11:40 LRN Sportscast August 29th

Will we see LSU players do the “Lambeau Leap” at Lambeau Field? The Tigers and Wisconsin Badgers are playing at the historic venue this Saturday and when Green Bay Packer players score, they usually jump into the stands to celebrate with the fans. LSU safety Jamal Adams says he might do the Lambeau Leap if he returns an interception for a touchdown…
cut 17 (11) “….out of me”
The last time LSU opened the season in Big Ten country was in 1977 when Charlie McCLendon’s Tigers lost to Lee Corso’s Indiana Hoosier by the score of 24-21.

Last year’s starting quarterback at McNeese State, Daniel Sams, has been arrested by Lake Charles police for his alleged role in a fatal home invasion on August 12th. Sams bond has been set at 200-thousand dollars.

The Saints who are winless in the preseason have one more exhibition game left and it’s this Thursday at home against Baltimore. Coach Sean Payton says they have two weeks left before the first regular season game and there’s still time to correct the mistakes that are being made…
cut 20 (19) “…one game”
Payton told reporters today he’s considering moving second-year offensive lineman Andrus Peat to left guard. Peat played left tackle and left guard last season and hasn’t adjusted to right guard as quickly as the coaches wanted.

Former Saints tight end Benjamin Watson is likely out for the season after tearing achilles tendon. Former Louisiana Tech star Kenneth Dixon was also injured in that game. The rookie Ravens running back injured his M-C-L in his knee and is it out at least four weeks.

06:45 Sportscast, August 29th, 2016

Game week arrives for the 5th ranked LSU Tigers as they are set to face Wisconsin in Green Bay at historic Lambeau Field. It’s the first time the legendary venue will host a college football game featuring two Division One teams. LSU safety Jamal Adams is excited to play in a stadium that has been home to some of the best players in football…:
Cut 16 (14) “leave our mark”
The game kicks off Saturday at 2:30 and will be televised by ABC.

Former MCNeese State Quarterback, 23-year-old Daniel Sams of Lake Charles, becomes the 4th person to be arrested in connection with the murder of former McNeese defensive back Aaron Javone Sam. The group is suspected of all being a part of a home invasion on August 12th. Sams faces charges of accessory after the fact to the charges.

There’s one more week left in the preseason and there’s still a lot to work on for the Saints. The team fell to 0-3 in exhibition action with a 27-14 loss to Pittsburgh on Friday. Coach Sean Payton says the play of offensive and defensive lines has him most worried…:
Cut 19 (12) “very concerning”
The Saints have one more preseason game and that’s Thursday night at home against Baltimore.

Also in the NFL, former LSU offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins was placed on injured reserve by the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Steelers Depot. Hawkins, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, injured his a shoulder a few weeks ago and tried to rehab it unsuccessfully. He will sit out the season. Former New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson suffered a season-ending injury in a preseason game for the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

 

7:30 Sportscast August 27,2016

Louisiana Radio Network Sports, I’m Emelie Gunn…

The Saints fell to 0-3 in preseason action last night with a 27-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh took control of the game with two touchdowns in the first quarter as the Saints defense couldn’t do much against the Steelers first unit.

Coach Sean Payton said after the game that his biggest concerns are that the defense is not generating much of a pass rush, while New Orleans didn’t do enough to protect the quarterback. Drew Brees was 9-of-12 for 78 yards and a touchdown. Garrett Grayson was intercepted twice. Tim Hightower was the leading Saints rusher with 27 yards and Willie Snead was the leading receiver with four grabs for 58 yards.

Starting offensive tackle Terron (Tur-ron) Armstead left the game with an undisclosed injury and Payton said they’ll provide an update at a later date. The preseason ends on Thursday at home against Baltimore.

 
Bad news for LSU quarterback commitment Lowell Narcisse (Lo-well Nar-cease). The St. James quarterback tore his ACL for a second time. It occurred during the Wildcats jamboree. He tweeted out that an MRI showed he tore the ACL in his left knee. Narcisse tore the ACL in his right knee during the spring game in 2015, but still came back that season to help St. James reach the state championship game.

Former University High of Baton Rouge golfer Patrick Reed has a two stroke lead after two rounds at the Barclays in Farmingdale, New York. Reed is a four-time winner on the P-G-A Tour, but hasn’t won a trophy this year.

Nicholls State ends fall camp this morning with a scrimmage inside John L Guidry Stadium at nine AM. The scrimmage will be around 90 plays.

Preseason camp is over for ULM. First-year coach Matt Viator believes his team has progressed a lot over the course of camp. The Warhawks return to the practice field tomorrow night.

16:45 LRN Sportscast August 26th

The Mercedes Benz Superdome hosts its first football game of the season tonight as the Saints take on the Steelers in preseason action. Pittsburgh will present a good challenge for New Orleans’ defense as the Steelers are expected to play their offensive stars, Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown. After this game, the Saints will have to reduce their roster from 90 players to 75.

There’s been shuffling along the LSU offensive line during the preseason, but Ethan Pocic has remained the man at center. Tackle Toby Weathersby says Pocic’s presence makes the rest of the line play better…
cut 30 (15) “…myself feel better”
Pocic was named to the coaches All-SEC preseason first team.

Northwestern State Head Coach Jay Thomas announces former UL Lafayette quarterback Brooks Haack will start at QB when the Demons open the season a week from tonight against Baylor. Thomas says junior Joel Bumenthal will also get some snaps against the Bears.

McNeese State is ranked 11th in the Hero Sports preseason top 25 poll. Hero Sports covers FCS football and they have North Dakota State ranked number and Sam Houston State is ranked second. The Cowboys open the season next Saturday at home against Tarleton State.

Nicholls State ends fall camp tomorrow morning with a scrimmage inside John L Guidry Stadium at nine AM. The scrimmage will consist of about 90 plays in various situations such as third-down, first-down and goal line.

Preseason camp is over for ULM. First-year coach Matt Viator believes his team has progressed a lot over the course of the camp. The team will return to the practice field on Sunday night to prepare for the season opener against Southern.

11:40 LRN Sportscast august 26th

The Saints third preseason game of the year is tonight as New Orleans host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. This should be a good test for the Black and Gold’s defense as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown are all expected to play for the Steelers. Plus, the Saints o-line would like to put together a better performance than they did last week.

The biggest position battle during LSU’s fall camp has been the offensive line. Sophomore Toby Weathersby, who started just one game last season, could be the starter at right tackle next Saturday. Weathersby says he learned a lot from that start against Ole Miss…
cut 30 (18) “…roll now”

Wisconsin has named fifth-year senior Bart Houston as the Badgers starting quarterback for the season opening contest against LSU at Lambeau Field. Houston hasn’t played much during his career in Madison, but threw for 232 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions against Illinois last season.

Northwestern State Head Coach Jay Thomas has named former Ragin Cajuns QB Brooks Haack as the Demons starting quarterback. Thomas says Haack has been consistent in practice every day and his play has improved as he became more comfortable with the playbook. Northwestern starts the season a week from tonight against Baylor.

The Cleveland Browns have traded linebacker Barkevious Mingo of West Monroe to the New England Patriots for a 2017 fifth-round pick. The Browns selected Mingo with the No. 6 pick in 2013. The former LSU standout has recorded just seven sacks in three seasons and spent much of last season on special teams.

In preseason action last night…former Haughton and Mississippi State star Dak Prescott threw for 116 yards and a touchdown in Dallas 27-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

06:45 Sportscast, August 26th, 2016

The Saints offensive line has taken a lot of criticism for how its played in the preseason and it has the Who Dat nation worried. New Orleans only had 57 total yards in the first half last week against Houston, and quarterback Drew Brees said after the game he had consistent pressure in his face. But Brees says he still has faith in his o-line…:
CUT 30 (25) “it’s supposed to go”
Brees believes you’ll see better results in Friday’s preseason contest against Pittsburgh.

LSU running back Leonard Fournette returned to practice Thursday. He’s been out since spraining his ankle during a scrimmage last Tuesday. Les Miles was not available to reporters after practice, but ESPN reported that Fournette practiced in a “limited capacity.”

Six LSU football players made the cut for the Rotary Lombardi Award Preliminary Watch List Thursday. According to LSU Athletics, Kendell Beckwith, Leonard Fournette, Davon Godchaux, Arden Key, Lewis Neal and Ethan Pocic made the final cut. Those players were among 158 candidates.

The Cleveland Browns are trading disappointing linebacker Barkevious Mingo to the New England Patriots for a 2017 fifth-round pick. The Browns selected Mingo with the No. 6 pick in 2013. The former LSU standout has recorded just seven sacks in three seasons and spent much of last season on special teams.

In other NFL news…the Detroit Lions have released former LSU running back Stevan Ridley. And a state judge has sentenced former Saints star Darren Sharper to 20 years in prison for drugging and raping women. The sentence is two years longer than a federal sentence Sharper recently received on the same charges.

The LSU women’s basketball team released it’s non-conference schedule yesterday and the Lady Tigers will begin the season on November 11th by hosting Louisiana Tech.

 

16:45 LRN Sportscast August 25th

LSU has 13 players on the 2016 Preseason Coaches All-Southeastern Conference football team. The voting was done by the league’s coaches. First-team selections are Leonard Fournette, Ethan Pocic, Kendell Beckwith and Tre’Davious White. The second-team selections are William Clapp, Malachi Dupre, Davon Godchaux, Arden Key and Jamal Adams. Brandon Harris is on the third, along with Derrius Guice, Travin Dural and Lewis Neal.

Former LSU Tiger Barkevious Mingo has been traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Patriots. Mingo was the sixth overall pick by Cleveland in 2013, but has recorded just seven sacks in his three seasons as a Brown.

In other NFL news…the Detroit Lions have released former LSU running back Stevan Ridley. And a state judge has sentenced former Saints star Darren Sharper to 20 years in prison for drugging and raping women. The sentence is two years longer than a federal sentence Sharper recently received on the same charges.

In major league baseball today….former LSU Tiger Mikie Mahtook ended an 0-for-34 slump with a go-ahead double in the seventh as the Rays held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1. Mahtook also made a nice throw in the eighth to nab Mookie Betts as he tried to stretch a single into a double.

The LSU women’s basketball team released it’s non-conference schedule today and the Lady Tigers will begin the season on November 11th by hosting Louisiana Tech. Nine days later, LSU will host the defending champs, UCONN on November 20th.

Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari will donate proceeds from a charity softball game to flood victims in Louisiana. The coach says his foundation is teaming up with the American Red Cross to help flood victims. Calipari says Pelicans star and former Kentucky standout Anthony Davis made the suggestion to give the proceeds to those hurt by the flooding in Louisiana.

11:40 LRN Sportscast August 25th

The LSU Tigers have 13 players on the preseason coaches All-Southeastern Conference Football team. Running back Leonard Fournette and center Ethan Pocic are on the offense’s first-team. Linebacker Kendell Beckwith and cornerback Tre’Davious White are on the first team. Making the second and third teams are Will Clapp, Malachi Dupre, Davon Godchaux, Arden Key, Jamal Adams, Brandon Harris, Derrius Guice, Travin Dural and Lewis Neal.

The Saints conclude training camp with a walk-thru today at the team’s training facility in Metairie. New Orleans has been able to survive training camp, with very few injuries. The biggest name to go down is defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and he’s expected back soon after the regular season starts.

If the Saints and Quarterback Drew Brees are going to agree to a contract extension, it has to come before the start of the regular season. Brees says there’s nothing to new report on that end and has said he doesn’t want to talk about a new contract after the regular season begins.

06:45 Sportscast, August 25th, 2016

The Saints offensive line has taken a lot of criticism for how its played in the preseason and it has the Who Dat nation worried. New Orleans only had 57 total yards in the first half last week against Houston, and quarterback Drew Brees said after the game he had consistent pressure in his face. But Brees says he still has faith in his o-line…:
CUT 30 (25) “it’s supposed to go”
Brees believes you’ll see better results in Friday’s preseason contest against Pittsburgh.

Two new high definition end zone score boards in the Mercedes Benz Superdome were unveiled on Wednesday — and they are massive. the new screens stretch 333 feet long and 38 feet high.

McNeese State has named New Orleans native James Tabary (Tab-er-e) as its starting quarterback. The transfer from Arkansas State beat out Grant Ashcraft. Cowboys Coach Lance Guidry likes Tabary’s ability to make all the throws, especially with pressure in his face.

Former LSU pitcher Kevin Gausman of the Baltimore Orioles has started a fundraising effort for victims of the south Louisiana flood. Donations can be made online at GoFundMe.com/LAFlood39. Gausman says the money will go to the Baton Rouge Aera Foundation Flood Relief Fund.

UL-Lafayette basketball coach Bob Marlin announces two players with SEC ties are transferring to the Ragin Cajun program. They are 6-foot-8 forward JaKeenan Gant out of Missouri, and point guard Marcus Stroman who played two seasons at South Carolina.

The LSU baseball schedule is out and the Tigers will begin action on February 17 with three games against Air Force. SEC home series are against Georgia, Texas A-and-M, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Auburn. Cody Ducote is off the roster but will still get his degree at LSU.

 

16:45 LRN Sportscast August 24th

LSU Football Coach Les Miles believes running back Leonard Fournette will be back at practice tomorrow. The Heisman candidate has been out since suffering a sprained ankle two Saturday agos. Miles also says he has three offensive tackles rotating at two spots, sophomore Maea Teuhema, KJ Malone and Toby Weathersby. Miles says Malone and Weathersby are the starters right now.

The Saints held their final open practice to the public today as they get ready for the third preseason game of the year on Friday against Pittsburgh. Veteran offensive tackle Zach Strief says the o-line has to be better than last week, when they gained only 57 yards in the first half agaisnt Houston….
cut 30 (12) “…this week”
The Saints are 18 days away from the regular season opener against Oakland.

McNeese State has named New Orleans native James Tabary (Tab-er-e) as its starting quarterback. The transfer from Akansas State beat out Grant Ashcraft. Cowboys Coach Lance Guidry likes Tabary’s ability to make all the throws, especially with pressure in his face.

Former LSU Tiger Anthony Jennings has been named the starting quarterback for the Ragin Cajuns. Jennings arrived on campus in August after transferring from LSU, where he graduated this past summer.

UL Lafayette basketball announces they’ve added two players, who previously were at SEC schools. Six-foot-eight forward JaKeenan Grant and point guard Marcus Stroman will be eligible to play beginning with the 2017-18 season.

The Ragin Cajuns men’s basketball program released its non-conference schedule today. Coach Bob Marlin’s team will travel to Minnesota and Georgia and they’ll host Louisiana Tech and Pepperedine.

LSU’s 2017 baseball schedule was also released. SEC home series are against Georgia, Texas A-and-M, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Auburn.