LSU Coach Les Miles is not making any major changes on offense for Saturday’s home opener against Jacksonville State. Miles is moving offensive coordinator Cam Cameron from the sidelines to the press box and he’ll call plays from above the field. The head coach is not making a change at quarterback, but wants Brandon Harris to be more accurate…:
Cut 18 (18) “get you yards”
Miles says Cameron will be moving back up to the press box because they need more information from the press box. The game kicks off Saturday night in Tiger Stadium at 6:30pm. LSU fell 15 spots in the AP Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday. The Tigers went from No. 5 to No. 21.

Ragin Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth says the decision to fire defensive coordinator Melvin Smith gave him indigestion and heartburn, but it was a move that needed to be made after the team gave up 584 yards in a 45-10 loss to Boise State. Hudspeth says there was no reason to wait any longer to make a move…:
Cut 16 (15) “be successful”
Hudspeth says he is however encouraged by the play of quarterback Anthony Jennings.

The LSU men’s basketball team will open SEC play on Thursday, Dec. 29 against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The 2016-2017 SEC schedule was released on Tuesday by the league office.

LSU says fans should not expect to see Mike VI in Tiger Stadium during home football games for the 2016 season, due to his recent cancer diagnosis.

LSU Football Coach Les Miles spoke today for the first time since Saturday’s surprising 16-14 defeat to Wisconsin. Miles summed up the mood of his team…
cut 30 (14) “…go forward”
At this point, moving offensive coordinator Cam Cameron back to the press box to call plays is the biggest change Miles is making. The head coach says they still believe quarterback Brandon Harris can get the job done, but back-up Danny Etling is always a consideration. Also, no plans to make changes on the offensive line. He says it’s a unit that can play better and they are not where they need to be, because of minor injuries that had them sidelined during parts of fall camp. LSU looks to take out some of their frustations on Saturday night against Jacksonville State in the home opener.

The Saints continue to make some roster moves, including the release of 32-year-old cornerback Cortland Finnegan. New Orleans is also making a change at kicker. The team has signed Will Lutz and released Kai Forbath. Lutz is a rookie, who was recently released by the Ravens. NFL-dot-com’s Ian Rapoport reports the Saints decided to sign Lutz after getting a good recommendation from Baltimore.

Gene Ponti with K-T-V-E TV in Monroe is reporting that former LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle had a workout with the Saints. Randle was let go by the Eagles two weeks ago.

McNeese State, who is ranked 10th in the latest F-C-S poll, is not sure what they’ll see from U-L Lafayette on Saturday. That’s because the Cajuns have a new defensive coordiantor. Former Southeastern Louisiana head coach Mike Lucas takes over for the fired Melvin Smith.

LSU men’s basketball released its SEC schedule today. The Tigers tip-off their league schedule at home on December 29th against Vanderbilt. The Tigers will visit Kentucky on February seventh.

There’s a lot of blame to go around for the way the LSU Tigers played in the season opening loss to the Wisconsin Badgers. A lot of criticism has fallen on the shoulders of quarterback Brandon Harris. Former LSU offensive lineman and W-W-L sports talk show host T-Bob Hebert says it’s important for the junior signal caller to ignore the negative comments about his play…
cut 17 (08) “…at hand”
The Tigers had just 257 yards of total offense against Wisconsin and LSU will not have starting guard Josh Boutte for the home opener against Jacksonville State. He’s been suspended one game by Coach Les Miles for his clothesline on a Wisconsin player in the final minute of the game.

Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins will miss at least the first eight games of the season as he was placed on injured reserve with broken fibula.

According to CBSSports.com, the Saints and Quarterback Drew Brees are discussing a new contract ahead of the start of the regular season. The report indicates Brees has been seeking a 4 year deal worth $100 million dollars and doesn’t want to negotiate after the season starts.

ULM quarterback Garrett Smith has been named the offensive player of the week by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Smith had 358 total yards in a 38-21 win over Southern.

Louisiana Tech safety Xavier Woods has been named the Conference USA defensive player of the week. The former West Monroe star had an interception and tied a career-high with 10 tackles as the Bulldogs nearly upset Arkansas.

McNeese State, who beat Tarleton State 33-3, is ranked 10th in the FCS Coaches Poll and 11th in the STATS poll.

In the latest high school football polls, here’s your number one ranked teams…Brother Martin, Neville, Lutcher, Notre Dame and Southern Lab.

We hear from LSU Coach Les Miles today for the first time since Saturday’s disappointing 16-14 loss to an unranked Wisconsin team. Former LSU offensive lineman and now talk show host on WWL Radio in New Orleans, T-Bob Hebert, says Miles has likely told the players that this isn’t the time to sit around and feel sorry for yourself…:
Cut 16 (12) “of them”
The Tigers take on Jacksonville State this weekend and sports analysts say LSU is likely to win that game but doubt it will be a cake walk if the atrocious play of the offensive line continues.

Meanwhile, The Mad Hatter has suspended offensive lineman Josh Boutte for Saturday’s home opener. Boutte was flagged for a personal foul and ejected from the Wisconsin contest for a late hit on the Badgers. Miles said in a statement that he sincerely apologizes for the mistake.

According to CBSSports.com, the Saints and Quarterback Drew Brees are starting to negotiate a new contract ahead of the start of the season deadline to get an extension worked out. The report indicates Brees has been seeking a 4 year deal worth $100 million dollars and doesn’t want to negotiate after the season starts.

The Black and Gold take on the Raiders Sunday and sources say that defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins will miss at least 6 weeks. The rookie was placed on injured reserve Monday.

The Louisiana Sports Writers Association has named ULM quarterback Garrett Smith the Offensive Player of the Week. The sophomore had 358 total yards to lead the Warhawks to a 38-21 win over Southern. Co-Defensive LSWA honors go to LSU cornerback Tre’Davious White who picked off a pass against the Badgers and ran it in for a touchdown. And Louisiana Tech Safety Xavier Woods who tied his career high 10 tackles in the close game against Arkansas. Grambling running back Martez Carter got the Special Teams Player of the week LSWA honor.

We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to hear what LSU Coach Les Miles has to say about Saturday’s disappointing loss to Wisconsin. The Tigers scored one offensive touchdown and quarterback Brandon Harris looked shaky. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says if Harris doesn’t play better, Miles will have to turn to back-up Danny Etling…
cut 11 (10) “…making a change”

Louisiana Tech Football Coach Skip Holtz says Ryan Higgins will start at quarterback when the Bulldogs host South Carolina State this Saturday. J’Mar Smith looked good filling in for the suspended Higgins in week one, as Smith threw for 212 yards against the Razorbacks.

Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth has fired defensive coordinator Melvin Smith after just one game and a 45-10 loss to Boise State. Former Southeastern Louisiana head coach Mike Lucas replaces Smith.

The regular season opener for the Saints is Sunday against the Oakland Raiders and quarterback Drew Brees is reportedly discussing a contract extension with the Black and Gold. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora says Brees is seeking a four-year, 100-million dollar deal. The 37-year-old threw for 48-hundred yards and 32 touchdowns last season and will not discuss a new contract once the regular season starts.

Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday has taken an indefinite leave of abscense so that he can care for his pregant wife who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Lauren Holiday, a former US soccer star, is expected to have the child in the fall and then undergo surgery. Doctors are optimistic that Holiday can give birth to a health baby and she can have a normal life after brain surgery.

Longtime high school football coach Gary Adkins has died after a bout with throat cancer. Adkins won 145 games in 27 years at several different schools including Abbeville, St. Martinville, Oak Grove and Sacred Heart-Ville Platte.

For the first time since 2002, the LSU Tigers start the season with an 0-1 record after an embarrassing 16-14 loss to Wisconsin. The Tigers have a winnable game this Saturday at home against F-C-S member Jacksonsville State. But after that it’s a run of games against SEC schools. Tiger Rag Associate editor James Moran says LSU can still play in the college football playoffs this year, but the offense has to get much better…
cut 12 (09) “…are killers”
The Tigers had just 257 yards of total offense on Saturday and ranked 113th in the nation in total yards.

After giving up 584 yards in a 45-10 loss to Boise State, Ragin Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth has fired his defensive coordinator Melvin Smith. Former Southeastern Louisiana head coach Mike Lucas takes over as the Cajuns Defensive coordiantor.

Prayers go out to Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday and his wife, former US soccer star Lauren Holiday. Lauren, who is pregnant. will have surgery after the baby is born to remove a brain tumor. Because of this difficult situation, Jrue Holiday is taking an indefinite leave from the Pelicans and he’ll miss the start of the season. Doctors are optimstic Lauren can give birth to a healthy baby and the expecting mom can live a normal life after her surgery.

Louisiana Tech Athletic Director Tommy McClelland is set to receive a 23-thousand dollar raise as part of a new five year contract. The raise will bump his annual salary to 248-thousand dollars a year. Men’s basketball coach Eric Konkol is also getting a one-year contract extension.

Former Louisiana Tech quarterback Jeff Driskel has signed with the Bengals after he was released by the 49ers. The Saints signed defensive end Bobby Richardson to their practice squad. He started 11 games for New Orleans last season.

The 5th ranked LSU Tigers are a solid 10.5 point favorite to beat Wisconsin this afternoon as the two teams kick-off the 2016. The Tigers get the edge in this one, because they have the quarterback who has more game experience, a defense that’s led by one of the best defensive coordinators in the country and LSU has Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette. But Tiger Rag Editor Cody Worsham says it’s college football and anything can happen in week 1….
cut 30 (17) “…for the Tigers”
Kick-off is at 2:30.

Louisiana Tech and U-L Lafayette are hoping to pull off big upsets today. The Bulldogs visit Arkansas. And it’s an 11 AM kick-off as the Ragin Cajuns host Boise State.

ULM has a chance to start the Matt Viator era with a victory as the Warhawks host the Southern Jaguars at Malone Stadium tonight. The Jaguars return eight starters on offense, including quarterback Austin Howard and running back Lenard Tillery. ULM will have seven new starters on defense.

Elsewhere….Grambling hosts Virginia-Lynchburg. McNeese State hosts Division Two member Tarleton State. Southeastern Louisiana is at 21st ranked Oklahoma State. The Lions have been outscored 162-17 in three previous meetings against Big 12 schools.

Last night…Baylor beat up Northwestern State 55-7 as the Demons had just three total yards at halftime.

LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri is set to receive a raise that will bump his annual salary over one-million dollars. The LSU Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on Mainieri’s contract extension on Friday.

The Saints have to cut their roster to 53 players by 3 PM today.

The 5th ranked LSU Tigers have arrived in Green Bay along with thousands of fans wearing purple and gold. The Bayou Bengals will kick-off the 2016 season by facing an unranked Wisconsin squad that won 10 games a season ago. Tomorrow, Bart Houston will start at quarterback for the Badgers. It will be his first collegiate start and a big question is whether Wisconsin’s defense can slow down running back Leonard Fournette. Kick-off is at 2:30.

LSU baseball Coach Paul Mainieri is set to receive a four-year contract extension and a raise that will give him a salary over one-million dollars a year. His new deal, which will likely be approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors next week, will give him an annual salary of one-point-one million dollars and keeps him at LSU through 2024. Following the 2016 season, Mainieri spoke with Texas about their head coaching vacancy, but decided to stay after meeting with athletic director Joe Alleva.

Louisiana Tech heads into Saturday’s game against Arkansas as a 26-point underdog. Senior wide receiver Trent Taylor says the Bulldog players look forward to the opportunity to knock off a team from the SEC…
cut 17 (08) “…make it happen”
Taylor could have a big game against the Hogs. Last season, Arkansas ranked 116th in pass defense.

UL Lafayette’s pass defense will be tested when they host Boise State tomorrow at 11 AM. Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien has thrown for 33-hundred yards and 20 touchdowns in his 11 games in college football.

Other games of note…ULM hosts Southern, Southeastern Louisiana is at Oklahoma State, McNeese hosts Tarleton State, Grambling versus Lynchberg and tonight Northwestern State visits Baylor.

It’s the first Friday night of the high school football season. Oak Grove at Mangham, Many versus Winnfield and Plaquemine at Brother Martin are the big games on the schedule.

The 2016 season kicks-off tomorrow for the LSU Tigers. LSU’s defense will face a quarterback that will make his first collegiate start. Wisconsin’s Bart Houston is a fifth-year senior and LSU safety Jamal Adams anticipates Houston will play well…
cut 19 (09) “…a challenge’
Houston has thrown 51 passes during his college carrer, most of them came during a relief role in a game against Illinois, where he completed 22 of 33 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns.

Former LSU star Eric Reid joined his teammate, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, in not standing during the singing of the national anthem, before last night’s preseason game against San Diego. Reid recently wrote a piece for Sports Illustrated’s Monday Morning quarterback where he talked about the racial profiling he’s faced from police officers.

The LHSAA’s executive committe approved the changing of state championship schedules for five different sports. Many of the changes are because of the expanded public-private school split. The girls and boys basketball championships will now hold semifinals Monday through Thursday and the title games will be Friday and Saturday. Both baseball and softball championships in Sulphur have decided to add an extra day to their format to accomodate the influx of teams.

Friday night lights returns tonight as there are several great match-ups on the gridiron. In north Louisiana…it’s Many at Winnfield and Oak Grove versus Mangham and the game on CST is Brother Martin versus Plaquemine.

Tonight in college football…it’s Northwestern State at 21st ranked Baylor. Tulane started the season with a 7-3 loss to Wake Forest last night.

The Saints have had trouble on the offensive line, but they’ve reportedly agreed to a three-year contract extension with their best o-lineman, center Max Unger.

What could be a very memorable football season in the history of LSU football kicks off tomorrow as the 5th ranked Fighting Tigers face the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Many college football analysts believe LSU has enough talent to play in the College Football playoff. Junior defensive tackle Davon Godchaux (duh-Von God-chaw) believes LSU could have the best defense in the country…:
Cut 18 (13) “special”
The game kicks off at 2:30.

Elsewhere around the state ULM hosts Southern tomorrow at 6pm, Boise St. plays at UL-Lafayette, Southeastern is at No. 21 Oklahoma State for a 2:30 kickoff, Virginia Lynchburg is at Grambling.

Last night Tulane fell to Wake Forest 7-3.

Tonight Northwestern State is at 23rd ranked Baylor.

More on college football after this.

Louisiana Tech will start redshirt freshman J’mar Smith at quarterback tomorrow afternoon against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Senior wide receiver Trent Taylor says the former three-star high school prospect from Mississippi made great strides during preseason camp…:
Cut 16 (13) “come around”
The game kicks off at 3pm.

The Saints played their starters last night for one series on each side of the ball. They game started strong, but New Orleans ended up falling to Baltimore 23-14, leaving the Saints winless in the preseason for the second straight year. Meanwhile New Orleans locked up one of their most critical offensive players Thursday — ESPN is reporting the team has agreed to a multiyear extension with center Max Unger. The deal is reportedly worth more than $7 million dollars a year.

The LHSAA’s executive committee approved the changing of state championship schedules for five different sports.