For the first time since 2014, LSU quarterback Danny Etling threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score in a college football game in the Tigers 34-13 win over Jacksonsville State. Etling arrived on LSU’s campus last year after transferring in from Purdue. He lost his starting job at the Big Ten School and understands the demands of the quarterback position…
cut 17 (17) “…keep rolling”
This Saturday, LSU hosts Mississippi State.

Nicholls nearly pulled off the biggest upset of the weekend in college football as they fell to ninth ranked Georgia 26-24. Sophomore defensive lineman Kenny Dotson was named Southland Defensive Player of the Week as he had five tackles and a sack.

The Saints have started the 2016 season with an 0-1 record after the Black and Gold couldn’t hang on to a two touchdown lead and fell to the Raiders 35-34. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns, but the defense gave up numerous big plays in the 4th quarter to allow Oakland to score 22 points near the end of the game. Coach Sean Payton says he was disappointed with his defense, but the offense also takes some of the blame…
cut 20 (17) “…played today”
New Orleans will try to get win number one next Sunday when they visit the New York Giants. The G-Men edged Dallas 20-19 in their season opener as New Orleans native Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes.

Two back-ups led the LSU Tigers to a 34-13 win over Jacksonville State for the Bayou Bengals first victory of the season. Quarterback Danny Etling came off the bench for an ineffective Brandon Harris and on his first drive connected with DeSean Smith on a 46-yard touchdown pass. Etling says he was ready for his opportunity…:
Cut 16 (08) “succeed”
Etling ended up throwing for 100 yards, all of it came in the 2nd quarter. He also had a rushing touchdown in the third quarter.

Elsewhere around the state in college football, High scoring game between Tulane and Southern. The Jags fell to the Green Wave 66-21. UL-Lafayette got by McNeese State 30-22. Arizona beats Grambling 31-21. Southern Utah held on for a 28-23 win on Saturday night over Southeastern. Louisiana Tech downs South Carolina State 53-24.

A couple of more state college football scores: ULM fell to the Sooners 59-17. Close good game between Nicholls State and Georgia. The Cowboys barely fell to the Bulldogs 26-24.

The Saints fail to preserve a two-touchdown lead in the 2nd half and lose to the Oakland Raiders 35-34 in the season opener. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for 423 yards and 4 touchdowns, but the defense gave up numerous big plays in the 4th quarter to allow Oakland to score 22 points in the 4th quarter. Brees says it was one of those games that could have gone either way…:
Cut 19 (13) “different”
The Saints travel to face the Giants on Sunday.

The LSU Board of Supervisors defers a proposal that would give Football Coach Les Miles an additional 100-thousand dollars if the Tigers reach the national championship game. Miles is taking a lot of criticism for how LSU played in the season opening loss to Wisconsin and Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says it appears the LSU Board is not ready to discuss any aspects of his contract…
cut 16 (09) “….those changes”
In other board action, they approved a contract extension and raise for baseball coach Paul Mainieri, giving him a salary of over one-million dollars.

It’s a game time decision on whether running back Leonard Fournette will play in tomorrow night’s home opener against Jacksonville State. That’s what Miles said in a video that’s been posted on the school’s website. Miles said earlier this week Fournette suffered a contusion on his lower leg in the Wisconsin game.

The Saints head into Sunday’s season opener against Oakland a relatively healthy team. Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe is the the only player who has been ruled out with a hip injury. And he won’t admit, but this is a big game for Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. He was the head coach of the Raiders from 2012 to 2014.

Ryan Higgins will start at quarterback for Louisiana Tech when the Bulldogs host South Carolina state tomorrow night. Higgins did not play in the season opener, because he was suspended for the start of the game for a DWI arrest. It will be Higgins first start since 2013.

ULM hits the road for the first time this season as they visit Oklahoma.

In the Southland Conference…McNeese State faces its I-10 rival U-L Lafayette. In the last meeting between these two teams, the Cowboys beat the Cajuns in 2007. Nicholls kicks off its season at ninth ranked Georgia and Southeastern Louisiana is at Southern Utah.

In the SWAC…Grambling has a tough test as they are at Arizona, while Southern visits Tulane.

It’s been a rough week for the LSU football program as fans and analysts have been very critical of the Tigers season opening loss to Wisconsin. LSU is back in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night as they host Jacksonville State and fullback JD Moore says they are eager to play well in front of the home fans….
cut 17 (20) “…cheer about”
Last night in college football…Northwestern State lost its Southland opener as the Demons fell to Incarnate Word 21-18.

Tonight, Shaquille O’ Neal is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Two great high school school games at Independence Stadium in Shreveport….John Curtis versus West Monroe at 6 PM and Evangel is at Neville at 8:30.

After not playing in the season opener against Arkansas, Louisiana Tech’s Ryan Higgins will make his first start since 2013 when the Bulldogs host South Carolina State. J’Mar Smith started last week and nearly led the Bulldogs to an upset victory over Arkansas.

Nicholls is at Georgia on Saturday and the Bulldogs have decided to start Jacob Eason at quarterback. He’s the last true freshman to start for the Dawgs since Matthew Stafford.

ULM is at 14th ranked Oklahoma tomorrow night. Warhawks quarterback Garrett Smith played well in a win over Southern last week as he threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 150 yards and another score. Coach Matt Viator says the sophomore from Texas needs to keep progressing…
cut 20 (15) “…to improve”
Kick-off is at 6 PM.

After a humbling loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in Green Bay, LSU returns to Tiger Stadium tomorrow night to host Jacksonville State. Fullback JD Moore says the Tigers learned from their mistakes and they are ready to show what kind of team they can be…:
Cut 16 (13) “they’ve made”
Kickoff is at 6:30.

Elsewhere around the state this weekend, Nicholls State is at Georgia. Louisiana Tech hosts South Carolina State. UL-Lafayette hosts in-state rival McNeese State. Southern travels to New Orleans to face Tulane. Southeastern is at South Utah and Grambling is at Arizona. We’ll preview ULM’s game after this.

It was quite a Super Bowl rematch last night, as the NFL season opened with the Broncos edging the Panthers after missing a field goal. Denver squeaked by with a 21-20 win over Carolina.

ULM can match last year’s win total if they can pull of an upset against the 14th ranked Sooners on Saturday night in Norman, Oklahoma. ULM beat Southern last week, while Oklahoma fell to Houston. Warhawks Coach Matt Viator knows the Sooners will be hungry for a win, but he’s more interested in his team’s performance…:
Cut 19 (15) “try to do”
The game kicks off tomorrow at 6.

Even though he re-signed with the Saints on Wednesday, offensive guard Jahri Evans expects to play Sunday in the regular season opener against Oakland. The five-time All-Pro returned to the team, after he was released by New Orleans seven months ago. Evans says it’s awesome to be back and he’s ready to contribute…:
Cut 18 (13) “out there”
The game kicks off at noon on Fox.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees will remain with the Black and Gold through the 2017 season. He’s agreed to a contract extension that pays him 44 million dollars in guaranteed money. The future hall of famer remains one of the highest paid players in the game…:
CUT 18 (10) “they do”
The deal also gives the Saints 13-million dollars in salary cap relief, so the team can make additional roster moves this season.

One of those roster moves is the return of five-time All-Pro guard Jahri Evans. The Saints cut Evans seven months ago in a salary cap move, but Evans couldn’t stick with another team and the Black and Gold has had their issues along the offensive line during the preseason. Evans is listed as a starter on the team’s depth chart heading into Sunday’s regular season opener against Oakland.

LSU Football Coach Les Miles says as far as he knows, running back Leonard Fournette will play in Saturday’s home opener against Jacksonville State, but declined to say whether Fournette has practiced this week. The Heisman Hopeful suffered a contusion on his lower leg towards the end of the Wisconsin game.

ULM is at 14th ranked Oklahoma on Saturday night. Warhawks quarterback Garrett Smith played well in a win over Southern last week as he threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 150 yards and another score. We’ll see how he does against a Sooners defense that struggled in a loss to Houston.

Nicholls kicks off its season on Saturday against 9th ranked Georgia. The Colonels return nine starters on defense and they’ll look to contain Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb who rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns against North Carolina.

Tonight…it’s the Southland opener for Northwestern State as they host Incarnate Word at six PM. The Cardinals beat the Demons 45-31 last year.

Quarterback Drew Brees will be the Saints quarterback for at least two more seasons after agreeing to a new contract that will pay him 44-million dollars for the next two years. The 37-year-old Q-B has said he can play for another five years, but didn’t want to force the Saints to sign him to a contract that ate up a lot of the salary cap for the next several years…
cut 17 (15) “….build the team”

LSU Coach Les Miles is not saying whether running back Leonard Fournette has been practicing this week after taking a hit to his lower leg towards the end of the Wisconsin game. Miles did say on Monday that Fournette suffered a contusion. The head coach also says back-up Danny Etling could get some snaps under a couple situations in Saturday night’s game.

Looking ahead to the weekend of college football…ULM rushed for 325 yards in its win over Southern. That’s the most rushing yards the Warhawks have produced since 2013. This Saturday, ULM goes up against Oklahoma, who allowed 89 yards on the ground in a loss to Houston.

Tulane and the Ragin Cajuns are both home this Saturday, facing in-state foes. UL Lafayette hosts McNeese State. Slot receiver Gary Haynes returns to the field for the Cajuns, after serving a one-game suspension. The Green Wave hosts Southern. Tulane would like to get its passing game going after throwing for just 134 yards in a 7-3 loss to Wake Forest.

Northwestern State hosts Incarnate Word in a Southland Conference matchup tonight at 6 PM on the American Sports Network. Both teams lost non-conference season openers last week. The Demons have played well under coach Jay Thomas at Turpin Stadium, where they are 11-4 in the last three seasons.

Quarterback Drew Brees will remain the Saints signal caller through at least the 2017 season as a result of a contract extension that pays him 44-million dollars over the next two years. The deal also gives the Saints 13-million dollars in salary cap relief, so the team can make additional roster moves this season. Brees says he wanted to sign a deal that was a win-win..:
Cut 16 (14) “at a championship”
According to ESPN, Brees will receive 20-million dollars this season and 24-million dollars next year.

The Black and Gold has reportedly re-signed Jahri Evans. The guard had spent 10 seasons with the Saints, but later signed with Seattle who cut him this past weekend. It’s also reported that Saints quarterback Garrett Grayson is out. So it’ll be Luke McCown for the backup quarterback job.

The 2016 NFL season begins tonight and the matchup will feature the same two teams that closed out last year. The 2015 Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos and Von Miller take on Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

LSU wants fans heading to the home opener against Jacksonville State this weekend to know there are parking changes ahead for this season. As always they encourage you to arrive early in order to help reduce traffic. Fans should visit lsusports.net/parking for updates, reminders and suggested routes to campus. Tiger Stadium is also “going clear” — only clear tote bags smaller than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches will be allowed inside. The NFL has the same policy.

The NBA unveiled the logo for the All-Star game that will be held in New Orleans, and it features a lot of Big Easy flavor. It’s got the same navy blue and red as the Pelicans and a similar ironwork border around a fleur-de-lis. The game will take place at the Smoothie King Center on February 19th.

The Saints and Quarterback Drew Brees have agreed to a contract extension…
cut 30 (12) “…bit longer”
The new deal keeps Brees with the Black and Gold through at least the 2017 season and it guarantees him 44-million dollars.

A lot of blame is going around, when it comes to why LSU struggled to score points against Wisconsin. The offensive line didn’t provide much time for Brandon Harris to throw or create running lanes for Leonard Fournette. But Coach Les Miles is optimistic that unit will get better. He says injuries during preseason camp, kept them from gelling…
cut 20 (20) “…good line”
LSU hosts Jacksonville State on Saturday night.

UL Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth was disappointed with the play of his defense in the 45-10 loss to Boise State and fired defensive coordinator Melvin Smith. But he was pleased with quarterback Anthony Jennings, who accounted for 204 of the Cajuns 267 yards on offense. Hudspeth liked how Jennings played with poise…
cut 17 (17) “….we’re doing”

LSU’s live tiger mascot will stay in his habitat during home football games this season. In light of his recent cancer diagnosis, officials will not attempt to load Mike into his trailer. Ginger Guttner with the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine says Mike’s radiation treatment on his tumor has had a positive impact, but unfortunately the Tiger remains terminally ill and has up to two years to live.

LSU Football Coach Les Miles says starting quarterback Brandon Harris should not get 100-percent of the blame for the problems the offense had in the opening season loss to Wisconsin. Miles says the receivers also failed to catch the ball at times…
cut 19 (15) “…we can fix”
Miles also added that waiting for Harris to mature can’t last forever and back-up Danny Etling is a consideration.

Ragin Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth says allowing big pass plays and the lack of turnovers led to the decision to fire defensive coordinator Melvin Smith after a 45-10 loss to Boise State. Hudspeth says he owed to the seniors to give them an opportunity to have a great season…
cut 16 (15) “…be successful’
The Cajuns host instate rival McNeese State on Saturday.

There’s a lot going on with the Saints today. Reports indicate Quarterback Drew Brees is close to a four-year deal worth about 100-million dollars. The team has reportedly released Q-B Garrett Grayson, who was drafted last season. Also, veteran offensive guard Jahri Evans is back after the Saints released him in February after a 10-year run with the Black and Gold. .

Students at Eden Park Elementary in Baton Rouge had a welcome surprise when New Orleans Saints Punter Thomas Morstead and First Lady Donna Edwards showed up to deliver 500 backpacks filled with school supplies following the historic flood….:
Cut 10 (10) “the flooding”
Morstead says some 6-thousand backpacks will be distributed throughout Baton Rouge.

And former NFL center, LSU Tiger and Leesville Wampus Cat, Kevin Mawe, has been hired as an assistant offensive line coach by the Chicago Bears.