49er kicker Phil Dawson put a 35-yard field goal through the uprights in overtime as San Francisco edged the Saints 27-24 yesterday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Saints Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns, but threw two interceptions and lost a critical fumble in overtime. Coach Sean Payton says this is a disappointing loss…

cut 16 (12) “make enough plays”

With the loss, the Black & Gold fall to 4-5 on the season. The Saints will try to get back to .500 this Sunday as they host the Cincinnati Bengals, who are coming off a disappointing 24-3 loss to Cleveland.

Elsewhere in the NFC South, Atlanta kicker Matt Bryan connected on four field goals yesterday as the Falcons got past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-17. Carolina plays tonight as they travel to Philadelphia.

LSU’s overtime loss to Alabama on Saturday night is expected to sting for a long time. The Tigers were poised to beat the Crimson Tide, but victory slipped away as Alabama won in overtime 20-13. It wouldn’t be LSU and Alabama without some controversy. An unsportsmanlike penalty on LSU’s Vadal Alexander kept LSU from scoring a touchdown in the final minute of regulation. Instead they had to settle for a field goal and Coach Les Miles is not happy about the call…

cut 14 (10) “not the case”

Meanwhile, LSU Quarterback Anthony Jennings says there was a pass interference that wasn’t called on Alabama, when he threw a pass to Travin Dural in overtime.

Louisiana Tech remains undefeated in Conference USA play as they downed the UAB Blazers 40-20. Bulldog quarterback Cody Sokol threw for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns as Tech remains atop the West Division.

The big game of the season has arrived for the LSU Tigers as they will host the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. No one can argue that the Tide doesn’t have the advantage at the quarterback position. Senior Blake Sims has thrown for two-thousand yards and he’s rushed for 250 yards and five scores. LSU Sports Radio Network color analyst Doug Moreau says Sims is a tough assignment for LSU…
cut 30 (14) “….very well defending”
Last time out, Sims threw for 286 yards and rushed for 42 yards in Alabama 34 to 20 victory over Tennessee.

In other college football action on Saturday…U-L-M looks to snap a four-game losing streak as they visit Appalachian State. Louisiana Tech looks for its fifth win in a row at U-A-B. And the Ragin Cajuns begin a two-game road trip at New Mexico State.

The Saints begin a three-game homestand on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. This stretch of home games gives Drew Brees and the Saints a chance to extend their two-game winning streak and solidfy their first place standing in the NFC South….
cut 19 (16) “…getting better”
The Saints say running backs Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson will not play on Sunday. Linebacker David Hawthorne is also out. Mark Ingram, Jonathan Goodwin, Zach Strief and Robert Meachem are questionable. And Jimmy Graham and Kenny Still are listed as probable. 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis is listed as questionable with a toe injury. The Saints are a five-point favorite.

Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese are both hosting schools from Texas on Saturday. The Lions will take on Houston Baptist, while the Cowboys will face Stephen F Austin.

Tomorrow is a big day of college football as there’s a lot of marque match-ups. Ohio State-Michigan State, Arizona State-Notre Dame, TCU and Kansas State and of course LSU-versus Alabama. If you don’t have a ticket for Saturday night’s game in Death Valley and want to go, Connor Gregoire, with SeatGeek, says the highest seats in the upper sections of Tiger Stadium are going for about 150-dollars…
cut 12 (11) “…500-dollars”
It’s been reported that there will be about 100-prospects in attendance.

The high school football regular season ends this weekend. In last night’s action…Captain Shreve edged Northwood 24-21, Bastrop beat West Ouachita 38-6, Sterlington defeated Oak Grove 50-42, and Livonia edged Church Point 24-21.

The Saints head into Sunday’s game with San Francisco on a two-game winning streak and in first place in the NFC South. Quarterback Drew Brees believes the Saints running game has been a big help in opening things up for the passing game,…
cut 18 (16) “…benefits of that”
In other NFL news…Tony Romo practiced for the Cowboys today and he’s listed as probable as Dallas takes on Jacksonville in London.

Taking a look at Saturday’s college football schedule. LSU against Alabama is the big one, but there’s also Louisiana Tech at UAB, the Ragin Cajuns visit New Mexico State, ULM takes on Appalachian State. Southeastern Louisiana hosts Houston Baptist and McNeese State hosts Stephen F Austin.
Last night…Grambling won its seventh straight, beating Mississippi Valley State 38-23.

The Saints are on a two-game winning streak heading into Sunday’s game against San Francisco and there’s a feeling with Who Dat nation that the Black and Gold are headed in the right direction when it comes to getting back into the playoffs. But Coach Sean Payton says they need to win a few more games, before they can think about the postseason…
cut 20 (20 “…clean up”
The Saints game against San Francisco marks the start of a three-game homestand and an opportunity for the Black and Gold to get on a roll.

In tonight’s NFL game…expect former LSU Tiger Jeremy Hill to start at running back for the Bengals who host the Cleveland Browns. Hill rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a victory over the Jaguars on Sunday.

The LSU Tigers are back on the practice field this afternoon getting ready for Alabama. The Crimson Tide’s biggest weapon on offense is Amari Cooper, who has 71 catches for 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns. Junior free safety Jalen Mills on the challenge of defending Cooper…
cut 18 (13) “….on the field”
Coach Les Miles told reporters last night there’s a chance Brandon Harris may play this Saturday, but the coach has said that before and the true freshman has seen very little playing time since his start at Auburn.

There’s a chance Ragin Cajuns running back Alonzo Harris will not be able to play this Saturday against New Mexico State. Harris was limited in the Cajuns last game against South Alabama.

Tonight, Grambling State seeks its seventh straight win when they visit Mississippi Valley State in a game that will be televised by ESPN-U.

Preparation continues on the LSU campus for Saturday’s SEC West showdown between the Fighting Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide. Junior free safety Jalen Mills says they have a good idea of what to expect from Alabama, who plays a similar style as LSU…
cut 17 (16) “…play ball’
LSU is looking to snap a three-game losing streak to Alabama that dates back to the 2011 national championship game.

Grambling State puts its six-game winning streak on the line tonight in a game at Mississippi Valley state. Grambling is 6-0 in the SWAC, while the Delta Devils are 1-and-6. Kick-off tonight is at 6:30 on ESPN-U.

The Saints will host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in a game featuring two teams that have identical records. Both clubs are 4-and-4, but the 49ers are coming off a very disappointing loss to St. Louis. But New Orleans Coach Sean Payton says San Fran is still one of the best franchises in the NFL…
cut 19 (15) “…outstanding job”

In high school football…one of the top teams in Class Five-A, Parkway, will likely not be involved in this year’s postseason. The LHSAA denied Parkway’s appeal and they must forfeit five games because they used an ineligible player. There is the possibility a lawsuit could be filed, but as it stands now Parkway gets ready for its regular season finale with a two-and-seven record.

The Saints returned to the practice field today to prepare for Sunday’s game against Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers. Here’s Coach Sean Payton on what he’s seen from Kaepernick…
cut 30 (10) “…job with that”
Kaepernick is taking some heat this week as he had a costly fumble at the very end of last week’s game, which resulted in a loss to the St. Louis Rams.

On paper, Alabama has the advantage at quarterback in Saturday’s game against LSU. Blake Sims has completed 65-percent of his passes for 2,034 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. LSU’s Anthony Jennings has completed only 50-percent of his passes for 1,190 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

In high school football news…Parkway’s appeal was denied by the LHSAA, which means they’ll have to forfeit five games for using an ineligible player and that won’t make the postseason.

The Ragin Cajuns are getting ready to take a long flight out to New Mexico State to play the Aggies on Saturday night. New Mexico State has lost their last seven, but U-L Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth says the Aggies are still a quality football team…
cut 20 (20) “…a lot of breaks”

U-L-M gets back into Sun Belt action this Saturday as the Warhawks will visit Appalachian State. The Warhawks are looking to end a four-game losing streak. The Mountaineers have won two in a row, including a 44-0 win over Georgia State. Kick-off from Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina is at 2:30.

When LSU and Alabama meet in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, the Bayou Bengals are expected to run the football. But the Crimson Tide are allowing just 78 yards a game on the ground. LSU senior center Elliot Porter expects a hard fought battle in the trenches…
cut 18 (17) “…come with it”
LSU brings a three-game winning streak into Saturday night’s contest. Alabama has also won three in a row, since its 23-17 loss to Ole Miss.

In the latest College Football Rankings…Mississippi State, Florida State and Auburn are still the top three. Oregon is fourth, Alabama is fifth and LSU is 16th, up three spots from last week. Ole Miss dropped to 11th.

The Pelicans snapped a two-game losing streak last night with a 100-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Anthony Davis had 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead the way. Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson each added 16 points and the Pels shot the ball better as they were 47-percent from the floor.

Saints linebacker Junior Galette has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He had two sacks and a forced fumble in New Orleans win over Carolina last week.

In other NFL news….Houston Coach Bill O’ Brien has announced former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett will start at quarterback for the Texans. Mallett replaces Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has led Houston to a four-and-five record. The Texans are off this weekend.

And former LSU Tiger DJ LeMahieu has been named a National League Gold Glove winner for his play at second base for the Rockies. LeMahaieu is the first former Tiger to win this award as led N-L second baseman in defensive runs saved and double plays.

LSU is a six and a half point underdog heading into Saturday’s game Alabama. But junior cornerback Jalen Collins says the Tigers have all the confidence in the world they can get a win over the Crimson Tide…

cut 17 (16) “feeling great”

LSU is expected to run the football, but the Crimson Tide is allowing just 78 yards a game on the ground.

The Pelicans defeated the Charlotte Hornets 100-91 in front of nearly 15,000 fans last night in the Smoothie King Center. Anthony Davis lead all scorers with 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Pels improve to 2-2 on the season. The Pelicans have a few days off before traveling to meet the defending champion San Antonio Spurs Saturday night.

The Ragin Cajuns will take a four-game winning streak to New Mexico State where they’ll face the two and seven Aggies. U-L Lafayette Coach Mark Hudspeth says the play of the offensive line is one reason for its recent success…

cut 19 (19) “nice job”

Hudspeth says even though New Mexico State has lost their last seven, they are still a quality football team.

The Black & Gold get back to work today as they get ready to host San Francisco Sunday. The Saints are feeling good about themselves, as they’ve won two in a row and moved into first place in the NFC South. The 49ers lost to St. Louis last Sunday and they are also 4-and-4. Kick-off on Sunday is at noon.

When LSU and Alabama meet on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, it will be the ninth time, Coach Les Miles has matched wits with Alabama’s Nick Saban. Saban has won five of the previous eight meetings. Miles says it’s enjoyable to face the style of program led by Saban….
cut 19 (17) “….talented coach”
Saban is not ruling out the possibility that his starting left tackle Cameron Robinson of West Monroe will play against LSU, even though he suffered a high ankle sprain in the Crimson Tide’s last game.

The Saints get back to work tomorrow as they’ll get ready to host San Francisco on Sunday. New Orleans is feeling good about itself, as they’ve won two in a row, to move into first place in the NFC South. The 49ers lost to St. Louis last Sunday and they are also 4-and-4. Kick-off on Sunday is at noon.

The Pelicans look to snap a two-game losing streak tonight when they host the Charlotte Hornets. New Orleans lost to Memphis 93 to 81 last night. In the two defeats, the Pelicans shot just 38-percent from the field and 26-percent from three point territory. Tip-off tonight is at seven o’ clock.

Back to college football…Louisiana Tech quarterback Cody Sokol has been named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association offensive player of the week. He threw for 335 and five touchdowns. in the Bulldogs 59-10 win over Western Kentucky.

U-L-M’s Hunter Kissinger and U-L Lafayette’s Christian Ringo are the co-defensive players of the week. Ringo had two sacks and a fumble recovery in the Cajuns 19-9 win over South Alabama and Kissinger had a game-high 13 tackles in the Warhawks loss to Texas A-and-M.

In the latest power rankings for high school football….on the non-select side….Byrd, Plaquemine, Church Point, Kinder and Mangham are ranked number one in their respective classifications. On the select side…the schools that lead their respective divisions are John Curtis, U-High, Catholic High of New Iberia and Vermilion Catholic.

Alabama will arrive in Death Valley on Saturday night with a seven and one record. They once again have one of the top defenses in the Southeastern Conference and on offense they feature Amari Cooper, who leads the SEC in receiving yards. Coach Les Miles says Cooper has great speed and size…
Cut 18 (15) “talented man”
This is the ninth time Miles has matched up with Alabama Coach Nick Saban. His record is 3-and-5.

The Saints will begin their second-half of the season on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, who are struggling with a 4-and-4 record. New Orleans is also 4-and-4, but the Black and Gold have won their last two games and lead the NFC South. Kick-off this Sunday is at noon. In other action this weekend….Atlanta is at Tampa Bay and Carolina visits Philadelphia in a Monday night matchup.

Louisiana Tech’s defense is ranked near the top in the country in several categories. They are third in the country in interceptions with 16 and they are number one in points off turnovers and number one in third quarter scoring margin, a plus 91.

UL Lafayette outside linebacker David Saunders has resigned. The university has cited “personal reasons.” Matt Wallerstedt who joined the staff as a consultant, will take over Saunders position.

In the latest high school football polls….Rummel, Neville, UHIGH, Many and Mangham are all ranked number one. In Two-A, Many is number one and Catholic High of New Iberia has moved to number two, followed by Riverside, Calvary Baptist and Kinder.

In the NBA….the Pelicans shot just 33-percent from the field in a 93-81 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. New Orleans will try to snap its two-game losing streak tonight against the Charlotte Hornets, who are also off to a 1-and-2 start.