The LSU Tigers are 0-and-2 in the SEC for the first time since 2001 and many Tiger fans are wondering when they’ll win again. NFL Analyst Mike Detillier believes it will happen this Saturday at Florida. Detillier says this young team will figure out a way to get a “W”…

cut 18 (18) “like that”

Detillier says the play of the offensive and defensive lines have been the biggest disappointments this season.

The Saints have placed safety Jarius Byrd on injured reserve and signed tight end Tom Crabtree. The Crabtree signing comes after standout tight end Jimmy Graham injured his shoulder against Tampa Bay. Crabtree was a 2009 undrafted free agent who started five games for Tampa Bay last year.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball is the favorite to win the Conference USA title. That’s based on a vote by the league’s coaches. Coach Michael White says winning a league championship and reaching the NCAA Tournament are two big goals this year…

cut 16 (18) “NCAA Tournament”

The Bulldogs return four starters from last year’s team that earned a share of the league title.

The Sun Belt Conference has reprimanded the officiating crew that worked the UL-Lafayette/Georgia State football game last weekend. The conference acknowledges there was a mistake in counting downs in the last minute of the second quarter. After a series of penalties, Georgia State should have had the ball on first down with 15 yards to go. Officials wrongly marked it as second down.

The LSU Tigers have given up 11-hundred yards of offense in two SEC games, but Coach Les Miles is optimistic the defense can turn things around. Miles says they need to fix some technical issues, which should produce better results….
cut 17 (12) “….important piece”
When you look at the SEC statistics…LSU has allowed 184 rushing yards per game, which is last in the league.

In the NFL…the Saints have released fourth round pick Khairi Fortt, who was on injured reserve—designated to return list. The linebacker was eligible to come off that list on Monday. He injured his hamstring in the second preseason game and his release is considered a bit of a surprise. The Bengals thought enough of him and signed him today.

In other NFL news…former LSU Trindon Holliday reportedly had a try out with the Chicago Bears today. Holliday was recently released by the Giants.

There are changes at the top in the latest high school football polls. In Class One-A, Mangham is now number one, as Haynesville falls to number two. In three A, University High in Baton rouge is ranked number one as John Curtis slipped to number two as a result its loss to St. Aug. U-High has a big game on Thursday night against crosstown rival Parkview Baptist in a game that can be seen on Fox Sports New Orleans.

Louisiana Tech men’s basketball has been picked to win the Conference USA title in a poll of the league’s coaches. The Bulldogs return four starters, three of those players….Kenneth Smith, Alex Hamilton and Raheem Appleby…have received preseason all-conference honors.

Northwestern State unveiled its 2014-15 men’s basketball schedule today. The Demons tip-off the season against Texas A-and-M in College Station on November 14th. Northwestern will also visit Oklahoma, Arkansas and ULM in non-conference play, while host Louisiana Tech and U-L lafayette.

LSU Coach Les Miles is holding off on naming a starting quarterback for Saturday’s game against Florida. Miles says he’ll let Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris battle for that opportunity during practice this week. Despite only scoring seven points in a loss to Auburn, Miles believes the offense is not that far away from getting on track. He says the biggest thing they need to do is relax…
cut 16 (14) “…very quickly”
There reportedly was a players only meeting following yesterday’s practice. Cornerback Tre’Davious White is quoted as saying that they tried to tell everyone to stick together.

In the latest Sports Network FCS poll….McNeese State is ranked fifth and Southeastern Louisiana is ranked ninth. Southern is ranked ninth and Grambling tenth in the Black college football poll.

Saints players can use the bye week to heal up from injuries. Tight end Jimmy Graham reportedly has a shoulder sprain, but sources say its not considered serious. Center Jonathan Goodwin did not finish the game against Tampa, but he told reporters his knee injury is not serious as well. There’s also a report that says running back Mark Ingram could be able to return from a broken hand, when New Orleans gets back on the field October 19th against Detroit.

Other Saints news…Safety Kenny Vaccaro says he’s starting to play like his old self. He says the broken ankle he suffered at the end of last year was still bothering him. Also, the black and gold have released rookie Khairi Fortt. The fourth round pick was on injured reserve, but eligible to return Monday.

In the high school football polls…University High in Baton Rouge is newly ranked number one team in Class 3A, while Mangham has taken over the top spot in the One-A poll.

In NBA preseason action last night…Atlanta defeated the Pelicans 93-87.

LSU Coach Les Miles has faith the Tigers will be able to turn their season around, but who will start at quarterback is a question mark. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 3 (30) “reporting”

The New Orleans Pelicans fell to the Atlanta Hawks 93-87 last night in NBA preseason action. Ryan Anderson led the Pels with 14 points followed by Omer Asik with 12. The Pelicans are 1-1 this preseason.

The Saints are headed into the bye week with a much needed win under their belts as they defeated Tampa Bay 37 to 31 in overtime. But it was a painful victory for New Orleans, who saw tight end Jimmy Graham leave the game with a shoulder injury. Coach Sean Payton did not offer any specifics yesterday, but it’s been reported that Graham is suffering from a shoulder sprain. The same report said that the team doesn’t think the injury is serious. New Orleans next game is October 19th at Detroit and it’s also possible running back Mark Ingram could return to that game from a broken hand.

The Ragin Cajuns have a couple of extra days to prepare for their next opponent. U-L Lafayette’s next game is Tuesday, October 14th against Texas State. That game will be televised on ESPN2. The Cajuns won their Sun Belt opener last Saturday as wide receiver Jamal Robinson came back from an injury to score two touchdowns in a 34-31 win over Georgia State.

Even though the Tigers are off to an 0-and-2 start in SEC play, Coach Les Miles is not ready to say this is a rebuilding season. Miles says there’s still plenty of victories to be had this season, if his team can execute better…
cut 18 (15) “….go forward”
LSU is at Florida this Saturday. Miles plans to name a starting quarterback later in the week as he’ll allow Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris compete for the job this week.

It looks like the Gators will start Jeff Driskel at quarterback this Saturday. Thats’ because true freshman Treon Harris has been suspended, because he’s been accused of sexually assaulting female student at a residence hall early Sunday morning. Harris was at the helm when Florida rallied to beat Tennessee 10 to 9 this past Saturday in Knoxville.

The Saints are headed into the bye week with a much needed win under their belts as they defeated Tampa Bay 37 to 31 in overtime. But it was a painful victoryfor New Orleans, who saw tight end Jimmy Graham leave the game with a shoulder injury. Coach Sean Payton did not offer any specifics today, but it’s been reported that Graham is suffering from a shoulder sprain. The same report said that the team doesn’t think the injury is serious. New Orleans next game is October 19th at Detroit and it’s also possible running back Mark Ingram could return to that game from a broken hand.

The Ragin Cajuns have a couple of extra days to prepare for their next opponent. U-L Lafayette’s next game is Tuesday, October 14th against Texas State. The Cajuns won their Sun Belt opener last Saturday as wide receiver Jamal Robinson came back from an injury to score two touchdowns in a 34-31 win over Georgia State.

In the latest Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll….McNeese State holds steady at number five, while Southeastern Louisiana moved up two spots to number nine.

A come from behind overtime win over Tampa Bay gives the Saints a 2-and-3 record heading into a bye week and they are just one game back of Carolina for first place in the NFC South. Khiry Robinson scored the winning TD, with an explosive 18-yard run into the end zone. Coach Sean Payton talked about the importance of this victory….
cut 20 (15) “…that tape”
The bye week comes at a good time for the Saints. Tight end Jimmy Graham had to leave yesterday’s game with a shoulder injury. Graham reportedly has a shoulder sprain. Center Jonathan Goodwin, linebacker Ramon Humber and cornerback Patrick Robinson were also injured.

Former LSU Tiger Odell Beckham has finally recovered from a hamstring injury and he caught 15 yard touchdown pass in his first NFL game as he helped the Giants beat Atlanta 30-20.

The Fighting Tigers 41-7 loss to Auburn was more evidence that LSU has significant problems on both sides of the football. The quarterback play was “awful” to steal a quote from starter Brandon Harris and the defense gave up 566 yards of offense. Coach Les Miles says the problems on defense can be tied to an ineffective offense…
cut 17 (12) “….sustained”
LSU is 0-and-2 in the SEC and heads to Florida on Saturday.

While the Tigers are struggling against teams in their own conference…Grambling State and Southeastern Louisiana lead their respective leagues. Grambling is 3-and-0 after beaging Alabama A-and-M 38-28. This Saturday, Grambling hosts Alcorn State, who is also 3-and-0.

And S-L-U is 2-and-0 in the Southland after beating Northwestern State on Saturday, 30-22. The Lions are at Lamar this Saturday.

The Saints announce their big free-agent acquisition last offseason is out for the season. Safety Jairus Byrd injured his knee in practice this week and has been placed on injured reserve. Byrd’s injury, means Rafael Bush will likely start in his place. Byrd was an All-pro selection last season with the Bills and signed a six-year, 54 million dollar contract with the Black and Gold last March. He’ll be watching from the sidelines this Sunday, when New Orleans hosts Tampa Bay.

Saturday will be a great day for the SEC West as six of the seven teams in the division will be involved in Top 25 match-ups. It all starts at 11 AM when sixth ranked Texas A-and-M visits 12th ranked Mississippi State. At two-thirty, third ranked Alabama faces 11th ranked Ole Miss in Oxford and then at six o’ clock, 15th ranked LSU takes on fifth ranked Auburn. LSU is the only team out of that bunch that has a conference loss.

The Ragin Cajuns begin Sun Belt play on Saturday when they host Georgia State. UL Lafayette has lost three straight, but they didn’t play last week, so they should be well rested and they face a team that’s lost 15 of its last 16 games dating back to last year.

ULM has the chance to improve to 3-and-0 in the Sun Belt when they visit Arkansas State. Arkansas State has won at least a share of the last three Sun Belt Conference Championships and they’ve defeated the Warhawks four years in a row.

Louisiana Tech is asking fans to wear red for their Conference USA home opener against UTEP. The Bulldogs want to stay away from turnovers. They’ve had nine of them this season, including five against Northwestern State.

Speaking of the Demons they open conference play by visiting the defending Southland champs, the Southeastern Louisiana Lions. McNeese State also gets conference play going as they host Nicholls State.

And in the SWAC…Grambling looks to improve to 3-and-0 in league play as they visit Alabama A-and-M.

We’re heading into a big weekend of college football. Of course the marquee game is Saturday night in Auburn as the 15th ranked LSU Tigers visit the 5th ranked War Eagles. Offensively, Auburn is led by senior quarterback Nick Marshall, who led the War Eagles to the national championship game last season. Tiger Rag Magazine Editor Robert Stewart says Marshall rushed for over one-thousand yards last season and he can also make some plays through the air…
cut 17 (12) “…Auburn offense”
Kick-off from Jordan-Hare Stadium is at six PM.

Also on Saturday…Louisiana Tech looks to snap a two-game losing streak as they host UTEP. ULM tries to go to 3-and-0 in the Sun Belt as they visit Arkansas State. The Ragin Cajuns begin Sun Belt play as they host Georgia State.

In high school football action last night…Ponchatoula improved to 5-and-0 with a 49-7 win over Northshore. Buckeye suffered its first loss of the season as they fell to Menard 21-7. Catholic High of New Iberia is also off to a 5-and-0 start after beating Notre Dame 56-28. In action tonight…Union Parish faces Ouachita Christian and Calvary Baptist takes on West Monroe.

Ragin Cajuns linebacker Chris Hill has been suspended from the team after he was arrested on domestic abuse battery charges. U-L Lafayette police sergeant Bill Abrams says the incident with a female victim occurred in a parking garage on campus and it was caught on tape….
cut 4 (04) “…on the video”
Abrams says the victim was treated for injuries at a local hospital. Hill has not played in a game this season, becuase he’s been academically ineligible.

The Saints are getting ready to play Tampa Bay at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Sunday. New Orleans has won nine in a row in the dome.

15th ranked LSU is at 5th ranked Auburn tomorrow in a SEC west matchup. The Tigers already have one loss in conference play, a 34-29 loss to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs rushed for 302 yards in that contest and Tiger Rag Editor Robert Stewart is concerned LSU will have trouble stopping Auburn’s rushing attack…:
CUT 16 (15) “in a shootout”
Stewart says with LSU starting a true freshman at quarterback in Brandon Harris, it’s expected the Tigers will look to run the football…:
CUT 18 (12) “this time around”
The game in Jordan-Hare Stadium kicks off at 6pm.

Looking at college football games around the state tomorrow, Grambling is at Alabama A&M, Northwestern State travels south to take on Southeast Louisiana in Hammond, UL-Lafayatte will host Georgia State, strugging 0-5 Nicholls State goes to Lake Charles to face McNeese State and ULM goes to Arkansas State.

Former New Orleans Saint Darren Sproles, running back for the Eagles, says he was disrespected by coach Sean Payton before he was traded to Philadelphia in March. Sproles made the comments to a NJ.com reporter. He said he was first told he was going to be cut then he had to find out on Twitter that he was being traded which is “just not right.”

The 2015 NFL draft will be happening in Chicago the league announced Thursday — moving from New York where it’s been held for decades. Next year’s draft happens April 30th-May 2nd.

The Saints will welcome the Tampa Buccaneers for their annual visit to the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Sunday. These two teams last met in the 2013 regular season finale and the Saints won big 42-17. Bucs starting quarterback Mike Glennon remembers that game well…
cut 30 (18) “…with a win”
Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes in that game.

The Pelicans announced today that Fox Sports New Orleans will televise 77 of their regular season games this year, starting with the season opener on October 28th against Orlando. Either NBA TV, TNT or ESPN will televise the five other regular season games.

The LSU Tigers will leave tomorrow for their first SEC road game of the year. The Tigers will face Auburn at six o’ clock. With LSU starting a true freshman at quarterback, it’s expected the Tigers will look to run the football. But Auburn has been stingy against the run this year, holding opponents to just 91 rushing yards a game.

Louisiana Tech begins a stretch of seven consecutive Conference USA games on Saturday when they host UTEP. The Bulldogs enter the game as 12 point favorities.

Week Five of the high school football season gets underway tonight. Your LHSAA-New Orleans Saints Game of the Week is Buckeye versus Holy Savior-Menard. You can see it on Fox Sports New Orleans at 7 PM.

U-L Lafayette 2015 baseball schedule came out today. The Cajuns open the season at Texas San Antonio and they’ll also travel to Alabama for a three-game non-conference series. The home opener is February 20th against Stony Brook.