Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns as Detroit held off a fourth quarter rally to defeat the Saints 35-27. Detroit held a 28-3 lead in the third quarter, but the Black & Gold scored 17 straight points to make a game of it in the fourth. Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns. With that performance, Brees became the fourth quarterback to pass for more than 60,000 yards in a career and broke the 4,000 mark for the 10th straight season. The loss guarantees the Saints’ a second consecutive losing season.

Former LSU Tiger Odell Beckham Junior has been suspended for one game for his actions against Carolina cornerback Josh Norman, Sunday. Beckham was flagged three times for unnecessary roughness. Beckham was reportedly upset that a member of the Panthers was walking around on the field with a bat in his hands before the game. The Giants star wideout plans to appeal the suspension.

Three Louisiana college baseball teams are ranked in the first preseason poll. Collegiate Baseball has UL Lafayette ranked sixth, LSU is ranked seventh and Tulane is ranked 19th. Tigers Coach Paul Mainieri says it’s nice to see his team ranked in the top ten…

cut 16 (11) “everyday players”

LSU reached the College World Series last season and return one of the top pitchers in the country in Alex Lange.

In college hoops action … Bryce Washington’s 16 points and 10 rebounds led UL-Lafayette to a 79-69 win over UNO last night at the Cajundome. The Ragin Cajuns outscored the Privateers 14-2 in the final five minutes.

Georgia Tech cruised past Southeastern Louisiana 75-62 and Southern defeated North Carolina Central 68-63 at the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas.

The Saints and Lions meet tonight in Monday night football even though neither team has a chance to make the playoffs. New Orleans is listed as a three-point favorite as they usually play well at home in primetimes. They’ve won 16 of their last 17 games played at the dome at night. Kick-off tonight is at 7:15.

Former LSU Tiger Odell Beckham Junior has been suspended for one game for his actions against Carolina cornerback Josh Norman. Beckham was flagged three times for unnecessary roughness. Beckham was reportedly upset that a member of the Panthers was walking around on the field with a bat in his hands before the game. The Giants star wideout plans to appeal the suspension.

Bad news for fans of the Honey Badger. Former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL. Mathieu suffered an injury while intercepting a pass in the Cardinals win over the Eagles last night. Mathieu was up for defensive player of the year honors.

Former LSU Tiger Zach Mettenberger will have a chance to start the final two games of the season for the Titans. That’s because Tennesse starter Marcus Mariota will reportedly miss the rest of the year with an MCL sprain. Mettenberger replaced Mariota yesterday and threw for 242 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss to New England.

Parkway quarterback Keondre Wudtee has decommitted from Louisiana Tech. The three star prospect reportedly plans to visit Oklahoma State and TCU, before making a decision.

Three Louisiana college baseball teams are ranked in the first preseason college baseball poll. UL Lafayette comes in at number six, followed by LSU and then Tulane is ranked 19th by Collegiate Baseball’s poll.

In college hoops tonight…UL Lafayette hosts UNO. Both teams are 3-6 on the season. Southeastern Louisiana is at Georgia Tech and the LSU Lady Tigers will visit top ranked UCONN at six PM.

The Saints and Lions will not be in the playoffs this year, but yet they’ll meet on Monday night football tonight. Even though New Orleans failed to make the playoffs for a second straight year, Quarterback Drew Brees says the players have not given up on the season…
cut 17 (11) “…to work”
Brees is 173 passing yards away from becoming the fourth QB to reach 60-thousand for his career. If Brees throws for more than 206 yards, he’ll extend his NFL record streak of consecutive 4,000 yard seasons to 10.

New York receiver Odell Beckham’s emotional play got the best of him yesterday as the Giants lost to Carolina 38-35. Beckham was flagged three times for personal foul penalties as he battled with Panthers cornerback Josh Norman. There are reports the former LSU Tiger could be suspended for a one game, because of his action.

The Louisiana Tech football team is back in Ruston after an impressive performance in the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. The Bulldogs beat Arkansas State 47-28. Kenneth Dixon scored four touchdowns and is now the NCAA’s career touchdown scorer.

Three Louisiana college baseball teams are ranked in the top 20 in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll. UL Lafayette is ranked sixth, LSU is ranked 7th and Tulane is ranked 19th. Southeastern Louisiana is receiving votes and they are ranked 42nd. Florida is ranked number one.

After losing to the Suns on Friday, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry demanded better effort from his players. He got it last night as New Orleans closed out a five-game road trip with a 130 to 125 win over Denver. Anthony Davis was battling an illness and needed IV fluids during the game, but still scored 27 points. Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday each had 21 points.

In college basketball tonight…UL Lafayette hosts UNO.

The Saints face the Detroit Lions tonight at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in a battle of two teams with losing records. New Orleans is 5-8 on the year, but coming off one of its best performances of the season when they beat Tampa Bay last week. Quarterback Drew Brees says they want to build on that performance…

cut 16 (19) “we are”

The Saints were eliminated from playoff contention for a second straight year when Seattle and Minnesota won yesterday.

Louisiana Tech won their second consecutive bowl game as they defeated Arkansas State in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl 47-28. The Bulldogs were led by senior running back Kenneth Dixon’s four touchdown scores. In the process, Dixon set new NCAA records for career touchdowns with 87 and scoring with 522 points.

Four Pelicans scored 20 points of more as New Orleans defeated Denver last night 130-125. Anthony Davis led the way for the Pels with 27 despite leaving after the first quarter to receive IV treatment for an illness. Davis returned in the fourth quarter and led a 19-10 run that allowed the Pelicans to take control of the game for good. The Pels are now 8-19 and return to the Smoothie King Center Wednesday night to face the Trail Blazers.

In college basketball action over the weekend – Mississippi State upended Tulane 69-59. Dylan Osetkowski led the Green Wave with 20. Tulane hosts Southern Miss tomorrow night.

Ben Simmons scored 24 to lead LSU over Oral Roberts 100-77. The Tigers host American University Tuesday night at the P-MAC.

Virginia Tech blasted Grambling 87-52. The Tigers trailed by just 3 at the half, but couldn’t overcome committing 24 turnovers, 15 in the second half.

Northwestern State picked up their second win of the season with a 105-79 win over Missouri Valley.

Bowl season has arrived and tonight at the Mercedes Benz Superdome the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs will take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves at 8 PM in the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Tech will have to figure out how to slow down Arkansas State’s rushing game. The Red Wolves are averaging 236 yards on the ground, while the Bulldogs have allowed 115 yards a contest. Tech running back Kenneth Dixon is two touchdowns away from tying NCAA record for career TDs.

LSU faces Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl on December 29th and the Red Raiders will not have their second leading receiver. Devin Lauderdale has been suspended by head coach Kliff Kingsbury for failure to uphold expectations of a student-athlete.

And UL Lafayette quarterback Brooks Haack has announced he’s transferring. Haack started eight games this past season and he threw for 14-hundred yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The Saints will host Detroit for Monday night football. New Orleans is a healthy team heading into this game as none of its players missed practice yesterday. Offensive lineman Terron Armstead and safety Jairus Byrd participated in practice on a limited basis.

In the NBA…the Pelicans fell behind by double digits in the first quarter last night and never could catch up as they lost to the Phoenix Suns 104-88. After the game, Coach Alvin Gentry said his team gave terrible effort.

In college basketball…Louisiana Tech improved to 9-2 with an 83-76 win over Southern. That’s 37 straight wins at home for the Bulldogs. ULM crushed Central Baptist 101-76. Majok Deng had a career-high 33 points. Colorado clobbered Nicholls State 85-68, Pepperdine pummeled UL Lafayette 79-59.

In the PMAC at one o’ clock today…LSU hosts an 8-4 Oral Roberts team on the SEC Network.

Louisiana Tech battles Arkansas State tomorrow night in the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Arkansas State brings an eight game winning streak into the bowl, while the Bulldogs suffered a blow out loss to Southern Miss in their regular season finale. Coach Skip Holtz says his team still has a bad taste in its mouth from that game…
cut 15 (14) “…the season”
A high scoring contest is expected as the Red Wolves average 41 points a game, while the Bulldogs have averaged 37 a contest. Kick-off in the Mercedes Benz Superdome is at eight o’ clock tomorrow.

Quarterback Brooks Haack is transferring from the UL Lafayette football program. Over the last three seasons, Haack has appeared in 21 games for the Cajuns and started eight games this past season.

On Monday night, it’s the Saints versus the Lions inside the Dome. After missing practice yesterday, free safety Jairus Byrd was back at practice today. Left tackle Terron Armstead also practiced on a limited basis. The Saints are 5-8 on the year, and could be eliminated from playoff contention before the game starts.

The Pelicans continue their five-game road trip tonight as they are in Phoenix. New Orleans is 1-and-2 on the trip and they beat the Suns the last time they were out west. Tip-off is at 9:30 on ESPN.

Interesting match-up in college basketball tonight as Louisiana Tech hosts southern. The Bulldogs are 8-2 on the year, while the Jaguars are seven and three. Elsewhere…UL Lafayette visits Pepperdine.

There’s a messy battle playing out between LSU and it’s former defensive coordinator John Chavis. Apparently the university made alterations to Chavis’ contract after he signed it, but LSU claims they were nominal and did not affect terms. A judge has also ordered Chavis to turn over his phone records. Legal analyst Tim Meche says it would probably be best for both sides to settle…:
CUT 12 (09) “very careful”

Interesting match-up in college basketball tonight as Louisiana Tech hosts southern. The Bulldogs are 8-2 on the year, while the Jaguars are seven and three. Elsewhere…UL Lafayette visits Pepperdine.

In the NBA…the Pelicans are at Phoenix tonight. New Orleans has just seven wins on the year, but two of them are against the Suns. Tip-off is at 9:30 on ESPN.

Saturday marks the end of a great college career for Louisiana Tech running back Kenneth Dixon. His Bulldogs will play Arkansas State in the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Dixon has 83 career touchdowns and he’s the all-time leading rusher in Bulldog history. Tech head coach Skip Holtz says Dixon has been hampered by an ankle injury, but he’ll be ready to go Saturday night…
cut 14 (08) “…of the season”
Arkansas State brings an eight game winning streak into the bowl, while the Bulldogs suffered a blow out loss to Southern Miss in their regular season finale.

Multiple media outlets are reporting that new ULM head coach Matt Viator has hired former Louisiana Tech quarterback Matt Kubik to be his offensive coordinator. Kubik was the offensive coordinator for Stephen F Austin this past season and helped the Lumberjack offense average 26 points a game in 2015.

And ULM football has agreed to a home-and-home series with Memphis.

Court filings reveal that LSU altered its contract with former defensive coordinator John Chavis after he signed it in 2012. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
Cut 3 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Meanwhile, 24-7 sports no longer has LSU with the top 2016 football recruiting class in the country. That’s because one of the top linebackers in the country has de-committed from LSU. John Ehret’s Michael Divinity says he’ll decide early next year whether to sign with LSU or Texas A-and-M.

A bunch of points are expected on Saturday night at the R-and-L Carriers New Orleans Bowl as Louisiana Tech faces Arkansas State. Both teams rank in the top 20 in scoring as the Red Wolves are averaging 41 points a game and the Bulldogs have averaged 37 a contest. Tech head coach Skip Holtz on why A-S-U is so hard to defend..:
Cut 13 (12) “big plays”
Arkansas State brings an eight game winning streak into the bowl, while the Bulldogs suffered a blow out loss to Southern Miss in their regular season finale. The game kicks off at 8pm tomorrow and will be televised on ESPN.

In men’s hoops last night, Grambling fell to North Carolina A&T. Today Louisiana Tech hosts Southern. Central Baptist travels to face ULM. Nicholls is at Colorado and UL-Lafayette is on the road at Pepperdine.

Arizona transfer Craig Victor saw his first action of the season last night and helped the LSU men’s basketball team beat Gardner-Webb 78-57 in the PMAC. Victor had 10 points and five rebounds. Freshman Ben Simmons had a double-double 11 points and 12 rebounds as the Tigers improved to 5-4.

Anthony Davis had a double-double last night as the Pelicans beat the Utah Jazz 104-94. Ryan Anderson led the Pelicans with 24 points as they outscored the Jazz 23-10 during a stetch in the fourth quarter. New Orleans is now 7-18 on the year and will visit Phoenix on Friday.

24-7 sports no longer has LSU with the top 2016 football recruiting class in the country. That’s because of the top linebackers in the country has de-committed from LSU. John Ehret’s Michael Divinity says he’ll decide early next year whether to sign with LSU or Texas A-and-M.

Court filings reveal LSU made alterations to a contract after it was signed by former LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis. Chavis is suing the school for defamation and claims he does not owe the university any money for leaving for Texas A-and-M. The judge overseeing the case has also asked Chavis to turn over phone records, which could help determine if the coach was working for A-and-M prior to the time he was announced as an Aggies assistant coach.

The Saints are getting ready to play the Detroit Lions on Monday night. New Orleans is 5-8, a big reason for the losing record is penalties. The Black and Gold have been flagged 128 times, the third highest in the NFL.

Three Saints players did not practice today. Offensive tackle Terron Armstead and Jairus Byrd, because of issues with one of their knees. Byrd hasn’t missed a practice in over two months. Marques Colston received a veteran’s day off as his absence was not injury related.

And Kentwood High quarterback Shyheim Carter has been named the Class One-A offensive player of the year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Forward Craig Victor the third who transferred in from Arizona made his first appearance for the LSU Tigers last night and he helped Coach Johnny Jones team beat Gardner Webb 78-57. Victor came off the bench and scored ten points. Freshman Ben Simmons had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers who improved their record to 5-4.

Elsewhere in college hoops last night…11th ranked North Carolina thumped Tulane 96-72, UMASS upended UNO 103-95 in overtime. 18th ranked SMU knocked off Nicholls State 86-42 and McNeese State snapped a four-game losing streak with a 77-72 win over LSU-Alexandria.

In the NBA, the Pelicans beat Utah 104-94 last night. Ryan Anderson came off the bench to lead the way with 24 points. Anthony Davis had 17 points and 13 rebounds. New Orleans is now 1-2 on its current five game road trip that continues Friday in Phoenix.

Former McNeese State defensive back Lance Guidry is the new leader of the Cowboys football program. Guirdy replaces Matt Viator who is the new ULM head coach and Guidry expects to build on the success Viator brought to McNeese…
cut 18 (11) “…national championship”
McNeese is coming off a Southland championship and a perfect season record wise in the regular season.

A linebacker from the New Orleans area de-commits from LSU. John Ehret’s Michael Divinity says he’ll decide between LSU and Texas A-and-M on January 5th. Divinity is ranked as the number one linebacker in the state.

Kentwood quarterback Shyheim Carter has been named the Class One-A offensive player of the year. Southern Lab linebacker Chris Allen is the defensive player of the year, while South Cameron’s Mark Delaney is the coach of the year.