LSU running back Leonard Fournette’s college football career is over. The junior, who has already said he intends to enter the 2017 NFL Draft, announced today that he would not play in the Citrus Bowl with the Tigers. He and head coach Ed Orgeron broke the news…
Cut 15 (11) “best for my future”
Fournette said he plans to rest and rehab the ankle injury that limited him to seven games this season. The New Orleans native averaged 120 yards a game, which is the highest per game rushing average in LSU history.

Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux and linebacker Stephone Anthony have been ruled out for Sunday’s game at Arizona. Both players suffered injuries in last week’s loss to Tampa Bay. It will be a big game for New Orleans running back Tim Hightower. He was drafted by the Cardinals in 2008 and spent his first three seasons in Arizona.

Tomorrow Grambling and North Carolina Central will face each other in the Celebration Bowl which pits the champion of the SWAC versus the MEAC title winner. The victor in this game will be the H-B-C-U national champion. North Carolina Central is averaging 31 points a game, while Grambling has allowed only 23 touchdowns, second fewest in the F-C-S.

Tomorrow night in the Mercedes Benz Superdome, the Ragin Cajuns face Southern Miss in the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation President Jay Cicero says the game looks to be a good one…
cut 13 (14) “…in his career”
The Golden Eagles are 3-and-1 in the New Orleans Bowl, while the Cajuns have won all four of their appearances. Kick-off is at 8 PM.

LSU defensive tackle Christian Lacouture is returning for a fifth year of eligbility. Lacouture tore his ACL during preseason camp and decided to come back for one more season after talking with Head Coach Ed Orgeron and defensive line coach Pete Jenkins.

Meanwhile, receiver Jazz Ferguson has tweeted that he will transfer from LSU. The sophomore from St. Francisville has caught only two passes in his career. And there’s a report that receiver Malachi Dupre will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

Tomorrow night, UL Lafayette will take on Southern Miss in the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Cajuns Coach Mark Hudspeth says turnovers will play a big role in who wins this game…
cut 17 (12) “….job of that”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 8 PM.

Tomorrow it’s the Celebration Bowl between Grambling and North Carolina Central at the Georgia Dome at 11 AM on ABC. Both teams have outstanding quarterbacks. Grambling’s Devante Kincade was named SWAC Offensive Player of the year has he threw 28 touchdowns and only three interceptions. N-C Central’s Q-B Malcolm Bell has over 6-thousand passing yards in his career. Grambling Coach Broderick Fobbs says it should be a great game….
cut 19 (18) “…as well”

Both the Saints and Arizona have had disappointing seasons and they meet on Sunday in Glendale. But a bright spot for the Cardinals has been second-year running back David Johnson. He’s third in the NFL in rushing and also caught 69 passes on the season. New Orleans could be without linebacker Stephone Anthony and Delvin Breaux. Both players suffered injuries in the loss to the Buccaneers and did not practice yesterday.

LSU looks to have nailed down a quarterback. Myles Brennan out of Mississippi said Thursday that he wasn’t talking to other schools because he plans to sign with the Tigers. Brennan is the 10th ranked pro-style quarterback in the nation.

LSU defensive lineman Christian LaCouture announced Thursday that he has decided to remain with the program for another season.

Coach “O” has named Chalmette native Bobby April as special teams analyst.

SWAC champion Grambling State faces the champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, North Carolina Central, in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Saturday. Tigers Coach Broderick Fobbs says it’s a great opportunity for both programs…:
Cut 18 (18) “particular time”
The game will air on ABC at 11 o’ clock.

After a one year absence, the Ragin Cajuns football team makes its return to the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl tomorrow night when they face Southern Miss. UL Lafayette played in this bowl game for four consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2014, and Coach Mark Hudspeth says the team is excited about its return…:
Cut 16 (20) “in a bowl game”
Kick-off is at 8 PM.

The Pelicans had a late surge Thursday and were lifted to a 102-95 win over the Pacers in the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans saw its first production of the season from guard Tyreke Evans who played 11 minutes in his return from a right knee injury. He had 7 points, three rebounds and two assists. The Pels face the Rockets tonight in Houston.

Four-star quarterback Myles Brennan out of Mississippi says that he is no longer listening to any other schools and plans to sign with LSU next year. Brennan re-opened his recruitment after reports LSU offered a five-start quarterback in Hawaii, who is committed to Alabama. Brennan told SEC Country that he’s fully committed to LSU after talking with offensive coordinator Matt Canada last night.

Canada will be coaching at LSU on a full-time basis after Pittsburgh plays its bowl game. That’s where Canada coached this past season and he’s loooking forward to working with Coach Ed Orgeron….
cut 17 (14) “…football games”

And Coach “O” has named Chalmette native Bobby April as special teams analyst. April has 25 years of NFL coaching experience.

The Saints will look to snap a three-game losing streak on Sunday when they visit Arizona. Both teams having a losing record, but the Cardinals are number one in the NFL in total yards allowed per game. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees knows the Black and Gold’s offense faces a huge challenge….
cut 20 (14) “…all year”
Brees participated in the Saints entire practice today after making only a limited appearance yesterday in order to rest a little bit. But linebacker Stephone Anthony and cornerback Delvin Breaux did not practice. Breaux suffered a shoulder injury in last week’s loss to Tampa Bay.

The Pelicans host the Indiana Pacers tonight. Swingman Tyreke Evans is expected to make his season debut tonight for New Orleans after missing the first 26 games because of knee and calf injuries.

New LSU offensive coordinator Matt Canada says it doesn’t matter if he has a dual-threat quarterback or a pro style signal caller, the offense the Tigers run should be equally as productive…
cut 18 (18) “…who is accurate’
Canada has reportedly reached out to Myles Brennan, the four-star quarterback from Mississippi that’s committed to LSU, who recently re-opened the recruiting process. Apparently, Brennan and Canada had a good conversation as Brennan announced on twitter that his recruiting process is finally shut down and he’s officially a Tiger.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees was listed as limited on Wednesday’s practice report. It’s the first time Brees name has appeared on the injury report. The veteran says he is not injured, but decided to take easy at practice. Brees also remains confident he can break out of his personal slump, six interceptions and zero touchdown passes in the last two games.

New LSU offensive coordinator Matt Canada doesn’t think it will take long for the Tigers to have a high-powered offense. Canada says his playbook is simple and effective and it will be tailored around the strengths of the players…:
Cut 16 (16) “proud of that”
Canada was at Pittsburgh this past season and he was a finalist for the Broyles Award which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach. The 41-year-old was the only offensive finalist for that award.

In college hoops last night, UL-Lafayette fell to Georgia in Athens 73-60. Justin Miller Led the Cajuns with 17 points. Nicholls State lost to Texas Tech 89-46. McNeese State was clobbered by SMU 92-56.

The Pelicans are going to try to light things up tonight as they face the Pacers in the Smoothie King Center.

The last couple of games have been rough for the Saints. They’ve only scored 24 points and Quarterback Drew Brees has not thrown a touchdown pass and has been intercepted six times. Brees knows he’ll bounce back:
Cut 19 (15) “those corrections”
This Sunday the Saints visit the Arizona Cardinals.

Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead has been placed on season ending injured reserve. Armstead has been nursing an injured knee throughout the season and has missed several games. Andrus Peat is expected to start at left tackle this Sunday.

The attorney for the man convicted of manslaughter for killing former Saints player Will Smith says they are mapping out an appeal this week. Cardell Hayes is scheduled to be sentenced February 17th, and the DA says he is seeking the maximum 60 years.

LSU made it official today by naming Matt Canada as the Tigers new offensive coordinator. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran believes it’s a good hire and it gives LSU two young and talented coordinators, Canada and defensive coordinator Dave Aranda….
cut 11 (09) “…versatility”
Canada was at Pittsburgh this past season and he was a finalist for the Broyles Award which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach. The 41-year-old was the only offensive finalist for that award.

It’s been reported Saints offensive tackle Terrance Armstead has been placed on injured reserve which would end the veteran’s season, with three games left remaining on the schedule. Armstead has been nursing an injured knee throughout the season and has missed several games. Andrus Peat is expected to start at left tackle this Sunday against Arizona.

ULM announced today that they’ve signed five junior college players who will join the program next month. One of the players is former Neville offensive lineman Joquarius Savage, who has spent the last two seasons at Northeast Mississippi Community College. Coach Matt Viator says three of the five players signed are defensive backs, which he says is a position of need.

The LHSAA is considering changing the schedule for the prep football classic. Instead of spreading out over two weekends, the LHSAA is looking at holding it on the same weekend, over a three-day period from December 7th to the 9th in 2017. Three games will be played each day.

LSU has its new offensive coordinator. It’s Matt Canada, who has had success directing high-powered offenses at Pittsburgh, North Carolina State, Northern Illinois and Indiana. Canada also has a history coaching up quarterbacks. This past season, Pitt QB Nathan Peterman led the ACC in QB rating this year and had 26 touchdowns to six interceptions. Tiger Rag Associate Editor James Moran says this is good news on the recruiting front, as the Tigers are trying to get a four-start recruit from Mississippi to sign with LSU…
cut 10 (12) “…good fit”
Canada is 41-years-old and spent yesterday interviewing for the job.

UL Lafayette has lifted the interim tag from defensive coordinator Mike Lucas. Lucas was named interim defensive coordinator after the first game and the Cajuns finished the regular season 24th in rushing defense, 34th in third down conversion defense and 40th in total defense.

The LHSAA is considering playing the nine state football championships on the same weekend. Earlier this month, the select title games were held on one weekend and the non-select on the other. But that resulted in the Division One Championship kicking-off after 10 PM. The proposal is to play three games a day from December 7th to the 9th.

In college basketball last night…LSU trailed by seven points at halftime to North Carolina Central, but the Tigers played much better in the second half and won 70-66. Antonio Blakeney led the way with 27 points.

Also yesterday, Louisiana Tech topped Prairie View 65-52. Jacobi Boykins drained five three-pointers and finished with a game-high 19 points. The Bulldogs are now 6-4 on the year.

It’s being widely reported that LSU is close to a deal with Pittsburgh’s Matt Canada to be the team’s new offensive coordinator. FoxSports.com says LSU officials had a productive meeting with the 41-year-old Tuesday. The hire would put an end to the long search as LSU head coach Ed Orgeron waited on longtime friend Lane Kiffin — who decided to go be the head coach at Florida Atlantic.

UL-Lafayette head football coach Mark Hudspeth said Tuesday that the interim tag is removed from assistant coach Mike Lucas; who becomes the team’s official defensive coordinator. Lucas has held the post since Week 2 of the season and since then has yielded just 23 points per game.

The New Orleans Saints will be playing a game in London next season against the Dolphins on either September 24th or October 1st in Wembley Stadium. It’ll be a home game for Miami which works in New Orleans favor because it means they won’t have to give up a home game in the Dome. The Black and Gold are preparing to face the Cardinals this Sunday.

In college hoops, it was a close one for LSU last night as they rallied late to get by North Carolina Central 70-66 in the Tigers first game since November 29th. Guard Antonio Blakeney led all scorers with 27 points.

Louisiana Tech held off Prairie View A&M in a 65-62 victory last night in Ruston. The Bulldogs were able to close the game out with an 11-0 run to keep the Panthers at bay. Jacobi Boykins had a game high 19 points.

Tonight UL-Lafayette travels to Georgia, McNeese State is at SMU, and Nicholls State is at Texas Tech.

In the NBA, the luck for the Pelicans just seems to not be there this season. New Orleans almost got by Golden State last night at home, but ended up falling to the Warriors in a thriller, 113-109.

In prep football news, could yet another change be coming to the state championships? The High School Coaches Association and the LHSAA both said they plan to consolidate the select/non-select games to one three day weekend next fall.

Saints players seem to all agree that there are no winners in the case of their former teammate, Will Smith. Cardell Hayes was charged with manslaughter. New Orleans offensive tackle Zach Strief says it’s a tragedy for Smith’s wife Raquel, the family/friends and everyone involved…:
Cut 17 (13) “they realize that”
The Orleans Parish DA says he plans to seek the maximum 60 year sentence for Hayes.

The NFL Network announced today that the Saints will play the Dolphins in London next season. It’ll be either week 3 or week 4 and the exact date will be announced once the full regular season schedule is released.

Lane Kiffin being named Florida Atlantic head coach means Ed Orgeron and his LSU staff must move swiftly to their next top option for offensive coordinator. The Tigers are said to be talking with the Pittsburgh Panthers OC Matt Canada today. The 44 year old year old has been there one season and Pitt averaged 447.5 yards with 42.3 points per game.

The CBS Sports Classic is coming to New Orleans in December 2017. It’s a neutral site for NCAA basketball powers Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State and UCLA. New Orleans will be hosting the NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2022.

For the second straight week Louisiana Tech’s Erik McCree was named as the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

LSU senior center Ethan Pocic was named to his fourth All-America list, as this time he was placed on the Football Writers Association of America First Team the organization announced.