4:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints are on a late-season surge with three straight wins after Sunday’s 29-6 dismantling of the Jets. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has been at the center of the turnaround. He’s eclipsed almost every Saints rookie passing record and led the team to a 4-and-3 record. He says success now can lay the foundation for next year.

Cut 15 (06) “…to build that.”

The Saints are one of three teams without a Pro Bowl selection this year, along with the Jets and Vikings.  The bayou state is still represented by former LSU Tigers Ja’Marr Chase and Derek Stingley Jr., who were both named starters for the AFC.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin’s son Knox announced he will enroll at U-High in January. The class of 2028 quarterback led Oxford High School to the Mississippi Class 7A semifinals this season and threw for over 12-hundred yards and 14 touchdowns in just six starts. The Cubs posted a 10-and-3 record this season and fell to eventual state champions St. Charles Catholic in the D-2 Select semifinals.

LSU forward Grace Knox was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after leading the Lady Tigers in scoring against Morgan State and Texas-Arlington. Knox averaged 17-and-a-half points and nine-and-a-half rebounds over the two games as LSU improved to 13-and-0. She is the first Lady Tiger to receive the award since Mikaylah Williams in the 2023-24 season.

Ole Miss and Georgia are headed for a playoff rematch in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day in New Orleans. The Bulldogs offense dominated the regular season contest between the teams, and Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding says there’s no room for error against the SEC champs.

Cut 17 (19)  “…on the perimeter.”

LSU offensive lineman Coen Echols announced he’ll be entering the transfer portal. The former four-star recruit played in all 12 games for the Tigers this season and started seven.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin has announced 11 new additions to the coaching staff. Eight of the new hires followed Kiffin from Ole Miss to Baton Rouge, including several names we already knew, like offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. Also following Kiffin to LSU is his brother, Chris Kiffin, who will be the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Joe Houston, who was previously at Florida is the special teams coordinator.

The Saints have their first three-game winning streak since 2022. Head coach Kellen Moore says it’s good to see his team getting a taste of success.

Cut 13 (06)  “…habits right now.”

The Saints have a chance at ending the season on a five-game winning streak as they finish up with road games at Tennessee and Atlanta.

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The Pelicans won their fifth in a row last night as New Orleans defeated Dallas 119 to 113. Zion Williamson had 24 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Nearly a bad loss by the LSU men’s basketball team last night as they trailed by ten points in the second half to Prairie View A-and-M, but eventually got it going and defeated the Panthers 104 to 90. Marquel Sutton had a double-double, 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Tigers made a school record 43 free throws, breaking a record that stood since 1979.

The Georgia Bulldogs are back in the Sugar Bowl after losing to Notre Dame in last year’s Sugar Bowl. Georgia Coach Kirby Smart doesn’t believe last year’s game will have any impact, as the Bulldogs have an entirely different team.

Cut 19 (18) “…Ole Miss previously.”

Georgia will play Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Day. The Bulldogs are a six and a half point favorite.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Saints won their third straight with a 29-6 thrashing of the Jets yesterday. Wide receiver Chris Olave racked up 148 yards and two touchdowns on ten catches and has reached 1,000 yards in a season for the third time in four years. He says this year has been a 180 from a disheartening 2024 campaign.

Cut 20 (14) “…a great year.”

The Pelicans will have a chance to earn their fifth straight win tonight against the Mavericks. The 7-and-22 Pels are now just 5-and-a-half games back from a play-in spot and are one of the hottest teams in the NBA since Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole returned from injury. The last two matchups with the Mavs were both decided by one possession. Tip-off is at 7:00.

Tulane fell in the first round of the College Football Playoffs in a 41-10 loss to Ole Miss. Green wave head coach Jon Sumrall says they dug themselves an early hole.

Cut 16 (14) “…the whole game.”

The loss ends Tulane’s 11-and-3 season and the Sumrall era in New Orleans as he heads to Gainesville to take over the Florida head coaching job. The Lane Kiffin-less Rebels will head to the Sugar Bowl to face Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals. Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hudley says the city is excited to host the SEC matchup.

Cut 13 (09)  “…with that league.”

In college hoops Louisiana Tech will host Dallas Christian at 1:00 this afternoon and LSU will face off against Prairie View A&M tonight at 6:00.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints won their third straight on Sunday as they finished the home portion of their schedule with their most complete game of the season by beating the hapless New York Jets 29-6. Quarterback Tyler Shough continues to make the case as the team’s franchise quarterback as he threw for 308 yards and a touchdown. The TD pass came late in the third quarter, as Shough hit a wide open Chris Olave on a 23-yard touchdown pass….

Cut 19 (08) “….the ball”

Olave had a career-high 148 receiving yards and had two touchdowns. The second TD pass was thrown by Taysom Hill in the fourth quarter.

Hill also has 36 receiving yards, and is the only player with over one-thousand yards passing, rushing and receiving in the NFL Super Bowl era.

New Orleans will look for its fourth win in a row this Sunday at Tennessee.

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Tulane’s magical season came to an end Saturday with a 41-10 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in the first round of the college football playoffs. The defeat also ends Jon Sumrall’s two year run as the head coach of the Green Wave. He now moves on to Gainesville to become the head coach of the Florida Gators. Sumrall had this message for his team in the locker room after the game…

Cut 17 (13) “….no it’s not”

Ole Miss’s win over Tulane means the Sugar Bowl matchup is set as the Rebels will face Georgia in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup on New Year’s Day night.

Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith was at the LSU football operations building in a sign that he will be the Tigers new running backs coach.

LSU women’s basketball had another blowout victory, beating Texas-Arlington 110-45. Grace Knox had a career-high 25 points.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Tulane makes its first appearance in the College Football Playoff Saturday, where it’ll face Ole Miss for the second time this season. Head coach Jon Sumrall credited his team’s success to its closeness and says he has full belief in its ability to pull off an upset.

Cut 16 (12) “…we fight.”

Ole Miss is a 17.5 point favorite tomorrow.

The college football playoff gets underway tonight with Oklahoma hosting Alabama. In late October, the Sooners defeated the Crimson Tide 23-21.

The Pelicans had their best win of the season last night for their third straight victory as New Orleans defeated Houston 133 to 128 in overtime. The Pels trailed by 25 points in the first half. Saddiq Bey had a season high 29 points and Trey Murphy added 27 points.

 

The Saints are seeking their third straight win on Sunday when they host the Jets and they are getting good play from rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Tight end Juwan Johnson knew Shough prior to playing for the Saints, as both started their careers at Oregon. Johnson says he’s seeing Shough play with lots of confidence lately.

Cut 19 (17) “…what it is.”

Running back Devin Neal has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Devaughn Vele has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.

In college hoops, the Ragin Cajuns scored just 17 points in the first half in their Sun Belt opener and lost to Southern Miss 62 to 54.

Tonight, LSU hosts Southeastern Louisiana. The Tigers are 9-1, while the Lions are 4-7.

The son of former LSU head coach Les Miles has been hired by Marshall Faulk and Southern’s new tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

LSU freshman offensive lineman Carius Curne, a five-star recruit out of Arkansas, plans to enter the transfer portal. Curne started seven games this past season, with starts at both left and right tackle.

Tulane had just 282 yards of offense in its first matchup against Ole Miss in the regular season. The two teams meet again Saturday in a College Football playoff game. Green wave quarterback Jake Retzlaff (Rhett-Zloff) says offensive coordinator Joe Craddock told the offense it needed to improve on several aspects in order to give itself a shot at winning…

Cut 19 (16) “…we’ve been ever”

The Ragin Cajuns turned it over three times and lost to Delaware 20-13 last night in the 68 Ventures Bowl.

 

ULM men’s basketball opened up Sun Belt play last night by losing a tough game to South Alabama, falling to the Jaguars in double overtime 96-82. The Warhawks had an 18-point lead at halftime. The Jaguars scored the final 14 points of regulation to force the first overtime.

Louisiana Tech shot 32-percent from the field and lost to Tulane 61-53.

LSU men’s basketball team hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Friday night. Coach Matt McMahon says because of the season ending injury to Jalen Reed, Marquel Sutton has been moved to his natural position and played well in last Saturday’s win over S-M-U…..

Cut 17 (17) “,,,and 12 rebounds”

Tip off against the Lions tomorrow night is at 7 PM

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Texas Bowl on December 27th is the last game Frank Wilson will coach at LSU. The Tigers interim head coach since late October has accepted a job with Ole Miss to be the Rebels running backs coach. Tiger Rag Editor Glenn Guilbeau says this is not a surprising development…

Cut 6 (08) “…not coming back”

Guilbeau says new LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin is expected to hire the running backs coach he had at Ole Miss, Kevin Smith, as Wilson’s replacement.

Former LSU wide receiver’s coach Cortez Hankton has reportedly interviewed with Ohio State. He’s been at LSU since 2022 and helped develop Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas.

And LSU backup quarterback Colin Hurley is reportedly entering the transfer portal. He left the program for personal reasons towards the end of the regular season. Hurley never took a snap at LSU.

 

The Ragin Cajuns wrap up the season tonight by playing the Delaware Blue Hens in the 68th Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The six and six Cajuns have dealt with the injury bug all season, and tonight they are missing several starters. Coach Michael Desormeaux says the team will rely on younger starters and knows his players will benefit from the adversity they’ve faced this season.

Cut 17 (18)  “…progress they’ve made.”

Kick off is at 7:30 and the game will be televised by ESPN.

LSU gymnastics is ranked 2nd in the Women’s College Gymnastics Association preseason poll behind Oklahoma. The season begins January 10th with a meet in Utah that will also include the top ranked Sooners, fourth ranked UCLA and fifth ranked Utah.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

Frank Wilson will serve as the interim head coach of the LSU Tigers and then he’ll leave for an SEC rival. CBS Sports is reporting Wilson will leave his home state to be the running backs coach at Ole Miss. This will be Wilson’s second stint with Ole Miss as he served as the running backs coach for the Rebels  when Ed Orgeron was the head coach there. He also has a relationship with new Ole Miss head coach Pete Goulding. Goulding was the defensive coordinator of the Roadrunners when Wilson was the head coach at UTSA.

The fifth ranked LSU women’s basketball team had another easy win on Tuesday as the Lady Tigers beat Morgan State 91 to 33. LSU is now 12-0 and they have a couple more easy games in front of them before they finally begin SEC play against Kentucky on New Year’s Day.

LSU gymnastics is ranked 2nd in the preseason poll behind Oklahoma. The season begins next month.

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UL-Lafayette plays in its eighth straight bowl game tonight as it takes on the Delaware Blue Hens in the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, at 7:30 p.m. Cajuns head coach Michael Desormeaux (DEZ-er-moe) says the bowl game is one last chance for some of his players to play the game of football.

Cut 16 (20) “…going to play.”

Both teams are 6-and-6. The Cajuns are on a four-game winning streak while the Blue Hens received a bowl berth in their first season on the F-B-S level.

 

Former Ponchatoula star and former LSU Tiger TJ Finley is seeking a seventh-year of eligibility. Finley believes he should get an extra year after an injury shortened season in 2024. This past year at Georgia State, he appeared in seven games and went one and six.

4:45 LRN Sportscast

The fifth ranked LSU women’s basketball team cruised to another victory as the Lady Tigers easily defeated Morgan State out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, 91 to 33. Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams each had 14 points. LSU’s next game is Sunday against Texas-Arlington.

After missing the first five games with a calf injury, Saints defensive end Chase Young is quietly putting together a good season. He now has six sacks, three of them have come in the last five games and Coach Kellen Moore says he’s done a great job of being productive after the injury…

Cut 18 (17) “….on this team”

The Saints host the 3-and-11 Jets this Sunday.

 

Some interesting transfer portal candidates at the quarterback position have emerged for LSU. Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is the latest big name to announce he plans to enter the portal. Lagway faced injuries throughout his two years in Gainesville and struggled during a September matchup at Tiger Stadium, where he threw five interceptions.

Other quarterbacks that have announced plans to enter the portal, Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola who threw for two-thousand yards before breaking his fibula. Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt had an injury plagued sophomore season. But in 2024 he led the Sun Devils to the Big 12 Championship.

And then there’s Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss who is seeking a waiver for an extra year of eligibility. He was asked if he gets that year of eligibility, will he return to Ole Miss…

Cut 27 (12) “…go into that”

Speculation is high Chambliss will leave Ole Miss for LSU if he’s granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

The Saints are 4-and-10 but 3-and-3 in games started by rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Shough did not make his first start until week nine as he watched Spencer Rattler struggle through the first half of the season. New Orleans head coach Kellen Moore says that sitting Shough at the beginning of the season has allowed him to develop into a better quarterback.

Cut 17 (18) “…advantage of that.”

The Saints will host the Jets this Sunday. New York fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks yesterday after Sunday’s 48-20 loss to Jacksonville.

Jayden Daniels’ season is done. The former LSU star reaggravated his dislocated elbow on December 7th against Minnesota. He did not play this past Sunday and head coach Dan Quinn says it is best that last year’s Offensive Rookie of Year sits the rest of the year.

 

College football personnel expert Austin Thomas is reportedly leaving the LSU program for a third time. According to 2-4-7 sports, Thomas is returning to Ole Miss. He left Lane Kiffin and the Rebels to rejoin the Tigers football program before the 2024 season. At LSU, Thomas helped bring in the nation’s number one transfer portal class last offseason. His decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU prior to 2024 reportedly frayed his relationship with Kiffin. Kiffin has brought his general manager at Ole Miss, Billy Glasscock, with him to LSU. Glasscock was instrumental in bringing highly ranked transfer portal classes to Ole Miss.

The McNeese men’s basketball team rallied from a seven-point deficit last night to beat Houston Christian on their home floor 78 68. Larry Johnson led the way with 22 points and six rebounds. The Pokes are 3-1 in Southland.

Tough loss for Southeastern Louisiana last night as they fell to East Texas A-and-M 70 to 67. A-and-M’s 13 second chance points in the second half were the difference in this game.