. Cousins is up to seven technical fouls for the season.

The Saints can take another big step towards clinching an NFC South championship, when they visit the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Defensive end Cameron Jordan says after completing the season sweep over Carolina by beating the Panthers on Sunday, the team has even bigger goals for this season…:
Cut 16 (09) “keep going”
The Saints are 9-3, one game ahead of Carolina in the division standings and the Falcons are two games back.

Last night the Warriors rallied past the Pelicans in New Orleans, 125-115. Jrue Holiday scored 34 for the Pels, and E’Twaun Moore had a career-high 27 points. DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant both received their second technical fouls of the game when bickering in the final minutes and were both ejected. Cousins is up to seven technical fouls for the season.

The NFL has suspended New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski one game on for a late hit to the head of Bills defensive back and former LSU Tiger Tre’Davious White.

Louisiana Tech is heading to a bowl game for a fourth consecutive season as they’ll play SMU in the first ever Frisco Bowl on December 20th in Frisco, Texas. Bulldogs Head Coach Skip Holtz says they look forward to the matchup against the 7-5 Mustangs…:
Cut 19 (14) “really excited about”
SMU is led by third-year head coach Chad Morris, who went just 2-10 in his first season.

Six LSU Tigers made the 2017 Associated Press ALL SEC Football team. Star running back Derrius Guice was a second-team selection, and sent out a Tweet saying he thought it was a joke. Junior center Will Clapp was the lone Tiger named to the All-SEC Offense First Team. Linebacker Devin White and cornerback Greedy Williams are also on the first team.

The Black and Gold Nation is fired up today after the Saints nice 31-21 win over the Panthers on Sunday. The Atlanta Falcons also lost, so now New Orleans has a one-game lead over the Panthers and a two-game lead over the Dirty Birds for the division lead. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 269 yards and one touchdown in the victory…:
Cut 18 (18) “front of us”
Rookie Alvin Kamara had another big game, 66 yards receiving on five catches and he also carried the ball nine times for 60 yards and had two rushing touchdowns.

ESPN is reporting New Orleans Pelicans star forward Anthony Davis won’t play tonight against the Golden State Warriors because of a left pelvis injury. Davis also missed Saturday’s game when the Pels beat the Trail Blazers 123-116. DeMarcus Cousins led the team with a game-high 38 points.

LSU is headed to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando for the second straight year. On New Years Day The Tigers will take on Notre Dame who is led by running back Josh Adams with over 13-hundred yards and seven yards a carry. LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron says he’ll get to know Adams over the next month…:
Cut 16 (11) “ought to be”
Last year the Tigers trounced Louisville 29-9 in the Citrus.

Grambling will play in the Celebration Bowl on December 16th versus North Carolina A&T. Louisiana Tech will play in the Frisco bowl against SMU on December 20th.

UL Lafayette has fired head coach Mark Hudspeth. Athletic Director Bryan Maggard says the next leader of the Ragin Cajuns football team needs to recruit Louisiana well and must be a proven winner..:
Cut 14 (10) “win championships”

The Saints regained control of the NFC South with a convincing 31-21 win over the Carolina Panthers. Quarterback Drew Brees is happy about the win, but says there’s still room to improve..:
cut 20 (17) those things”
The Atlanta Falcons also lost, so now New Orleans has a one-game lead over the Panthers and a two-game lead over the Dirty Birds for the division lead.

After a third consecutive losing season, UL Lafayette has fired head coach Mark Hudspeth. Athletic Director Bryan Maggard informed Hudspeth of his decision Sunday morning following the team’s 63-14 loss to Appalachian State:
Cut 13 (10) “our program”

We found out bowl games on Sunday, and the LSU Tigers will be in the Citrus Bowl for the second straight year..taking on Notre Dame New Years Day at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. LSU Coach Ed Orgeron is excited..:
Cut 15 (09) “matchup”
Both LSU and Notre Dame are 9-3.

There may have been some controversy over Alabama getting the nod over Ohio State to play in the College Football Playoff, but New Orleans is thrilled about getting a Crimson Tide versus Clemson matchup in the Sugar Bowl.

On Saturday, Grambling won their second consecutive championship and 8th overall in the SWAC with a 40-32 victory over Alcorn State. The Tigers will play in the Celebration Bowl on December 16th versus North Carolina A&T.

Louisiana Tech keeps its bowl streak alive after it was announced the Bulldogs will play in the Frisco bowl against SMU on December 20th.

In Shreveport, the Walk On’s Independence Bowl will feature Southern Miss and Florida State on December 27th.

Troy and North Texas will play in the R & L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on December 16 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore practiced on a limited basis yesterday and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Carolina. Cornerback P-J Williams and left tackle Terron Armstead are also questionable, while safety Marcus Williams and Coby Fleener are out.

Today in college football…ULM will visit Florida State, who will not have Jimbo Fisher on the sidelines as their head coach. Fisher is the new head coach at Texas A-and-M. UL Lafayette is at Appalachian State. The Cajuns need to win to become bowl eligible and Grambling faces Alcorn in the SWAC title game for a third straight season.

The Grambling men’s basketball team upset Georigia Tech 64-63 last night. The Yellow Jackets actually tipped in the winning basket trying to grab a defensive rebound. Johnathan Stove had 23 points as the Cajuns beat Nicholls 105-80 and the Pelicans Anthony Davis went down with a groin injury in a 114 to 108 loss to Utah.

There were some thrilling games in high school football last night. In Class 5-A, Zachary upset top-seeded and undefeated West Monroe 29-27. The Broncos stopped the Rebels from scoring a two-point conversion to tie the game with 28 seconds left. Zachary will face Hahnville, who beat Acadiana in overtime 43-42. Pooka Williams rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns and scored on a two-point conversion to win the game.

In Four-A, Karr and Lakeshore advanced to the Title game. In Three-A, West Feliciana is heading to the Dome for the first time as they defeated Jennings 45-26. The sixth-seeded Saints will face 8th seeded Richwood who beat Kaplan 15-8. An Anthony Watson two-yard touchdown run was the winning score.

In Two-A, St. Helena scored a touchdown on the final play of the game to beat Ferriday 12-6 and the Hawks will face top-seed Welsh who was victorious over Many 28-18.

And in One-A, Kentwood beat Oak Grove 19-7, while West St. John knocked off defending champion Logansport 34-18.

The Panthers will bring a four-game winning streak into the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Sunday as New Orleans battles Carolina in a matchup of the top two teams in the NFC South. When Cam Newton plays good, the Panthers offense excels. Saints linebacker A-J Klein says it’s important to keep Newton in the pocket…
cut 18 (19) “….harder to stop ”
Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

Tonight is the semi-finals of the high school football playofs on the non-select side, undefeated West Monroe hosts Zachary. Lakeshore is also undefeated and seeking it’s first trip to the Dome, they’ll take on Rayne.

It’s official; Jimbo Fisher has left Florida State to take the head coaching job at Texas A&M, and will be on the sidelines for FSU’s game against ULM Saturday. So what does this mean for LSU now that he’s in the SEC West? College football analyst Mike Detillier says Fisher knows how to develop quarterbacks…:
Cut 13 (11) “National Football League”
Fisher will reportedly receive 7.5 million dollars over a 10-year contract.

In other SEC news….Tennessee athletic director John Currie is out as the Vols search for a football coach has been a trainwreck. Former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer will serve as acting athletic director.

In baskeball tonight…the Pelicans visit the Utah Jazz. Tomorrow night, New Orleans is in Portland and there’s a battle on the bayou tonight as Nicholls State hosts the Ragin Cajuns.