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.

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints improved to 4-and-10 on the season with Sunday’s 20-17 win over Carolina. New Orleans’ defense came up with a big stop to give its offense the ball with 57 seconds left. Charlie Symth’s 47-yard game-winning field goal sealed the deal. Head coach Kellen Moore says he’s proud of his team’s fight.

Cut 16 (15) “…of our guys.”

The Saints’ final three games are against the Jets, the Titans and Falcons. Those three teams have a combined ten wins, so finishing seven and ten is a possibility for New Orleans.

The fifth-ranked LSU women’s basketball team hosts Morgan State at 11 AM today for the annual field trip game as nearly nine-thousand schoolchildren from the Baton Rouge area will be in attendance. LSU is one of 12 teams still undefeated and lead in the country in scoring, averaging 109 points per game.

 

College football personnel expert Austin Thomas is reportedly leaving the LSU program for a third time. According to 247-sports-dot-com, Thomas is returning to Ole Miss. He left Lane Kiffin and the Rebels to rejoin the Tigers football program before the 2024 season. He helped bring in the nation’s number one transfer portal class last offseason. His decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU reportedly frayed his relationship with Kiffin.

LSU senior cornerback Mansoor Delane and Louisiana Tech junior safety Jakari Foster were both named Associated Press First-Team All-Americans. Delane had two interceptions and 11 pass breakups for the Tigers this season. Foster had seven interceptions, tied for the third most in program history.

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. After taking the Commanders to the NFC Championship game last season, Daniels has only played in seven games for the four and ten Commanders.

11:40 LRN Sportscast

In just his third NFL game, Charlie Smyth from Ireland, kicked a 47-yard field goal with two seconds left to give the Saints a 20-17 win over the Carolina Panthers. Smyth has been with the Saints since joining the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program in 2024. But it wasn’t until New Orleans released Blake Grupe that Smyth got his chance and he is taking advantage of the opportunity…

Cut 17 (17) “…a dream scenario”

The Saints have won two in row and they can make it three straight when they host the Jets this Sunday at noon.

The Pelicans beat the Bulls for a second time this season as Trey Murphy and Jeremiah Fears eached scored 20 points in 114 to 104 win. Zion Williamson returned from a hip injury and scored 18 points off the bench.

 

The LHSAA Prep Classic ended on Saturday with Edna Karr beating district rival Saint Augustine 49-14 to win their second consecutive state championship. Cougars Coach Brice Brown says what they’ve accomplished the last two years is nothing short of incredible…

Cut 13 (16) “…to their character.”

The Cougars have won 27 in a row.

In the first game Saturday, Ouachita Parish won its first state title since 1989 by rallying from a two-touchdown deficit to beat top-seeded Ruston, 21-20. Lions Coach Benyi Lewis says they played their best football of the season in the postseason after suffering through a four-game losing streak…

Cut  14 (15) “…I’ve been around”

6:45 LRN Sportscast

The Saints rallied from a ten-point deficit to beat Carolina for their second win in a row and second win over the Panthers this season. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough orchestrated a seven-play, 78-yard drive to tie the game with just over two minutes to go. New Orleans’ defense got a quick stop and that set up a game-winning 47-yard field goal by Charlie Smyth with two seconds left to win it.

Head Coach Kellen Moore says Shough showed a lot of poise in that game-tying drive.

Cut 16 (12) “…that it was.”

Shough threw for 272 yards and a touchdown. He was also the team’s leading rusher with 32 yards as starting running back Devin Neal left the game with a hamstring injury after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter. The 4-and-10 Saints have a chance at a another win as they host the 3-and-11 Jets this Sunday.

It had to be a fun weekend in Iowa as the Yellow Jackets won their first state championship in high school football by outscoring North Desoto 50-43. Iowa coach and lifelong southwest Louisiana resident, Tommy Johns, can’t say enough about the community support his team received throughout the year…

Cut 19 (11) “…this journley.”

There was also a big party in Ouachita Parish as the Lions won their first state title since 1989 as Ouachita Parish rallied from a two touchdown deficit to beat top-seeded Ruston 21-20. Ouachita Coach Benjy Lewis on the LHSAA Network…

Cut 20 (20) “….what they did”

Running back M-J Dade was the most outstanding player for Ouachita, as he had 147 yards and two touchdowns.