The Saints pulled off a 31-19 win over a stubborn New York Jets team on Sunday. Mark Ingram rushed for two touchdowns and had 151 yards from scrimmage. Second-year wide receiver Michael Thomas also had a big game with 9 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. But Coach Sean Payton was not happy with the rest of his offense…:
Cut 13 (08) “better competition”
The Saints scored on their first three possessions, but didn’t score just 14 points the rest of the way. Quarterback Drew Brees on the struggles on offense after a quick start…:
Cut 16 (08) “to it”
Now the Saints can put this one behind them and focus on the biggest game of the year as the hated Atlanta Falcons come to town on Christmas Eve. The Dirty Birds are at Tampa Bay tonight.

Arizona State offensive coordinator Billy Napier has been named the head coach at UL-Lafayette, and will be officially introduced today at noon in the Cajun dome. Before he was at A-S-U, Napier spent several years coaching on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide win national championships in 2011 and 2015.

In college post-season play; On Saturday in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Grambling fell to North Carolina A&T, 21-14. In the New Orleans Bowl, Troy dominated North Texas, 50-30. Wednesday Louisiana Tech plays in the Frisco Bowl versus SMU.

Today in college hoops, ULM hosts Millsaps, and Nicholls State plays down the street at Tulane. That contest will be televised on ESPN3.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited edition bobblehead featuring the NFL rookie, Leonard Fournette, in his LSU uniform. It’s the first bobblehead with Fournette in a purple and gold jersey.

The NFL has fined Saints head coach Sean Payton for 10-thousand dollars for improperly entering the field during last week’s loss to Atlanta. Payton was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the game and Payton said afterwards he was trying to call a timeout.

That was a tough loss against the Falcons. New Orleans can get back in the win column when they host the New York Jets on Sunday. Payton on how the team is trying to bounce back…
cut 18 (17) “…from example”
Kick off is set for noon on CBS.

Arizona State offensive coordinator Billy Napier has been named the new head coach at UL Lafayette. Before he was at A-S-U, Napier spent several years coaching on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide win national championships in 2011 and 2015. Napier will be introduced to Cajun nation at a press conference at noon.

Grambling State goes after its second straight H-B-C-U national championship when they face undefeated North Carolina A-and-T in Saturday’s celebration bowl in Atlanta. Grambling is led by Q-B DeVante Kincade, but he goes up against an A-and-T defense that’s allowed just 12 points a game. Kick-off is at 11 AM.

Troy, who upset the LSU Tigers in 2017, can win its 11th game of the season on Saturday when they face North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl. U-N-T is led by the Conference USA offensive player of the year, Mason Fine, who is 5-foot-10. He set school records for passing and touchdowns. Troy’s defense has intercepted 15 passes this year. Kick-off in the Dome is at noon.

In college basketball on Saturday, the Tigers look to extend their winning streak to four games when they host Stephen F Austin. The Lumberjacks are nine and one. Tip-off is at noon.
Louisiana Tech is at Texas. The Bulldogs are coming off a loss to the Ragin Cajuns. UL Lafayette hosts UNO on Saturday night.

Arizona State offensive coordinator Bill Napier will reportedly be the new head coach at UL Lafayette. Napier also coached at Alabama and Clemson assistant. Napier was A-S-U’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this season and the Sun Devils finished with a 7-and-5 record and averaged 31 points a game. He’s 38-years-old.

LSU offensive line coach Jeff Grimes will remain with the Tigers through the bowl game, even though he’s been announced as the new offensive coordinator at BYU. LSU is done with bowl practices and edge rusher Arden Key and inside linebacker Donnie Alexander did not practice.

Grambling State will play North Carolina A-and-T in tomorrow’s Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. Both teams feature outstanding quarterbacks, Devante KIncade for the Tigers and Lamar Raynard for A-and-T. The two have combined for 47 touchdown passes and eight interceptions.

On Sunday it’s the Saints versus the Jets. More than likely, New Orleans running back Mark Ingram will cross the one-thousand yard mark in rushing. Quarterback Drew Brees says Ingram is a leader that all players want to rally around…
cut 17 (20) “…more positive”
Fellow Saints running back Alvin Kamara is expected to play this Sunday after suffering a concussion in the loss to the Falcons.

Tonight in the NBA, the Pelicans begin a four-game road trip in Denver. The Nuggets are the best offensive rebounding team in the NBA, while the Pelicans are second in the league in assists.

Tomorrow in college hoops…LSU hosts Stephen F Austin, Louisiana Tech is at Texas and Southeastern Louisiana hosts Grambling.

The 9-and-4 Saints are preparing to host the New York Jets Sunday. New Orleans is in a tie in the NFC South with Carolina after losing last Thursday to Atlanta. Quarterback Drew Brees says the long week has allowed the team to heal and prepare for the final four games of the regular season…:
Cut 16 (11) “some experience”
Saints breakout rookie running back Alvin Kamara said again that he will play on Sunday after suffering a concussion last week. Kick off is set for 12 noon on CBS.

The Jets will be without starting quarterback Josh McCown, who suffered a broken left hand in New York’s shutout loss at Denver last Sunday. But the team says McCown will be coming to New Orleans this weekend, and will serve as a player-coach on the sideline.

The Pelicans travel to Denver to face the Nuggets at 8pm tonight.

It’ll be a busy weekend for the Mercedes Benz Superdome staff, as not only are the Saints playing this weekend, but the R and L Carriers New Orleans Bowl takes place tomorrow with a noon kickoff. Troy, who upset LSU earlier this season 24-21, will take on North Texas in The Big Easy.

LSU will resume practice for the Citrus Bowl on Monday, and once again during Thursday workouts The Tigers were without edge rusher Arden Key who continues to battle injuries. Coach Ed Orgeron says Key is questionable for the New Years Day contest against Notre Dame.

Mississippi State officially announced former UL-Lafayette coach Mark Hudspeth as the Bulldogs’ associate head coach and tight ends coach.

In college hoops last night, Southeastern Louisiana got back to its winning ways with a 106-77 victory over Southern-New Orleans. SLU hosts Grambling tomorrow. McNeese State fell to North Carolina Central, 77-71. The Cowboys are at Pittsburgh tomorrow. Southern defeated Florida A&M 68-50. Also Saturday LSU hosts Stephen F Austin, Louisiana Tech plays at Texas. Nicholls State hosts Culver-Stockton, and UL-Lafayette hosts UNO.

LSU offensive line coach Jeff Grimes has been named as the offensive coordinator at BYU today. Tiger Rag Magazine reports head coach Ed Orgeron has already found a replacement in Los Angeles Chargers offensive line assistant James Cregg. Cregg and Orgeron were on staffs together at Tennessee and USC and Cregg was an assistant when they won Super Bowl 50.

LSU has several draft-eligible juniors who could enter the NFL draft. Cornerback Donte Jackson knows a decision has to be made soon, but right now the focus is on the Fighting Irish…
cut 18 (20) “…Notre Dame”
Kick-off against Notre Dame is at noon on New Year’s Day.

Bruce Feldman with Sports Illustrated reports Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry has emerged as a favorite to become the next head coach of the Ragin Cajuns. Pry guided one of the best defenses in college football this past season. He also served as an assistant at UL Lafayette from 2002 to 2006, helping the Cajuns win a share of the 2005 Sun Belt Championship.

In basketball, the LSU Tigers defeated Houston 80-77 last night. The Bayou Bengals got a big game from Aaron Epps who set career highs with 26 points and 16 rebounds. Head Coach Will Wade on his senior from Ball, Louisiana…
cut 29 (15) “…proud of him”
The Tigers are 6-and-2 and host Stephen F Austin on Saturday.

In the NBA, the Pelicans bounced the Bucks 115 to 108.

Changes are coming to LSU’s coaching staff. Tiger Rag Magazine reports that LSU offensive line coach Jeff Grimes is leaving to become the new offensive coordinator at B-Y-U. But head coach Ed Orgeron has already found his replacement and he is the assistant offensive line coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, James Cregg. The Syracuse, New York native was on the Broncos staff when they won Super Bowl 50 and has served on coaching staffs with Orgeron at Tennessee and U-S-C.

LSU starting Q-B Danny Etling is familiar with the Tigers bowl opponent, Notre Dame. Etling grew up in Indiana, attended games in South Bend and also played against Notre Dame, while at Purdue. Etling says it is a little bit ironic his final college game will be against the Golden Domers…
Cut 17 (14) “game plan”

Three of the six Saints players who were injured in New Orleans’ loss to Atlanta were at practice yesterday, including rookie running back Alvin Kamara. Starting left guard Andrus Peat, who missed the Falcons game, practiced on a limited basis. New Orleans hosts the Jets this Sunday.

Nice win last night for the LSU basketball team as they outmuscled Houston 80-77 in the PMAC. Head coach Will Wade…
cut 28 (09) “….in the country”
Senior Aaron Epps from Ball, Louisiana had his best game in a Tiger uniform with 26 points and 16 rebounds. And freshman point guard Tremont Waters had another nice night with 17 ponts, six assists and a blocked shot in the final seconds to secure the victory.

Anthony Davis had 25 points and 10 rebounds as the Pelicans overcame 21 turnovers to beat Milwaukee 115 to 108. The Pels visit Denver on Friday.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara was back at practice today. Kamara had a concussion in the loss to the Falcons and said today he plans to play this Sunday against the New York Jets. Left tackle Andrus Peat was also at practice. He missed the Atlanta game with a groin injury. Offensive lineman Senio Kelemete and safety Kenny Vaccaro left the Falcons game because of injuries, but both were back at practice today.

A week from today is the start of the early signing period for college football begins today. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron says over half of their 20 commitments are linemen…
cut 17 (16) “….tremendous job”
A main cog in LSU’s recruiting operation is leaving for Tennessee. Tigers general manager Austin Thomas will serve the same role in Knoxville. He is a Tennessee native and he has spent 4.5 years at LSU.

The LSU men’s basketball team faces a tough test tonight as they host 8-and-1 Houston. The Cougars are allowing just 65 points a game and opponents are shooting just 39-percent. But LSU is third in the nation when it comes to making field goal attempts from inside the three-point line at 63-percent. Tip-off is at 8 PM.

In Last night, the Ragin Cajuns went up to Ruston and beat Louisiana Tech 75-71. That’s five wins in a row for UL Lafayette and second straight win over the Bulldogs. Jordan Harris lay up at the buzzer gave ULM a 59-57 win over Grambling and Central Florida dribbled past Southeastern Louisiana 61-53. The loss ended the Lions four game winning streak.

Three LSU players are listed on Baseball America’s Top 100 college prospects list…sophomore outfielder Zach Watson, sophomore pitcher Zack Hess and junior outfielder Antoine Duplantis. Watson and Hess were freshmen All-Americans last season, while Duplantis was a member of the 2017 College World Series All-Tournament team.

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron says edge rusher Arden Key is questionable for the Citrus Bowl against Notre Dame. But Orgeron says running back Derius will play and he’s holding out hope that this will not be Guice’s last game in Purple and Gold…
cut 18 (11) “….we’ll see”
The who man serves as LSU’s General Manager, Austin Thomas, is leaving the program for the same job at Tennessee. Thomas is a Tennessee native.

Saints running back Mark Ingram tweeted out good luck dude to the season ticket holder who is suing the franchise, seeking a refund, because he claims his tickets are unusable because of the national anthem player protests. Lee Dragna of Morgan City filed the suit .

The LSU basketball team hosts Houston tonight at 8 PM at the PMAC. The Cougars are 8-1 and led by the American Athletic Conference’s top scorer Rob Gray, who is averaging 22 points a game. Tigers Coach Will Wade says the Cougars have three other double digit scorers…
cut 20 (10) “…good players”
LSU is shooting 54-percent from the field for the season, which is the third best mark in the country.

Last night, the Ragin Cajuns went up to Ruston and beat Louisiana Tech 75-71. That’s five wins in a row for UL Lafayette and second straight win over the Bulldogs. JaKeenan Gant had 20 points, six rebounds and four steals to lead the way.

Jordan Harris lay up at the buzzer gave ULM a 59-57 win over Grambling and Central Florida dribbled past Southeastern Louisiana 61-53. The loss ended the Lions four game winning streak.

College football’s first ever early signing period begins a week from today. From December 20th to 22nd, schools can sign high school prospects to national letters of intent. The next signing day will be February 7th. LSU has 20 commitments and Coach Ed Orgeron says it’s their anticipation they’ll sign most of their verbal pledges next week…:
Cut 16 (14) “signed yet”
LSU has started its preparations for the New Year’s Day bowl game against Notre Dame. Coach O said Arden Key’s status for the Citrus is not certain, and same goes for Derrius Guice.

With injuries affecting their defensive unit, the Saints have made a roster move to get more depth at defensive line. ESPN’s Field Yates tweeted out that New Orleans signed veteran free agent defensive end George Johnson. The Saints take on the Jets Sunday in The Dome.

LSU hosts Houston at the PMAC tonight in the Tigers first big test since the Maui Invitational. The Bayou Bengals are coming off a 97-84 win over UNC-Wilmington. LSU shot 59-percent from the field and had 48 points in the paint. Coach Will Wade says the Cougars will make it more difficult to score around the rim…:
Cut 19 (17) “the ball”
Tipoff is at 8pm.

Last night UL-Lafayette knocked off Louisiana Tech 75-71 in Ruston. Down I-20 in Monroe, Grambling won at the buzzer against ULM, 59-57. Southeastern fell to Central Florida 61-53.

Tonight the Pelicans face the Bucks in New Orleans. The club announced rough news yesterday that guard Tony Allen has a fibula fracture in his left leg and is expected to miss three to four weeks.

A Saints season ticket holder has filed a lawsuit in an effot to receive a refund for his tickets over National Anthem player protests. Lee Dragna of Morgan City says he and his family can no longer enjoy the games. He claims the rowdy, angry reaction of fans around his seats during the protests have made his tickets unusable. Dragna told the Advocate that the Saints created this behavior by condoning it.

The LSU Tigers are back on the practice field this afternoon as they get ready for Notre Dame in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada was at practice today. Canada has been connected in media reports wtih the head coaching vancy at UL Lafayette. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says defensive starters Arden Key and Donnie Alexander were not at practice.

Former Louisiana Tech Head Coach Sonny Dykes has been named as the new head coach at SMU. Dykes will coach the Mustangs next week when they face Louisiana Tech in the Frisco Bowl.

A couple of in-state battles highlight tonight’s college basketball schedule as the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs host the Ragin Cajuns. It’s the 163rd meeting on the hardwood between the two schools. Both teams are 7-and-2 on the season. In Monroe, Grambling takes the bus ride to the ULM campus to play the Warhawks. Southeastern Louisiana is at Central Florida.

Tomorrow its LSU versus Houston at the PMAC. Tigers forward Duop Reath has been named SEC player of the week. He had 30 points in LSU’s 97-84 win over UNCW.

The Pelicans are off tonight after losing to the Rockets 130 to 123. Jrue Holiday had a season-high 37 points, E’Twaun Moore scored a career-high 36 points and Rajon Rondo had a triple-double. But Houston’s James Harden had 26 points and career-high 17 assists.

In major league baseball…former LSU Tiger Ryan Schimpf has been traded by the Padres to the Tampa Bay Rays. Schimpf has hit 34 home runs in his first two major league seasons, but he has not hit for a high average.