The LSU Tigers have arrived in Houston ahead of Saturday night’s Texas Bowl matchup against the 21^st ranked Houston Cougars.

After this game, LSU turns its attention to the transfer portal as players can officially jump in on January 2^nd.

Two Ole Miss Rebels LSU Coach Lane Kiffin is sure to target are quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy. Caroline Fenton with Yahoo Sports and Sirius-XM Radio says with Harlem Berry and Caden Durham already on the roster and a nearly two-million-dollar NIL offer in Oxford, Kiffin may not be able to persuade Lacy despite their connection.

Cut 18 (20)  “…room already.”

Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has led the Saints to three straight victories. Earlier this week, Shough provided some insight on how the relationship is growing between himself and first-year head coach Kellen Moore…

Cut 19 (42) “…good at”

New Orleans is at Tennessee this Sunday for a noon kick-off.

The Pelicans season-high five-game winning streak ended in Cleveland last night. The Cavaliers drained 20 3-pointers to beat New Orleans 141 to 199 at Rocket Arena. Pelicans interim coach James Borrego says they didn’t do much defensively…

Cut 26 (12) “…grow from this”

The 8-and-23 Pelicans are back in action on Friday when they play the first of back-to-back home games against the Phoenix Suns.

Three NFL games tomorrow. At 3:30 the Vikings host Detroit. Former LSU Star Justin Jefferson needs just 83 yards to eclipse one-thousand yards receiving. It will be the sixth time he’s done that in his six seasons in the NFL. Jefferson needs 27 yards to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss for the most receiving yards by a player in their first six seasons.

Yahoo Sports’ Caroline Fenton reviewed the start of the Lane Kiffin era at LSU on Tiger Rag Radio this week. She says it was always a home run hire, but she’s still been impressed by his enthusiasm to embrace the program and the all-star coaching staff he’s put together.

Cut 16 (16) “…could be better.”

David Frankin has been named the Class One-A Coach of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Franklin led Haynesville to its 18^th state championship as the Golden Tornado beat Mangham in the Division four non-select state title game.

Haynesville’s Isaiah Washington, who has signed to play at LSU as a defensive back, was named the outstanding defensive player of the year. Ascension Catholic running back Trevin Simon is the Class One-A offensive player of the year after rushing for a state record 3,915 yards and scoring 60 touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

The Pelicans’ five-game winning streak ended last night in Cleveland as the Cavaliers outscored New Orleans 141-118. The Pels were playing on the second night of a back-to-back. New Orleans allowed the Cavs to hit 20 three-pointers. Zion Williamson had 26 points in a losing effort.

LSU has lost another starting offensive lineman to the transfer portal. Coen Echols says he plans to transfer after starting seven games at left guard. Freshman Carrius Curne also intends to transfer.

The Saints are one of three teams without a Pro Bowl selection this year. New Orleans is without a representative for the second straight season despite pass catchers Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson each ranking in the top six in yards at their positions. Former Tigers Ja’Marr Chase and Derek Stingley Jr. earned their fifth and second Pro Bowl nods, respectively. Chase leads the AFC in yards and receptions, while Stingley has four interceptions.

The LSU Tigers practice this morning and then they head to Houston to play the Houston Cougars in the Texas Bowl on Saturday night.

Next year Tiger fans are really hoping LSU will be in the College Football Playoffs. One of Lane Kiffin’s claims to fame is his effective use of the transfer portal to build his roster in Oxford. Caroline Fenton of Yahoo Sports and Sirius/XM Radio says finding players in the portal and bringing in former players from Ole Miss can be a recipe for instant success.

Cut 17 (19)  “…why not?”

If there were hopes LSU would be able to get South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart, those hopes were dashed yesterday when Stewart announced he’s returning to the Gamecocks for his junior season.

The Saints are on a late-season surge with three straight wins after Sunday’s 29-6 dismantling of the Jets. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has been at the center of the turnaround. He’s eclipsed almost every Saints rookie passing record and led the team to a 4-and-3 record. He says success now can lay the foundation for next year.

Cut 15 (06) “…to build that.”

The Saints are one of three teams without a Pro Bowl selection this year, along with the Jets and Vikings.  The bayou state is still represented by former LSU Tigers Ja’Marr Chase and Derek Stingley Jr., who were both named starters for the AFC.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin’s son Knox announced he will enroll at U-High in January. The class of 2028 quarterback led Oxford High School to the Mississippi Class 7A semifinals this season and threw for over 12-hundred yards and 14 touchdowns in just six starts. The Cubs posted a 10-and-3 record this season and fell to eventual state champions St. Charles Catholic in the D-2 Select semifinals.

LSU forward Grace Knox was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after leading the Lady Tigers in scoring against Morgan State and Texas-Arlington. Knox averaged 17-and-a-half points and nine-and-a-half rebounds over the two games as LSU improved to 13-and-0. She is the first Lady Tiger to receive the award since Mikaylah Williams in the 2023-24 season.

Ole Miss and Georgia are headed for a playoff rematch in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day in New Orleans. The Bulldogs offense dominated the regular season contest between the teams, and Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding says there’s no room for error against the SEC champs.

Cut 17 (19)  “…on the perimeter.”

LSU offensive lineman Coen Echols announced he’ll be entering the transfer portal. The former four-star recruit played in all 12 games for the Tigers this season and started seven.

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin has announced 11 new additions to the coaching staff. Eight of the new hires followed Kiffin from Ole Miss to Baton Rouge, including several names we already knew, like offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. Also following Kiffin to LSU is his brother, Chris Kiffin, who will be the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Joe Houston, who was previously at Florida is the special teams coordinator.

The Saints have their first three-game winning streak since 2022. Head coach Kellen Moore says it’s good to see his team getting a taste of success.

Cut 13 (06)  “…habits right now.”

The Saints have a chance at ending the season on a five-game winning streak as they finish up with road games at Tennessee and Atlanta.

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The Pelicans won their fifth in a row last night as New Orleans defeated Dallas 119 to 113. Zion Williamson had 24 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Nearly a bad loss by the LSU men’s basketball team last night as they trailed by ten points in the second half to Prairie View A-and-M, but eventually got it going and defeated the Panthers 104 to 90. Marquel Sutton had a double-double, 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Tigers made a school record 43 free throws, breaking a record that stood since 1979.

The Georgia Bulldogs are back in the Sugar Bowl after losing to Notre Dame in last year’s Sugar Bowl. Georgia Coach Kirby Smart doesn’t believe last year’s game will have any impact, as the Bulldogs have an entirely different team.

Cut 19 (18) “…Ole Miss previously.”

Georgia will play Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Day. The Bulldogs are a six and a half point favorite.

The Saints won their third straight with a 29-6 thrashing of the Jets yesterday. Wide receiver Chris Olave racked up 148 yards and two touchdowns on ten catches and has reached 1,000 yards in a season for the third time in four years. He says this year has been a 180 from a disheartening 2024 campaign.

Cut 20 (14) “…a great year.”

The Pelicans will have a chance to earn their fifth straight win tonight against the Mavericks. The 7-and-22 Pels are now just 5-and-a-half games back from a play-in spot and are one of the hottest teams in the NBA since Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole returned from injury. The last two matchups with the Mavs were both decided by one possession. Tip-off is at 7:00.

Tulane fell in the first round of the College Football Playoffs in a 41-10 loss to Ole Miss. Green wave head coach Jon Sumrall says they dug themselves an early hole.

Cut 16 (14) “…the whole game.”

The loss ends Tulane’s 11-and-3 season and the Sumrall era in New Orleans as he heads to Gainesville to take over the Florida head coaching job. The Lane Kiffin-less Rebels will head to the Sugar Bowl to face Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals. Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hudley says the city is excited to host the SEC matchup.

Cut 13 (09)  “…with that league.”

In college hoops Louisiana Tech will host Dallas Christian at 1:00 this afternoon and LSU will face off against Prairie View A&M tonight at 6:00.

The Saints won their third straight on Sunday as they finished the home portion of their schedule with their most complete game of the season by beating the hapless New York Jets 29-6. Quarterback Tyler Shough continues to make the case as the team’s franchise quarterback as he threw for 308 yards and a touchdown. The TD pass came late in the third quarter, as Shough hit a wide open Chris Olave on a 23-yard touchdown pass….

Cut 19 (08) “….the ball”

Olave had a career-high 148 receiving yards and had two touchdowns. The second TD pass was thrown by Taysom Hill in the fourth quarter.

Hill also has 36 receiving yards, and is the only player with over one-thousand yards passing, rushing and receiving in the NFL Super Bowl era.

New Orleans will look for its fourth win in a row this Sunday at Tennessee.

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Tulane’s magical season came to an end Saturday with a 41-10 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in the first round of the college football playoffs. The defeat also ends Jon Sumrall’s two year run as the head coach of the Green Wave. He now moves on to Gainesville to become the head coach of the Florida Gators. Sumrall had this message for his team in the locker room after the game…

Cut 17 (13) “….no it’s not”

Ole Miss’s win over Tulane means the Sugar Bowl matchup is set as the Rebels will face Georgia in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup on New Year’s Day night.

Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith was at the LSU football operations building in a sign that he will be the Tigers new running backs coach.

LSU women’s basketball had another blowout victory, beating Texas-Arlington 110-45. Grace Knox had a career-high 25 points.

Tulane makes its first appearance in the College Football Playoff Saturday, where it’ll face Ole Miss for the second time this season. Head coach Jon Sumrall credited his team’s success to its closeness and says he has full belief in its ability to pull off an upset.

Cut 16 (12) “…we fight.”

Ole Miss is a 17.5 point favorite tomorrow.

The college football playoff gets underway tonight with Oklahoma hosting Alabama. In late October, the Sooners defeated the Crimson Tide 23-21.

The Pelicans had their best win of the season last night for their third straight victory as New Orleans defeated Houston 133 to 128 in overtime. The Pels trailed by 25 points in the first half. Saddiq Bey had a season high 29 points and Trey Murphy added 27 points.

The Saints are seeking their third straight win on Sunday when they host the Jets and they are getting good play from rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Tight end Juwan Johnson knew Shough prior to playing for the Saints, as both started their careers at Oregon. Johnson says he’s seeing Shough play with lots of confidence lately.

Cut 19 (17) “…what it is.”

Running back Devin Neal has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Devaughn Vele has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.

In college hoops, the Ragin Cajuns scored just 17 points in the first half in their Sun Belt opener and lost to Southern Miss 62 to 54.

Tonight, LSU hosts Southeastern Louisiana. The Tigers are 9-1, while the Lions are 4-7.

The son of former LSU head coach Les Miles has been hired by Marshall Faulk and Southern’s new tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator.

LSU freshman offensive lineman Carius Curne, a five-star recruit out of Arkansas, plans to enter the transfer portal. Curne started seven games this past season, with starts at both left and right tackle.

Tulane had just 282 yards of offense in its first matchup against Ole Miss in the regular season. The two teams meet again Saturday in a College Football playoff game. Green wave quarterback Jake Retzlaff (Rhett-Zloff) says offensive coordinator Joe Craddock told the offense it needed to improve on several aspects in order to give itself a shot at winning…

Cut 19 (16) “…we’ve been ever”

The Ragin Cajuns turned it over three times and lost to Delaware 20-13 last night in the 68 Ventures Bowl.

ULM men’s basketball opened up Sun Belt play last night by losing a tough game to South Alabama, falling to the Jaguars in double overtime 96-82. The Warhawks had an 18-point lead at halftime. The Jaguars scored the final 14 points of regulation to force the first overtime.

Louisiana Tech shot 32-percent from the field and lost to Tulane 61-53.

LSU men’s basketball team hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Friday night. Coach Matt McMahon says because of the season ending injury to Jalen Reed, Marquel Sutton has been moved to his natural position and played well in last Saturday’s win over S-M-U…..

Cut 17 (17) “,,,and 12 rebounds”

Tip off against the Lions tomorrow night is at 7 PM

The Texas Bowl on December 27^th is the last game Frank Wilson will coach at LSU. The Tigers interim head coach since late October has accepted a job with Ole Miss to be the Rebels running backs coach. Tiger Rag Editor Glenn Guilbeau says this is not a surprising development…

Cut 6 (08) “…not coming back”

Guilbeau says new LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin is expected to hire the running backs coach he had at Ole Miss, Kevin Smith, as Wilson’s replacement.

Former LSU wide receiver’s coach Cortez Hankton has reportedly interviewed with Ohio State. He’s been at LSU since 2022 and helped develop Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas.

And LSU backup quarterback Colin Hurley is reportedly entering the transfer portal. He left the program for personal reasons towards the end of the regular season. Hurley never took a snap at LSU.

The Ragin Cajuns wrap up the season tonight by playing the Delaware Blue Hens in the 68^th Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The six and six Cajuns have dealt with the injury bug all season, and tonight they are missing several starters. Coach Michael Desormeaux says the team will rely on younger starters and knows his players will benefit from the adversity they’ve faced this season.

Cut 17 (18)  “…progress they’ve made.”

Kick off is at 7:30 and the game will be televised by ESPN.

LSU gymnastics is ranked 2^nd in the Women’s College Gymnastics Association preseason poll behind Oklahoma. The season begins January 10^th with a meet in Utah that will also include the top ranked Sooners, fourth ranked UCLA and fifth ranked Utah.