The Kneaux

Pelicans Head Coaching Search Manifesto

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:41:33 GMT

Part one of breaking down all Pelicans Head Coaching Candidates

The Pelicans approach a pivotal offseason.

Despite lacking a first-round pick and coming off a turbulent year, this offseason represents a ‘clean slate.’

That’s at the very least what Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver are claiming, as they’ve cleared out what remains of the David Griffin to the point where not even the carcass remains.

Many moves would contradict that entirely, and they were perfectly in control of getting out on the right foot in the summer of 2025.

Now is not the time to go there, and quite frankly, I’m tired of doing so, but each senseless move gives me no choice.

Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that the five names swirling around the Pelicans’ head coaching vacancy:

Darvin Ham- Milwaukee Bucks
Rajon Rondo - Milwaukee Bucks
Steve Hetzel- Brooklyn Nets
Sean Sweeney- San Antonio Spurs
Jarrett Jack- Detroit Pistons

And on Monday, it was confirmed that interviews have already been conducted for Rondo, Ham, and Wetzel.

A lot of names, many different, and all but Rondo have a tie to either Dumars or Weaver.

I personally have about as little faith in the leadership for a myriad of reasons.

But, Jake Madison with Locked On Pelicans made an excellent point on Monday in his podcast that I want to echo: it’s encouraging to see the front office currently casting a wider net in its search for a head coach.

Notably, when you consider the fact that the way this front office was attained wasn’t more like fishing in a pet tank.

If all of these names are being formally considered and interviewed this week, who makes the most sense for New Orleans, and based on what… so without further ado, let’s get to all these names!

Rajon Rondo

Without a doubt, the name that pops more than anyone else’s on the potential candidate’s list.

Rajon Rondo is the coach most of the fan base is clamoring for, and it’s hard to blame them for it.

Rondo is described by so many of his teammates as the smartest player they have ever played with, and his basketball intellect shone throughout his 16 years in the NBA.

There is no question Rajon Rondo can think the game of basketball at the highest level.

Does that alone make him capable of being the next coach of the Pelicans?

It’s certainly worth considering, because without a doubt, Rondo’s championship pedigree, extensive tenure in the NBA, and his game expertise would immediately win over the locker room and earn the players’ respect.

I also believe that Rondo is qualified to leave a serious footprint on the development of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.

Year one might come with some hiccups and bruises.

He may struggle to manage games with specific lineups, and he will need a quality support system of veteran assistants to guide him through taking on the on-court chief role.

Are the Pelicans capable of getting him the support structure he needs? How analytics-focused is he? Is he a better fit to lead player development and take a high-level assistant role? Can that even happen with the Pels? Will his perfectionist basketball brain explode when players aren’t executing as they should? (That’s a half-serious question.)

What isn’t up for question is Rondo’s ability to see multiple moves ahead. This may be the most intriguing aspect of his coaching potential, especially given how the Pelicans performed in the clutch this year.

With Rondo at the helm, I’m confident he can truly orchestrate the end of games from the sideline, as he did on the court.

These intangible moments he brought to winning were somehow overlooked over his career, like this incredible crunch-time quarterbacking

Yet, sometimes that ability doesn’t always translate, i.e., Steve Nash.

At the same time, we’ve seen former players evolve into incredible coaches in the modern era, such as Jason Kidd and JJ Reddick.

JJ Reddick jumped right into coaching and established himself as one of the better coaches in the league with no prior experience, arguably less so than Rondo, and under a larger spotlight.

Rajon Rondo will get his opportunity to be an NBA coach. He’s extremely passionate about the X’s and O’s.

Back in the 2017 playoffs with the Chicago Bulls, his major aim in the series was to outcoach Celtics coach Brad Stevens from the hardwood.

The spark for coaching has always been there. Rondo has an innate game feel and will be a coach that players will follow out of respect for his career — the ceiling for him as the lead man is incredibly high, nevertheless…

The question begs itself: If the Pelicans’ current situation were a restaurant menu, would it be the Cheesecake Factory, with too much going on? With Rondo’s experience as a coach, does that make him the overwhelmed orderer who can’t handle so much at once?

Even if Rondo could be a fantastic coach for the foreseeable future, it remains uncertain if his time with the Pelicans is right now.

Darvin Ham

The idea of Darvin Ham is nice: a former NBA journeyman who can earn the players’ respect. The idea of world peace is nice, too, but only a fool would believe it could come to fruition.

Jokes aside, a major reason the Lakers brought him on was that of a player’s coach who can manage personalities, be hard-nosed, and create an environment that pros want to be a part of.

After a successful first season, where Ham and LA won two playoff series before getting swept in the WCF, it seems as though the head coach could serve out all four years of his contract.

Then the lineup debacle happened, or maybe we should call it the Lakers’ version of the film Groundhog Day.

If you’re unfamiliar, here’s the quick synopsis:

The Lakers went to the WCF the year prior with the starting lineup of D’Angelo Russel, Austin Reaves, LeBron, Jared Vanderbilt, and Anthony Davis.

The lineup was successful in the playoffs and meshed well, with Dennis Schroder and Rui Hachimura coming off the bench.

The very next year, with a slight turnaround, Ham took that successful lineup and, indecisively, played mix-and-match with Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish in the starting lineup all season.

A team in the conference finals the year prior played 28 different starting lineups — all while being almost fully healthy with the exception of Vanderbilt.

He even went so far as to play the death-by-power-forward lineup of Cam Reddish, Jared Vanderbilt, Taurean Prince, LeBron, and Anthony Davis. All while D-Lo, Reaves, and Hachimura came off the bench.

Ham’s constant wavering caused locker-room dissension and hindered synergy, all while lacking offensive vision.

Zach Lowe and other analysts would discuss how little consistency you’d see in the Lakers’ halfcourt actions — finding something that worked, only for it to evaporate from the scheme for weeks after.

Ham is in this conversation because of his ties to this front office, a normal NBA concept for any organization, but special to Pels fans, as it gives us all PTSD.3

Mind you, Ham played (kinda, 5 minutes a game) on the 2004 Championship Pistons team that Joe Dumars constructed, and I was a firsthand witness to Troy Weaver and Darvin Ham rubbing elbows during shootaround of the Pels home game versus the Bucks.4

It’s fair to say Ham is a more defensive-minded coach, something I think the Pelicans need intense focus on, and he’s proven he can boost his team’s rating on that end to some degree.

Nevertheless, there are unquestionably better defensive-minded coaches, and I’ve seen some horrible decisions on PnR coverages in his time with LA in the postseason.

If Ham doesn’t get the Pelicans job, I don’t know how likely it is that he interviews for other HC openings — Doc Rivers has advocated for Ham since his Laker days… but maybe in 2026, Rivers being your biggest advocate isn’t the best of signs.

I don’t believe Ham is the right man for the job. I’ve been wrong before, and I won’t act like I know everything about Ham as a coach; however, his coaching the Lakers to the WCF in 23’ doesn’t mean much to me, given the talent of that team.

Furthermore, the lineup disasters are especially worrisome because the Pelicans roster, of uniquely scattered talent, needs a careful craftsman.

You never know! At the very least, the Pels could be a contender with Ham… for the NBA Cup!

Steve Hetzel

Speaking of higher-quality, defensive-minded coaches, the current lead assistant for the Brooklyn Nets, Steve Hetzel, also conducted an interview with the Pelicans on Monday, according to Will Guillory.

Opposed to Rondo (for excitement) and Ham (pure fear), Hetzel is an under-the-radar option known for his steady climb through the NBA coaching ranks.

He has 4 years under his belt as a video coordinator from 2005-09, 1 year under Greg Popovich in SA, and 3 years under Mike Brown with Cleveland.

From there, Hetzel was the player development coach for the Detroit Pistons (when Joe Dumars was still in the role of basketball ops president) from 2009-2013.

After that, Hetzel has worked as a D-League and Summer League Head Coach, and an assistant with Charlotte, Portland, Orlando, and Brooklyn.

It isn’t an indictment on Hetzel that he’s never been hired to be any team’s Head Coach; in fact, he’s interviewed for openings before — most recently the Suns job from last summer that Jordan Ott ended up winning.

Here’s what to know with Steve Hetzel:

He is touted around the league as a high-quality player development guy, excelling at bringing along young talent and maximizing their skill sets and growth.

He is a hard-nosed, gritty type of coach — something he picked up under Tom Izzo’s wing before he got his break in the NBA.

Defense is his area of expertise with an emphasis on disruption, toughness, forcing turnovers, and overall grit.

He and Jordi Fernandez have created great defensive prowess on young, tanking teams — I’m sure there is give and take as far as who deserves credit for that, but I’m positive Hetzel has learned tons from an elite coach in Fernandez as his right-hand man.

Now, there’s a whole lot of ambiguity with the impact of coaching in the NBA — it’s incredibly evident with the elite coaches such as Joe Mazzulla, Eric Spoelstra, Rick Carlisle, and Chris Finch.

They also get the opportunity to prove it in the postseason, when coaching comes alive with a back-and-forth of adjustments and dynamic gambits.

With all that to say, without seeing firsthand what Hetzel’s doing in practices, it’s hard to quantify what he’s capable of as a head coach (same as Rondo) and what he’ll implement.

My best judgment is that he’s capable of being a phenomenal, defensive-minded leader who can put the Pelicans’ young talent in advantageous situations while doing a solid job of developing them.

Until we watch him handle an 82-game season of rotations, late-game management, body language/response from the players, and most importantly, what he introduces schematically in a training camp, we can only glean so much from Hetzel’s NBA journey and what that means for him.

As far as team fit goes, is a first-time coach known for his player development the right fit for the Pelicans, and is he the type of coach who aligns with Joe Dumars’s desire to win now?

Will his gritty nature be well-received and amplify Zion Williamson’s abilities, or be aggravating to him? We know the rumors surrounding his camp’s concerns regarding Stan Van Gundy, one of the most intense coaches in recent history.

Sean Sweeney

Darvin Ham is the base evolution of a defensive coach; Steve Hetzel is a level above him; and Sean Sweeney might be the pinnacle of defensive-centric minds among these three candidates.

Sweeney is another coach who has bounced around the league as an assistant, making his biggest impact as the de facto defensive coordinator during his time under Jason Kidd, first with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014-17 and then with the Dallas Mavericks from 2021-25.

Jason Kidd gave Sweeney the keys to the defense in both stints, and it paid dividends for their squad’s defensive rating — with leaps from dead last in 2014 to third in 2015 with the Bucks and from 21st in 2021 to 7th in 2022 with the Mavs.

Sweeney is doing it all over again with the Spurs this season, which is why he has yet to interview for the opening: he’s too busy swinging playoff games as his defensive virtuoso.

The Spurs this year, 25th last year, to third this year — and yes, they do have Wemby, but Sweeney maximized Wemby’s impact.

Pre-Sweeney, 2024-25, to this season, the Spurs are 5 points better in defensive rating with Wemby on the floor, and 6 points better with Wemby off the floor.

It’s not a with-or-without Wemby thing either; Sweeney has raised the impact of each individual on that end of the floor.

Spur’s Defensive EPM increases 2024-25 to 2025-26:

Stephon Castle: -0.8 to +1.1
Devin Vassell: -0.9 to +0.5
Keldon Johnson: -1.7 to -0.2
De’Aaron Fox: -0.6 to +0.6

Sweeney instills successful defensive tendencies and schemes into his teams & players, and the numbers support that claim.

My favorite part of Sweeney’s presence is the way he carries it out, a way that I think the Pelicans need an immense amount of help with.

One of my biggest pet peeves of the Pelicans this season was the purposeless switching through actions, watching them default to lazily handing their man off to another with no rhyme or reason.

Sweeney would eradicate that habit almost instantaneously.

I watched the Spurs blow up actions all year with their effective dribble hand-off coverages, play the gaps incredibly well, and rotate on a string.

Sweeney played a bigger part in Giannis’ development, and was the Greek Freak’s go-to training partner up until 2021 — a pleasant thing to hear as I’ve noted with the importance of Fears and Queen’s growth.

Player development is awesome, and it’s a priority for a younger New Orleans core.

But the defensive identity and imprint Sweeney could have on the Pelicans is an enthralling concept and would coincide with the “toughness” Joe Dumars wants to establish as the Pels’ calling card.

The Pelicans ranked 23rd in defense this season, struggling to guard actions and giving up a high-quality shot. Sweeney can address this better than any other candidate, in my opinion.

Even more of a concern, but less of a coaching and more of a personnel issue — the Pelicans were a horrific defensive rebounding team, finishing in the bottom three this season.

As were the 2024-25 Spurs, who just so happened to finish top three this season under Sweeney’s philosophies.

Having an offensive guru would be super exciting, and don’t get me wrong — there is a need there too… still, the Pelicans could carry on their high-paced identity on offense in a superior way if they’re able to finish possessions and turn teams over at a higher rate.

Sean Sweeney is that guy; he’s left his mark at every stop in his career thus far, and he can do the exact same for the Pelicans.

Jarrett Jack

As a blend of the aforementioned candidates in terms of qualities, Jarrett Jack poses as an interesting candidate for the Pels vacancy.

Jack is a former player who spent 13 years in the NBA as a respected role player. In a similar manner to how Rondo commanded respect in the locker room, Jack would do the same, given how long he lasted in the league and how he built a respectable career as an NBA journeyman.

To a lesser degree, just as Sweeney and Hetzel, Jack has put in time as an assistant coach with his start in 2021 with the Suns, and from 2023 on with the Pistons, where he made the connection to Pel’s GM Troy Weaver.

Along with ties to current leadership, Jack has connections to New Orleans basketball dating back to 2011 and 2012 — even a quick two-game return in 2016, when he was brought in to back up Chris Paul and was forced to fill his shoes at some capacity when Paul was traded to the Clippers.

Jack has built a rapport with existing and new figures on Airline Highway, and though for the life of me I cannot find any info on his coaching style — which is, like I said, ambiguous as is… It’s worth noting his passion for the game and how he has a mix of traits that most of these candidates possess.

As a role player, it’s hard to have more than a cup of coffee in the NBA — it requires being a smart and winning player.

Jack never averaged less than 20 minutes a game at each stop along his journey, which speaks to that.

Player development was the heftier part of his responsibilities when he was first hired by the Pistons, and what isn’t ambiguous is Jack’s hand in the development of Cade Cunningham — though from my research it seems that Cunningham respects Jack and is a better pro because of him.

The former point guard could be the right man for the role, though some of those same questions and concerns I posed regarding Rondo I pose with Jack.

Even though Jack has been an assistant and been part of a few staffs in comparison to Rondo, the Pelicans’ current situation presents a steep hill for someone like him to climb.

As much as I love beautiful offense, and I really appreciated what James Borrego did with the shot-quality, possession battle, and pace — with so little available to him, like no training camp, almost zero practices, and a strange blend of talent.

The most important aspect of this coaching search is not necessarily finding the most qualified coach.

News flash: This is the New Orleans Pelicans; no renowned, uber-revered candidates are walking through that door.

It’s about finding the coach who fits the absolute best; one who can optimize the roster, put out synergistic lineups, and establish a team identity based on energy and, more importantly, playing style, while also seeing a vision for this team competing now and simultaneously growing the unique young core (an extremely tall task).

My definition of that differs from the front office’s, as do our perspectives within the search.

Joe Dumars historically drops a brick on the gas pedal and has no concern with a slow approach to building a team, and Troy Weaver is keen on finding one of his chums to work with.

The hope is that

I’ve laid out all the current candidates; though the rumors are swirling around Jahmal Mosley, Micah Nori, Kevin Ollie, and Billy Donovan — these are the guys that the Pelicans could be closing in on as I write this.

Though I don’t have all the information, right now this would be my list in order from most preferred to least preferred:

Sean Sweeney
James Borrego
Rajon Rondo
Steve Hetzel/Jarrett Jack
Retro Pels/Lyle Swithenbank
My former High School basketball coach
Darvin Ham

Make sure you follow Garrison on X.

Tulane UDFA Signing! Kam Hamilton: Scouting Report

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Tulane Green Wave UDFA

New Orleans Saints ⚜️ #NFLDraft

DE- Tulane Green Wave

Kam Hamilton- @kamhamilton70

6-4/292

Scouting Report:

Productive defensive end who played with great effort and production at Tulane. High-motor edge player with size and quickness to contribute as a rotational piece.

Strengths

High motor and effort:

Non-stop pursuit and relentless hustle; plays with great pad level and never takes a play off. Excellent pursuit to the ball from the backside.

Explosive first step:

Quick off the ball for his size; wins with burst and hand usage to defeat blockers and generate pressure.

Run defense:

Strong at the point of attack with good leverage; holds the edge and sets firm against the run.

Pass rush tools:

Uses long arms and violent hands to disengage; has a developing arsenal of moves and shows flash as a pass rusher.

Versatility:

Can play multiple techniques along the defensive line in sub packages; durable and tough competitor.

Scouts like his production, motor, and potential to stick as a rotational DE and special teams contributor as an UDFA with upside.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#WhoDat⚜️ #RollWave

Tulane UDFA Signing! Derrick Graham Scouting Report

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Tennessee Titans ⚡ #TitanUp

OT - Tulane Green Wave ��

Derrick Graham- @DerrickGraham0

6-4/314

Scouting Report:

Versatile and technically sound offensive tackle who anchored the left side for Tulane after transfers from Texas A&M and Troy. Excelled in pass protection with solid run blocking and a high football IQ in spread-to-run schemes.

Strengths

Sound pass protection fundamentals:

Quick feet and excellent mirror ability allow him to stay square to edge rushers. Uses active, powerful hands to punch, redirect, and control with precision while rarely allowing pressures.

Functional strength and anchor:

Plays with good leverage, balance, and core power to handle bull rushes and maintain his ground against both power and speed rushers in the run and pass game.

High football IQ and experience:

Multi-year starter with extensive reps at left tackle. Quick to diagnose stunts and blitzes, communicates effectively pre-snap, and provides veteran leadership on the offensive line.

Athleticism and length for the position:

Solid movement skills and bend for a 6-4, 314-pound tackle. Uses long arms to keep defenders at bay and recovers well when initially beaten.

Competitive toughness and run blocking:

Plays with a nasty streak and high effort. Improved drive blocking and ability to sustain blocks downfield, contributing to a productive Tulane offense.

Scouts praise his combination of technical refinement, starting production, durability, and high-floor traits as a reliable UDFA offensive lineman who can compete for depth/backup roles immediately while developing into a potential starter with continued strength gains. Immediate impact player on special teams and the offensive line.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#TitanUp ⚡#RollWave

Tulane UDFA Signing: Johnny Pascuzzi Scouting Report

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Kansas City Chiefs �� #ChiefsKingdom

TE - Tulane Green Wave

Johnny Pascuzzi- jpazzedout

6-4/241

Scouting Report:

Athletic tight end with good size and receiving ability who played at Tulane after time at Iowa. Brings the Iowa tight end pedigree with solid blocking fundamentals and improving receiving production in spread offenses. Local Kansas City area product adds extra intrigue for the Chiefs.

Strengths

Athleticism and size:

Impressive combination of height, length, and speed for the position. Good vertical and explosiveness allow him to win in the red zone and down the seam.

Reliable hands and route running:

Sure-handed catcher who can make contested catches. Shows natural feel for finding soft spots in zones and separating in man coverage.

Blocking tenacity:

Iowa-developed blocker who plays with good leverage and effort. Willing to engage defenders in the run game and as a pass protector.

Football IQ and versatility:

Smart player who understands scheme and can align in-line, in the slot, or split wide. High character and special teams contributor potential.

Competitive motor:

Plays hard on every snap with a team-first attitude and physicality after the catch.

Scouts see him as a high-upside camp invitee with the tools to earn a roster spot as a developmental tight end who can contribute on special teams immediately while continuing to develop his receiving game.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#ChiefsKingdom �� #RollWave

TJ Hall: Scouting Report

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:01:15 GMT

New Orleans Saints ⚜️ #NFLDraft

CB- Iowa

TJ Hall

6-1/189

Scouting Report:

Physical cornerback and nickelback prospect who started at boundary corner for Iowa. Excelled in zone coverage with strong run support and competitive demeanor in Phil Parker’s scheme.

Strengths

Elite run support and toughness:

Highly competitive tackler who flies downhill with ideal aggression. Physical at the point of attack; loves contact and rarely misses in the run game.

Quick feet and short-area quickness:

Fast, fluid mover with excellent balance and change-of-direction skills. Stays tight to receivers off the line and mirrors well in press or off-man.

Zone coverage instincts:

Reads routes and breaks quickly; solid in Cover 2/3 with awareness to close on underneath throws and disrupt passes.

Physicality and press ability:

Adequate strength and long arms allow him to jam at the line and reroute receivers effectively. High-effort player who competes every snap.

Versatility and football IQ:

Experienced in multiple alignments with scheme versatility; durable senior leader from a pro-style, fundamentally sound program. Immediate contributor on special teams and sub packages.

Scouts praise his physical run defense, competitive spirit, and nickel potential as a reliable depth piece with starter upside in the right system.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#WhoDat⚜️

Barion Brown: Scouting Report

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:01:11 GMT

New Orleans Saints ⚜️ #NFLDraft

WR- LSU

Barion Brown

5-11/177

Scouting Report:

Explosive wide receiver and return specialist who transferred from Kentucky to LSU. Elite straight-line speed and big-play ability make him an immediate special teams weapon with upside on offense.

Strengths

Elite speed and acceleration:

Blazing 4.40 forty with explosive burst and top-end speed that separates on vertical routes and turns short gains into long TDs.

Dynamic return specialist:

Proven kick and punt return threat with SEC record yardage and multiple return touchdowns; finds seams, commits downhill, and is a game-changing playmaker in space.

YAC and elusiveness:

Quick, shifty runner after the catch who reads blocks, hits creases, and makes defenders miss with sudden change of direction.

Route quickness and releases:

Smooth off the line with clean footwork; eats cushion quickly and stacks corners on vertical stems.

Versatility and toughness:

Multi-alignment threat (outside/slot) from a high-level program; high-effort player who contributes immediately on special teams while developing as a receiver.

Scouts praise his rare speed, return game dominance, and big-play explosiveness as a high-upside depth piece and special teams standout.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#WhoDat⚜️

Jeremiah Wright: Scouting Report

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:29:04 GMT

New Orleans Saints ⚜️ #NFLDraft

OG- Auburn

Jeremiah Wright

6-5/331

Scouting Report:

Big, powerful offensive guard who started at right guard for Auburn. Converted defensive lineman who brings massive size, strength, and a nasty demeanor to the interior line.

Strengths

Elite power and mauling ability:
Massive frame with exceptional play strength; overwhelms defenders with violent hands, drive, and leg drive. Dominant in the run game as a gap-scheme mauler who finishes blocks with aggression.
Anchor and pass protection:
Wide base, long arms (33”+), and dense build allow him to absorb power rushes and maintain pocket integrity. Stays square and patient in one-on-one situations.
Physicality and finishing:
Plays with a mean streak, high motor, and looks to put defenders on the ground. Excellent at sustaining blocks and creating movement on double teams and pulls.
Size and length:
Rare combination of height, weight, and arm length for the guard position; difficult to get around or through in the trenches.
Versatility and toughness:
Experience on both sides of the ball provides scheme versatility and football IQ. Durable, reliable two-year starter with high effort.

Scouts praise his natural power, run-blocking dominance, and potential to be a stalwart interior lineman with a high floor as a plug-and-play guard.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#WhoDat

Oscar Delp: Scouting Report

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:28:59 GMT

New Orleans Saints ⚜️ #NFLDraft

TE- Georgia

Oscar Delp

6-5/245

Scouting Report:

Versatile tight end who lined up inline, in the slot, and split wide at Georgia. Excelled as a vertical and intermediate threat with exceptional athleticism for the position.

Strengths

Elite athleticism/speed:

Blazing 4.49 forty and 38” vertical with fluid movement and short-area quickness; creates mismatches vs. linebackers and stretches the field vertically.

Reliable hands and ball skills:

Soft, reliable hands with a low drop rate. Natural catcher who extends well and secures contested throws with strong body control.

Route running and separation:

Quick off the line, accelerates smoothly into routes, and uses forward lean plus burst to uncover on crossers, outs, and seams.

Blocking technique and effort:

Good leverage, base, and willingness as an in-line/movement blocker; contributes in the run game with toughness and improving physicality.

Versatility and upside:

Multi-alignment threat with high motor from a pro-style program. Traitsy prospect with three-down potential and untapped receiving ceiling.

Scouts praise his rare size/speed combination, catch-and-run ability, and high-floor development trajectory as a dynamic mismatch weapon.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#WhoDat⚜️

Christen Miller: Scouting Report

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:46:50 GMT

New Orleans Saints ⚜️ #NFLDraft

DT- Georgia

Christen Miller

6-3/321

Scouting Report:

He played primarily as a nose tackle (0/1-tech) in even fronts but showed versatility kicking to B-gap or three-technique in sub packages.

Strengths

Elite run defense/anchor:

Quick to fire hands, maintains leverage, and stacks/sheds blockers effectively. Stout against singles and doubles; rarely moved off his spot. Excellent gap integrity and lateral pursuit to squeeze run lanes.

Play strength and power:

Heavy hands with pop; hip explosion creates knock-back and allows him to lock out and shed. Rare balance through contact—seldom ends up on the ground.

Athleticism for size:

Carries 321 lbs fluidly with good lateral quickness, short-area burst, and the ability to loop/stunt without losing pad level or footing.

Technique and motor:

Extremely disciplined and high-effort player from a pro-style, technically demanding program. Steady, reliable processor who hustles sideline-to-sideline.

Versatility:

Can align at nose, shade, or B-gap; trusted in passing downs despite limited production.

Scouts praise his high floor, toughness, and ability to free up linebackers in two-gap schemes.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#WhoDat

LSU Spring Recap

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:02 GMT

Spring Practice was Vital for this LSU team, and they were able to make the most of it.

Lane Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge in December with one mission: restore football greatness at LSU. Most anticipated that immediate results would follow, but not the tsunami-style waves he created throughout the transfer portal process. Kiffin was able to secure commitments from multiple players who ranked among the best at their respective positions in the portal. He also landed three of the top ten quarterbacks in the portal. He came to LSU and completely rebuilt the offensive line and wide receiver rooms. Because of the immediate success seen in the portal, the fanbase lit up with excitement and passion. The countdown toward spring practice began almost immediately once the portal closed and the roster was finalized. Let’s also not forget the elite-level talent he secured from the high school ranks within a matter of days. The roster is stacked, excitement is at a fever pitch, and anticipation for the home opener against Clemson is through the roof. But no matter how much talent the roster holds, Kiffin still has to ensure it all comes together.

That’s the benefit of spring football—a new team, a new coaching staff, and a brand-new environment. The defensive side of the ball has plenty of key returning players and retained the majority of its staff, with the exception of the defensive tackle coach. For that role, Blake Baker brought in Sterling Lucas from the University of South Carolina. One of the biggest weaknesses on defense was the lack of pressure from the edge. Lucas will definitely help improve that, but it won’t be just him. LSU secured the services of Jordan Ross, a former five-star edge rusher out of high school who initially attended Tennessee before transferring to LSU this offseason. LSU did not stop there. Kiffin was able to bring in a few of his former Ole Miss players, including the team leader in sacks, Princewill Umanmielen. Ross and Umanmielen are expected to be the starting edge rushers, and throughout spring, they did not fail to impress.

Because of key additions like them, along with safety Ty Benefield and SEC-leading tackler and former Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery, the defense jumped out early and held an advantage over the offense. Fans should not be surprised by how well the defensive back room performed or by the expectations placed on them. It will be hard to find a defensive back group in the country that can match this one player for player. DJ Pickett, even as a true sophomore, looks ready to take the next step toward becoming the next great player to come out of DBU. Ty Benefield would surprise no one if he becomes an All-American and contends for the Jim Thorpe Award. LSU has two veteran linebackers leading the group in Whit Weeks and TJ Dottery. Weeks spent most of spring doing light work on the side, which is understandable. He’s a senior in his third year in the defense, so he knows what he is doing. Rest is more valuable for him at this stage.

As for Dottery, he flashed—a lot. His athleticism and ability to quickly diagnose plays showed consistently in practice. He has the ability to run sideline to sideline, make proper coverage adjustments, and impact plays at a high level. Linebackers with this level of ability help complete the defense and properly support the front seven. Speaking of the front, this may be the only area of concern on the defense. LSU secured commitments from what could arguably be one of the best high school defensive line classes ever. Lamar Brown, a five-star athlete capable of playing multiple positions along the defensive front, will contribute early despite not participating in spring due to enrollment timing. Trenton Henderson, a four-star prospect, showed flashes and will see action, though he may not be relied on as heavily as others.

Richard Anderson, a five-star defensive tackle and the top-ranked player at his position, made an immediate impact. He consistently rotated with the starting group and showcased strength, quickness, and elite explosiveness for his size. While he still needs to refine his technique and pad level, he will be an important piece moving forward. Deuce Geralds, another highly rated four-star prospect from Georgia, has also impressed. While he may not have the same size as Anderson or Brown, his strength, quickness, and work ethic are setting him apart. He has consistently worked with the starters and made plays in practice, even seeing time in select offensive packages.

A recurring theme along the interior defensive line is the reliance on true freshmen. While the edge room is experienced, the defensive tackle group lacks that same level of experience. LSU added two transfers from Power Four programs and returned a starter from last season. However, returning starter Dom McKinley has not shown the level of progression expected from a third-year player. Malik Blocton and Stephiylan Green, on the other hand, have shown why they were brought in. The defense will be very good, but depth at defensive back and defensive line remains a concern. As long as health is not an issue, this unit will be one of the best in the country.

Now for the side of the ball everyone is watching: the offense. In one word—everything has changed. The running back room feels familiar, but expect a surprising name to emerge. Everyone knows Caden Durham and Harlem Berry, but Dilin Jones is a name to watch. Jones, a transfer from Wisconsin, has quickly risen up the depth chart. He makes smart decisions behind the line of scrimmage, runs through arm tackles, picks up blitzes in pass protection, and has the power to gain tough yards. He has been one of the standouts of spring practice. While Durham and Berry will still get touches, don’t be surprised if Jones gets more than expected. When you think of a Lane Kiffin offense, think of the Reggie Bush and LenDale White USC offense—this is the type of rotation LSU could have.

At tight end, it starts and ends with Trey’Dez Green. He is a matchup nightmare, and Kiffin has been creative in finding ways to exploit defenses using him. The wide receiver room is completely revamped and extremely explosive. Most of the new additions average well over 15 yards per reception. While breaking down every player could be an article of its own, a few names stand out. Winnie Watkins, who followed Kiffin from Ole Miss, has made plays early due to his familiarity with the system and his smooth route running. Tre Wilson, a former five-star recruit from Florida, has showcased explosiveness, route-running ability, and strong hands. Jackson Harris from Hawaii adds size and deep-threat ability. Jayce Brown from Kansas State can beat press coverage and stretch the field. Malik Elzy, a 6’4” transfer from Illinois, brings size, quickness, and a strong catch radius. Other names to watch include Philip Wright, Roman Mothershed, and Trey Brown.

The offensive line was the group that needed the most improvement, and it has been completely rebuilt. LSU added Jordan Setton, the top-rated offensive tackle in the portal, who has secured the starting left tackle position. Alou Bah will start at right guard after transferring from Maryland. Returning players Braelin Moore (center), Weston Davis (right tackle), and Bo Bordelon (left guard) round out the line. Coaching additions have also played a major role, with James Cregg and Eric Wolford bringing immediate improvement to the run-blocking unit.

Finally, LSU landed quarterback Sam Leavitt, the top overall player in the transfer portal from Arizona State. Leavitt has strong mobility, a powerful arm, and the ability to create plays when things break down. The concern is that he missed most of spring recovering from a Lisfranc injury. He participated in limited 7-on-7 work, but that was it. Meanwhile, Husan Longstreet and Landon Clark split reps. Longstreet, a former five-star recruit, brings strong arm talent and mobility but can make poor decisions at times. Clark, a transfer from Elon, has shown flashes but lacks consistency. Both quarterbacks have upside but need more experience.

As mentioned earlier, the defense dominated early in spring, but as time went on and players became more comfortable in the system, things began to balance out. By the end of spring, the offense was making big plays both in the run and passing game. The offense’s ability to compete against such a talented defense shows that iron sharpens iron. Lane Kiffin, as great of an offensive mind as he is, has never had the opportunity to prepare against a defense this talented or a coordinator like Blake Baker. This offense will make the defense better, and once Leavitt returns and finds his rhythm, the true potential of this team will be realized. Excitement around LSU is justified. This team has the talent and coaching to reach its goals, and seeing it begin to come together is proof that they are on the right track.

Make sure to follow Anthony Parker on X

Jordyn Tyson: Scouting Report

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:02 GMT

New Orleans Saints ⚜️ #NFLDraft

WR- Arizona State

Jordyn Tyson

6-2/203

Scouting Report:

• Elite route-running and separation: Twitchy, fluid mover with short-area quickness and excellent body control. He attacks leverage, wins at all three levels of the field, and creates separation through nuance and suddenness rather than just raw speed.
• Ball skills and contested catches: Strong hands, late hands, and the ability to high-point and adjust to passes. His basketball background (brother Jaylon play’s in the NBA) shows up in how he boxes out defenders and wins at the catch point.
• Versatility:

Can play outside (X/Z), slot, or in motion. Creates favorable matchups and projects as a movable chess piece for offensive coordinators.

• Vertical threat and YAC potential: Has the speed and burst to challenge defenses over the top and flashes strong run-after-catch ability when he gets going.
• Competitive toughness:

Plays with fire and effort in blocking and contested situations.

Scouts consistently grade him highly in route running (9/10), hands (9/10), change-of-direction (9/10), and vertical ability.

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#WhoDat

Jake Retzlaff Receives Seahawks Training Camp Invite

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:46:33 GMT

Tulane Green Wave ��

��Seattle Seahawks Camp Invite��

Jake Retzlaff- @jretz11

6-1/205

Scouting Report:

He showed toughness and playmaking ability, with big games including multi-TD rushing outbursts.

Accuracy and rhythm passer:

Clean, precise thrower inside 25 yards with confidence attacking the intermediate middle of the field. Quick release once he sets his feet.

Dual-threat mobility:

Effective short-yardage/goal-line runner who extends plays with his legs and picks up first downs. Compact, dense build aids durability.

Intangibles/adaptability:

Quick learner (joined Tulane weeks before the season and thrived), high football IQ, leadership, and grinder mentality. Scouts noted his pro day performance was sharp, and he’s described as optimistic and team-first (“just tell me where to be and when”).

Arm talent upside:

Can make the throws needed in structure; some gunslinger flashes.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#RollWave

LSU NFL Draft Recap

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:39:11 GMT

NFL Draft slides are fairly common for individual players. Shedur Sanders, Aaron Rodgers, Brady Quinn, Laremy Tunsil, Maurice Hurst Jr., and Jake Butt all serve as examples from my conscious lifetime that highlight large draft slides for one reason or another. I cannot, however, remember numerous players from a single team falling as much as this year’s crop of LSU draftees did in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Granted, the 2025 Tigers finished 7-6, but it did not seem like anyone doubted the talent of LSU (outside of the offensive line) until the draft rolled around this year. Watching this crop of Tiger talent slide as much as they did, to put it lightly, felt like Christmas as a kid. You enjoy some family time and smaller gifts on Christmas Eve, but the real excitement waits for Christmas morning. The problem is you struggle to fall asleep on Christmas Eve, knowing Santa will not come until you do. You toss and turn, pleading for morning to arrive, but no matter what you try, sleep will not come. Eventually exhaustion wins, you drift off, and you wake up to the good stuff. The whole process drags on far longer than it should.

To continue with the comparison, here is my recap and analysis of the gifts:

Round 1, Pick 6: CB Mansoor Delane to the Kansas City Chiefs

2025 Stats: 45 total tackles, 28 solo, 11 PBUs, 2 INTs; First-Team All-SEC, Unanimous All-American.

In the predraft process, I highlighted the Saints, Commanders, Chiefs, and Rams as the best fits and most likely landing spots for Delane. An elite talent in the secondary like Delane was never going to make it past No. 13 after being a unanimous All-American. With corner needs for three of those four teams built to compete in 2026, it felt like no matter where he went, he would be set up in a good system. Ultimately, after trading Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles, Kansas City traded up ahead of New Orleans and Washington, from pick No. 9 to No. 6, and drafted Delane to likely be their CB1 of the future. This is a great fit for Delane, as he will not only make top-10 pick money but will also be in the Super Bowl picture as long as Patrick Mahomes is under center. Delane will certainly face some challenges, though, as Kansas City will see quite a few high-powered offenses. As Saints fans are well aware, Steve Spagnuolo’s blitz scheme can occasionally leave defensive backs on an island. Delane, being as talented and hungry as he is, should be willing and able to stand up to the challenge of facing numerous high-powered offenses in the regular season and what feels like an inevitable postseason matchup with the Bills.

Round 3, Pick 14 (78 overall): S A.J. Haulcy to the Indianapolis Colts

2025 Stats: 49 total tackles, 39 solo, 0.5 TFL, 4 PBUs, 1 FF, 3 INTs; First-Team All-SEC, First-Team All-American.

Admittedly, Indy wasn’t on my radar for A.J. Haulcy, but you have to love how much they are investing in the secondary. Pairing Haulcy with the likes of Sauce Gardner, the Colts’ pseudo first-rounder, should be fun to watch for years to come. Haulcy should transition well to Lou Anarumo’s defense, as it plays more of a week-to-week, adaptive style that should suit Haulcy’s mixed skill set of run-stopping and ball-hawking. Haulcy should get ample opportunity to get on the field in 2026 and make an immediate impact on a Colts team that looked playoff-bound until the injury to Daniel Jones.

Round 3, Pick 25 (89 overall): WR Zavion Thomas to the Chicago Bears

2025 Stats: 41 rec., 488 yds., 4 TDs; 19 rush, 99 yds., 1 TD; 18 PR for 153 yds.; 1 KR for 22 yds.

Because Chicago took Thomas fairly ahead of his projection, I did not get the chance to put out my best fits for him. You can point to the 4.28 40 at the combine as a reason for the rise in stock. While I do love the idea of Caleb Williams throwing to Zavion Thomas, I will be curious to see where Thomas factors into a WR room that has other young, highly drafted players like Rome Odunze (2024 first-rounder), Luther Burden (2025 second-rounder), and Kalif Raymond, who, having come to Chicago from Detroit, has a good bit of familiarity with head coach Ben Johnson. Johnson, being the scheme guru he is, will surely find ways to incorporate Thomas into the offense, and he will have a chance to be the punt and kick returner for the Bears. Johnson’s offenses often use well-designed motion concepts, which should be a seamless transition for Thomas, considering that is how he was often utilized in the 2025 LSU offense.

Round 6, Pick 4 (185 overall): TE Bauer Sharp to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2025 Stats: 24 rec., 252 yds., 8 TDs.

Due to his history as a QB at Southeastern, my ideal spot for Bauer Sharp would have been Denver, just to see Sean Payton try to recreate the magic he had with Taysom Hill in New Orleans. Despite not getting running back snaps, Sharp reminds me more of Hill than I (and I’m sure many others) would like to admit, obviously just a tad slower. I did, however, have Tampa on my list for how they usually seem to have some success scouting and developing talent at the tight end position. He was and is a work in progress, being relatively new to the position. Sharp will have time to hone his skills behind Cade Otton and potentially compete for a TE2 or TE3 role. Sharp may not get that starting role in 2026, but as the NFL shifts further toward more 12-personnel year by year, if he competes well in camp and the preseason, he could find himself on the field a decent amount.

Round 6, Pick 9 (190 overall): WR Barion Brown to the New Orleans Saints

2025 Stats: 53 rec., 532 yds., 1 TD; 3 rush, 33 yds.; 1 PR for 6 yds.; 15 KR for 445 yds., 1 TD.

For the first time since 2018, when New Orleans selected offensive lineman Will Clapp, the Saints have drafted an LSU Tiger. Saints GM Mickey Loomis even played into the joke in his post-draft press conference, saying, “I didn’t trade up, and I took an LSU player so there shouldn’t be any questions.” I’ll start with the bad here: The Saints used a first-round pick on Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson and a fourth-round pick on North Dakota State WR Bryce Lance. Add to that Chris Olave, Ja’Lynn Polk, Trey Palmer, and other veterans, and New Orleans has a crowded WR room. Brown will have to scratch and claw for every snap on offense, which, having seen it in flashes at LSU, he is capable of working his way into the rotation. Brown will, however, provide second-year QB Tyler Shough with another option to stretch the defense downfield with his 4.40 speed. Where Brown will make the biggest impact early on in New Orleans is in the return game, and he should provide a much-needed spark, as he has three times the number of return touchdowns in college as the Saints do in the same time frame (six to two).

Round 6, Pick 34 (215 overall): LB/Edge Harold Perkins Jr. to the Atlanta Falcons

2025 Stats: 55 total tackles, 26 solo, 8 TFLs, 3 PBUs, 4 sacks, 1 FF, 3 INTs; Third-Team All-SEC.

As the trending topic around Harold Perkins Jr. during the draft was something along the lines of, “If you told me during his freshman year that Perk would get drafted in the sixth round, I would never have believed you.” His production (likely due to injuries) had fallen off at LSU year over year, but the talent was never deniable. Everyone knew he could be an absolute game-wrecker. This is what made his fall from projection to actual draft slot surprising. What did not make it surprising was the ever-looming question around him from the very beginning: “What position does he actually play in the NFL?” LB? Edge rusher? Star? I think the answer is still unclear. What is clear is that if you put Harold Perkins on the field, he is going to make plays. That is why the Atlanta Falcons took him. Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich will find a spot for him, more than likely filling the hole left by former (and once again current) New Orleans Saint Kaden Elliss, who I can see as a very similar style of player. Another avenue to consider for Perkins is that Falcons 2025 first-rounder James Pearce Jr. has found himself involved in some legal trouble, so Perkins could potentially fill that role on the edge if the legal processes linger. The knock on Perkins as an edge was always his size, but with his 4.38 40 speed, I can almost guarantee that offensive tackles will have a hard time containing him. Whatever role Perkins finds himself in for Atlanta, he will make plays.

Round 7, Pick 33 (249 overall): QB Garrett Nussmeier to the Kansas City Chiefs

2025 Stats: 194-288, 67.4 completion %, 1,927 yds., 12 TDs, 5 INTs, 133.8 rating.

I really should have just put his 2024 stats up there, but I had to stick to the formula I had been using, because the past 365 days for Garrett Nussmeier in terms of his football career could not have gone much worse. Injuries and poor offensive play-calling derailed what could have been an early first-round draft pick for Nussmeier. The abdominal/oblique injury that greatly hindered his performance was followed by his benching for said injury, only to find out there was a cyst on his spine making the pain worse. Even with the pain continuously subsiding and Nussmeier seemingly finding his form again in the predraft process, and a 2-3 week recovery time if surgery were deemed necessary to remove the cyst, teams still did not want to spend a pick on the LSU signal-caller until Andy Reid agreed to take the project in the seventh round. A once first-round prospect a year ago, to likely a Day 2 guy a few weeks ago, dropped all the way to the seventh round. Ideally, I would have liked to see Nussmeier get drafted by a team like Pittsburgh, Arizona, Minnesota, or Indianapolis, who may have more QB questions than answers, somewhere he could compete for the starting job from Day 1. Unfortunately, that was not the case, but the bright side to not being in a QB room where he can win the starting job (because let’s be honest, no one in the world is going to take the starting job from Patrick Mahomes) is that he will get to learn under Andy Reid, one of the best offensive minds in football, and from Mahomes, who profiles in a similar gunslinger mold as Nussmeier. The best thing he can do now is learn, develop, show out when he gets the chance, and maybe see his trade value spike so someone will take a chance on him.

Undrafted Free Agent Tracker and a Few Quick Notes

WR Aaron Anderson signs with the Cleveland Browns — Not a bad landing spot. Cleveland needed some help at receiver, but he will have to fight his way up the depth chart.

WR Chris Hilton Jr. signs with the Washington Commanders — Really like this for Hilton. Reunite with Jayden Daniels and stay healthy. The Commanders’ WR room outside of Terry McLaurin is not really lighting the world on fire. Some potential to make some noise.

EDGE Jack Pyburn signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Nice to see him return to his home state. Familiarity with 3-4 defense. May carve his path as a special teams contributor with the occasional defensive snap early on.

DT Bernard Gooden signs with the Cleveland Browns — Quite a few former UDFA guys would be ahead of him on the depth chart going into the preseason, but if he returns to his form from USF, he could make some noise.

LB West Weeks signs with the Indianapolis Colts — Decent spot for him. Zone-heavy defense. Has his work cut out for him in terms of rising up the depth chart, but he can earn his spot on special teams.

IOL Josh Thompson signs with the Kansas City Chiefs — Following Nuss to KC. They need all the competition on the OL they can get to make sure they are keeping Mahomes healthy after last year.

DT Jacobian Guillory signs with the Los Angeles Chargers — Was a really good prospect coming out of high school. I know many players are, but I still see the vision with him. The 3-4 system does not offer a clear path, but like I said, I still see the vision.

Unsigned:

Edge Patrick Payton

Edge Jimari Butler

K Damian Ramos

Make sure to follow Zach Nunez on X

2026 NFL Draft Day 3 Recap

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:00:06 GMT

The Saints had a busy day three today making five selections, spanning rounds four through seven in the draft. They were pretty patient and comfortable sticking and picking this year as they once again did not trade up to go get a player. Kudos to Mickey Loomis and the front office for not giving up any picks to maximize their chances for success. So let’s get into the selections they made today.

In the fourth round the Saints picked offensive guard Jeremiah Wright out of Auburn and wide receiver Bryce Lance out of North Dakota State. Jeremiah will join the team and look to make an impact as a key developmental backup behind starters David Edwards and Cesar Ruiz. He has an interesting background having played defensive tackle up until two years ago and developing to the point of becoming a fourth round draft pick. Him being selected so high given his situation is a testament to his work ethic and his talent which was highlighted with how well he did down at the Senior Bowl this year. With their other pick in the fourth round the Saints selected Bryce Lance who will look to become a key role player in the wide receiver room. Lance brings a combination of size and speed to the room no one else quite has confirmed by his 9.94 RAS score. Lance was a focal point for the North Dakota State offense and was always a threat to score with his explosiveness to get vertical down the field or run away from defenders with his 4.34 speed.

Moving ahead to the fifth round where the Saints were scheduled to have two picks before they traded the 150th pick to the Raiders for defensive end Tyree Wilson and the 219th pick. So with the 172nd pick the Saints selected safety Lorenzo Styles Jr out of Ohio State. He is another high RAS score prospect with Styles reaching an insane 9.99 RAS score. Styles is ridiculously athletic but still relatively raw as a safety with his coverage and tackling consistency. Look for him to contribute on special teams and providing depth to the secondary.

Moving on the sixth round where the Saints selected wide receiver/return specialist Barion Brown out of LSU. The importance of special teams cannot be overstated as it was a key issue for the team last season and this selection was an attempt to get the special teams back to where it needs to be. Browns path to contributing to the team looks for him to be squarely in the mix as the main returner on special teams. Brown had over 2k return yards during his collegiate career and looked dynamic with the ball in his hands. When he is not returning he has a chance to contribute as a gadget type of player on offense.

Looking ahead to the seventh round where the Saints selected defensive back TJ Hall out of Iowa. Hall deviates some from the rest of his peers in his draft class as his RAS only came in at 5.32. While his athletic score may be lower he makes up for it with his instincts and his smarts on the field. Hall has a good feel for zone and plays the run well. He has an opportunity to carve out a role on special teams and providing depth as a versatile defensive back.

Recapping the Saints draft class as a whole -

1st round - WR Jordyn Tyson

2nd round - DT Christen Miller

3rd round - TE Oscar Delp

4th round - OG Jeremiah Wright and WR Bryce Lance

5th round - SAF Lorenzo Styles Jr.

6th round - WR/RS Barion Brown

7th round - DB TJ Hall
Offense was definitely a theme and focus of this draft class. This class shows the Saints clear belief in Tyler Shough and wanted to surround him with as much talent as they can to aid his development. Between free agency and now the draft I believe the offense will look much different next season. The players they have added will bring some much needed explosiveness and depth to the offensive side of the ball. The Saints came into the draft with their number one goal of addressing wide receiver as it was clearly the worst group on the roster and with the picks of Tyson, Lance they might have turned a weakness into a legit strength going into next season. Also the addition of Oscar Delp could really be a wildcard with this draft class as someone who can really surprise us once the pads are put back on again.

With so much focus on the offensive side of the ball the defensive side felt neglected some with the only pick on that side of the ball in the first two days of the draft being Christen Miller in round two. But Miller did address arguably the biggest need on the defensive side of the ball as an interior defensive lineman considering how they fared last season with the run defense. I liked the picks of Styles and Hall later in the draft as players who differ in their profiles but can bring the Saints value through special teams. I can see the Saints prioritizing adding to the defensive side of the ball in the draft come next year but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself there.

All in all the Saints came out of the draft having made eight draft picks and were able to get younger, faster, and more talented at key positions. I’d say this was a successful draft for them but only time will tell. So now we anxiously await to see how these guys look when they step on the practice field. I for one cannot wait and I’m sure you all can’t either.

Make sure to follow Kaden Arkeder on X.

Tulane UDFA Signing: KC Eziomume to the Bears

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:19:59 GMT

Tulane Green Wave ��

��UDFA Signing��

Chicago Bears

Cornerback

KC Eziomume- @keziomume

6-1/194

Scouting Report:

He’s a long, athletic CB with good size for the position and solid explosiveness/agility for a 195+ lb defender. Tools scream “upside” for a late-round or priority UDFA type.

• Versatility:

Can play outside corner, slot, and even some safety reps or special teams. He has the ability to handle multiple coverage schemes.

• Press-Man & Physicality: Comfortable in press coverage; uses length and physicality to disrupt receivers at the line. Good hip flip and speed to run with most WRs.
• Ball Skills & Awareness:

Turns his head well to locate the ball; strong PBU production relative to snaps at Albany. Reliable open-field tackler.

• Competitive Toughness:

Plays with good effort and physicality in run support; high-motor prospect who prepared well at the FBS level after FCS.

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#RollWave #DaBears

TRADE ALERT

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 02:17:26 GMT

If you have never shopped for deals outside of Black Friday, then this trade is not for you.

The Saints have a big hole to fill in the edge room along their defensive front. They did not address this need in free agency or in the first two days of the draft. The expectation heading into the day was for the Saints to finish with someone new walking into that room. While there were some surprising edge rushers available in the draft today—for example, Joshua Joseph—the Saints decided to opt for a veteran who has the talent and is in need of a fresh start.

Wilson was drafted seventh overall in the 2023 draft by the Raiders, and while he has appeared in fifty games over the span of his young career, he has only recorded twelve total sacks. He finished his rookie year with three and a half sacks, had a career high in 2024 with four and a half, and finished last season with four, with half of that total coming in the final game of the season against the Chiefs.

The Raiders are noted as one of the most dysfunctional franchises in the league, and the instability Wilson faced could be a reason why he struggled to reach his full potential.

Wilson had success at Texas Tech, where he finished with a career total of 122 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, and 17 sacks. He has a great frame, measuring in at just under 6’6”, 271 lbs, with nearly 36-inch arms. He has the prototypical size that a defensive staff running a 3–4 scheme wants to see from an edge rusher.

The Saints gave the Raiders their fifth-round pick in this year’s draft—which the Raiders used to select Dalton Johnson, a safety from Arizona—and the Saints not only received Wilson but also a seventh-round pick, which they used to draft Iowa defensive back TJ Hall.

This was a really good trade.

You get an edge rusher with experience and high potential, taking a flyer on him using a fifth-round pick, and you were still able to get another pick in return. This was elite-level Black Friday deal shopping from the Saints in April.

While the future for Wilson and what he will be able to accomplish for the Saints remains uncertain, one thing is certain: he will be wearing a brand-new jersey number. Wilson has worn number 9 since he entered the league, but Saints fans around the world know that number 9 in black and silver may not be special. However, when you change the silver to gold, number 9 is placed into a realm where the only time a player wears it is in a video game.

Follow Anthony on X.

Takeaways from Louisiana Football's Vermilion & White Spring Game

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 22:39:52 GMT

Michael Desormeaux's Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns football team held their annual Vermilion & White Spring Football game today at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium. The White team won 24-14 over the Vermilion team.

Perhaps the most impressive performance today came from redshirt freshman running back JJ Gardner, who ran for 91 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 70-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game. The Cajuns are in need of filling open running back positions left by Bill Davis and Zylan Perry due to transferring out, and Gardner made his case today. More than likely it will be a battle between him, Steven Blanco, Anthony Reagan Jr (who ran for 53 yards on 12 carries today), and Darrell Smith for the top spots come the fall.

Another impressive sight today was how consistent the quarterback room as a whole played. While a couple of bumps and bruises happened including an interception thrown by Lunch Winfield, all four quarterbacks (Lunch Winfield and Coleman Carter on Vermilion, Daniel Beale and Sam Altmann on White) played well and showed consistency.

It’s a good sign that this will be a reliable quarterback room should the starter (yet to be named) go down to injury. Coach Desormeaux did mention that the focus this offseason was to work on Winfield’s pocket passing ability, and that was evident today as he did not run much. But the other three quarterbacks today showed impressive movement getting yards on the ground.

That is not to mention, the offensive line today did not impress, and it still seems like lots of the inconsistencies from last season are carrying over. Quarterbacks were being pressured regularly today. Important to note however that a few of the notable offensive lineman (such as center Cooper Fordham and Xzavier Brown) from last season did not play due to recovering from injuries suffered late last season, so take any criticism made about this room right now with a grain of salt. Regardless, for a room that relied heavily on depth last season, this game mattered a lot in continuing to build that depth and find the right pieces to the puzzle.

On the defensive side, they played well flying around with lots of fight today, aside from a few big plays allowed. Safety Kody Jackson, who played on the White team, was the player to intercept Winfield’s pass in the first half. The defensive line showed lots of fight in getting through the offensive line and pressuring the quarterbacks. Coach Desormeaux was impressed this spring training season on how hard his defensive linemen have worked leading up to today, a promising sign after last season’s defense allowed nearly 190 yards per game on the ground. He emphasized how defensive players are taking accountability for mistakes and learning from them.

Overall, the team displayed a lot of positives to be hopeful for and a fair share of negatives that the team will use to learn from. The Cajuns kick off the 2026 season at home versus Lamar on Saturday, September 5th.

Lorenzo Styles Jr.: Scouting Report

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 19:57:33 GMT

New Orleans Saints ⚜️

Rd 5 Pick 172

Lorenzo Styles Jr

6-1/194

Safety/CB

THE Ohio State Buckeyes ��

#BuckeyeOrBust

Scouting Report: 4.27 Forty

• Blazing speed & explosiveness:

Elite downhill mover who closes quickly on intermediate routes and in run support. Reactive play speed shines in man coverage and as a blitzer (quick hands off the edge).

• Versatility:

Projects as a nickel/slot DB or free safety with good zone feel underneath. Former WR background gives him natural ball skills and the ability to high-point passes or return kicks/punts.

• Run support & physicality: Aggressive tackler who fits the run well, uses good form/leverage, and disrupts routes with physicality at the line.

• Special teams ace:

Proven contributor in coverage and return games, valuable immediate impact player.

• High-upside developmental traits: Smooth short-zone movement, awareness, and improving technique after just 2–3 years on defense. NFL bloodlines and work ethic are pluses.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#GoBucks #WhoDat⚜️

Bryce Lance: Scouting Report

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 18:17:06 GMT

New Orleans Saints

4th Rd 136 pick- Love this Pick

WR- Bryce Lance-

@BryceLance09

6-3/204

North Dakota State

Scouting Report: 4.34 Forty

Prototype X/boundary receiver:

Big, long frame with elite vertical speed and build-up acceleration. True deep-threat who can stretch the field and win over the top.

Outstanding ball skills & catch radius: Tracks the deep ball exceptionally well, high-points throws, and wins contested catches in traffic.

Explosive playmaker:

Big-play ability (multiple 100-yard games, long TDs), yards after catch, and some gadget/rushing upside.

High-motor competitor:

Smart, durable, and produced with different QBs. Brother of former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance adds pedigree.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#WhoDat

Tulane Green Wave 2026 NFL Draft Prospects

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 15:50:29 GMT

Tulane Green Wave ��

NFL Draft: Who Will Be Selected

Tulane had a strong 2025 season (AAC title and playoff appearance), continuing its recent NFL pipeline (e.g., past draftees like Tyjae Spears, Michael Pratt, Caleb Ransaw).

Projections generally point to late-round or UDFA territory, based on production, physical traits, transfers bringing experience, and Pro Day workouts (held March 24, 2026, at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center with 25 NFL teams present).

Here are the top prospects and why they stand out (drawn from scouting notes, stats, and honors):

OT Derrick Graham (6’4”, 314 lbs): Multi-year starter with experience at Troy (early freshman contributor with elite pass-block efficiency) before transferring to Tulane. Earned First/Second/Preseason All-AAC honors and helped anchor a top conference offense. Prototypical size, strength, and technique for the NFL; met with teams at Pro Day. Strongest late-round candidate among the group.

DE Kameron Hamilton (6’4”, ~292 lbs, Zachary, LA native):

Four-year Tulane contributor (switched from high school OL to edge). Career totals include 12 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and consistent production (career-high 3 sacks + 29 tackles in 2025). Excellent frame and leverage for an edge rusher/DL; long-tenured starter under multiple coaches. Fits as a rotational pass-rush specialist.

LB Maurice “Mo” Westmoreland (6’2”, 250 lbs):

Transfer from UTEP (two-time All-Conference USA). Explosive prior stats: 7.5 sacks + 9.5 TFLs + FF in 2024; similar sack production in 2023. Limited to 5 games in 2025 due to injury (still had 3 sacks + INT), but size, athleticism, and proven pass-rush ability outweigh that. Could project as an EDGE/LB hybrid.

QB Jake Retzlaff:

BYU transfer who became Tulane’s dual-threat QB1 in 2025. Strong stats: 3,168 pass yards + 15 TD / 7 INT, plus 634 rush yards + 16 rushing TDs (school record; first Tulane QB to lead team in rushing). Athletic playmaker who thrives under pressure. Size (6’1”, 205 lbs) is a concern, but production and mobility give him a shot as a developmental QB or gadget player (late/UDFA range; participated in Hula Bowl + Pro Day throwing session).

OL Jack Hollifield (6’4”, ~300 lbs): Versatile interior lineman/center (transfers from Virginia Tech/Appalachian State). Started 11 games at App State in 2024 (0 sacks allowed, All-Sun Belt Second Team); Preseason All-AAC Third Team at Tulane. Meets NFL physical thresholds and has proven run/pass blocking reliability.

Other notable Pro Day participants with UDFA upside (could earn camp invites based on testing/drills):

OL Jordan Hall (6’4”, 310 lbs) – experienced interior depth.
SS Bailey Despanie – longest-tenured Green Wave player; box strong safety with great run support.
CB Isaiah “Zay” Wadsworth (transfer from Wofford) – athletic background (ex-QB/WR).
LB Sam Howard, WR Tre Shackelford, TE Johnny Pascuzzi, DB KC Eziomume, and former players like LB Mandel Eugene/DL Angelo Anderson.

Overall:

Tulane’s OL and front-seven talent (Graham, Hamilton, Westmoreland, Hollifield) align well with NFL needs for size and production at the G5 level. Retzlaff’s unique skill set adds intrigue. Exact outcomes depend on how Pro Day measurables, medicals, and interviews landed, scout turnout was lighter than prior years, so many are fighting for UDFA spots. Keep an eye on draft updates for any late selections or signings.

Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

#RollWave

Day 3 of the Draft is Here, Trust the Process. They Have Earned It.

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:56:41 GMT

The Draft still has a lot of great Talent left, and the Saints have five selections to make. Trust that they will continue to do well.

The first two days of the draft have gone by, and while some fan bases are still trying to comprehend their teams’ plans, the Saints have been pretty straightforward with theirs.

The Saints have embraced the fact that they are “not one player away” — Mickey Loomis.

They entered this draft with eight total picks and needs at almost every position group outside of quarterback. While many expected the Saints to be aggressive and make trades, this belief is reasonable because it’s something they’ve done with a high level of consistency for more than a decade. However, the Saints and their staff took a patient approach and allowed the draft to come to them.

And not just come to them, but they drafted positions that many knew were needs, yet weren’t anticipating the Saints to value at the time of selection.

The Saints drafted Jordyn Tyson in Round 1 with the eighth overall pick. In the next two rounds, they selected two Georgia Bulldog teammates. First, Christen Miller, an interior defensive lineman, with the forty-second overall pick. Then in the third round, they picked Oscar Delp with the seventy-third overall pick.

On the surface, these are not picks that will set the internet on fire. These are not headline-grabbing selections, but for the Saints, these are franchise-forward moves.

The additions of Miller and Delp strengthen position groups the Saints have struggled to build over the past five years. Consistency along the interior defensive front is one of the main reasons the Saints have gone from one of the best run defenses in the league to one of the worst.

Additionally, having a consistent, well-rounded tight end who can put his hand in the dirt and block, while also possessing the ability to split out wide, run routes, and catch passes, is something that has been missing since Jared Cook and Drew Brees walked off the field together after losing to the Bucs in the playoffs.

Many were expecting the Saints to select a defensive back, which is a reasonable expectation considering the need there, and possibly another running back. But the selections made on the second day of the draft show just how committed they are to fully completing this roster by taking their time and adding young players who have proven success at high levels but still possess upside and room for development.

With Day 3 of the draft now here, Saints fans should expect the same approach — being patient and striking when it’s most advantageous for the team.

Do not be worried. There is still plenty of high-level talent remaining on the board, and the Saints have done nothing but earn more confidence that they will select the best players available for the position groups they feel need to be addressed.

A guy like Keionte Scott would be a good fit in Brandon Staley’s defense. Mike Washington is still available if they want to add more youth to the running back room. There is also Pat Coogan, the senior leader of the offensive line for the National Champion Indiana Hoosiers, who would be another solid late-round addition for needed depth along the offensive line.

The process for the Saints has been clear: get younger, get more explosive, and build around Tyler Shough.

The approach has been great, and while many may see this draft class as average, this could end up being another 2017 class — and that draft class was a pass interference call away from playing in another Super Bowl.

Make sure to follow Anthony Parker on X

2026 NFL Draft Recap: Day 2

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:54:25 GMT

With the 42nd pick in the draft, the New Orleans Saints picked defensive tackle Christen Miller out of Georgia. Christen Miller is a big defensive tackle
prospect, measuring in at 6’4 and 320 pounds, who will make an impact on early downs against the run while he continues to grow as a pass rusher. The Saints have a strong need for young talent at the defensive tackle position with veterans Nathan Shepard and Davon Gochaux entering free agency after the upcoming season. Miller looks to be the latest of recent impact defenders to come out of Georgia as they have produced NFL talents like Mykell Williams, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and others.

Then, with the 73rd pick, the Saints went back to Georgia to select the 6’5 245 pound tight end, Oscar Delp. Delp is an intriguing prospect because his athleticism is elite, and he comes into the league known more for his blocking rather than his pass catching ability. But when he did catch passes, there was a good chance he was about to have a highlight-level play. There is a growing belief that Georgia has a hard time maximizing their pass-catching talent based on recent success from NFL talents like Ladd McConkey, George Pickens, and others. So it would not surprise me in the slightest if Delp looks like a much better player in a different environment more conducive to his success. Delp will bring balance to the tight end room to give a much needed blocking presence which should allow him to get on the field and show he can contribute in the passing game to get more snaps.

So far, the Saints have addressed wide receiver, defensive tackle, and tight end. All in all, I would say it’s been a good draft for them thus far. They have been able to address key spots on offense and defense. Look for them to be active on day three as they have multiple fourth and fifth round picks to either pick with or navigate the draft board with. I believe they’ll continue to take a balanced approach to addressing each side of the ball the rest of the way, with the goal of adding much needed depth to the roster. Day three becomes a bit more of a wildcard day, so I won’t be doing a key names to look out for this go around. Alright, one more day to go, talk to you all again tomorrow to recap day three and the draft as a whole.

Make sure to follow Kaden Arkeder on X.

Saints Draft Day 1 Recap

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:45:27 GMT

Well, the wait is over, we got to open our present Saints fans. Jordyn Tyson is a New Orleans Saint. Hard to quantify just how badly the Saints needed to add impactful young talent to the wide receiver room, and Tyson immediately helps fix the problem. Jordyn Tyson, when healthy, is the best receiver in this draft, the talent was always undeniable, there are not many receivers who come out who are as well-rounded as he is. Tyson brings route running, size, speed, and ball skills to the receiver room who will help take some pressure off everyone else on offense with his presence on the field. Jordyn Tyson gives Tyler Shough another legit pass catcher to aid in his own development this upcoming season as well as offer some insurance in case of Chris Olave missing time from injury. But now the risk of selecting Jordyn Tyson.

Tyson was injured every year of his collegiate career with time missed due to knee, clavicle, and hamstring injuries. The other criticism of Tyson has been his ability to be more physical at the catch point and after the catch. Using the eighth overall pick on him is definitely a risk given the injury history but the Saints felt the talent was too great at a position of need to pass up. Personally, I think the Saints got this pick right. Projecting ahead, I believe the Saints will be able to add more young talent at key positions which line up as strengths of the draft class. By addressing receiver first, they eliminated their number one need and gives them more flexibility heading into day two to address the other side of the ball. The defense could use some reinforcements after moving on from Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor earlier in the offseason, and the potential departure of Cameron Jordan.

Looking forward to day two of the draft, I believe the two positions to keep in mind are defensive line and defensive back. Both of those positions are needs for the Saints but also strengths of this draft class. So look for the Saints to target those positions on day two, and if they don’t, then for them to look at them again early on day three. If the Saints do look to continue to add to the offensive side of the ball I can see them adding to offensive skill positions and interior offensive line to gain better depth in those areas.

Some key names to look for on Day 2 :

Edge - TJ Parker from Clemson

Nose Tackle - Kayden McDonald from Ohio State

Nose Tackle - Dominique Orange from Iowa State

Nose Tackle - Darrell Jackson Jr from Florida State

Edge - Zion Young from Missouri

Cornerback - Jerrod McCoy from Tennessee

Cornerback - Colton Hood from Tennessee

Cornerback - D’Angelo Ponds from Indiana

Edge - R Mason Thomas from Oklahoma

Edge - Joshua Josephs from Tennessee

Defensive Tackle - Christen Miller from Georgia

Nickel/Safety - Treydan Stukes from Arizona

Safety - Emanuel McNeil-Warren from Toledo

Nickel/Safety - Jalon Kilgore from South Carolina

Offensive Guard - Chase Bisontis from Texas A&M

Offensive Guard - Emanuel Pregnon from Oregon

Tight End - Max Klare from Ohio State

Tight End - Sam Roush from Stanford

Tight End - Oscar Delp from Georgia

Offensive Center - Connor Lew from Auburn

Offensive Center - Jake Slaughter from Florida

Wide Receiver - Chris Bell from Louisville

Wide Receiver - Zachariah Branch from Georgia

Wide Receiver - De’Zhaun Stribling from Ole Miss

Wide Receiver - Ted Hurst from Georgia State

Running back - Mike Washington Jr. from Arkansas

Running back - Kaytron Allen from Penn State

Running back - Jonah Coleman from Washington

Okay, I think I covered all the bases here. Talk to you all next time to recap day two!

Kaden Arkeder

@KArkeder

2026 NFL Draftmas Eve

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:14:33 GMT

It’s the night before the draft, and you’re scrolling on X to see what all the NFL insiders and draft analysts have to say about your team. Trying to find any clues about who is going where and what the latest rumor is that could be the biggest surprise of Thursday night. The NFL Draft is one of the few times during the year when every fan has some level of hope and optimism in their team. The draft is a three-day event where it can make or break a franchise to where you can be set up for a Super Bowl contention or be stuck in the doldrums.

This year, Saints fans get to have some hope and optimism after how well the 2025 NFL Draft went. Kelvin Banks and Tyler Shough headline their draft class, which showed great promise for the Saints moving forward. Now it is on Mickey Loomis, Jeff Ireland, and company to keep the momentum going and have back-to-back successful drafts. Something they haven’t been able to really do in almost ten years now. But pressure isn’t new to Mickey Loomis, the man is not fazed by the likes of you or me posting online how poor of a job he’s done. No, the man simply chews his gum into a microphone defiantly with the confidence knowing that when his back is against the wall, he can capture lightning in a bottle. Mickey did it for the 06’ draft as well as the 17’ draft. The 2025 draft doesn’t appear to be quite like those, however, getting a starting Quarterback in the second round might help make a case, but that’s beside the point. The Saints don’t need to shoot for the moon with the 2026 NFL Draft, they aren’t one player away, which Mickey confirmed today in his annual pre-draft interview. All the Saints have to do is draft good football players and not get cute. Which I know is putting it way too simply, and is easier said than done. But I don’t want the Saints to get trigger-happy and make a costly trade that backfires on them à la Trevor Penning or Marcus Davenport. If a trade opportunity comes along that they deem is reasonable, then by all means, I hope they take advantage, but just make sure you’re not the ones being taken advantage of. The Saints might have already done the hardest part by finding a QB, so now they can do the fun part of the roster building.

I’ll admit there is some nervousness as a Saints fan about the draft and rightfully so, but as I type this out, the Saints are in a spot where they can’t really go wrong with their first pick in the draft. All the players being mocked to them can and should help the team in a major way as a rookie. They could go with a dynamic wide receiver like Jordyn Tyson or Carnell Tate, a do-it-all safety like Caleb Downs, a productive edge rusher like Ruben Bain, or maybe even trade up for a cyborg-like linebacker in Arvell Reese. The Saints have plenty of options, and all of them should be quality options. So now the question is, who is going to be the Saints fans’ present Thursday evening? We don’t have to wait much longer to find out. Merry Draftmas, everyone.

Texas A&M Hands LSU Second Consecutive Sweep

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:40:55 GMT

Texas A&M - 5, LSU - 2

Sunday Afternoon Recap

For the first time since 2021, LSU has been swept in back-to-back series. It was the third uncompetitive game from the Tigers, falling behind early and failing to ever punch back. It’s a shame, because we actually saw one of the best pitching performances of the season by Deven Sheerin. He was phenomenal, but by the time he entered the game, the damage was already done. Zac Cowan made the start, which was what a lot of folks hoped for, but Texas A&M’s offense was just too good, even for him. The wind was blowing hard and straight in, making it a tough offensive day in Alex Box. That did not matter, though, as the Aggies blasted two homeruns. Jay Johnson told me after the game that the wind conditions actually plated a factor in the decision to start Cowan, so it was a tough blow watching that gameplan go down the drain.

Offensively, the LSU lineup continued to be anemic. Aggie starter Weston Moss entered with an ERA of 6.69, yet the Tigers couldn’t touch him. They struck out another 11 times, drawing only 4 walks. For the weekend, that’s 29 strikeouts while only drawing 7 walks. On Sunday, they were 2-16 with runners on base and went 0-7 with runners in scoring position. That formula isn’t good enough to beat anyone in the SEC, much less a top team like Texas A&M.

Pitching

Even Zac Cowan wasn’t immune to this dangerous Aggie lineup. After a leadoff groundout, Caden Sorrell hit a line drive homerun that just got high enough to get in to the Diamond Deck. That swing put Texas A&M on the scoreboard first for the third time in the series. Despite following with a walk, the senior was able to get a strikeout and another ground out to limit the early damage to 1-0. Cowan allowed a leadoff walk to start the 2nd. A groundout moved the runner to 2nd, then yet another wild pitch moved him to 3rd, setting up a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 before a flyout ended the inning. Back for the 3rd, the Aggies got their leadoff man on base, again. After a flyout, Chris Hacopian ripped a 2-run homerun and LSU was down 4-0. Following a groundout and a walk, Cowan’s day was done.

Final line: 2.2 IP / 3 hits / 4 runs / 1 K / 3 BB / 60 pitches (37 strikes, 62%)

Likely way earlier than he hoped, Jay Johnson had to call upon Deven Sheerin to record the final out of the 3rd. He came in and struck out Terrence Kiel II looking. In the 4th, he found himself in a good bit of trouble after a leadoff strikeout. Three consecutive singles extended the lead to 5-0 and had two runners still on base. Sheerin then struck out both Sorrell and Hacopian to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t until the 5th inning that the Aggies were kept off of the scoreboard, going 3-up, 3-down with a couple of strikeouts. He did the same in the 6th, striking out another two. His 7th inning was his final inning and it was another 1-2-3 frame, extending his streak of 11-straight Aggies retired to finish his outing.

Final line: 4.1 IP / 3 hits / 1 run / 9 K / 0 BB / 61 pitches (47 strikes, 77%)

Santiago Garcia took over for the 8th and walked the leadoff hitter. He locked in after that, going strikeout, flyout, strikeout. That was his only inning of work.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 K / 1 BB / 16 pitches (11 strikes, 69%)

After the Tigers finally found the scoreboard to make it a 5-2 game, Gavin Guidry took the mound for the 9th. After starting 2-0 to Bear Harrison, he battled back to start with a strikeout and then followed with another. An error on Tanner Reaves was the first of the weekend for LSU and after Grahovac stole 2nd, Jay chose to intentionally walk Sorrell. Guidry was able to record a flyout to center to keep the deficit at 5-2 heading to their final 3 outs.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 K / 1 int BB / 20 pitches (13 strikes, 65%)

Hitting

Cade Arrambide blasted his 10th homerun of the season, the second Tiger to reach double digits in 2026. It came in the 8th inning to break the Aggies shutout. He finished 1-5, but had a good weekend and now hold the second highest batting average on the team at .311.

Derek Curiel finished 1-3 with a walk. His base hit came directly after Arrambide’s homerun and he eventually came around to score on a wild pitch for the Tigers second and final run of the game.

Steven Milam, Jake Brown, Omar Serna, John Pearson, and Eddie Yamin each finished with one hit.

Up Next

LSU will stay at home for a midweek battle with UNO on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30. The Privateers sit with a 17-25 record and are also struggling in their conference play with a record of 7-14. With the Tigers season entering dire moments, Tuesday is not only a must-win, but it feels like a must that they play well and find some momentum to take to Starkville next weekend for a 3-game series with the Bulldogs. A loss on Friday would mark only the second time in LSU baseball history that they lose 7 consecutive games.

Follow me on X for much more @DCBilliotJr

Tigers Remain Uncompetitive as Aggies Clinch Series

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:48:59 GMT

Texas A&M - 7, LSU - 2

Saturday Evening Recap

Despite the uncompetitive loss in game 1. Despite Jay Johnson’s post-game comments about the roster. Despite his comments about the competitiveness. Despite the fact that this team in running out of runway to finally take off, they came out flat, yet again, and got dominated by Texas A&M to clinch the series. LSU fell to 6-11 in SEC play, having lost 5 consecutive conference games. Three of those losses are by 5+ runs, meaning it was smooth sailing for their opponents. Weekend pitching had been the Tigers “best” aspect for the first 5 weeks of the SEC schedule, but it has failed them through two games so far. William Schmidt had his worst outing of the season, getting pummeled by the potent Aggies lineup for 7 runs through 5.1 innings pitched and getting credited with the loss to drop his record to 4-4 in 2026. The bullpen was solid, holding Texas A&M scoreless for the final 3.2 innings of the game, but with the lack of offensive support, it was too little, too late.

As bad as the offense seemed at times in game 1, they found a way to get worse in game 2. Mustering only 5 hits, LSU only reached base 7 times, including the 2 walks. They’ve now struck out 18 times this weekend, while only drawing 3 walks. That’s just another example of how the lineup is so far away from looking like a Jay Johnson lineup, they’ve become unrecognizable. They hit .161 as a team on Saturday night, including a .111 average with runners on base. Mason Braun was the only Tiger to reach 2nd base safely the entire night. It’s just not good enough.

Pitching

William Schmidt got off to a great start, quickly disposing of one of the best 1-2-3s in the country with Grahovac, Sorrell, and Hacopian. It only took 12 pitches to record a strikeout and two flyouts. That quickly went down the drain in the 2nd, as Texas A&M picked up right where they left off last night with scoring 2-out runs. The inning went flyout, infield single, flyout to start, when Jorian Wilson followed his two homerun game last night with an RBI single to start the scoring. Bear Harrison followed with a 2-run homerun and just like that, the Aggies were up 3-0. A lineout would end the inning. Things didn’t get a whole lot better in the 3rd, as Schmidt allowed a leadoff homerun to Grahovac, followed by a single, double, and sacrifice fly and it was a 5-1 game. The sophomore was able to pitch around traffic to prevent any further damage. He finally got back on track in the 4th with a 3-up, 3-down inning, but the Aggies weren’t held scoreless for much longer. A leadoff double in the 5th, followed by a wild pitch, set up a sacrifice fly that extended their lead to 6-1. Back-to-back strikeouts would get the Tigers off of the field, but the whole was getting deeper and deeper with their struggling offense. Schmidt’s day would end in the 6th. After recording a flyout to start the inning, the then walked the bases loaded and with his 105 pitches, Jay Johnson came out to get him.

Final line: 5.1 IP / 7 hits / 7 runs / 4 K / 4 BB / 105 pitches (60 strikes, 57%)

Connor Benge came out for his normal task of trying to put out a fire, but a weak ground ball through the open side of the infield with the Tigers shifted led to an RBI single to make it a 7-2 game and that would be the only batter he faced.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 0 K / 0 BB / 3 pitches (2 strikes, 67%)

Cooper Williams entered for a lefty-lefty matchup against Sorrell and struck him out for his only batter faced.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB / 6 pitches (4 strikes, 67%)

With 2 outs and the bases loaded, Zion Theophilus entered and recorded a groundout to end the inning. He returned for the 7th and despite allowing a leadoff single, he was able to record a strikeout and a flyout before his day came to an end.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB / 11 pitches (7 strikes, 64%)

After a fantastic outing last night, Jay called upon Danny Lachenmayer took over with 2 outs and recorded a groundout to end the inning. He did not return for the 8th.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 K / 0 BB / 5 pitches (3 strikes, 60%)

It was Marcos Paz taking over in the 8th and as he has in his first inning of work many times this year, he cruised. He went 1-2-3 with a flyout, a strikeout, and a weak groundball. His troubles have come in his second innings back out on the mound and that somewhat held true, but he was able to pitch through it. He struck out Sorrell to start the inning, then allowed a walk and a single. That’s where he locked in and got his third strikeout and a groundout to escape with no damage. The freshman continues to boast tremendous promise as he matures throughout his first season. So much so that Jay Johnson gushed about him in his post-game presser, saying that he believes Paz “will eventually be the best pitcher in the program.”

Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 3 K / 1 BB / 42 pitches (25 strikes, 60%)

Hitting

Steven Milam recorded his second game in a row with multiple hits, including another homerun. This one was from the left side off of Aiden Sims, a bomb that landed under the auxiliary scoreboard in right-center. The star shortstop has quietly raised his average up to .284, 4th among regular starters. He finished the night 2-4.

Omar Serna, Chris Stanfield, and Derek Curiel each had a single. Serna finished 1-2 with a walk, Stanfield went 1-3 with an RBI, and Curiel was 1-4.

Up Next

LSU and Texas A&M will wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon with game 3. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm central and presents a pitching matchup of TBA from each team. Despite how bad this series has gone for the Tigers, they are set up well with their top arms for tomorrow. Zac Cowan, Deven Sheerin, Gavin Guidry, and Santiago Garcia have each yet to throw this weekend. The availability of Cooper Moore may also play a large factor. If Moore does pitch, I expect him to start the game in a very limited capacity. Despite potentially being unavailable to record more than 3-6 outs, it would be beneficial for him to get back in to a starter’s routine before, hopefully, fully returning next weekend. If Moore doesn’t pitch, my best estimation would be Cowan to start the game. As for the Aggies, RHP Weston Moss could be a potential candidate. He has started 8 games on the weekend this season, so it would make sense. His record is 3-2 with a 6.69 ERA through 36.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 35 and walked 13 and holds a WHIP of 1.58.

Tomorrow is a must-win for LSU. Semantics say that it’s never a must-win until the season is on the line, but the season gets more and more on the line with every loss. A second consecutive sweep would be catastrophic for this team, especially considering their remaining schedule. It’s been a waiting game for this team to finally click, so time will tell if that ever actually happens.

Follow me on X for much more @DCBilliotJr

Familiar Issues Plague Tigers in Loss to Aggies

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:00:59 GMT

Texas A&M - 10, LSU - 4

Friday Night Recap

It was groundhog’s day again at Alex Box on Friday night, as LSU lost their 4th straight SEC game in the series opener to Texas A&M. Their night consisted of a lot of the same issues that have plagued them throughout this dreadful season. Casan Evans was off to a fantastic start through 4 innings, but the wheels eventually fell off and the Tigers were doing what they’ve had to do for most of their 16 SEC games so far. Play from behind. They fell behind 1-0, but were able to answer and tie the game. Unfortunately, Evans left the game with the team down 6-2 and the game was essentially over at that point. One of the biggest talking points of this team’s pitching this year as been being one out away. Often, it’s just one pitch away from getting out of an inning without sustaining damage. Time and time again, they’ve been unable to get off of the field and it continued in game 1.

Speaking of old issues continuing on Friday night, the inability to get a big 2-out hit that has plagued this lineup for most of the season, was again on full display. They’ve constantly let pitchers off of the hook and that’s what happened multiple times tonight. They left a runner on 3rd base in 3 of the first 5 innings, which simultaneously led to them falling behind as they often have. Going 1-8 with runners in scoring position is not going to win you many ball games, much less against an offensive team like Texas A&M. Despite two good performances in the middle of the lineup, it was the top of the order that let the Tigers down. Spots #1-#3 combined to go 3-15. Many of the at bats were uncompetitive, but that’s nothing new for this offense.

Pitching

Casan Evans showed up ready to roll on Friday evening. He struck out Gavin Grahovac on 3 pitches to start the game, on his way to striking out the side, despite a 2-out single up the middle. It was a quick 1-2-3 in the 2nd, including another strikeout and nice slow-roller play by John Pearson at 3rd base. Trouble began in the 3rd, as Evans walked 8-hole hitter Bear Harrison to lead off the inning, followed by a bloop single that put runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs. He followed up his 3-pitch strikeout of Grahovac with another 3-pitch strikeout for a big first out of the inning. Caden Sorrell then chopped a ground ball to Mason Braun at 1st base, but it took too long to get to the freshman, allowing the runner at 3rd to score as Braun stepped on the base for the second out. Another ground out to Pearson ended the inning, but only allowing a run after the situation Evans found himself in was a slight win. He bounced back in the 4th, striking out another two to bring his total to 7, pitching around a 2-out walk. He issued another leadoff walk to Harrison in the 5th, who’s .265 batting average was the lowest in the Aggies starting lineup. A strikeout and a flyout put him in position to nullify it, but Texas A&M rattled off three straight singles and just like that, LSU was down 4-1. A groundout would finally end a 30-pitch inning for the Tiger ace. Despite the gruel of a 5th inning, Evans returned for the 6th. He gave up a leadoff single on his 101st pitch of the night, but Jay Johnson chose to stick with him and it ended up being for too long. Freshman Jorian Wilson blasted a 2-run homerun so far out of the stadium that Derek Curiel barely moved. Despite the good first 4 innings, the wheels fell off for Evans and that would be all for him.

Final line: 5.0 IP / 7 hits / 6 runs / 8 Ks / 3 BBs / 103 pitches (68 strikes, 66%)

After starting the past two Sundays, it was Grant Fontenot as first out of the bullpen for the Tigers. He got off to a fantastic start, striking out the first two hitters that he faced. Grahovac then stepped to the plate having a pretty rough night, but hit another Aggie bomb to right-center for make it 7-2. After a walk, Fontenot would record a flyout to end the second consecutive 3-run inning for Texas A&M. He would not return after that.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hits / 1 runs / 2 Ks / 1 BB / 13 pitches (8 strikes, 62%)

Danny Lachenmayer took over for the 7th looking to bounce back from some recent struggles. He had hit his only batter-faced in his previous 3 outings going back to game 3 at Tennessee. Tonight, he was very good. Aside from a 1-out single, the lefty struck out the side in his only inning of work.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BB / 18 pitches (13 strikes, 72%)

Connor Benge took over for the 8th to start with a clean inning, something he typically doesn’t see. He’s normally put in to put out fires and he’s been pretty good the past few weeks. He was great tonight, striking out the first two batters faced and then getting Grahovac down to a 1-2 count. Benge threw a very good slider that had him fooled, but the Aggie 1st baseman was able to throw his barrel at the ball to make soft contact and find open grass. Jay pulled him with a lefty coming up to bat, but it was another good performance for the right-handed flamethrower.

Final line: 0.2 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 2 Ks / 0 BBs / 14 pitches (10 strikes, 71%)

With the left-handed hitting Sorrell coming up, Jay went to Ethan Plog for the matchup. After starting him 1-2, Plog threw 3 straight balls to allow the walk and that was it for him.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 1 BB / 6 pitches (2 strikes, 33%)

With runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 outs, Jay went to Mavrick Rizy. On the second pitch, A&M 2nd baseman Chris Hacopian took a fastball to his face in what was a very scary moment. He had to leave the game with trainers. That loaded the bases and the very next pitch went to the backstop, bringing home the 8th Aggie run of the night. Rizy would eventually walk that hitter, before finally recording the final out with a groundout to Steven Milam. Rizy would not return after that.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 1 BBs / 1 HBP / 14 pitches (6 strikes, 43%)

It was Reagan Ricken on the mound for the 9th after LSU had scored 2 runs in the 8th to make it a 8-4 game. Just 4 pitches in to the inning, the Aggies were back up by 6 runs after a double and Wilson’s second homerun of the game. Ricken then walked the next hitter on 4 pitches and Jay was out of the dugout to pull him from the game before the batter even got to 1st base.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 2 hits / 2 runs / 0 Ks / 1 BB / 9 pitches (4 strikes, 44%)

Jaden Noot has been seldom used this year, but he was called upon in the 9th. He came in and did his job, recording back to back groundouts and a pop out with an intentional walk in-between.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 1 int walk / 10 pitches (8 strikes, 80%)

Hitting

Cade Arrambide has been on fire going back to that 4 homerun game at Tennessee and he turned in another great night tonight. At DH, he went 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored. The RBI was a 2-out hit, which many of you know that Jay refers to as a “golden”, because that’s how valuable they are. Two of his singles were to the opposite field, which is great to see. So much of this lineup is pull-heavy this year, which is something Jay talked about in his post game press conference.

Steven Milam delivered the only other multi-hit game for the Tigers. Both of his hits were extra base hits, including a solo homerun that tied the game at 1-1 in the 4th inning. He finished 2-4 with a double, as well.

Derek Curiel, Chris Stanfield, Jake Brown, Omar Serna, and John Pearson each recorded a single hit. Pearson drew the only walk of the night for the Tiger lineup, while also providing one of the other two RBIs, along with Serna.

Up Next

LSU and Texas A&M will return tomorrow for game 2 with an adjusted first pitch. Originally scheduled for 7 pm, it has been moved up to 4:30 pm central with the threat of rain looming tomorrow night. The loss now drops the Tigers to 6-10 in conference play, while the Aggies improved to 10-5. William Schmidt will take the mound with his 4-3 record, holding a 3.22 ERA through 44.2 innings pitched. He’s struck out 63 while walking 18 batters. Texas A&M will counter with sophomore Aiden Sims, who Jay referred to as their best pitcher on the post-game radio show. Sims holds a record of 6-0 with an ERA of 3.56 through 48.0 innings pitched, while striking out 51 and walking 15. The Tigers are starting to enter must-win territory with their resume status and while losing either of the next two games doesn’t end their season, it’s going to get exponentially harder as they continue to dig themselves a deeper hole.

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Texas A&M Preview

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:03:58 GMT

Welcome back to the second edition of the statistical preview for LSU’s weekend opponent. There are two major changes this week. First, the rankings you see for each team are bases on SEC games ONLY. Last week was conference ranks that included all games played, but now that we’re halfway through the schedule, there is enough of a sample size that SEC games only can tell the full story. Second change is the inclusion of WHIP for the starting pitchers. For those that don’t know, WHIP stands for “walks + hits per inning pitched”. Basically, it’s how many guys a pitcher allows on base by his own doing, so it excludes runners that reach on errors.

With that being said, please let me know if there is anything you’d like me to change or add going forward. My X account is listed below and my DMs are open, so feel free to reach out!

Team Hitting

Runs scored: 1st – 9.9 per game (LSU: 3rd – 7.1 per game)

Batting average: 1st - .288 (LSU: 7th – .260)

Doubles: 1st – 31 (LSU: 8th – 22)

Homeruns: 2nd – 29 (LSU: T-6th – 24)

On base %: 1st – .451 (LSU: T-5th – .409)

Strikeouts: 15th – 121 (LSU: 12th – 137)

Walks: 1st – 108 (LSU: 4th – 76)

Hits: 1st – 11.2 per game (LSU: 6th – 8.7 per game)

Stolen bases: 7th – 16 (LSU: 12th – 10)

Team Pitching

ERA: 15th – 6.94 (LSU: 11th – 5.94)

Strikeouts: 15th – 123 (LSU: 2nd – 169)

Walks: 12th – 55 (LSU: 3rd – 86)

HRs allowed: 16th – 37 (LSU: 8th – 19)

Hits allowed: 16th – 10.4 per game (LSU: 9th – 8.0 per game)

Runs allowed: 14th – 6.8 per game (LSU: 13th – 6.7 per game)

BA against: 16th – .300 (LSU: 7th – .242)

Fielding: 4th – .979 (LSU: 16th – .963)

Pitching Matchups

Game 1 (Friday – 6:00 pm)

Texas A&M – RS Jr LHP Shane Sdao: 3-2 record (9 starts) / 5.77 ERA / 48.1 IP / 1.53 WHIP / 58 Ks / 12 BBs

LSU – Soph RHP Casan Evans: 2-1 record (9 starts) / 4.91 ERA / 47.2 IP / 1.36 WHIP / 68 Ks / 23 BBs

Game 2 (Saturday – 7:00 pm)

Texas A&M – Soph RHP Aiden Sims: 6-0 record (9 starts) / 3.56 ERA / 48.0 IP / 1.19 WHIP / 51 Ks / 15 BBs

LSU – Soph RHP William Schmidt: 4-3 record (9 starts) / 3.22 ERA / 44.2 IP / 1.30 WHIP / 63 Ks / 18 BBs

Game 3 (Sunday – 1:00 pm)

Texas A&M – TBA

LSU – TBA

Top Hitters

#13 Caden Sorrell – .368 BA / .456 OB% / 57 RBI / 45 R / 17 HR / 12 doubles / 19 BB / 38 K

#9 Gavin Grahovac – .360 BA / .458 OB% / 49 RBI / 49 R / 10 HR / 11 doubles / 17 BB / 24 K

#2 Nico Partida – .351 BA / .456 OB% / 37 RBI / 39 R / 11 HR / 7 doubles / 24 BB / 26 K

#3 Jake Duer – .344 BA / .468 OB% / 36 RBI / 29 R / 4 HR / 10 doubles / 30 BB / 21 K

#1 Terrence Kiel II – .290 BA / .442 OB% / 12 RBI / 32 R / 0 HR / 4 doubles / 20 BB / 13 K

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Pitching and Homeruns Carry LSU Over Northwestern St

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:48:12 GMT

LSU - 4, Northwestern St - 2

Tuesday Night Recap

Entering Tuesday on a 4-game losing streak, LSU was in desperate need of a win. That was apparent when Jay Johnson sent bullpen ace Zac Cowan to the mound to start the game. The Tigers have found themselves down early in plenty of midweek games this year, the emphasis was to try and prevent needing a comeback effort. Although it wasn’t a large deficit, LSU still fell behind after a 2nd inning homerun. Midweek pitching has been suspect for most of the season, but the staff was excellent against Northwestern. They struck out 16 Demon hitters, while only walking 2. Jay’s emphasis on winning the game was further proven by going to Deven Sheerin to close the game out, which he did.

While the pitching has struggled in the midweek games, the offense typically has not. Despite only scoring 7 in a loss to Bethune-Cookman a week ago, they had exploded for two double digit wins the previous two games. That was not the case this week, though. Although they recorded 9 hits, the situational offense was suspect, missing more opportunities as we’ve seen throughout the year. All 4 runs that LSU scored crossed home plate on homeruns. They only struck out 4 times, but as a whole, the Tigers were just underwhelming once again.

Pitching

Zac Cowan did what Jay Johnson was hoping for in the 1st, which was getting the Tigers off to a good start. After a flyout and an infield hit, the senior struck out back to back hitters to prevent the Demons from getting anything going. That changed in the 2nd, as Northwestern got a leadoff bloop single, but it was quickly erased on a double play. Demon right fielder Bryce Johnson lined out to John Pearson, who had all day to throw the runner out at 1st base with him attempting a steal. With 2 outs and a 3-2 count, Austrailian catcher Mason Wray blasted his first homerun of the season to Left Field Landing. Cowan would record a groundout back to himself to end the inning and with 34 pitches, he would not return for the 3rd inning.

Final line: 2.0 IP / 3 hits / 1 run / 2 Ks / 0 BBs / 34 pitches (22 strikes, 65%)

Grant Fontenot was looking to bounce back from a rough start on Sunday, in which he only recorded an out in the 1st inning. His 3rd inning on Tuesday night was far better, though. He went 3-up, 3-down while striking out two. Returning for the 4th, he went 1-2-3 again, including a very nice slow-roller play by Brayden Simpson, who was lined up at shortstop in the shift. Another groundout and his third strikeout of the night got LSU right back in to the dugout with the Tigers looking for their first lead. After two fantastic innings, that would be the end for Fontenot.

Final line: 2.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BBs / 32 pitches (23 strikes, 72%)

Reagan Ricken took the mound to start the 5th and gave up a first pitch single through the left side. He then threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt, which has happened far too often for Tiger pitching this season. A catcher’s interference would put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs, setting up a sacrifice bunt. The Demons retook the lead on a groundout to Steven Milam, who had to make the play to 1st base. Ricken’s night would be over with 2 outs and a runner at 3rd.

Final line: 0.2 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 14 strikes (10 strikes, 71%)

Connor Benge entered to try and record the final out and with a lineout to Chris Stanfield, he did just that. He returned for the 6th and started off with a strikeout. A 1-out double on a groundball that took an awful hop on Mason Braun at 1st base would get a runner in to scoring position. Benge fought back with a strikeout, but that would be all. He has quietly put together some solid outings the past few weeks.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 0 BBs / 12 pitches (9 strikes, 75%)

With 2 outs in the 6th and a runner on 2nd, Jay turned to Cooper Williams. He came through with a strikeout and that was it for his night.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BBs / 5 pitches (4 strikes, 80%)

Marcos Paz entered to start the 7th and was fantastic. He struck out the side on three full-counts. His 96 mph is some of the most effortless velocity that I’ve ever watched in person. He’s going to be a stud in this program. His night would end after the one flawless inning.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BBs / 19 pitches (11 strikes, 58%)

Zion Theophilus took over for the 8th and issued the first walk of the game for LSU pitching. He threw one pitch to the second batter, a foul ball, then was removed. There wasn’t a trainer out on the field, so it appeared as if Jay just didn’t like what he saw:

Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 1 BB / 5 pitches (1 strike, 20%)

Santiago took over for Theophilus and struck out his first hitter. A wild pitch and an error on John Pearson put runners on the corners with 1 out, then a walk loaded the bases. Jay, visibly frustrated, scurried out of the dugout to make another pitching change.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 1 BB / 12 pitches (6 strikes, 50%)

Badly needing to win a game, Jay had to turn to Deven Sheerin with the bases loaded and only 1 out. As he always does, he came through with a massive strikeout and then a pop out in foul territory to Pearson to end Northwestern’s biggest threat since the 5th. He returned for the 9th and blew right through the Demon lineup, striking out the side to close out the 4-2 win.

Final line: 1.2 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 4 Ks / 0 BBs / 25 pitches (16 strikes, 64%)

Hitting

Jake Brown had the biggest swing of the night. While down 2-1 in the 5th, a baserunning error threatened to waste a giant opportunity. But the star outfielder stepped up and blasted a 3-run homerun to take the lead. That was his 16th homerun of the season, which doubles his total from 2025. I asked Brown after the game about the power surge and if that was a conscious effort in the offseason, to which he confirmed that it was to try and fill the power void of Jared Jones and Ethan Frey having moved on to the MLB.

Speaking of homeruns, Brayden Simpson transferred to LSU from High Point after hitting 22 homeruns a year ago. Not that anyone realistically expected him to come close to that total, it has been slightly surprising that he had yet to leave the yard this year. That all changed on Tuesday night when he hit a 425 foot bomb off of the batter’s eye in center field to tie the game. After his big swing that extended LSU’s 7-run inning on Sunday, Simpson has strung together a few games of good at bats. Unfortunately, it was him who had the big baserunning blunder prior to Brown’s homerun. It was a play that just cant happen, especially from a senior. His homerun was his last at bat of the night, because he was pulled from the game following the mistake. He should have opportunities to bounce back this weekend, as Seth Dardar continues to recover from his ankle injury.

Steven Milam, Derek Curiel, and John Pearson each had 2 hits on Tuesday night. One of Milam’s hits was a double, the only one of the night for the Tiger offense.

Up Next

Having now improved their record to 23-15, LSU will welcome in Texas A&M to Baton Rouge to kick off the second half of SEC play. The Aggies come in with a 10-4 record in conference play, tied for 2nd in the league. They are coming off of a rare 2 game sweep of Texas last weekend with game 3 on Sunday eventually getting cancelled due to rain all day on Sundaqy. With a 6-9 record following being swept in Oxford last weekend, LSU desperately needs a series win this weekend. First pitch for game 1 will be Friday at 6 pm central.

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Ole Miss Takes First Two, Including Run Rule Over LSU

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:12:14 GMT

Ugly. Brutal. Lifeless. Just three words that can describe the first two games of the series for LSU. Despite taking a 2-0 lead in both games, they’ve held the lead in only 5 of the 18 innings so far in Oxford. As it has been all year, their issue is the inability to stop the train from going completely off of the tracks. When one thing goes wrong, it’s typically followed with another wrong…or four. While pitching has been great for the past three weeks of SEC play, it was the hitting or defense that let them down. This weekend, all three aspects have been flat out putrid. Outside of Casan Evans, almost every pitcher that has taken the mound for the Tigers has struggled to get outs. Although it wasn’t always on the pitcher like in Zac Cowan’s case, it’s been nothing but bad for the most part. Bad can’t even describe the defense. The better word for that is atrocious.

Speaking of atrocious, that’s also a good way to describe LSU’s situational hitting. No matter what the situation is, if it’s a key moment, the Tigers simply can not find a big swing. They have been incapable of stringing together multiple hits on a consistent basis. Even if you go back through the back-to-back series wins over Kentucky and Tennessee, almost all of the big moments have come off of homeruns. Game 3 against Kentucky, John Pearson’s grand slam and Seth Dardar’s 3-run homerun were what flipped that game on it’s head. Game 1 against Tennessee, it took a trio of walks from one of the best Volunteer pitchers to lead to the grand slam by Derek Curiel. On Sunday, it was a bunch of solo homeruns and then the grand slam by Cade Arrambide until the dam finally broke loose for the Tiger offense in extra innings. They have just failed game after game of being able to score runs with simple base hits. Homeruns are great, but when they don’t come, the production looks a lot like it has on Friday and Saturday against Ole Miss.

Game 1 (Ole Miss – 6, LSU – 3)

Pitching

As good as Casan Evans has been at times this year, his starts are rarely clean from start to finish. The next step in his progression is avoiding a big inning every time out. Even if it only ends up being 2 or 3 runs, he’s prone to a 30+ pitch inning from time to time and it limits his ability to get even deeper in to games. This week, it was the first inning. After Jake Brown’s 2-run homerun gave LSU an immediate lead, Ole Miss answered right back by stringing together four singles in the first six batters of the game. Just like that, the game was tied at 2-2. Evans was able to strike out the final two hitters of the 1st. He gave up a leadoff homerun to start the 2nd, but that’s where he finally started to settle in. After a ground out, he struck out the final two hitters for the second time in a row, but his pitch count was already at 55. To start the 3rd, Evans issued a leadoff walk, but a beautifully turned double play by Steven Milam and Seth Dardar quickly erased it, followed by a 1-pitch lineout to left field. He cruised through the 4th and 5th innings by going 6-up, 6-down, including 3 strikeouts. After a 1-out hit by pitch, LSU’s ace was able to record his 9th and final strikeout, followed by a groundout to end the 6th and close his outing. As he did against Kentucky two weeks ago, he battled through a tough start to stretch through 6 innings of work and save what would have been disastrous if Jay Johnson had to go to his bullpen any earlier, especially considering Sundays are a bullpen game with Cooper Moore out. Evans did what he always does and battled.

Final line: 6.0 IP / 5 hits / 3 runs / 9 Ks / 2 BBs / 107 pitches (63 strikes, 59%)

After LSU tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the 7th, Jay pulled the trigger on bringing Zac Cowan in. The senior has been the best pitcher on the staff in SEC play, so the hope was to allow him to close out the game while his offense grabbed a lead. After a quick 1-2-3 inning, the plan was moving along swimmingly. But, some horrendous defense and mental mistakes on the infield led to Jay’s worst nightmare. Using Cowan in a losing effort would be catastrophic and that’s exactly what happened. A ball off of the end of the bat would drop in to right field with the bases loaded and no outs, giving Ole Miss the one run lead. A squeeze attempt would follow, in which more bad defense prevented the Tigers from getting a single out. A sacrifice fly immediately followed and just like that, the Rebels were up 6-3. With 32 pitches, Jay would come out to get Cowan with the hopes of some preservation for Sunday. Cowan executed pitch after pitch, but was severely let down by the rest of his team.

Final line: 1.2 IP / 4 hits / 3 runs (1 earned) / 1 K / 0 BB / 32 pitches (21 strikes, 66%)

Connor Benge came in to record a strikeout to end the 8th and that would be all, as the Rebels wouldn’t hit in the 9th.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB / 3 pitches (3 strikes, 100%)

Hitting

Mason Braun made his first SEC start at 1st base and delivered, for the most part. I say “for the most part”, because his third and final hit of the game led off in the 8th inning when the game was still tied, but he got caught napping with his lead off of 1st base and got picked off. It was an inexcusable freshman mistake, but that was his only blemish. He went 3-4, including a double, with all of his hits coming off of top conference left-handed arms. His defense at 1st base also looked good, including a great stretch on the double play ball.

Omar Serna returned from his injury last Sunday in Knoxville and delivered. He finished 2-4.

Chris Stanfield moved back up to the leadoff spot and delivered great at bats all night. While he finished 1-3 with a run scored, he also walked twice and was one of the few Tigers that was competitive on a night in which LSU struck out 11 times.

The biggest swing of the night was the one from Jake Brown when he launched a 2-run bomb in to the Ole Miss student section in the 1st inning. The rest of his night was subpar, though, finishing 1-5 with those 2 RBI and his run scored.

Game 2 (Ole Miss – 12, LSU – 2)

Pitching

William Schmidt looked fantastic early, striking out both Bissetta and Utermark in the 1st on some nasty pitches. He walked two in the 2nd, but struck out the side to prevent anything from happening. The sophomore got right back to dealing in the 3rd, striking out another two. Through 3 innings, he had already racked up 7 strikeouts. Schmidt hit a brick wall in the 4th, though. After back-to-back walks and a couple of wild pitches to start the inning, Ole Miss was set up with runners on 1st and 3rd and no outs. A sacrifice fly would bring in a runner to make it a 2-1 game, but the Rebels had just scored a run without recording a single hit. After a groundout back to the pitcher, he finally gave up his first hit on a single that tied the game at 2-2. The very next batter blasted a 2-run homerun to left-center, followed up by a double, and in the blink of an eye, Schmidt’s day was one and the Tigers were down 4-2. Despite the fact that he was squeezed by the home plate umpire, he did a poor job of composing himself. He let his frustrations get to him and it affected his performance. Saturday will have to be a learning moment for Schmidt, especially with such a bright future.

Final line: 3.2 IP / 3 hits / 4 runs / 7 Ks / 4 BBs / 85 pitches (50 strikes, 59%)

Cooper Williams entered the game with 2 outs in the 4th, but promptly walked the first batter he faced on 5 pitches. He was able to record a groundout on the next guy, preventing further damage and stranding two runners. His trouble would come in the 5th, though, as he gave up a single and hit a batter to start the inning. A single would drive home another run for Ole Miss to make it a 5-2 game. Williams would get a strikeout and a lineout, but that would be all for the sophomore. It’s been a frustrating season for the lefty, as he’s been unable to showcase the talent that was on display in 2025 as a true freshman.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 1 K / 1 BB / 28 pitches (14 strikes, 50%)

Zion Theophilus entered and struck out the final hitter in the 5th. He returned for the 6th, but a walk and single to start the inning would put runners on 1st and 3rd and that would be the end of his day. The freshman has flashed some promise, even as recent as Tuesday, but not on Saturday.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 1 hit / 2 runs / 1 K / 1 BB / (11 pitches (6 strikes, 55%)

Danny Lachenmayer had been called upon three times in a span of four days between game 1 vs Kentucky and game 1 vs Tennessee over the past few weeks. In each of those appearances, he came in and did his job. It’s all been downhill since then, though. He entered on Saturday and immediately threw a wild pitch, scoring one. He then hit Bissetta, which now marks the third straight game going back to Sunday that he has come in and hit a batter and failed to record an out. That’s magnified when his singular role on this team is matchup specialist vs left handed hitters. Lachenmayer is likely out of favor with Jay Johnson at this point.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 1 run / 0 K / 1 HBP / 6 pitches (3 strikes, 50%)

Connor Benge entered and only remained for one batter, as well. He executed a pretty good pitch and got a weak ground ball, but it somehow found it’s way through the left side of the infield, despite the shift.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 4 pitches (2 strikes, 50%)

It was Ethan Plog’s turn to take over as the fourth pitcher of the inning and LSU had yet to record an out. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Will Furniss singled to drive home two more runs to make it 9-2. After a walk, the Tigers finally got their first out with a strikeout, which was followed by a groundout. A 2-out walk would load the bases and that’s where Plog’s day would end. After a pretty good stretch of appearances a few weeks ago, it has just not looked the same for the transfer LHP.

Final line: 0.2 IP / 1 hit / 3 runs / 1 K / 2 BB / 23 pitches (10 strikes, 43%)

With the bases loaded and Ole Miss one swing away from putting themselves in position for the 10-run rule, Jay called upon Mavrick Rizy. He leads the team in appearances, but his performances have been subpar recently, which is why a guy like him that has been called upon in massive moments was being brought in down 7 runs. Not only was it eye-opening because Rizy was being used with the deficit, but when you factor in that tomorrow is going to be a bullpen game and LSU will need all hands on deck, the decision to bring him in shows that the staff’s trust level has dropped with the big sophomore. The pattern would continue, as Paino lined a double to left-center, clearing the bases and pushing the Rebels lead to 12-2. A lineout would mercifully end the inning. Typically, Rizy’s issue is not being able to throw strikes and issuing free passes, but that wasn’t the case on Saturday.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 13 pitches (8 strikes, 62%)

Hitting

For the second straight day, Mason Braun was one of the only bright spots offensively. He brought his weekend hit count up to 5, by going 2-3 and scoring a run.

Steven Milam was the only other Tiger with multiple hits. His 1st inning double brought home the opening run of the game. He’d add a single later and finish 2-3 with the RBI.

The only other Tiger of note on the offensive side was Omar Serna, who finished 1-3 with a double. That was his second double of the weekend.

Up Next

LSU will look to salvage game 3 of the series on Sunday, as Ole Miss looks to bury them with a sweep. First pitch is for 1:30 pm central. Grant Fontenot is the scheduled starter for the Tigers and will likely get the ball, but keep in mind that Jay Johnson chose to start him last week after listing Gavin Guidry as starter. Guidry, Deven Sheerin, and Santiago Garcia will be available behind Fontenot, while completely fresh.

Ole Miss will send RHP Taylor Rabe to the mound for his 3rd start of the season. The redshirt sophomore enters with a record of 3-1 with a 3.20 ERA through 25.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 32 hitters this season with only 4 walks and holds a batting average against of .229.

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Ole Miss Preview

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:56:52 GMT

Happy Friday, everyone! Every week, I take extensive notes on LSU’s weekend opponent, including tons of team stats. I run through them on Geaux Deep Dive, but this week I decided to put those on the blog for anyone who doesn’t catch the show. A lot of numbers can also become tough to follow when reading them out, as well, so being able to read them with your own eyes may even be more effective. I will say where Ole Miss ranks out of the 16 SEC teams with each stat that I present and I will also include LSU’s rank in parentheses for comparison. If there are any improvements you would like to see within these going forward, please let me know!

Team Hitting

Runs scored: 13th – 6.6 per game (LSU: 4th – 8.6 per game)

Batting average: 15th - .256 (LSU: 8th - .286)

Doubles: 16th – 49 (LSU: 14th – 57)

Homeruns: 8th – 52 (LSU: 4th – 57)

On base %: 12th - .391 (LSU: 5th - .418)

Strikeouts: 1st – 334 (LSU: 9th – 257)

Walks: T-4th – 204 (LSU: 3rd – 208)

Hits: 16th – 8.0 per game (LSU: 5th – 9.5 per game)

Team Pitching

ERA: 4th – 3.67 (LSU: 12th – 4.58)

Strikeouts: 2nd – 390 (LSU: 1st – 408)

Walks: T-9th – 115 (LSU: 4th – 157)

HRs allowed: 7th – 32 (LSU: T-10th – 25)

Hits allowed: 5th – 7.6 per game (LSU: 12th – 6.9)

Runs allowed: 11th – 4.0 per game (LSU: 3rd – 5.1 per game)

BA against: 5th - .235 (LSU: 15th - .215)

Fielding: 10th - .973 (LSU: 16th - .963)

Pitching Matchups

Game 1 (Friday – 6:30 pm)

Ole Miss – RS Jr LHP Hunter Elliott: 3-1 (8 starts) / 3.79 ERA / 40.1 IP / 60 Ks / 26 BBs / .201 BA against

LSU – Soph RHP Casan Evans: 2-1 (8 starts) / 4.97 ERA / 41.2 IP / 59 Ks / 21 BBs / .205 BA against

Game 2 (Saturday – 4:00 pm)

Ole Miss – Sophomore RHP Cade Townsend: 2-1 (7 starts) / 1.82 ERA / 29.2 IP / 46 Ks / 7 BBs / .189 BA against

LSU – Soph RHP William Schmidt: 4-2 (8 starts) / 2.63 ERA / 41.0 IP / 56 Ks / 14 BBs / .208 BA against

Game 3 (Sunday – 1:30 pm)

Ole Miss – RS Soph RHP Taylor Rabe: 3-1 (2 starts) / 3.20 ERA / 25.1 IP / 32 Ks / 4 BBs / .229 BA against

LSU – Sr RHP Grant Fontenot: 0-0 (1 start) / 1.50 ERA / 12.0 IP / 15 Ks / 7 BBs / .289 BA against

Top Hitters

Tristan Bissetta (Senior RF) - .331 BA / .439 OB / 38 RBI / 32 R / 14 HRs / 6 doubles / 46 Ks / 24 BBs

Judd Utermark (Senior 3B) - .298 BA / .436 OB / 32 RBI / 38 R / 13 HRs / 7 doubles / 42 Ks / 26 BBs

Will Furniss (Senior 1B) - .297 BA / .432 OB / 22 RBI / 23 R / 2 HRs / 6 doubles / 27 Ks / 26 BBs

Collin Reuter (Senior DH) - .282 BA / .383 OB / 25 RBI / 17 R / 4 HRs / 11 doubles / 43 Ks / 14 BBs

Hayden Federico (Soph CF) - .248 BA / .386 OB / 9 RBI / 16 R / 0 HRs / 4 doubles / 16 Ks / 17 BBs

7th Inning Collapse Dooms LSU vs Bethune-Cookman

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:01:26 GMT

Bethune-Cookman - 10, LSU - 7

Tuesday Night Recap

Just when things seemed to be getting back on the right track for LSU, a Tuesday night to the inferior Bethune-Cookman Wildcats caused the Tigers to start wobbling, yet again. It was a solid, back and forth baseball game between the teams for the first 6 innings of the game, but a 7th inning meltdown on both sides of the ball would lead to yet another midweek loss. The collapse started with pitching, which outside of a few arms, struggled for most of the night. Earlier in the game, it was the Wildcats simply hitting the ball around Alex Box, but towards the end, the free passes started to pile up for the Tigers. Although a freshman closed out the night strong, it was too little, too late.

The offense missed plenty of opportunities, leaving 15 runners on base on Tuesday night. Hot off the heels of a 16-run, 19-hit performance that included 7 homeruns against Tennessee on Sunday, LSU’s offense fell right back in to their routine of not making the most of opportunities. That was never more apparent than the 7th inning. After a 5-run inning gave Bethune-Cookman a 10-6 lead, the Tigers immediately loaded the bases with no one out and threatened to keep the blow for blow battle going. With the top of the lineup coming to the plate with the chance to do some serious damage, Steven Milam, Jake Brown, and John Pearson struck out back to back to back to take all of the air out of another potential comeback.

Pitching

Marcos Paz got the start on the mound and from the looks of the 1st inning, seemed on his way to the best outing of his freshman campaign. He went 3-up, 3-down on just 5 pitches and the Tigers were coming up to bat before everyone had a chance to get settled in their seats. But, that all changed in the 2nd when the Wildcats singled three straight times to put their first run on the board. It was three hard hits, too. Some of Paz’s issues this year have revolved around throwing strikes, but that wasn’t the case. Bethune-Cookman simply hit him and for that, they deserve credit.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 3 hits / 2 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 15 pitches (9 strikes, 60%)

Connor Benge was first out of the bullpen on the heels of a few solid outings recently. As he often does, he was put in to try and extinguish the fire. With runners on 1st and 3rd and no outs, Benge quickly received some defensive help from Knoxville hero Cade Arrambide, who gunned down the runner from 1st base trying to steal. An RBI single would bring the runner home from 3rd, tying the score at 2-2. A strikeout got Benge close to escaping the inning, but a groundball right back to him on the mound glanced off of his glove and although he had plenty enough time to recover and make the throw, he got panicky and rushed it and was able to make the play that would have ended the inning. That’s where Jay Johnson would come out to make another pitching change, but despite the fumble at the end, Benge was pretty solid.

Final line: 0.2 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 1 K / 0 BBs / 10 pitches (7 strikes, 70%)

Cooper Williams entered for a left on left matchup, but promptly allowed a double that would give the Wildcats their first lead at 3-2. LSU finally got out of the inning with a groundout to Steven Milam. Williams did not return.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 6 pitches (5 strikes, 83%)

To start the 3rd inning, Zion Theophilus took the mound. The freshman was pretty good, quickly recording a 1-2-3 frame. He returned for the 4th and despite recording his second strikeout, followed by a groundout back to the mound, a 2-out solo homerun put the only blemish on his line. Theophilus immediately bounced back to record his third strikeout to end his outing.

Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 3 Ks / 0 BBs / 32 pitches (21 strikes, 66%)

Santiago Garcia entered to start the 5th and was very good outside of a few pitches. He hit the first batter of the inning and then made an errant throw on a pickoff that allowed the runner to move to 2nd base. He’d get a strikeout, but a 1-out double would allow Bethune-Cookman to re-tie the game at 5-5. The lefty then struck out the next two hitters to end the inning. Garcia’s 6th inning was by far his best, though. After drawing a groundout to Milam to start it off, he struck out the final two Wildcats for the second straight frame. He returned for the 7th, but that’s where it appeared as if fatigue became a factor. Despite a first batter pop out, a triple off of the leftfield wall, followed by a single would make the score 6-6 and end his night. His line reads worse than what he actually threw, but maybe he stayed in just a little too long.

Final line: 2.1 IP / 3 hits / 3 runs / 5 Ks / 0 BBs / 46 pitches (29 strikes, 63%)

Danny Lachenmayer has recently become a lefty on lefty matchup specialist and had been doing a very good job of executing going back to the Kentucky series. He did so on Friday night against Tennessee, as well. But after his Sunday appearance vs the Vols ended after just 2 pitches when he hit his batter, this one only lasted 1 pitch. Again, he hit the batter and that was all for Lachenmayer.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 1 HBP (1 pitch)

With runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out in the 7th, Mavrick Rizy entered and this is when things started to go terribly wrong for the Tigers. After hitting his first batter while ahead in the count 1-2, the big sophomore recorded a flyout to shallow right field where Jake Brown was able to get the ball to home plate quickly and prevent any potential sacrifice fly. Now just an out away from going to the bottom of the 7th in a tied game, Rizy walked the next two hitters to bring in 2 runs for Bethune-Cookman and make it an 8-6 game, which would end his night. Rizy has been very underwhelming recently, which is tough for LSU, considering he’s the guy Jay likes to run out there the most. He led the team in appearances in 2025 and currently leads them in appearances this season, so he will need to sharpen up soon.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 2 runs / 0 Ks / 2 BBs / 1 HBP / 19 pitches (8 strikes, 42%)

Dax Dathe has been seldom-used the past few weeks, but came in with a huge opportunity to prevent further damage. He only threw one pitch and did his job, inducing a ground ball to Seth Dardar at 2nd base, but a tough hop led an E-4 and two more runs scored to make it 10-6. Jay would then turn to his final pitcher of the night.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 1 pitch (1 strike)

Reagan Ricken was pitcher #9 of the night and the final one that would step on the mound. With 2 outs and runners on 1st and 3rd, the freshman recorded a strikeout looking to end the disaster of an inning for the Tigers. Two quick outs would kick off the 8th, but he found himself in a tad of trouble after hitting a batter and then giving up an infield single on a ball that John Pearson was unable to get to. That didn’t phase Ricken, though, as he recorded a groundout to Milam to prevent the LSU deficit from growing. A leadoff single would start the 9th, followed by a sacrifice bunt to move the potential insurance run to 2nd base with just 1 out. Another strikeout looking and a groundout to new second baseman Tanner Reaves would end the inning and get LSU back to the dugout needing 4 runs to extend the game.

Final line: 2.1 IP / 2 hits / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 0 BBs / 1 HBP / 38 pitches (26 strikes, 64%)

Hitting

Cade Arrambide stayed hot on Tuesday night, following his legendary 4 homerun performance on Sunday. Although all three of his hits stayed in the park, one came about a foot away from flying over the wall in dead center, resulting in a double. Arrambide finished 3-5 with an RBI, but even one of his outs was a hard line drive right at the third baseman. He caught on Tuesday night, so it will be interesting to see how Jay Johnson chooses to deploy Arrambide this weekend, assuming Omar Serna is healthy enough to return, which is expected.

After a 7-14 weekend in Knoxville, Derek Curiel recorded his fourth straight multi-hit performance by going 3-6. He drove in 2 RBI and also scored once. He came to the plate with LSU having drawn closer at 10-7, representing the tying run with 2 outs in the 9th. He hit another ball hard on the ground and seemed to have yet another hit and extend the game, but Bethune-Cookman had him shifted up the middle and the shortstop was in perfect position to make the play and prevent any comeback. Curiel has looked like the Freshman of the Year that he was in 2025, now taking the team lead in batting average with Jake Brown slowly coming back down to Earth.

Speaking of Jake Brown, he bounced back from a subpar weekend by hitting his 13th homerun of the season on Tuesday night. He finished 2-4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored, while also drawing 2 walks.

Following a fantastic performance when desperately needed on Sunday, Eddie Yamin earned a much-deserved start on Tuesday night. He continued to do what he does best and that is get on base…a lot. Yamin finished 1-2 with a run scored, but also walked and was hit twice, on his way to a .800 on base percentage vs the Wildcats.

Mason Braun made his first start of the season at 1st base and held his own. His only blemish was allowing Garcia’s pickoff attempt to sneak by him, but played well aside from that. At the plate, Braun went 1-3 and scored a run, but also reached base two other times with a walk and hit by pitch.

Up Next

LSU fell to 22-12 with Tuesday’s loss, marking their fifth quadrant 4 RPI loss of the season. For those that don’t follow that metric, that’s not good for their resume. It was also their fourth midweek loss of the season and we are just reaching the halfway point of conference play. The Tigers will now look to bounce back over the weekend as they travel to Oxford for a series against Ole Miss. Game 1 will start on Friday with a 6:30 first pitch. Games 2 and 3 will follow with first pitches of 4 pm and 1:30 pm central on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Ole Miss enters one game better with an overall record of 23-11, but one game behind LSU in SEC standings with a record of 5-7.

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Late Rally Sparks Another Tiger Comeback Over Vols

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 05:01:39 GMT

LSU - 7, Tennessee - 5

Friday Evening Recap

For the third consecutive game, the LSU Tigers decided to be the Cardiac Cats. That’s nothing new for an LSU baseball team, but considering the struggles of this team in 2026, the mid-game deficits have seemed scarier than normal. Tennessee’s new Friday night ace Landon Mack was phenomenal and he had the Tiger offense in a pretzel. Through 7 innings, he struck out 10 and was mowing LSU hitters down. They only mustered together 3 hits, one of which was a Jake Brown solo homerun, representing the only damage Mack allowed. He finished his outing by retiring 14 straight hitters, which makes Josh Elander’s decision to not send him back out in the 8th inning with 96 pitches that much more confusing. He was showing no signs of slowing down. Hindsight is 20/20, though, and the Tigers went full-on attack mode with the Volunteer bullpen. A 5-run 8th inning flipped the game on it’s head and LSU never looked back.

Coming off of his strange outing vs Kentucky, Casan Evans was pretty good from the very beginning. It was two pitches and two swings that resulted in the only damage that he sustained. Both were mistake pitches that were left in hittable spots and Tennessee hitters deserve credit for taking advantage of them. Aside from that, Evans was very good, despite not making it through the 6th inning. There was some shakiness in the 7th from the bullpen, but Santiago Garcia ended up receiving the win to bring his record to 1-0. Deven Sheerin’s second save of the season closed out a massive victory on the road in Knoxville, as the Tigers took game 1 by a final score of 7-5.

Pitching

Casan Evans got off to a great start in the 1st. Despite a 2-out single to the open part of the field due to the shift, he struck out two for a pretty easy inning. A leadoff single in the 2nd was quickly erased by a 6-4-3 double play turned by Steven Milam and Seth Dardar. Another groundout to Milam would retire the side in order. Tennessee made their first dent in the 3rd when Levi Clark hit a belly-high fastball out to left-center to tie the game at 1-1. Evans would retire the next two hitters to end the inning. The 4th is where he would find the most trouble. After a flyout to start the inning, the Vols would get a bloop single, followed by a Reese Chapman bomb to right-center field to give them their first lead of the game. Another deep flyout and a strikeout would end the inning there. Evans walked the leadoff hitter in the 5th, but then struck out three in a row to prevent any further damage. The Friday night ace would see the end of his night in the 6th after a walk and single put two runners on with 1 out in the 6th. He hung in to get a lineout, but with 2 outs, Jay Johnson would walk out to make the change.

Final line: 5.2 IP / 6 hits / 3 runs / 6 Ks / 2 BBs / 90 pitches (62 strikes, 69%)

Danny Lachenmayer was called upon for the third time in the last four SEC games, showing the inflated level of trust that the coaching staff has found in him. He came in to face a lefty Tyler Myatt and struck him out on 4 pitches to do his job.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BBs / 4 pitches (3 strikes, 75%)

Mavrick Rizy entered to start the 7th and was in the strike zone immediately, recording a 4-pitch strikeout, but then lost it and walked the next hitter on 5 pitches. A jam shot would roll right in to no man’s land with Dardar playing up the middle, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Omar Serna would get charged with an inexcusable passed ball to allow both runners to move up. Rizy came through with a massive strikeout with the infield drawn in, but then allowed another walk after a 2-2 count to load the bases.

Final line: 0.2 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 2 Ks / 2 BBs / 24 pitches (11 strikes, 46%)

Jay would call upon Santiago Garcia with 2 outs and bases loaded and left-handed hitting Blake Grimmer coming to the plate. Four straight balls would walk in a run to extend Tennessee’s lead to 4-1. Garcia was able to find the zone against Chapman, striking him out to prevent further damage.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 1 BB / 10 pitches (4 strikes, 40%)

A 5-run 8th inning for LSU took them from down by 3 runs to up by 2, Jay turned to Deven Sheerin to try and get the final 6 outs of game. He recorded back to back flyouts to Chris Stanfield to start the inning, but even those were nerve=racking as he temporarily lost both in the sunsetting sky. A single and a walk put the tying run on base with 2 outs, but the junior got his first strikeout and let out a primal yell afterwards. After Stanfield added an insurance run in the top of the 9th, Sheerin returned in the 9th to close out the game. Despite a 2-out solo homerun to make it 7-5, he struck out the side with two of them looking to slam the door and record his second save of the season.

Final line: 2.0 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 4 Ks / 1 BB / 41 pitches (28 strikes, 68%)

Hitting

Derek Curiel’s 8th inning grand slam was, to no one’s surprise, was the Magic Moment of the game. Just when it looked as if LSU was going to waste a huge opportunity, the star sophomore did what stars do and changed the game with his one swing. He also singled earlier in the game and was the only Tiger to record multiple hits tonight. Curiel finished 2-4 with the 4 RBI and scored that one time.

Chris Stanfield hit his second homerun of the game to add insurance in the 9th, but that was not his biggest at bat of the night. He was up second in the 8th and after Mason Braun drew a walk to lead off the inning, the senior outfielder laid off a few good breaking balls to draw the second walk of the inning, which eventually led the bases. Not many players could have held back from chasing all of those pitches and that game would have been completely different if he struck out in that moment. Stanfield finished 1-3 with the homerun, walk, RBI on the homerun, and also scored twice.

Jake Brown and Seth Dardar both finished with identical lines. They went 1-4 with solo homeruns. Brown hit his in the 3rd inning to start the scoring for either team. Dardar’s came immediately following Curiel’s grand slam for back to back blasts. His actually ended up being the difference in the game, as it made the score 6-4, because Tennessee hit the solo homerun in the 9th for their fifth run.

Although he went hitless, Mason Braun deserves to be noted for 2 walks. He finished 0-2 and also struck out twice, but one of the walks was the only one that Landon Mack allowed and the other was to lead off the big game-changing 8th inning.

Up Next

LSU and Tennessee will return tomorrow evening for game 2. First pitch is for 5 pm central, as the Tigers look to follow up their first SEC series win with their first road SEC series win of 2026. With today’s win, LSU is now 21-10 overall and back to .500 with a 5-5 conference record. Tennessee drops to 19-11 overall with a disappointing SEC record of 3-7. William Schmidt (4-1) will take the mound for the Tigers to make his second consecutive game 2 start. He is coming off of the win vs Kentucky in which he threw 5.1 scoreless innings. The Volunteers will answer with Tegan Kuhns, who had been their Friday night ace up until last weekend. The potential 1st round pick in this July’s draft has not had the season he expected, but is still very talented. He’s off to a 1-3 start in 2026 with his 4.08 ERA. Although he’s struck out 46 hitters in 35.1 innings pitched, he’s allowed 34 hits. LSU would love to strike first, as the trajectory of Tennessee’s early conference season is in a tailspin at this current moment. If the Tigers can come out hot, they will put a lot of pressure on the Volunteers.

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Massive Comeback Gives LSU First SEC Series

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:36:30 GMT

LSU - 17, Kentucky - 10

Sunday Afternoon Recap

LSU had to have it. They had to have this series, which meant they had to have this game. Putting themselves directly behind the 8-ball with a loss on Friday night set up an uphill battle. An uphill battle that appeared to be too tall to climb after a disastrous start to the game on Sunday. Since the postgame on Friday night, we had been saying that the importance of Casan Evans battling through 6 innings in game 1 would truly have. In their first weekend without Cooper Moore, the Tiger pitching staff was going to be challenged. The performances of William Schmidt and Zac Cowan in game 2 put them in about as good of a position as they could have hoped for, which allowed Jay Johnson to call upon Gavin Guidry to start on Sunday. There is no one on the roster that is trusted more by Jay, so it was no surprise to see his name listed as starting pitcher about 90 minutes before first pitch. It was surprising just how much Guidry struggled, though. Control was an issue from the very first pitch. It wasn’t much better for a few guys that came after him, either, putting LSU in a deep hole. The pitching rapidly improved with Deven Sheerin and the stabilization on the mound allowed the offense to get to work and complete the comeback.

Following a horrid game on Friday night, the Tiger lineup showed signs of life yesterday in game 2. Despite only scoring in 3 innings, they put up crooked numbers in each of them and that was a step in the right direction. Well, today was a gigantic leap in the right direction, because the offense went crazy. Jay described the performance of his team after the game as “zero quit”. After just one hit in the first time through the order, they picked things up in a hurry during the second trip through. Once they got going, there was no slowing them down. LSU scored in 5 of their final 6 at bats, with three of those times being 4+ runs. It was big swing after big swing, something we have rarely seen this year. Time will tell if this was truly the breakout game that they had been looking for or just an anomaly, but either way, they showed up when they were needed the most.

Pitching

It could not have been a worse start for Gavin Guidry. Needing as much length as you can possibly get from every pitcher that stepped on the mound today, a 39 pitch 1st inning was less than ideal. After an infield single to start the game, followed by a stolen base, he recorded a flyout for the first out. Guidry then issued three straight free passes to give Kentucky their first run since Friday night. A strikeout and an 0-2 pitch count would get him just one pitch away from escaping with minimal damage, but he’d lose him to give up his 3rd walk and bring in another run. A wild pitch would make it 3-0 before Guidry recorded a strikeout to finally get out of the 1st. Jay sent him back out for the 2nd, but it wasn’t much better. He recorded a flyout to start the inning, but then the hit barrage from the Wildcat bats got started. Guidry gave up a single, double, and then a walk, and was out of the game with the score 4-0.

Final line: 1.1 IP / 3 hits / 6 runs / 2 Ks / 4 BBs / 48 pitches (24 strikes, 50%)

Santiago Garcia took over after Guidry and immediately gave up a base-clearing double that made the score 6-0. He fought back for a flyout and a groundout, but the Tigers were already in deep trouble. Back for the 3rd, Garcia would walk the leadoff hitter and then LSU nearly turned a rare double play that doesn’t involve Steven Milam, but Zach Yorke was unable to scoop Seth Dardar’s low throw. A 4-pitch walk would be the end of the junior LHP’s day.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 0 Ks / 1 BB / 20 pitches (7 strikes, 35%)

Connor Benge entered with runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out, coming off of a good outing on Tuesday where he put out a fire. His job got even tougher after a passed ball on Omar Serna allowed both runners to move up, which set up a sacrifice flyout to centerfield to make it 7-0 and that would be all for Benge.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 5 pitches (2 strikes, 40%)

Cooper Williams took over and was able to end the inning with a lineout. He returned in the 4th for another good inning. Despite a 1-out walk, the lefty struck out Kentucky’s 3 and 5-hole hitters, along with a nice defensive play by John Pearson on a slow roller.

Final line: 1.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 1 BB / 23 pitches (13 strikes, 57%)

After a fantastic outing by Mavrick Rizy on Friday where he threw 80% strikes, it was the opposite story today. He struggled from the very beginning and walked two of Kentucky’s worst hitters in their lineup, as per batting average. Their 7-hole hitter Will Marcy came in with a .200 average, while 9-hole hitter Carson Hansen was at .227 and Rizy walked them both with a strikeout between them. Following the second walk, his day was over.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 2 runs / 1 K / 2 BBs / 18 pitches (8 strikes, 44%)

Jay had to call upon Deven Sheerin far earlier he would have liked, especially considering that was the last of his “top” arms that was completely fresh for the weekend. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and only 1 out, Sheerin was being asked to come through in a huge spot with the Tigers having closed their deficit to 7-6. With the infield drawn in, Steven Milam took a ground ball and fired home to nab a potential run for out number to. Sheerin then had the next hitter down 0-2, but was struggling to finish him off with four straight foul-offs. Luke Lawrence eventually slapped a ball the other way off of the left field wall to drive in both runs. Bell followed with an RBI single and just like that, LSU was back down 10-6. From that point on, the big righty was nails. Sheerin struck out three in a row going in to the 6th, which ended up being the first 1-2-3 inning of the day for the Wildcats. After recording two outs to start the 7th, which made for 6 retired in a row, he hit a batter and that would be the end of the day. His ability to battle past the early hiccups played a massive role in bridging the gap to the end of the game for the bullpen. Sheerin earned the win to extend his record to 3-0.

Final line: 2.1 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 3 Ks / 1 BB / 1 HBP / 50 pitches (35 strikes, 70%)

Danny Lachenmayer entered with two outs in the 7th for what was his second appearance of the weekend. This one was the biggest spot he has been in as a Tiger, though, and he delivered. He recorded a flyout to end the threat and preserve the 11-10 lead that LSU had just taken. He returned for the 8th, but gave up a base hit with to the open part of the field with the infield shifted.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 5 pitches (3 strikes, 60%)

Grant Fontenot entered and despite his shaky performance on Tuesday, he has been pretty good for the past month. After recording a flyout, he initiated a 4-6-3 double play that was beautifully turned between Dardar and Milam. Back in the 9th and now pitching with a 7-run lead, Fontenot cruised. Despite a 1-out single, he struck out two, including the final hitter of the game to clinch the game and LSU’s first SEC series win of the season.

Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 0 BBs / 22 pitches (15 strikes, 68%)

Hitting

Set h Dardar was not only the offensive MVP of the day, but he was the best player at the plate for LSU all weekend. Today, his 6th inning 3-run homerun on to the roof of the Marucci hitting facility gave the Tigers their first lead after they fell behind 7-0 after the top of the 3rd. That wasn’t all for Dardar, as he also doubled and finished 3-5 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. His defense was impeccable all weekend. Jay has been searching for someone to take over the second base position and, as of now, the local kid has done just that.

The other giant swing of the day belonged to John Pearson. A 2-out grand slam in the 3rd brought the Tiger back to within just 2 runs and brought both LSU and Alex Box Stadium back to life. Speaking of players taking control of positions, the sophomore has done just that at 3rd base. He has also shown big strides of improvement defensively, garnering praise from Jay after the game. Pearson finished 1-4 with the 4 RBI and a run scored, while also walking once.

Derek Curiel had himself a huge day and was a part of every single big inning. He scored 3 runs and those came in the 3rd when LSU closed the deficit, in the 6th when they took the lead, and then in the 8th when they extended it way out of reach. He hit his second homerun of the year, a beautifully struck backside blast on a pitch that was on the outer half of the plate. Curiel finished 3-5 with 3 RBI, the 3 runs scored, and a walk.

It wasn’t his first time leading off this season, but Chris Stanfield has not been in that position very much. Today, he may have shown why he should stay there. The senior went 4-5 and also drew a walk. He doubled and had two opposite field singles. One of those was immediately following when he fouled a ball right off of his knee and went down to the ground in major pain. Jay told us after the game that when he went out to check on his leader, Stanfield looked at him and said that he was ok and was going to come through. He did just that, lining a base hit to right field and driving in a run. He also walked and scored twice.

Jake Brown didn’t drive in a single one of LSU’s 17 runs and the importance of that can not be overstated. I have mentioned multiple times in the past week that it is imperative that other players step up, because opposing teams are not going to allow Brown to beat them. Why would they? Pitchers have not given him much to hit and he’s had to work with what he’s given in many of these games. Despite the “quiet” day by his standards, Brown finished 2-5 with a couple of singles and scored 3 runs.

Zach Yorke may not have driven in a ton of runs, either, but he was very active by getting on base four times. He finished 1-3, but he drew 3 walks and scored twice.

Up Next

LSU will stay home and welcome Southern for a midweek matchup on Tuesday. First pitch is for 6:30 pm central. The Tigers improved to 19-10 (4-5 SEC) with the win today. The Jaguars will come to Alex Box with a record of 10-16. They took 2 of 3 in a series with Prairie View A&M at home this weekend. Their common opponents with LSU include both Grambling, who Southern beat, and two games with McNeese, in which they split.

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Pitching Dominates, LSU Evens Series With UK

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 23:53:33 GMT

LSU - 7, Kentucky - 0

Saturday Afternoon Recap

Saturday was as much of a must-win game as you can find halfway through the season. After dropping game 1 of the series last night and having no defined starting pitcher for game 3 on Sunday, LSU simply had to have this game. Give credit to Jay Johnson and his squad, because they showed up and played like it. William Schmidt pitched in and out of trouble as he has all season. Kentucky did a fine job of making him work, a hallmark of pesky offenses like theirs. He refused to give in, though, shutting them down at every turn. Schmidt earned the win to improve his record to 4-1. Zac Cowan followed him and was just as magnificent, if not more. Jay said after the game that he believed that was Cowan’s best performance in his LSU career, which had plenty of them in 2025. He also explained just how important he is to their team, saying that Cowan was a top 5 reason that they won the College World Series a year ago. He earned his first save of the season.

The offense was much better. Although they only scored three times in their eight at bats, they put up crooked numbers each time and never appeared satisfied. LSU recorded 9 hits as a team and only struck out 5 times, a far cry from last night. The most promising note is that they did their damage with only 3 combined hits from Jake Brown, Derek Curiel, and Steven Milam, the typical leaders of the team. Today, it was two freshman that delivered multiple times and that is something this team has been lacking.

Pitching

William Schmidt was looking to get off to a more efficient start and despite a 1-out infield hit off of Zach Yorke’s backhand attempt, he did just that. Things got interesting for a bit, as Omar Serna hesitated on a steal attempt and then threw the ball in to centerfield to put the runner on third base. Schmidt delivered back to back breaking balls to 4-hole hitter Hudson Brown to strike him out and end the threat. After a 3-pitch strikeout to start the 2nd, he allowed another 1-out single, but another fantastic play by Steven Milam and a pop out to Serna would lead to a quick 9-pitch inning. The 3rd inning was the stiffest test, yet, for the sophomore. After a leadoff infield single, Schmidt started the second hitter 3-0, but came back to record the big out. Kentucky executed a perfectly drawn up hit-and-run to put runners on the corners with 1 out with Tyler Bell coming to the plate. A 96 MPH fastball on the inside corner with a 3-2 count locked up the star shortstop for a massive second out. A fly out would keep the Wildcats off of the scoreboard, yet again. They got right back on the basepaths in the 4th, drawing a leadoff walk, but a beautifully turned 6-4-3 double play by Milam and Seth Dardar, followed by a one pitch flyout would quickly get Schmidt off of the field with an 8-pitch inning. Schmidt danced around more trouble in the 5th after hitting the leadoff hitter, despite starting him 0-2 and then throwing a wild pitch to allow him to second base. A 1-out single put runners on the corners and set up the defensive play of the game. On a shallow flyball to Jake Brown, Kentucky tried tagging up to score, but the former pitcher gunned him out at home to a raucous applause from the Alex Box crowd. The day would end for Schmidt in the 6th after allowing a walk and a single, with a flyout between. He finished with 88 pitches and battled throughout the day. Kentucky got at least one baserunner on in every single inning for the first 6 innings.

Final line: 5.1 IP / 6 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 2 BBs / 88 pitches (52 strikes, 59%)

Zac Cowan was a name many considered as a possibility to fill Sunday’s TBA spot, but he was called upon with runners on 1st and 3rd and only 1 out with LSU holding a 5-0 lead. A quick stolen base put both runners in scoring position, but the senior struck out consecutive hitters to leave a Wildcat runner on 3rd base for the fourth time in the game. The 7th inning was the first 1-2-3 inning for the Tigers all day. In the 8th, Cowan had to pitch through some trouble, but as it was all day, it was no issue. The inning started with a very good play on a slow-roller by Dardar, but then a walk and a single put runners on 1st and 3rd with only 1 out. Like he did when taking over for Schmidt in the 6th, Cowan struck out back to back hitters to end the threat. Two more Ks in the 9th helped only the second 3-up, 3-down of the day and LSU closed out a 7-0 victory to even the series.

Final line: 3.2 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 7 Ks / 1 BB / 54 pitches (39 strikes, 72%)

Hitting

Mason Braun made the start at DH and despite not playing as much recently as he did earlier in the season, he delivered multiple times today. His RBI double in the 2nd was just the first impact swing, but it wasn’t even his biggest. In his next at bat in the 4th, Braun launched a 3-run homerun through a strong wind that was blowing straight in. That swing pushed LSU’s lead to 5-0 and was the type of insurance that they have struggled to find at times this season. The freshman finished 2-4 with 4 RBI and a run scored.

Omar Serna made his third consecutive start at catcher and continued to deliver in every facet. After throwing out a base-stealer last night, he followed up with a stellar job of blocking pitches in the dirt and preventing extra bases for Wildcat runners. At the plate, he went 2-4 and also drew a walk.

Steven Milam only finished 1-4, but his one swing was huge. In the 6th, LSU had put runners on 2nd and 3rd base with 0 outs. A groundout with the infield drawn in and a pop out to the second baseman kept both runners in place and it appeared as if they may miss a giant opportunity. Milam stepped in and ripped a ground ball down the 1st base line to bring both runners home and extend the lead to 7-0.

Jake Brown’s numbers aren’t going to jump off of the page today with a 1-5 finish, but it is worth noting that his 8th inning single was his first time on base today and that makes it 27 of 28 games that the star outfielder has reached base in 2026. As I mentioned earlier, he also threw out a runner at home with a rocket of a throw that helped preserve the shutout.

Seth Dardar followed up his 3 doubles night with a 3 walks performance. Officially, he finished 0-1, but he reached base at a .750 rate today and he also scored once. The senior also played excellent defense at 2nd base today, drawing praise from Jay Johnson in his postgame press conference.

John Pearson and Zach Yorke each finished 1-2. Pearson had a double, walked twice, and also scored twice. Yorke drew a walk, scored twice, and drove in an RBI.

Up Next

LSU and Kentucky will return for a massive rubber match tomorrow. First pitch is set for 12 noon central. Jay Johnson told us after the game that they needed to sit down as a coaching staff and look at what options they have available to decide who they will start, as it is currently listed as TBA. Junior LHP Ben Cleaver will start for the Wildcats. He started game 1 for Kentucky last week at Ole Miss and went 3.2 IP and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, while striking out 4 and walking 2 hitters.

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Kentucky Ace Dominates LSU, Tigers Fall in Opener

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 06:33:00 GMT

Kentucky - 7, LSU - 4

Friday Night Recap

If it’s possible for a series to be a “must win” in week 3 of conference play, it felt like this one is just that for LSU. After dropping each of their first two series in SEC play, the Tigers are already a couple of games behind the 8-ball and the schedule gets even tougher when they leave Baton Rouge following this weekend. So, with Kentucky coming to town, a team that Jay Johnson has mostly controlled since becoming Head Coach, LSU has to have this one. Unfortunately, a 7-4 Friday night loss has them immediately on their heels. The Wildcats jumped on top from the very beginning and never looked back. Following his historic 15 strikeout performance against Oklahoma last week, Casan Evans crashed back down to Earth early tonight. He issued 8 free passes within the first 3 innings, making it nearly impossible to limit the damage. He was able lock in and prevent the night being a disaster, but the damage done early put the Tigers in a hole that they were unable to climb out of.

Despite two half-hearted punches from the Tiger offense, Kentucky came in to Alex Box on a Friday night and cruised to a series opening win. Jaxon Jelkin showed why he is the ace of their staff for 8 innings, severely limiting an already limited offense. Although the 8 strikeouts is down from what that total had been in some recent games, drawing only 2 free passes is no where near how Jay Johnson wants to see his lineup operate. As a unit, they were searching for answers and unable to string together good at bats, which has been the case for the last 5 weeks.

Pitching

Casan Evans was off from the very beginning, walking the leadoff hitter on 4 pitches. A hit by pitch put runners on 1st and 2nd for Kentucky’s star sophomore Tyler Bell. The shortstop did Evans a favor, though, swinging at the first pitch and grounding in to a 6-3 double play to Steven Milam. A strike away from escaping the rough start, Evans through a wild pitch and put the Wildcats on the board first. He’d give up a walk and infield hit, but was able to get out with any further damage. The damage would come in the 2nd after Kentucky got their first two hitters on base, again. A fly out to advance the runner to third base would set up an RBI single. Back to back walks and a sacrifice fly would push the deficit to 4-0 for the Tigers. Evans would allow the first two hitters to reach base for the third straight time to start the game in the 3rd, but was able to retire the next three hitters to finish his first scoreless inning. That’s where he started to work ahead and settle in, retiring 12 up, 12 down. The ace only allowed one more base runner from that point forward and he was erased with the second 6-3 double play of the night. Evans through less pitches in his final 4 innings than he did in his first 2 of the game. As bad of a start that it was, his ability to lock in and stay in as long as he did saved LSU’s short-staffed bullpen for the rest of the weekend.

Final line: 6.0 IP / 4 hits / 4 runs / 3 Ks / 6 BBs / 100 pitches (53 strikes, 53%)

Ethan Plog entered for the 7th and was not as sharp as we’ve seen him be. A swinging bunt put him in a tough spot to start the inning, but he followed that with a walk. After a big first out with a strikeout looking, Ethan Hindle hit a ball deep to centerfield and despite the leaping attempt and the ball hitting his glove, Derek Curiel was unable to make the gold glove catch and Kentucky was on the scoreboard for the first time since the 2nd inning. Plog’s night was over, but the damage to his final line was not.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 2 hits / 3 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 16 pitches (11 strikes, 69%)

Mavrick Rizy entered with runners on 2nd and 3rd and only 1 out with LSU already down 5-2. For LSU to have any chance considering the state of their offense, it felt like the Wildcats simply could not score anymore, but certainly not twice. With the infield drawn in, a Trent Caraway fielded a ground ball way too far back to have a chance at making a play at home, but tried anyway. The runner was safe by a mile and the Tigers failed to record an out, which set up a sacrifice fly from the next hitter and both of Plog’s baserunners that Rizy inherited ended up scoring to make it 7-2. He returned in the 8th and was lights out, striking out two and recording a ground out to Ethan Clauss, who came in to the game as a defensive replacement. In the 9th, Rizy struck out the leadoff hitter, but a 1-out single would end his night.

Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BB / 25 pitches (20 strikes, 80%)

Seldom used Danny Lachenmayer would enter for his first ever SEC appearance. He threw 2 pitches, both in the strike zone, and recorded a flyout.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 2 pitches (2 strikes, 100%)

With 2 outs in the 9th, Jay Johnson would bring in Zion Theophilus. On his fourth pitch, Eddie Yamin, who came in for Omar Serna for the final inning, would throw out Bell trying to steal second base.

Final line: 0.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs / 4 pitches (4 strikes, 100%)

Hitting

Seth Dardar was the only true positive for the offense tonight. After a couple games out of the starting lineup, the senior was back in there at DH and likely earned a spot for the rest of the weekend. Dardar finished 3-4 with 3 doubles and an RBI. His final double in the 9th inning was the hit that brought Alex Box to life and gave the team a sliver of hope to make the comeback. He also garnered praise from Jay Johnson after the game, as Coach noted the improvement that Dardar made with his plate approach.

The only other big swing of the night came from Derek Curiel. In the 3rd inning when LSU was down 4-0, they loaded the bases with no outs. Omar Serna had a fairly uncompetitive strikeout, brining up Curiel. The sophomore was up in a similar situation last Friday against Oklahoma, albeit later in the game, and was unable to come through. Tonight, Curiel ripped a single through the infield to drive home the first two runs of the game for the Tigers. He finished 1-4 with those 2 RBI.

Omar Serna, Zach Yorke, and Chris Stanfield each contributed 1 hit in tonight’s loss. Yorke and Stanfield each scored once.

Up Next

LSU and Kentucky will return tomorrow afternoon for a 2 pm central first pitch. William Schmidt (3-1) will make his first game 2 start of the season, moving up from his game 3 spot to fill the void following Cooper Moore’s triceps injury. Kentucky will answer with sophomore RHP Nate Harris. He holds a 4.97 ERA with his 3-1 record. In his start at Ole Miss last week, Harris only went 3.0 innings and gave up 5 runs on 4 hits, so the Tigers could have opportunities to get the offense on track.

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LSU Collapses Late, Drops Series to OU

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:02:52 GMT

Oklahoma - 4, LSU - 3

Saturday Afternoon Recap

It’s impossible to say just how catastrophic a loss on March 21st is with their being 8 more weeks to the season, but as of today, this one feels pretty dang catastrophic. For the third time in their 4 SEC losses, LSU found themselves on the losing side of a game decided by 1 or 2 runs. After opening the series with a massive win on Thursday night behind a special performance from Casan Evans, the Tiger lost the final two games and lose their second consecutive series to start SEC play. William Schmidt and the pitching staff was fantastic, but it was the same old story of being let down by the offense. Despite the sophomore starter only making it through 4.0 innings, he still threw well. Oklahoma’s offense did a fantastic job of making him work, particularly in the back half of his outing. Gavin Guidry and Deven Sheerin did their jobs, but one of the biggest questions of the day was regarding Jay Johnson’s decision making. He’s the best college baseball coach in the country, but choosing to send Guidry back out for the 8th inning and refusing to take him out at the first, second, or even third sign of trouble was quite perplexing. The veteran was fantastic through his first 3 innings, but fatigue seemed to set in and he remained out on the mound. Although Sheerin wasn’t perfect, he made the pitch he needed to for what should be a routine play for any team in the SEC, but as things have gone through 25 games in 2026, the play wasn’t made.

The offense was bad, yet again. The only 3 runs that the Tiger lineup put on the board came on two swings. Homeruns by Omar Serna and Chris Stanfield were the entire offense on Saturday. LSU only recorded two hits other than those. After striking out 13 times on Friday night, Jay’s lineup only struck out 5 times today. In the post-game press conference, he attributed the lack of hits to poor quality of contact. Recording only 4 hits in game 3 of a series is, quite frankly, abysmal. It’s the game that is widely considered high scoring, because college pitching staff’s are rarely equipped to run quality arms out on to the field for 3 straight games. There’s just no excuse for what is going on with this LSU lineup right now. For the third weekend in a row, this team ends the weekend with more questions than it entered with.

Pitching

Although he struck out 2 in the 1st, William Schmidt had a few mistake pitches and Oklahoma made him pay for one of them. After a leadoff strikeout of Sooner leader Trey Gambill, who had two RBI hits last night, the sophomore stud left an 0-1 breaking ball up in the zone and Camden Johson drove it the other way in to the Left Field Landing for a solo homerun. Following a second strikeout, Schmidt hung another breaking ball to Jaxon Willits in a 1-2 count, but got away with it with a deep flyout to right field. The 2nd inning was far more clean, going 1-2-3 on only 11 pitches. He got in to trouble in the 3rd, mostly due to himself. After striking out the leadoff hitter, a swinging bunt and back to back walks loaded the bases with just 1 out for Oklahoma’s 3 and 4-hole hitters. Schmidt struck them both out to a loud applause from the packed Alex Box. After two quick outs in the 4th, back to back singles by the Sooners set up another massive spot for the sophomore. After a first pitch ball, Schmidt got three straight swing and misses on his breaking ball and struck out Jason Walk to escape once again. With his pitch count already at 83 through 4 innings, back to back singles to start the 5th were enough for Jay Johnson to make the call to the bullpen. Schmidt threw the ball well, but the Sooner lineup deserves credit for making him work hard, despite only scoring 1 run off of him.

Final line: 4.0 IP / 6 hits / 1 run / 7 Ks / 2 BB / 90 pitches (59 strikes, 66%)

Gavin Guidry entered in a tough spot as he often does. With runners on 1st and 2nd and no one out and LSU clinging to a 2-1 lead, the veteran was entering in boiling water. With 3-hole hitter Brendan Brock up in a big spot, again, he squared around to try and bunt the runners over. A wild pitch did the job for him, moving both the tying and go-ahead runs in to scoring position. Guidry struck him out on a full count, then Steven Milam snagged a line drive right at him and made another routine 6-3 groundout to end the inning and make it 7 Oklahoma runners stranded in the past 3 innings. Guidry returned in the 6th and struck out the side, despite a 2-out walk. He’d return for the 7th and go walk, strikeout, walk, strikeout with a wild pitch mixed in to set up runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. The tying run would likely score on anything through the infield and Deiten LaChance came close to making that happen, but Steven Milam made yet another monster play with a backhand deep in the 6-hole to gun him out by a few steps. With 59 pitches, Guidry surprisingly returned for the 8th. Another 4-pitch walk to leadoff the inning seemed like a sign that he was out of gas, but Jay left him in. Oklahoma singled in the next two at bats to make it 3-2 and runners were still on 1st and 2nd with no one out. A sacrifice bunt would move them in to scoring position and that’s where Guidry would finally be taken out of the game.

Final line: 3.1 IP / 2 hits / 3 runs / 6 Ks / 4 BBs / 70 pitches (39 strikes, 56%)

Deven Sheerin entered in a spot desperately needing a strikeout with LSU’s defense playing back and conceding the tying run. He was in a great spot to get it after starting 0-2, but after Gambill fouled off 4 pitches, he was hit in his foot to load the bases. Sheerin then induced the double play ball that he needed, but an error on Jack Ruckert prevented a single out from being recorded and the game was tied. A sacrifice fly to right field gave Oklahoma their first lead since the 1st inning. Sheerin would find a way out of the 8th without further damage following an intentional walk and a flyout. Aside from the hit batter, the hard-throwing righty did his job, but was let down by his defense. He’d stay in for the 9th and pitch around a walk with a couple of strikeouts to hold the deficit at 1.

Final line: 1.2 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 2 BBs / 45 pitches (29 strikes, 64%)

Hitting

For the second game in a row, Omar Serna was the most productive LSU hitter. His 2-run homerun in the 1st inning immediately put the Tigers in control, which they’d have until the 8th inning. Jay had told us last night that Serna wouldn’t be coming out of the lineup anytime soon or possibly ever and further emphasized that point after today’s game. The freshman started at 1st base today and held his own with a few nifty plays. Serna finished 1-4.

Chris Stanfield carried on the production that he has delivered since returning from his hand injury, hitting his 1st homerun of the season. His solo shot in the 5th extended the Tigers lead to 3-1. He finished 1-4.

Derek Curiel and Trent Caraway each went 1-3. Curiel wasn’t as productive as we know he’s capable of, but he did get an infield hit, along with a walk. The sophomore scored once to finish 1-3.

Following a tough night with a few strikeouts, Cade Arrambide moved back to catcher and found his way on base a few times. In the 9-hole, he only saw 3 at bats, but drew walks in two of them and finished 0-1. His defense behind the plate was better, particularly with blocking up pitches in the dirt with runners on base. Oklahoma very well could have scored a few more runs if not for the job Arrambide did back there.

Up Next

LSU will return on Tuesday for midweek action vs Louisiana Tech. First pitch will be for 6:30 central. The Bulldogs currently hold a record of 15-8 with two games remaining in their weekend series at New Mexico St tonight and tomorrow afternoon. They took game 1 on Friday night with a score of 13-8. The top competition they have faced was Southern Miss at home in Ruston, in which they were swept and outscored 25-5 in three games. LSU now sits with a 16-9 record and falls to 2-4 in the SEC. After LA Tech, the Tigers will remain home to welcome Kentucky next Friday.

Sooner Pitching Dominates Tigers, Forces Rubber Match

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 03:57:44 GMT

Oklahoma - 4, LSU - 2

Friday Night Recap

With their first opportunity to clinch an SEC series tonight, LSU fell just short with a 4-2 loss to Oklahoma to even the series. The night belonged to Casan Evans on Thursday, but Friday belonged to Sooner pitching. L.J. Mercurius wasn’t quite as magical as Evans, but he still rolled through the LSU lineup, retiring 10 in a row at one point. He was on the ropes early with back to back singles to start off the game, but was able to shut the opening rally down. After John Pearson homered to leadoff the 2nd inning, it was all Mercurius. His record improved to 5-1 with the victory tonight. The trio of arms out of the Oklahoma bullpen delivered big pitch after big pitch, despite some very tense moments with Alex Box coming to life late in the game.

Cooper Moore is the story on the LSU side and not for good reason. After a perfect first 2 innings, the Sooners began making him pay for his few mistakes and scratched a few runs across in the 3rd and 4th. But the story comes in the 5th, as Moore spiked his first pitch of the inning and Jay Johnson immediately went out to the mound. Jay told us after the game that it was Moore’s tricep that was bothering him and that’s all of the info he had by the time he did his post game press conference. He did say that he believes Moore will “be ok”, but has no idea if he may miss a week, two weeks, or a month. The initial concern was that it was the elbow, which is devastating for pitchers, but according to Jay, he did not believe that was the case as of now. It’s a tough ask to have your bullpen cover 5 innings in an SEC game, but LSU’s did a great job by only allowing two more runs the rest of the way. They simply just did not get the help they needed from the Tiger bats.

Pitching

Cooper Moore wasted no time trying to rebound from back to back losses after starting his season with three straight wins. He attacked the Sooner lineup right from the start, getting a 2 pitch ground out to leadoff hitter Trey Gambill, who’s best attribute is getting on base. He followed that up with back to back strikeouts, picking up right where Casan Evans left off. It was another quick 10 pitch inning in the 2nd, which included a strikeout and another play deep in the 6-hole that Steven Milam makes look way too easy. Moore hadn’t made any mistakes through the first 2 innings, but he left a few balls up in the zone in the 3rd and Oklahoma made him pay. It started with a leadoff double, then after a sacrifice bunt, had 9-hole hitter Jason Walk down 0-2, but gave him a hittable pitch and Walk tied the game with a single. The damage was nearly worse when Gambill got a hanging breaking ball that he ripped in to right-center, but as he has done all year, Derek Curiel made a phenomenal diving catch to rob a sure extra base hit. The mistakes continued in the 4th, as Moore allowed back to back 1 out singles, the first of which was another 2-strike Sooner hit. With runners on the corners, a wild pitch gave Oklahoma their first lead of the series. He was able to escape without further damage, but after 21 pitches through 2 innings, Moore racked up 40 between the 3rd and 4th innings alone. Things got scary in the 5th, as he threw one pitch, a spiked fastball and Jay Johnson and head trainer Isaac Trujillo immediately came out. They spoke to Moore for about 5 minutes, but pulled him out without the junior throwing a single warmup pitch.

Final line: 4.0 IP / 4 hits / 2 runs / 4 Ks / 0 BBs / 62 pitches (43 strikes, 69%)

Following Moore’s early exit, Cooper Williams came in following back to back great outings. He threw 3 straight pitches out of the zone to allow the leadoff walk and then got a groundball, but it was hit too slow for a double play and Milam had to get the out at 1st base. Not being able to get the lead runner out immediately came back to bite the Tigers, as a single to left field scored the runner from 2nd to make it 3-1. After a stolen base and a groundout back to Williams, Jay would make his walk out to the mound for another pitching change.

Final line: .2 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 0 Ks / 1 BB / 16 pitches (10 strikes, 63%)

Mavrick Rizy came on with 2 outs and the runner on 3rd and despite starting the hitter off with a 3-0 count, battled back to record the strikeout to end the inning. That would be the only out he recorded, as he returned in the 6th and gave up yet another Sooner 2-strike hit and then walked another.

Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 1 K / 1 BB

With runners on 1st and 2nd and no one out and already down two runs, Grant Fontenot entered in his biggest spot of the season. The senior delivered, going strikeout, groundout, strikeout to end the threat. The final strikeout came on the next pitch after John Pearson dropped a pop up in foul territory. Fontenot returned for the 7th after recording a big first out on a bang-bang play at 1st base, he walked the next hitter on 4 pitches and that would be the end of his night. He deserves a tremendous amount of credit for that performance in the 6th inning to keep it a 1-run game.

Final line: 1.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 1 BB

Santiago Garcia entered following the 1-out walk and quickly did his job, as he has done for the past few weeks. A fly out and a strikeout left the runner stranded at 2nd base. He returned for the 8th and recorded a quick 1-2-3 inning, including strikeout of Sooner leader Jaxon Willits to start things off and then another highlight play by Steven Milam on a slow roller, assisted by a beautiful pick out of the dirt by Zach Yorke. Garcia returned for the 9th and wasn’t able to keep a 1-out Sooner double from adding an insurance run, as Gambill singled to deliver his second RBI of the night. He would get caught stealing to end the top of the inning.

Final line: 2.2 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 3 Ks / 0 BB

Hitting

Chris Stanfield was the only Tiger to record multiple hits on Friday night, finishing 2-4. It looked like he had scored the tying run in the 7th inning on a ball to the backstop, but it barely grazed Milam and was a dead ball.

Omar Serna continues to find himself in big spots with these extra opportunities in the starting lineup and he seems to come through at least once per game. His RBI single in the 6th inning pulled LSU within a run to make it a 3-2 game. He also walked once, finishing 1-3.

John Pearson’s solo homerun to leadoff the 2nd inning was his third of the season. It was his 4th consecutive start, making the most of his recent chances to make an impact. He finished 1-4.

After pinch hitting in the 7th inning, Seth Dardar finished 1-2. His 1-out single in the 9th inning allowed the Tigers to bring the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately, Stanfield hit a hard ground ball to Camden Johnson at 3rd base and the Sooners turned their second 5-4-3 double play of the night.

Quiet nights for Jake Brown pretty much look like this one. He went 1-2 with 2 walks and scored once, continuing to make an impact even when he’s not driving in a ridiculous amount of RBIs.

Up Next

LSU and Oklahoma will square off in the rubber match tomorrow afternoon. First pitch will be for 2 pm central. William Schmidt will take the mound for the Tigers with his record of 3-1. He entered the weekend as the team leader in strikeouts with 39, but has since been passed by Casan Evans. The sophomore is coming off of his early exit at Vanderbilt where he was experience back tightness, so that is something to keep an eye on, although Jay Johnson has said he’s good to go and did not appear on the injury report. Oklahoma will counter with freshman LHP Cord Rager, who will make his 6th start of the season. He is 2-1, with back-to-back no decisions in his last two starts. In his first SEC start last week vs Texas A&M, the freshman struggled. He only went 3.0 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits, while striking out 6 and only walking one. LSU falls to 16-8 (2-3 SEC), while Oklahoma improves to 18-5 (3-2 SEC).

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Casan Evans Dazzles as LSU Defeats OU in Game One

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:09:57 GMT

LSU - 7, Oklahoma - 1

Thursday Night Recap

Casan Evans was “embarrassed” after his performance at Vanderbilt last Friday night. Those aren’t my words, they’re his. The Tiger ace expressed to us after the game just how upset he was with himself following his season-worst outing against the Commodores. He only made it through 3.0 innings, gave up 5 hits, 6 runs, and gave up 6 free passes (5 BB/1 HBP). Evans said that upon returning to Baton Rouge on Monday, it was the first time in his life that he threw a bullpen immediately after getting off of the bus coming home. Jay Johnson also mentioned that the two of them, along with pitching coach Nate Yeskie, spent 3 hours fine-tuning preparation for tonight’s start. Whatever it was that they did, it worked. Evans struck out a career-high 15 hitters, flat out dominating the Sooner lineup. He lived in the zone and had all four of his pitches working. The curveball that he debuted in Omaha last season looked the best that it ever has in a game. If his final line doesn’t fully express how special of a start that was, a relatable comparison will. He is the first LSU pitcher to strike out that many hitters in an SEC game since Paul Skenes did it in May of 2023. That’s pretty good company to be mentioned with.

As for the offense, they were aided by a Oklahoma ace Cam Johnson’s worst start of the year. The former Tiger has been their Friday guy since the preseason and was pretty good through non-conference play during the first four weeks of the season. Some cracks started to show with a rough performance against Texas A&M a week ago, but the floodgates opened on him in his return to Baton Rouge on Thursday night. LSU had built a 4-0 lead in the 2nd inning without recording a single hit. John Pearson’s single to make it 5-0 was the first one of the game for the Tigers. That hit came off of Oklahoma reliever Xander Mercurius, who had just entered the game. Johnson only made it through 1.1 innings, while walking 6 and hitting another batter. Of his 67 pitches thrown, only 28 were for strikes. LSU’s offense went completely silent for four innings after the 2nd, but the damage was already done and it was becoming clearer and clearer with every pitch that Casan Evans threw, he was on his way to a special night.

Pitching

Casan Evans was coming off of his worst outing of the year at Vanderbilt last Friday. He got off to a good start tonight, though, striking out 4 hitter through the first 2 innings. In the 1st, he had to record an extra strikeout, after a dropped third strike got away from Cade Arramide for a 2-out baserunner. Evans followed that up with a 10 pitch 2nd inning thanks to the help of two Trent Caraway put outs and then his 4th K to end the inning. He kept it going in 3rd, starting off with a quick reaction stop on a hard ground ball right back at him. His 5th strikeout was followed by a 2-out single, but Evans quickly recorded a two pitch groundout to end the inning. Efficiency was his best friend through the first three innings with 44 pitches thrown, 29 of which were strikes. His best came in the 4th, striking out the side on 12 pitches and getting fired up in the process. With 2 outs and a 1-2 count, Deiten LaChance tried to slow down Evans’s tempo by talking to the umpire and then stepping in to the box and staring back at the pitch clock to avoid the “eye contact” necessary for a pitcher to start his delivery. Casan threw a nasty and struck him out, anyways, getting fired up and letting LaChance hear about it as he walked off of the mound. That was the first time this season that we’ve seen that intensity from the sophomore ace. It only took 5 innings for Evans to record double digit strikeouts, as his two in the 5th got him up to 10 on only 68 pitches. His scoreless outing finally came to and end in the 6th, despite the fact that he struck out another two. A leadoff single ended up coming around on a throwing error by Zach Yorke. The third and final hit that the Sooners got off of Evans came with 2 outs in the 7th, but that was all. With 95 pitches, he returned to the mound in the 8th and with back to back strikeouts to start the inning, he set his new career high with 15. His previous high was when he struck out 12 in the winner-takes-all game vs Little Rock in the Baton Rouge Regional in 2025. Evans fell behind 3-0 to the third hitter of the inning and nearly battled all the way back, but issued his only walk of the evening and with 110 pitches, his remarkable night came to an end.

Final line: 7.2 IP / 3 hits / 1 run / 15 Ks / 1 BB / 110 pitches (76 strikes, 69%)

Ethan Plog entered to relieve Evans and seemed to be a one batter matchup insertion. He only threw 4 pitches and gave up a single through the infield to put two runners on base with two outs and that was all for him.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 0 Ks / 0 BBs

Coming off of his season best performance at Vanderbilt last Friday, Zac Cowan entered to put the nail in the coffin. He promptly recorded a flyout to end the 8th, then breezed through the 9th on just 9 pitches to record another flyout, a strikeout, and a groundout back to himself to secure the game 1 win for LSU. That’s back to back perfect outings for Cowan, which could be a massive development for the Tiger bullpen.

Final line: 1.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BBs / 11 pitches (8 strikes)

Hitting

It was a weird night for the LSU offense with not a single player carrying the load as far as damage goes, but Omar Serna came away as the most productive Tiger hitter, yet again. Following up his homerun on Tuesday against Grambling, the freshman catcher made his first game 1 start at DH. He doubled, walked, and scored a run to finish 2-3. Jay Johnson has been raving about Serna a lot recently and the signs point to a lot more playing time if he keeps producing in SEC play.

The only other Tiger with multiple hits was John Pearson, who, like Serna, started for the 3+ straight time for the first time in 2026. Pearson was at 3rd base and delivered one of only 5 credited RBI for LSU on Thursday night. The sophomore finished 2-4 and bumped his on base percentage during his three consecutive starts up to .600.

Zach Yorke had the most productive swing of the night when he drove in 2 RBI in the 7th to put the first runs on the board for LSU since the 2nd inning. He had a rough start to his night at the plate, striking out quickly in his first two at bats and leaving 5 runners on base, himself. He came up with the bases loaded and 1 out, following a bad strikeout by Cade Arrambide and with the pressure of not coming through, once again, he delivered. Yorke finished 1-3.

Trent Caraway made his first start since Saturday at Vanderbilt, this one coming at 2nd base as Jay Johnson looked to stack an extra right-handed hitter against LHP Cam Johnson. He finished 1-2 and scored a run, while also drawing 2 walks. His one single was another backside missile to right-center. Although he has had some struggles lately, he has proven the ability to hit the ball hard the other way.

Jake Brown’s barrel has cooled off a bit since Nashville, but as he always does, he finds a way to be productive as the rock in the Tiger lineup. Despite the 0-2 line, he walked three times and scored twice. Through 23 games played, Brown has failed to reach base only once.

Derek Curiel has also come back down to earth after a great opening SEC weekend, but also found a way to contribute like his fellow outfielder. The super sophomore went 1-4 with a walk, RBI, and a run scored.

Up Next

LSU and Oklahoma will return to action for game 2 tomorrow night. First pitch will be at 6:30 pm central, setting up a busy day on campus with the Lady Tiger basketball team set to start their NCAA tournament run at 5 pm central down the street at the PMAC. The Tigers will send Cooper Moore to the mound with his record of 3-2, but coming off of back to back losses to Sacramento St and Vanderbilt. The Sooners will answer with L.J. Mercurius, a junior transfer from UNLV with a record of 4-1 and a 1.59 ERA. Despite filling the game 2 role, Mercurius has been Oklahoma’s best starter, statistically. He has struck out 41 and only walked 8 in 28.1 innings pitched. Thursday night’s victory improved LSU’s record to 16-7 overall (2-2 SEC), while Oklahoma dropped to 17-5 (2-2 SEC). This was the first time that the Sooners have lost consecutive games in 2026 after being shut out by SLU in Hammond on Tuesday 3-0.

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LSU Slogs Through Grambling for First Consecutive Midweek Wins

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:38:49 GMT

LSU - 7, Grambling - 1

Tuesday Night Recap

After finally exploding for 16 runs in Sunday’s series salvaging win at Vanderbilt, LSU’s offense rode the struggle bus back home from Nashville. Facing a Grambling team that had allowed 10+ runs in 11 of their 18 games, the Tigers weren’t able to put a crooked number on the scoreboard until their final at bat in the 8th inning. Better late than never, they say, but watching this team struggle against an opponent of this caliber is perplexing. The lineup only struck out 6 times, while drawing 8 walks, so it was a simple issue of not finding grass with the balls they put in play. Jay Johnson told us after the game that Grambling used their entire weekend rotation, plus some of their top relievers, but that won’t stop the persisting question. What is going on? As for the pitching, the staff bounced back from some abysmal control issues at Vanderbilt where they issued 26 walks and hit three more. On Tuesday, Tiger pitchers only walked three. The staff, as a whole, was outstanding. Having fallen out of the top 25 of every major poll in the country this week, the 7-1 victory is the first step to finding their way back next Monday.

Pitching

Reagan Ricken made his second midweek start of the season and things seemed like they may go sideways pretty quickly. He struck the leadoff batter out, but Omar Serna’s throw on the dropped 3rd strike hit the runner and resulted in an error. Ricken got a flyout to Stanfield, but followed with a wild pitch and a hit by pitch and Grambling had two runners on with one out. He locked in from there, recording a groundout and struck the final batter out looking. Returning for the 2nd, Ricken walked the leadoff hitter after starting him with an 0-2 count and then gave up a hard hit single up the middle to put two runners on with 0 outs and that would be the end of his night. Ricken was in the zone with 24 of his 36 pitches for strikes, but struggled to finish hitters off.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 1 BB

Grant Fontenot was tasked with taking over Ricken’s 2nd inning mess and made quick work of the next three Grambling hitters. He recorded a ground out to Steven Milam, a shallow flyout that Chris Stanfield got back in quick enough to hold the runners, and then froze Chris Marcellus for a called 3rd strike to end the inning. In the 3rd, Fontenot got himself in to a little bit of trouble. He gave up a leadoff single, then a 1 out walk, but was able to lock in and strike the final two hitters out to, once again, keep Grambling off of the scoreboard.

Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 1 BB

Dax Dathe entered for the 4th inning and after striking out the first hitter of the inning, he gave up singles to 2 of the next 3 hitters to allow Grambling to tie the game at 1-1 and that was it for him as Jay Johnson came out to make another pitching change. He was in the zone with 10 of his 14 pitches for strikes, but credit Grambling for finding the barrel against the 5th year senior.

Final line: .2 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 1 K / 0 BB

With two outs in the 4th, Jay called upon Cooper Williams to shut down the Tigers rally. He was coming off of a fantastic last outing on Sunday, as he threw a perfect 9th inning to finish the LSU win, while striking out two. He did exactly what he was called upon to do with a 4 pitch strikeout to end any further threat. Williams continued his hot streak by coming back in the 5th and striking out two more. That would be the end of his outing, throwing 14 pitches, 11 of which were strikes.

Final line: 1.1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BBs

Mavrick Rizy took over to start the 6th and his time on the mound was brief, throwing only 7 pitches. He recorded a flyout, gave up a bloop single, and then drew a ground ball right to Milam who stepped on 2nd base and gunned to 1st to record LSU’s 6th double play of the year. Returning for the 7th, Rizy started the leadoff hitter 2-0 with two bad misses, drawing a visit from pitching coach Nate Yeskie. He promptly threw three straight strikes and then struck out the side to finish his outing.

Final line: 2.0 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BB

Ethan Plog came in for the 8th inning and didn’t last very long. With the compounded schedule this week, it appeared as if some of the Tiger pitchers had very limited pitch counts and Plog was one of them. He only threw 10 pitches, recording a strikeout and allowing a single.

Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB

Following his heartbreaking last appearance in Friday’s walk-off loss Friday night, Gavin Guidry took over, looking to bounce back with a man on first and 1 out. With just 7 pitches, he delivered a strikeout and a groundout.

Final line: .2 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB

After his offense finally extended the LSU lead to 7-1, Marcos Paz entered to record the final 3 outs in the 9th inning. He found a quick first out on a nice slow-roller play by Trent Caraway, then recorded a strikeout on a nasty slider, before issuing a 2 out walk. Four pitches later, a fly ball dropped in to Stanfield’s glove and that would do it.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 1 BB

Hitting

Omar Serna delivered his second straight big midweek game, blasting his second homerun in as many weeks. Last Tuesday, the freshman hit the go ahead grand slam against Creighton. Tonight, he led off the 8th inning with a solo shot that kick-started the 4 run inning for LSU. He was the only Tiger with multiple hits, finishing 2-5 and scoring 3 runs.

Chris Stanfield continued producing since returning to the lineup last week. Although he was only 1-5, his one hit was a 2 RBI single that created more separation in the 8th inning and showed slight signs of life for the LSU offense.

Zach Yorke finished with an official line of 1-1, but drew 3 more walks, extending his team lead and bringing his season total up to 21, six more than the next closest Tiger. Yorke also scored a run.

Speaking of walks, Derek Curiel drew two of his own, while finishing 1-3. His biggest impact came on the bases, though, as he stole three bases on Tuesday night.

Up Next

LSU will welcome Oklahoma for their SEC home opener for a Thursday-Saturday series. This will be the only series that starts on Thursday for the Tigers until the final weekend of the season when every series starts a day early. Game 1 will be a 7 pm central first pitch Thursday night. Oklahoma will come to Baton Rouge off of a 2-1 series win at home against Texas A&M on the opening weekend of conference play. Their overall record is 17-4, following a 3-0 loss to Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond on Tuesday night.

LSU Salvages Game 3 Over Vanderbilt

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:50:05 GMT

LSU - 16, Vanderbilt - 9

Sunday Afternoon Recap

There aren’t any must-win games this early in the season, but Sunday felt like a must-bounce-back game for LSU. Following the emotional roller coaster that was game 1 on Friday night, the Tigers got steamrolled in game 2 on Saturday. Jay Johnson did not get the response he was hoping for from his team after their heart was ripped out by Logan Johnstone when he hit a 2 out, 2 run walk off homerun two nights ago. Today, the response was great, especially early. The first four LSU hitters reached base to start the game, leading to a 4 run 1st inning. After adding two more in the 2nd, the Tigers were rolling with a 6-0 lead. That lead evaporated, though, and those bad feelings that this team may be in trouble started creeping back in. To their credit, LSU refused to lay down this time. They went blow for blow with Vanderbilt, but back to back 5 run innings in the 7th and 8th innings helped salvage the final game of SEC opening weekend and the Tigers improved to 14-7 with a 1-2 start in the SEC.

Pitching

For the second straight week, William Schmidt’s line doesn’t do his performance justice. Vanderbilt made him work inning after inning and it eventually led to his early exit. The start got off to a great start, though, pitching around a double to record three groundouts with only 7 pitches. In the 2nd, he allowed a leadoff homerun, but recorded a couple of outs before stranding a 2 out walk. The 3rd was where Schmidt had to battle the most. He hit the first batter and then allowed a 3-2 walk after Johnstone fouled off pitch after pitch to stay alive. That approach by Commodore hitters is what stretched Schmidt’s pitch count. With runners then on 1st and 2nd and no one out, he struck out the next three to slam the door on the threat. Vanderbilt went down in order for the first time in the 4th, but finally found a way to get Schmidt out of the game the very next inning. Another leadoff homerun brought the game slightly closer at 6-2 and that was the beginning of the end. After starting his final hitter 2-0 with a couple of high fastballs, Cade Arrambide called time to go to the mound and check with his pitcher. Jay Johnson and Head Athletic Trainer Isaac Trujillo also came out to talk to Schmidt, then left him in to finish the at bat. Once back in the dugout, the broadcast showed him a few times and he seemed to doing just fine without a trainer in sight. After the game, Koki Riley reported that Jay confirmed everything is ok. He said Schmidt had some slight back tightness that he was trying to fight though and could have continued to, if needed, but it wasn’t worth it.

Final line: 4.0 IP / 3 hits / 3 runs / 6 Ks / 3 BBs / 1 HBP / 84 pitches (51 strikes, 61%)

Mavrick Rizy was first out of the bullpen and it turned in to his worst outing of the year. Upon entering with a runner on 2nd and no outs, Rizy gave up back to back RBI doubles. Both doubles came off of decently executed pitches, but were just more examples of the good hitting Vanderbilt displays. Back to back strikeouts would get Rizy close to escaping the inning, but a 2 out double off of the left field wall would chase him from the game and LSU’s lead was down to 6-5.

Final line: .2 IP / 3 hits / 2 runs / 2 Ks / 0 BB

Santiago Garcia was tasked with shutting down the Commodores 4 run 5th inning. He walked the first guy he faced, but froze Korbin Reynolds to end the frame. Tommy Goodin led off the 6th with his second homerun, Vanderbilt’s third lead off blast of the game and the LSU lead had vanished. Garcia then went strikeout, double, strikeout, and that would be the end of his SEC debut.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 3 Ks / 1 BB

Deven Sheerin entered with the go-ahead run on 2nd, but was able to induce a pop out to John Pearson in foul territory to let his offense get back to work. They did just that, exploding for 5 runs and giving Sheerin a comfortable lead to back out with in the 7th. He struck out the first hitter, then a slow chopper got past Steven Milam for an infield hit. A tailor-made double play ball was then hit right to defensive replacement Jack Ruckert at second base, but he booted it and failed to record a single out. As they did all weekend, Vanderbilt made LSU pay. A 3 run Mack Whitcomb homerun got the Commodores right back in to it. A strikeout and a walk would bring the tying run to the plate, when Jake Brown made a diving catch on a blooper in shallow right field. It was originally called a no-catch, but was challenged and correctly ruled the third out. Sheerin would cruise from that point, returning in the 8th to retired 4-5-6 in the Vanderbilt lineup after a Pearson error to leadoff the inning.

Final line: 2.1 IP / 2 hits / 3 runs / 4 Ks / 1 BB

Cooper Williams entered to record the final 3 outs with LSU up 16-9 and it went just about as well as it could’ve for the lefty. He’s had a very disappointing start to his sophomore season, but hopefully this outing could be the spark that he needs going forward. He retired Vanderbilt 3 up, 3 down and struck out the final two.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 0 BB

Hitting

With the offense back in a big way, there should be no surprise that Jake Brown was in the middle of all of it. He is a legitimate Golden Spikes candidate right now. Brown hit his 11th homerun of the year, which was his 2nd of the weekend. Both of them were 3-run bombs. This one came after Milam had just driven in the go-ahead run to steal back the momentum after the Tigers choked a 6-0 lead. The big swing from Brown went off of the batter’s eye, re-extending the lead to 4 runs. He finished 2-4 with 6 RBI and scored twice.

Cade Arrambide quietly had a good weekend, hitting .384. On Sunday, he went 2-5 with a double, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Despite a few mishaps, his defense behind the plate slightly improved over the weekend.

The much-welcomed return of Chris Stanfield kept rolling on Sunday as the senior leftfielder provided another multi-hit game. He finished 2-4, while also drawing a walk. One of his hits was a single off of the big wall in left field, that very well may have been a homerun in other parks. Stanfield also drove in a run and scored twice.

Steven Milam’s 1-4 line may not seem massive, but it was his one hit that retook the lead for LSU after their collapse halfway through the game. He also walked, while scoring 3 runs, despite only recording the one hit.

Derek Curiel also only went 1-4, but his one hit was a triple where he got to show off his speed. The ball went to left-center and Vanderbilt still didn’t come close to keeping him from getting to third base. Curiel also drew a walk and scored 3 runs of his own.

John Pearson got the start at third base and made the most of it. Despite one throwing error in the 8th inning, he played a great all-around game. Even the error wasn’t a big deal, as it came with him shifted way out of position. He finished 0-1, but Pearson drew 3 walks and was also hit by a pitch. Those four times on base led to 3 runs scored. I would be surprised if Pearson is not back in the starting lineup once again on Tuesday.

Although Seth Dardar finished hitless with an 0-3 stat line, he deserves to be pointed out for a few good at bats. After LSU had taken a 2-0 lead in the 1st, Dardar drove home another run with a ground ball for an RBI. Later in the 7th after Curiel tripled, Arrambide was unable to get him in with 0 outs because the Commodores brought their infield in and he hit the ball hard right to the second baseman. They remained in for Dardar and after falling behind with an 0-2 count, he found a way to drive the ball deep enough to left field for the sacrifice fly and his second RBI of the game. Those little things matter, especially for a struggling team.

Omar Serna had a good day in his first SEC start on Saturday when catching Cooper Moore, so Jay rewarded him with a start in the DH spot. In the 1st, he hit a laser in to left field where Mancini made a crazy leaping catch. That brought in the 4th run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, but the ball was drilled. Serna finished 1-4 with an RBI single that drove in the final run of the game, as well.

Up Next

LSU will return home where they will remain for an eight game homestand. That will start on Tuesday as they welcome Grambling for a 6:30 pm central first pitch. The Tigers come in with a 5-13 record, following a 2-1 series win at Alabama St. Pitchers to watch for potential work for LSU include Dax Dathe, Grant Fontenot, Danny Lachenmayer, Connor Benge, and DJ Primeaux.

Vanderbilt - 11, LSU - 3

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 19:18:28 GMT

Saturday Night Recap

The big question following LSU’s heartbreaking loss on Friday night was how they would respond. Game 1 was a rollercoaster of emotions, starting with the Tigers scoring first, giving up the lead, Jake Brown crushing a homerun to retake the lead, then the pitching staff collapsing to fall behind 10-4, followed by 8 unanswered runs by LSU, only to be walked off in the 9th inning while being just an out of securing the dramatic comeback victory. Having that happen will test a team mentally under normal circumstances, but considering the timing, it was an even bigger challenge. It happened on the road, in the first game of SEC play, and on the heels of a pretty bad multi-week stretch for the Tigers. LSU was going to need a quick start on Saturday night to regain momentum, but Vanderbilt beat them to it by scoring first while Wyatt Nadeau carved up Jay Johnson’s lineup the first time through the order. The Tigers answered back to tie the game, but as Cooper Moore battled through the early innings, he was also playing with fire. He finally got burned in the 5th inning and things went downhill in a hurry for LSU. Before you knew it, they were down 10-1 and, again, in deep trouble. What was most concerning was Saturday’s results seemed to indicate that what we watched transpire on Friday had more to do with the Commodores choking, rather than the Tigers storming back on their own merit. LSU would go down quietly this time, dropping their first series of conference play.

Pitching

Cooper Moore entered Saturday coming off of his worst start of the season thus far. It wasn’t bad last week, but it was a far cry from his first three. He looked good early against Vanderbilt, breezing 1-2-3 through the 1st inning. Despite getting in to early trouble in the 2nd, Moore battled out of a 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs situation by only allowing 1 run. That was a massive win in the moment. The leadoff hitter got on base in the 3rd, but, again, he fought through it and didn’t allow the baserunner past 2nd base. We saw more of the same in the 4th, as the inning started with an infield hit, a single, then the chopper that bounced high over Zach Yorke’s head and rolled down the 1st baseline to give Vanderbilt a 2-1 and, once again, put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs. Moore struck out Ryker Waite, who came in to the series with a .560 on base percentage. Then, thanks to the magician that LSU has playing shortstop, a double play ended yet another big threat. Korbin Reynolds hit a laser right at Steven Milam, who was playing on the grass with the infield in. The ball go on to Milam so quickly, he had to fall backwards to catch it, but his impeccable reaction time somehow allowed him to snag the ball, fall to his butt, and toss it Trent Caraway at 3rd base. Unfortunately for Moore, the trouble would catch up to him in the 5th, though. A four pitch walk to the Commodores 9-hole hitter was the omen of bad things to come, as that was followed with a perfect sacrifice bunt attempt that no one fielded as they hoped it would roll foul, and then another single loaded the bases with 0 outs and Moore’s night was over. The first inning was the only inning that he was able to pitch from the windup, as the leadoff hitter was on base for the next four innings. Despite the talent of starting pitchers, that will forever be tough to overcome, especially against good teams.

Final line: 4.0 IP / 7 hits / 5 runs / 4 Ks / 2 BBs / 79 pitches (48 strikes, 61%)

Ethan Plog entered in an impossible situation and promptly got he ball he was hoping for. A high chopper ground ball made Yorke leave his feet, but he snagged it and fired home for the force out attempt. Unfortunately, the throw was poor and Omar Serna was unable to go down and get it, scoring a run and the bases remained loaded with no outs. Plog would then walk a hitter and give up a sacrifice fly, pushing Vanderbilt’s lead to 5-1. Chris Maldonado then stepped to the plate to pinch hit and blasted a 3 run homerun over Derek Curiel’s leaping attempt in dead center and the Commodores had blowing things open with 6 run 5th inning. Plog has been fantastic, but that’s where his first SEC appearance would come to an end.

Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 3 runs / 0 K / 2 BBs

Freshman Zion Theophilus was called upon to try and finish off the disaster of an inning for LSU pitching and he did just that, recording a strikeout and a flyout to end the 5th. Back for the 6th, he recorded the leadoff hitter for the first time since the 1st inning, but was unable to record another out after that. He then issued 3 walks (1 intentional) and a hit by pitch and his day was done.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 2 runs / 1 K / 3 BBs

From one high promise freshman pitcher to another, Reagan Ricken entered with the bases loaded and 1 out. He did exactly what Jay Johnon called upon him to do, drawing a ground ball to record an out and striking out Waite looking to keep the damage from getting worse. Even though a run scored on the groundout, LSU pitchers have struggled to simply record outs in some of these tough spots, which allows things to get worse and worse, much like we saw in the 5th. Ricken returned for the 7th and despite allowing a solo homerun and 2 two out walks, was able to navigate through the entire inning and get out of trouble. Ricken continues to flash plenty of traits to very excited about as he grows as a Tiger.

Final line: 1.2 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 2 Ks / 2 BBs

With LSU down 11-3 and the tensity of the moment being low, Jay Johnson inserted Marcos Paz for the 8th inning in a great spot to get his feet wet. As he continues to come back from Tommy John surgery, he’s flashed his talent that made him a possible draft risk, while also battling through rust. In his first SEC appearance, he looked fantastic. Despite a walk, Paz struck out the side, including Maldonado that hit the big homerun earlier.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 1 BB

Hitting

There isn’t a lot of offensive production to get to, so this will be quick. Steven Milam followed up his 3 hit performance on Friday with a 1-4 game, including a fantastic piece of opposite field hitting for a double. Derek Curiel, Cade Arrambide, and Omar Serna each had a single hit, to give you the 4 total LSU hits. Arrambide’s was a double and Serna’s was a 2 run single that brought his RBI total for the week up to 6.

Jake Brown entered the game with only 9 strikeouts so far this season, but Nadeau’s stuff was so good, he was able to get LSU’s offensive MVP twice. Brown did draw 2 walks, finishing the night 0-2.

Up Next

LSU and Vanderbilt will wrap up SEC opening weekend tomorrow. First pitch will be at 3 pm central. William Schmidt will take the mound for the Tigers as they look to avoid being swept on SEC opening weekend for the first time since 2006 when Arkansas took three in Alex Box during Smoke Laval’s final season. The Tigers have fallen to 13-7, which matches Vanderbilt’s record after back to back wins to start the series. The Commodores will send Nate Taylor to the mound on Sunday, who has started all four Sundays for them this season. Taylor has a record of 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA. His batting average against is the highest of any of the top Vanderbilt pitchers that LSU has seen so far at .242. Taylor has given up 12 runs in 18.1 innings of work, so the opportunities for the Tiger offense to get back on track could be there.

Vanderbilt - 13, LSU - 12

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 07:35:26 GMT

Friday Night Recap

Gut-wrenching. There’s no other way to put it. LSU fought all the way back from a 10-4 deficit to have the game ripped from them at the very last second. They say that the 27th out in baseball is the hardest one to get and tonight, we saw why. If you told Jay Johnson that he could be in that situation with the tying run at 3rd base with 2 outs in the 9th inning and Gavin Guidry on the mound, I can guarantee you that he’d take that scenario 10 out of 10 times. In majority of those times, it would work in the Tiger’s favor, too. Not tonight. Sometimes you have to tip the cap to the other team for making the necessary plays and that’s what happened in the final inning on Friday night. Vanderbilt earned their victory. Not without some help from the LSU pitching staff early in the game, but when it mattered most, the Commadores stepped up. Although we learned a lot about the resilience of the Tigers in game 1 with their willingness to to fight back, we will learn even more about their ability to rebound from a tough loss. There were plenty of silver linings despite the L, which could be huge for the future success of this LSU team.

Pitching

Casan Evans had been on a steady upwards trajectory with his transition from ace bullpen piece to Friday night ace. That trend hit a brick wall tonight. Despite having a lead before stepping on to the mound, Evans was way off from his very first pitch. He walked 3 of the first 4 hitters of the game. Though he was able to strike out two, a two out 2-run single flipped the scoreboard to give Vanderbilt a 2-1 lead. The offense retook the lead, but the struggles remained as the LSU ace gave up another run in the 2nd on walk and a couple of singles. It was more of the same in the 3rd, as Evans continued to battle control problems, allowing another 2 runs on only 1 hit. The free passes were a haunting presence for his entire outing. Surprisingly, he returned for the 4th having already thrown 82 pitches. He’d finish with 83, though, as Braden Holcomb would blast a solo homerun to right center and that would be the end of the night for Casan Evans.

Final line: 3.0 IP / 5 hits / 6 runs / 5 Ks / 5 BBs / 1 HBP / 83 pitches (46 strikes, 55%)

The expectations for Cooper Williams were high coming in to his sophomore season, but he has failed to come even close to them, so far. That continued tonight when he relieved Casan Evans in the 4th inning. He entered with no one out in the inning, but failed to record an out. Williams walked the bases loaded and then started the next hitter with back to back balls and Jay had seen enough. Williams desperately needs to figure it out.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 4 runs / 0 Ks / 4 BBs

Jaden Noot inherited the 2-0 count from Williams and promptly allowed the walk with a few more pitches out of the zone. He followed with back to back outs to get close to being out of the inning, but another walk, then a 2 run single, followed by yet another walk would allow Vanderbilt to extend their lead to 10-4 and that would be all for Noot.

Final line: .2 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 1 K / 2 BB

Although it’s fairly subjective, it’s safe to say that Zac Cowan has been the most disappointing pitcher on LSU’s staff thus far in 2026. Considering how dominant he was for almost all of his 2025 season, the coaching staff had high hopes that they were bringing back a pitcher that could be trusted against anyone on the schedule. With the way some of Cowan’s outings had gone through the first four weeks of the season, he was borderline unable to be trusted against anyone. That changed Friday night. He was marvelous. Looking like the rock solid bullpen piece from a year ago, Cowan mowed through the Commadores lineup, allowing just one baserunner. One single was all that he allowed, while striking out 5 and throwing 73% strikes. As much credit as the offense deserves for fighting back in this game, Cowan deserves just as much for stabilizing things for the staff and allowing the bats to go to work.

Final line: 3.1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 5 Ks / 0 BBs

Once the Tigers took the lead in the top of the 8th, Jay Johnson turned to Gavin Guidry. The argument could be heard that Cowan may have had more in the tank as he was rolling strong, but we’ve seen Guidry come in to close the final 6 outs of a ballgame before. It’s almost never the wrong move to put the game in his hands. At first, he was proving why. He went 3 up, 3 down in the 8th while striking out two hitters looking. But as I said in the beginning, sometimes you have to tip your cap to the opponent and admit that they beat you. In the 9th, Vanderbilt recorded back to back singles to start the inning. A passed ball then allowed both runners to advance, putting the tying run at 2nd base in a 12-10 ballgame. Guidry was able to record an out, although it was a sacrifice fly that drew the Commadores within a run and top hitter Braden Holcomb coming to the plate. Guidry painted a perfectly executed slider on the outside corner to freeze Holcomb for the second out of the inning, putting LSU just an out away from the comeback win. Unfortunately, an 0-1 slider to Logan Johnstone hung up just a little and the ball took flight in to right center to give Vanderbilt a walk off victory. Guidry just got beat. Plain and simple.

Final line: 1.2 IP / 3 hits / 3 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BBs

Hitting

Moving up in to the leadoff role, Steven Milam acted like he belonged there. He recorded hits in his first three at bats, leading to a 3-6 day with 3 runs scored. Milam has been hitting the ball hard, severely lowering his strikeout rate from 2025. His lone strikeout tonight was only his 4th of the season, showing why concerns of his performance have been largely overblown.

This spot for Jake Brown might as well be written in permanent marker at this point. He finds his way on to the top offensive performer list ever single game and he is year yet again. The 3 run homerun in the 2nd seemed like the perfect opportunity for Casan Evans to settle in and roll, but as we know, the offense would be relied upon for even more. Brown’s final line was 3-5 with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, a walk, the homerun, and also a double. His third hit came on a beautifully executed drag bunt in the 8th inning, helping get the rally together that eventually took the lead.

Derek Curiel moved down to third in the order with Milam swapping to leadoff. Curiel has been LSU’s best hitter not named Jake Brown and he continued that on Friday. It doesn’t matter where he hits in the lineup, he’s going to just simply…hit. He finished 2-4, which included the 2 run double over the center fielder’s head to pull LSU within a run with a 10-9 deficit. He finished with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, and also walked.

Cade Arrambide has gone through the bumps on the road as he adjusts to being the primary starting catcher. Both offensively and defensively, LSU has needed him to be better. He was just that on Friday night. His defense was solid, blocking up multiple pitches in the dirt. His 2-4 line with 2 runs scored and a walk further boosted his bounce back game from a rough week or two.

Seth Dardar didn’t get the start, but he entered as a pinch hitter in the 5th inning for Brayden Simpson and delivered what I would say was the biggest swing of the night for the Tigers. With the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 5th, Connor Fennell was very close from escaping without damage, but Dardar ripped a base-clearing double to drive in 3 runs and cut LSU’s deficit in half to 10-7. If he doesn’t come through in that moment, who knows how the rest of the night would have went for the Tigers. He finished 1-3 with that double and the 3 RBI.

Zach Yorke entered the game with a 4 game hitting streak that started in game 1 against Sacramento St. That streak came to an end on Friday, but he did draw 3 walks, which led to a .600 on base percentage.

Last, but certainly not least, is Chris Stanfield, who provided the much needed spark that the lineup had been missing in his absence. In that 9-hole spot in the bottom of the order, his ability to find his way on base is invaluable. He is, essentially, a second lead off hitter. His biggest value in that spot is to be a table setter for the table setters in the top of the lineup and that’s exactly what he did Friday in his first start since opening weekend. Stanfield was 2-4 with a couple of singles, while drawing a walk and scoring twice.

Up Next

LSU will be faced with the enormous task of bouncing back from that heart breaking loss to try and win the next two games and head back to Baton Rouge with an opening SEC weekend series win. The loss dropped the Tigers to 13-6. Cooper Moore (3-1) will take the mound on Saturday with the goal to go deeper in the game and compete to give his team the best chance to win. Vanderbilt improved to 12-7 on the season and will send Wyatt Nadeau to the mound on Saturday night. Nadeau has made 4 appearances thus far, with last Saturday being his only start. He is filling in for Austin Nye in the weekend rotation, who is injured. First pitch between LSU and Vanderbilt will be for 7 pm central on Saturday night.

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 2026 Football Schedule Released (for now)

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:43:32 GMT

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns were made aware of their 2026 Sun Belt Conference football schedule on Friday. The schedule includes in-state rival and Sun Belt Conference newcomer Louisiana Tech, who is replacing Texas State.

All six home games this season will be played on Saturdays, beginning with a home opener meeting with the Lamar Cardinals on September 5th. They will also host an American Conference member, the UAB Blazers, on September 19th before opening up Sun Belt play against the Arkansas State Red Wolves on October 3rd. Louisiana will also host the Troy Trojans on October 17th, the South Alabama Jaguars on November 7th, and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on November 21st to close out their home slate.

On the road, the Cajuns will play in Los Angeles, California against the USC Trojans on September 12th and in Charlotte, North Carolina against the Charlotte 49ers on September 26th. They will then take a trip up to Ruston to face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on October 10th. Their remaining away games include another rival in the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on October 24th, the ULM Warhawks on November 12th in a nationally televised Thursday night contest at Malone Stadium, and the Georgia State Panthers to close out the regular season on November 28th.

Kickoff times and TV designations for the first three games, as well as any expected national broadcasts, will be announced in late May. All remaining games' kickoff times are released 12 days prior to each game by ESPN and the Sun Belt Conference.

It is important to note that although the SBC and UL label this as the official football schedule, there is an ongoing legal dispute between Conference USA and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs which could alter it. Both conferences currently have Louisiana Tech as a member on each of their schedules. That being said, the Sun Belt schedule (including UL's) and the Conference USA schedule are both subject to change. One of them WILL change, but which one it will be is in the hands of judges and lawyers. For now, this is a tentative schedule until all is resolved.

The 2026 Louisiana Football Schedule (home games in bold)

September 5th - vs Lamar

September 12th - @ USC

September 19th - vs UAB

September 26th - @ Charlotte

October 3rd - vs Arkansas State

October 10th - @ Louisiana Tech

October 17th - vs Troy

October 24th - @ Southern Miss

November 7th - vs South Alabama

November 12th - @ ULM

November 21st - vs Coastal Carolina

November 28th - @ Georgia State

Sun Belt Releases 2026 Schedule Amid Ongoing Issues with Louisiana Tech, Conference USA

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:46:00 GMT

The Sun Belt Conference announced its "set" 2026 football schedule today, which includes the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Normally, it does not take this long for the Sun Belt to release their annual football schedule. But ongoing issues between Louisiana Tech and Conference USA has complicated the process and delayed the schedule releases for both conferences.

That said, I would take this "set" schedule release with a grain of salt (with heavy emphasis on the quotation marks).

A few days ago, reports surfaced that the Sun Belt would indeed release its football schedule today and that it would include Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs have already accepted an invite to join the Sun Belt last July, and is pushing to make the move this summer, pending a court ruling next week.

Late Thursday night, however, Conference USA unexpectedly released its own "set" 2026 football schedule out of nowhere, which also includes Louisiana Tech as one of its member schools. The timing itself raised eyebrows, making it seem like the conference did it out of pettiness to release their version of the schedule with the Bulldogs included prior to the Sun Belt's scheduled Friday release, which was also set to include the Bulldogs.

As a result, Louisiana Tech is technically listed as a member of both conferences according to the newly released schedules. Of course, the Bulldogs cannot play in two conferences at once, which is why both schedule releases should be viewed as tentative for now.

A court ruling between the UL System (which oversees Louisiana Tech) and Conference USA is currently rumored to take place on Thursday next week (March 19th). The decision at this rumored hearing is expected to have a solution on whether Louisiana Tech can move to the Sun Belt in the summer or remain in the Conference USA for one more year before making the move in the summer of 2027.

Until then, it is a wait-and-see game for members of both the Sun Belt and Conference USA. Ultimately, one of these newly released schedules will be right, while the other will be forced to change. But it is in the best interest that both sides have their backup non-Louisiana Tech schedules ready to go in case the ruling swings one way over the other.

Here is the 2026 Sun Belt Football Schedule, per the Sun Belt Conference:

TEAM-BY-TEAM SCHEDULES

SUN BELT EAST DIVISION

APP STATE

9/5 Maine

9/12 at East Carolina

9/19 Charlotte

9/26 at North Carolina State

10/10 Old Dominion*

10/16 at Coastal Carolina*

10/22 James Madison*

10/31 at Georgia Southern*

11/7 Georgia State*

11/14 at Marshall*

11/21 ULM*

11/28 at South Alabama*

COASTAL CAROLINA

9/5 at West Virginia

9/12 Fordham

9/19 at Delaware

9/24 Liberty

10/3 Georgia Southern*

10/10 at Marshall*

10/16 App State*

10/31 at Georgia State*

11/7 Old Dominion*

11/14 Arkansas State*

11/21 at Louisiana*

11/28 at James Madison*

GEORGIA SOUTHERN

9/5 Charleston Southern

9/12 at Clemson

9/19 at Jacksonville State

9/26 Houston

10/3 at Coastal Carolina*

10/10 James Madison*

10/15 at Old Dominion*

10/31 App State*

11/7 Marshall*

11/14 at Georgia State*

11/21 at Troy*

11/28 Louisiana Tech*

GEORGIA STATE

9/5 North Carolina A&T

9/12 at Kennesaw State

9/19 at UCF

9/26 Northern Illinois

10/3 Old Dominion*

10/17 at James Madison*

10/24 at Arkansas State*

10/31 Coastal Carolina*

11/7 at App State*

11/14 Georgia Southern*

11/21 at Marshall*

11/28 Louisiana*

JAMES MADISON

9/5 Liberty

9/12 Wagner

9/19 at San Diego State

9/26 at Old Dominion*

10/3 Marshall*

10/10 at Georgia Southern*

10/17 Georgia State*

10/22 at App State*

10/29 Troy*

11/5 at Southern Miss*

11/14 at UConn

11/28 Coastal Carolina*

MARSHALL

9/5 at Penn State

9/12 Middle Tennessee

9/19 at Missouri State

9/26 Gardner-Webb

10/3 at James Madison*

10/10 Coastal Carolina*

10/20 South Alabama*

10/31 at Old Dominion*

11/7 at Georgia Southern*

11/14 App State*

11/21 Georgia State*

11/28 at ULM*

OLD DOMINION

9/5 Norfolk State

9/12 at Virginia Tech

9/19 East Carolina

9/26 James Madison*

10/3 at Georgia State*

10/10 at App State*

10/15 Georgia Southern*

10/24 at Louisiana Tech*

10/31 Marshall*

11/7 at Coastal Carolina*

11/21 at UConn

11/28 Southern Miss*

SUN BELT WEST DIVISION

ARKANSAS STATE

9/5 at Memphis

9/12 West Georgia

9/19 at TCU

9/26 Kennesaw State

10/3 at Louisiana*

10/8 South Alabama*

10/17 at Southern Miss*

10/24 Georgia State*

11/7 ULM*

11/14 at Coastal Carolina*

TBA^ at Louisiana Tech*

11/28 Troy*

LOUISIANA

9/5 Lamar

9/12 at USC

9/19 UAB

9/26 at Charlotte

10/3 Arkansas State*

10/10 at Louisiana Tech*

10/17 Troy*

10/24 at Southern Miss*

11/7 South Alabama*

11/12 at ULM*

11/21 Coastal Carolina*

11/28 at Georgia State*

ULM

9/5 at Mississippi State

9/12 at UAB

9/19 Southeastern Louisiana

9/26 Florida Atlantic

10/3 at South Alabama*

10/17 Louisiana Tech*

10/24 at Troy*

10/31 Southern Miss*

11/7 at Arkansas State*

11/12 Louisiana*

11/21 at App State*

11/28 Marshall*

LOUISIANA TECH

9/5 Northwestern State

9/12 at LSU

9/19 at Baylor

10/3 Army

10/10 Louisiana*

10/17 at ULM*

10/24 Old Dominion*

10/31 at South Alabama*

11/7 at Troy*

11/14 Southern Miss*

TBA^ Arkansas State*

11/28 at Georgia Southern*

SOUTH ALABAMA

9/5 Southeastern Louisiana

9/12 at Tulane

9/19 Ohio

9/26 at Kentucky

10/3 ULM*

10/8 at Arkansas State*

10/20 at Marshall*

10/31 Louisiana Tech*

11/7 at Louisiana*

11/14 Troy*

11/21 at Southern Miss*

11/28 App State*

SOUTHERN MISS

9/5 Alcorn State

9/12 at Auburn

9/19 UConn

9/26 at Tulane

10/6 at Troy*

10/17 Arkansas State*

10/24 Louisiana*

10/31 at ULM*

11/5 James Madison*

11/14 at Louisiana Tech*

11/21 South Alabama*

11/28 at Old Dominion*

TROY

9/5 Sam Houston

9/12 Alabama State

9/19 at Missouri

9/26 at Utah State

10/6 Southern Miss*

10/17 at Louisiana*

10/24 ULM*

10/29 at James Madison*

11/7 Louisiana Tech*

11/14 at South Alabama*

11/21 Georgia Southern*

11/28 at Arkansas State*

* Sun Belt Conference Game

^ TBA as 11/19, 11/20 or 11/21

LSU - 8, Creighton - 4

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:54:33 GMT

Tuesday Night Recap

For the first four innings tonight, it was starting to feel like the same old story for the Tigers. Despite scoring first, they quickly gave up the lead and then watched their deficit grow to 4-1. Tonight was the night that LSU said “enough”, though, as freshman Omar Serna delivered the biggest swing of his young collegiate career. On the mound, pitching struggled early. Despite the fantastic start by Reagan Ricken, he struggled when returning after his first inning. Ethan Plog was fantastic his last few appearances, but he, too, lost it towards the end of his outing and allowed runs because of it. But after that, the final three pitchers of the night were fantastic for LSU. Creighton failed to score another run after the 3rd inning, which gave the Tiger offense time to finally come out of hibernation. The win improved LSU’s record to 13-5 as they now turn their attention to the meat grinder that is a 30 game SEC schedule.

Pitching

Reagan Ricken got the start for the Tigers and was fantastic in the 1st. He started things off with a strikeout, then got some help with a nifty play by Steven Milam ranging to his left behind second base and throwing across his body with a beautiful pick at first by Zach Yorke. A pop out would end the top and things were off to a good start. Ricken returned and faced three batters in the 2nd, but didn’t retire any of them. He gave up a lead off single, allowed him to move to second on yet another E1 on a pickoff attempt from an LSU pitcher, then another single tied the game at 1-1. The freshman would walk the next guy and his night was over. As good as his first inning was, the second was the polar opposite.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 2 hits / 2 runs / 1 K / 1 BB / 28 pitches (16 strikes, 57%)

Dax Dathe entered with runners on 1st and 3rd and his outing got off to a bad start by getting called for a pitch clock violation before even throwing a pitch. He’d follow with three straight balls to load the bases and Jay Johnson had seen enough.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 0 K / 1 BB

Following another great performance on Saturday, Ethan Plog was called upon in a nearly impossible situation to get out of. He got his first hitter down 0-2, but credit Blue Jay left fielder Lew Rice for getting a bat on the ball for a sacrifice fly to center, giving Creighton a 2-1 lead. They’d attempt a safety squeeze, but the bunt was poor and the batter got called for runner’s lane interference on the throw to 1st. Rocco Gump stepped up with 2 outs and hit a laser that Milam dove across his body and snared to save an extra run, escaping the inning with only 2 runs allowed. Plog returned in the 3rd, but following a strikeout to begin the inning, he lost control, walking two in a row and then hit another. That would be the end of his night.

Final line: 1.1 IP / 0 hits / 2 runs / 1 K / 2 BB / 1 HBP

Mavrick Rizy entered with the bases loaded and one out, having only allowed 2 hits through his 7 appearances so far. He’d promptly give up his third, scoring 2 more Blue Jays and extending their lead to 4-1. With the infield in, he got a massive ground out to Milam, holding both runners right where they were and following that with a strikeout to prevent more damage. Back for the 4th, Rizy only allowed a single and watched his star center fielder make another full extension catch in right center, adding to Derek Curiel’s extensive highlight real this year.

Final line: 1.2 IP / 2 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB

Deven Sheerin came in for the 5th and allowed a leadoff single. Following his first strikeout looking, Creighton’s Ben North stole 2nd and advanced to 3rd on a throwing error by Omar Serna, setting up yet another scoring opportunity. Sheerin recorded yet another strikeout looking, followed by a groundout to Milam and stranded the leadoff baserunner. Back for the 6th, Sheerin mowed through the Blue Jays with two strikeouts and a flyout. In the 7th, he hit the leadoff batter, then got a ground ball right back to him to secure the first out at 1st. Now surpassing his season high in pitches, his control slipped and he gave up his first walk. His time was done, but Sheerin was phenomenal.

Final line: 2.1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 4 Ks / 1 BB

With the tying runner on base in a 6-4 game, it was Santiago Garcia who was called upon to enter the jam. It looked as if he hit the first batter he faced and the bases were going to be loaded with just 1 out, but Jay challenged that the batter got intentionally hit and the call was overturned. Garcia then fell behind 2-0 to Isaac Wachsmann, who had already driven in 2 runs, but battled back with a couple of nasty pitches to get the strikeout and end the threat. Back for the 8th, he struck out two and pitched around a bloop double that put a man in scoring position with only 1 out. Garcia returned in the 9th with the opportunity to secure his first save of the season and he did just that with a quick 1-2-3 inning. Like Sheerin, Garcia also surpassed his season high pitch count. Previously, his highest was 29 pitches against Nicholls in game 5 of the season, but he blew past that with 44 tonight. He was outstanding.

Final line: 2.2 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 4 Ks / 0 BB

Hitting

The offensive star of the night is Omar Serna and that should serve as no surprise. With the Tigers in a familiar spot where they were trailing halfway though the game, trying to hold on for dear life, and facing another giant opportunity that they could not squander. Despite striking out with the bases loaded in the 1st, Serna found himself in the position yet again. This time, he made it count. He got a 2-0 fastball and blasted it 455 feet in to right center field to give every fan, coach, and player a giant sigh of relief. LSU was up 6-4 and never looked back. He finished 1-3 with the 4 RBI and also drew a walk.

If homeruns are being mentioned, there’s a good chance Jake Brown is involved. He hit his 9th of the year to give the Tigers some insurance runs in the 8th inning. He has now surpassed his previous season high of 8, which he hit last year. Brown has been one of the best hitters in the SEC though the first 18 games of the season and is not expected to slow down, considering 6 of his 8 homeruns in 2025 came during conference play. He finished 2-4 with the 2 RBIs, scored 2 runs, and also walked once. Brown did bring in another run in an earlier at bat, but it was credited as an error on Creighton’s second baseman, so he does not get the RBI.

Zach Yorke bounced back from a rough weekend with his first multiple hit game in a while. He had 2 singles and finished 2-4 and was hit by a pitch, as well. Yorke also made a few picks on low throws at 1st base, which can easily sneak by on the stat sheet.

Steven Milam may have only finished 1-4, but he drove in the first run of the game in the 1st inning to get LSU off to a good start. It appeared as if he was going to pop out in foul territory, but an E2 gave him second life and he took advantage of it. He was also hit by a pitch and scored a run. His defense was, once again, extraordinary. His night was highlighted by a diving catch across his body on a hard hit line drive that would have given the Blue Jays a 5-2 lead earlier in the game.

Up Next

LSU will travel to Nashville to kick off SEC play against Vanderbilt this weekend. Game one will be Friday with a 6 pm central first pitch. Saturday will start at 7 pm and Sunday has one of the later starts you’ll see for an SEC game with a 3 pm first pitch. The Commodores have arguably had an even rougher start to the season than the Tigers, amassing 7 losses prior to conference play. They beat Indiana State 14-6 tonight to improve to 11-7. Vanderbilt will send ace Conner Fennell to the mound on Friday with a 2-0 record and a 3.80 ERA. He has been tough to hit, only allowing 16 hits through 21.1 inning pitched while striking out 30.

Follow me on X @DCBilliotJr for more in-depth previews as the weekend gets closer!

Sacramento St - 6, LSU - 1

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 03:07:29 GMT

Sunday Evening Recap

Lifeless. There’s no better way to describe this LSU team right now, specifically the offense. There are a hundred questions and not a single answer at this point in time. The fans are confused. Those that cover this team are confused. Even Jay Johnson appears confused. Friday night’s offensive explosion seemed like a “we’re back” sort of game, but now appears to be an anomaly. The 8-0 start feels like a century ago. Nothing makes sense. It was another night marred by missed opportunities and letting the opposing pitching staff off of the hook. LSU left 8 runners on base. The strikeouts weren’t as big of an issue tonight as they were on Saturday, but Tiger hitters also only drew 2 walks. As for the pitching, William Schmidt was, once again, pretty good. His final stat line doesn’t do his performance justice, especially considering the mistakes that led to Sacramento St scoring their first 2 runs. The first run the Hornets scored in the 3rd was the first run Schmidt had allowed since his opening weekend start vs Milwaukee. Although he allowed 4 runs on 4 hits, the 0 walks number is the most promising stat from his performance. As he has been for his past three starts, Schmidt lived in the strike zone and attacked hitters throughout his outing. He had his breaking balls working throughout, flashing the ability to throw both at any time. The ability to land a slider and/or curveball for a strike not only in pitcher’s counts, but also in hitter’s counts or to start off an at bat, will make him tough to deal with no matter which team is in the other dugout. It’s becoming more and more evident that LSU’s weekend rotation may have to carry their subpar offense, at least early on in SEC play until they can flip a switch.

Pitching

William Schmidt picked up right where he left off last week. He struck out two in the 1st inning on just 7 pitches between the two batters. He followed that up with a 1-2-3 2nd inning and sat with only 24 pitches through the two innings. Things got shaky in the 3rd when he gave up a lead off single on a 3-1 count, which was his first 3 ball count of the game. He struck out a batter looking and then got a Superman diving catch by Derek Curiel, adding to the sophomore’s already impressive defensive weekend. On another 3 ball count, Sacramento St leadoff hitter Sam Harry laced a ball over Mason Braun’s head in left field. It goes down as a double, but Braun misplayed the ball and it probably should have been caught, which would have ended the inning. Schmidt looked to have an inning ended strikeout on the next batter, but the ball in the dirt forced a throw and Cade Arrambide threw the ball off of the runner’s helmet, allowing another run to score to give the Hornets a 2-0 lead. He would immediately make up for it, throwing out the potential base-stealer at second. Following that 25 pitch inning, Schmidt got back on track with a quick 3 up, 3 down inning, finishing four innings with 62 pitches. His 5th inning was just as smooth, retiring the side in order, capped off by another silky smooth defensive play by Steven Milam. Schmidt quickly retired two in the 6th before giving up opposite field single, just the third hit of the game for Sacramento St. The Hornets would follow with another single and that would be the end of the day for the sophomore starter.

Final line: 5.2 IP / 4 hits / 4 runs / 8 Ks / 0 BBs

Cooper Williams entered with runners on 1st and 3rd and looked to build upon a solid 9th inning yesterday. Unfortunately, he only lasted two pitches. After throwing a first pitch strike, he hit the batter on his second one. Jay Johnson was halfway out of the dugout before the runner even got to 1st base and that was all.

Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 1 run / 0 K / 1 HBP

With the bases now loaded, it was Gavin Guidry time and you always feel good about that. Tonight was different, as Guidry struggled to find the strike zone upon entering. He walked in a run and then gave up a weak ground ball through the left side of the infield and just like that, LSU was losing to Sacramento St 5-0, once again. He’d record a strikeout to end the inning, but the damage was done. Guidry returned for the 7th and battled past a 2 out walk. Back in the 8th, he drew a flyout to Curiel, but then walked a batter, threw a wild pitch, and gave up a bloop single to set up 1st and 3rd and one out. Sacramento St executed fundamentals and squeezed the runner home on a perfect sacrifice bunt. That’s where Jay would, again, turn to his bullpen.

Final line: 2.0 IP / 2 hits / 1 run / 2 Ks / 3 BBs

Santiago Garcia entered with a runner on 2nd and two outs and delivered the strikeout LSU needed to avoid further damage.

Final line: .1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BBs

Hopes of a comeback were slim as LSU entered the 9th down 5-1, but it was Mavrick Rizy’s task to keep it right there. Despite hitting a batter, he was able to do his job and get the Tigers back to the dugout for one last chance.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 1 HBP

Hitting

Brayden Simpson drove in the sole LSU run tonight, which makes him the top offensive performer. For the second game in a row, not a single Tiger hitter had multiple hits. Simpson finished 1-4 and also struck out twice.

After a 4-5 night that included 3 homeruns on Friday, Jake Brown finished up his weekend with a hitless effort on Saturday and just one single tonight. He hit the ball hard a few times, but it was one of those nights where he didn’t have much to show for it. Brown finished 1-3 with one of the two LSU walks.

Derek Curiel’s weekend followed the same trajectory as Brown’s, following up a huge Friday night with just one hit over the next two days. He, too, finished with just a single and went 1-4.

Zach Yorke drew the other walk for Tiger hitters and later singled in the 8th inning when they were trying to rally. He finished 1-3.

Freshman Mason Braun continues to sting the ball in his early season opportunities. While he only has a 1-4 stat line to show for it, he continues to flash high exit velocity. Obviously that doesn’t put runs on the board, but hard hit balls will eventually start to find grass if he keeps it up.

Seth Dardar was another Tiger who stung the ball a few times tonight, also finishing just 1-4. In his post game press conference, Jay specifically mentioned Dardar as someone he was happy with in terms of how they swung the bat.

Up Next

LSU will remain home and welcome the Creighton Blue Jays for one of the best Tuesday night midweek games you’ll find. The Blue Jays won both the Big East regular season championship and their conference tournament, as well. They made the NCAA tournament as a #3 seed and traveled to Arkansas for the Fayetteville Regional. Creighton made it to the regional final, but lost to the Razorbacks for the second time. So far in 2026, the Blue Jays are off to a slower start with a 5-7 record, but will head to Baton Rouge after taking 2 of 3 from Gonzaga. LSU now sits at 12-5, which looks even worse when you consider they started 8-0. The Tigers will, no doubt, take quite a tumble in the top 25 rankings tomorrow.

Sacramento St - 5, LSU - 4

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 07:39:37 GMT

Saturday Afternoon Recap

While everyone was thrilled about the offensive explosion on Friday night, there was still skepticism about whether or not LSU’s bats could keep it up. We saw plenty of it through the 8-0 start, but the six games that followed completely changed the outlook of this team’s actual potential. While it’s naïve to abandon the ship that is a Jay Johnson coached team, the performance of his squad had certainly allowed some doubt to start creeping in. On Friday night, some of that doubt was squashed…temporarily, at least. We needed to see more to feel better about saying that the Tiger offense was all the way back. Well, Saturday was the complete opposite. LSU had one hit going in to the 8th inning. Yes, they were facing the same pitching staff that they hit 6 homeruns and scored 15 on less than 24 hours prior. Nonetheless, the two games were polar opposites. Sacramento St struck LSU hitters out 11 times, 5 of which were looking. It was in the 8th that the Tigers finally got on the scoreboard, putting up a three spot just minutes after a grand slam extended the Hornets lead to 5-0. LSU would truly threaten in the 9th, getting the winning run on base with only one out, but the at bats reverted right back to what they had been for the first seven innings…poor. Despite the one big swing allowed on the other side of the field, the LSU pitching staff did all they could to give their offense a chance to turn the game around. Cooper Moore had his shakiest outing of the season and suffered his first loss of the season, despite only allowing a single run. His record now stands at 3-1, while LSU dropped to 12-4 overall.

Pitching

Cooper Moore had been marvelous through his first three starts. He was throwing a lot of strikes and piling up zeros on the scoreboard. On Saturday, we saw his command struggle for the first time. He averaged a 77% strike rate coming in to Saturday, which is pretty absurd, but the issues saw that dip to 55%. The 5 free passes nearly doubled his season total of 3 that he entered with. Still, Moore fought and fought, despite having a runner on base in every inning he threw. The one run he did allow came on a 2 out, 2 strike bloop double in to the right field corner. His day would come to an end in the 5th inning following his third walk of the day. With control already being an issue, the rain started to fall just as Moore took the mound to start that inning and that certainly didn’t help. After the game, Jay praised how he battled despite the struggles and stated that he’s comfortable winning or losing with Cooper out there because of his mental resilience that the staff trusts.

Final line: 4.2 IP / 4 hits / 1 run / 4 Ks / 3 BBs / 2 HBPs / 89 pitches (49 strikes, 55%).

Ethan Plog took over in the 5th and was phenomenal. Not only did he enter and end the 2 out threat with 2 runners on base, but he followed that with back to back 3 up, 3 down innings. He started the 8th, but was relieved after recording a strikeout on the first batter of the inning. Plog filled up the zone with 16 of his 26 pitches being strikes. His only blemish was a leadoff walk in the 7th, but he immediately induced a groundball back to himself which started a 1-6-3 double play. Following Wednesday’s loss to ULL, Jay mentioned that he had four relievers that he absolutely trusts at this point in time. Many speculated that Plog was one of them and if there was any doubt that was the case, there shouldn’t be now.

Final line: 2.2 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 2 Ks / 1 BB

Deven Sheerin entered in the 8th with no one on base and one out following Plog’s strikeout. This would be his 6th appearance of the season and in the moment, there was no reason to feel anything but great about seeing him jog out to potentially finish the game. Sheerin had yet to allow a hit coming in to Saturday, while striking out 13 and only allowing 2 walks. Well, much like Moore, he was due for a shaky performance. He walked the first batter he faced, but followed that with a flyout to record the second out of the inning. That’s when the impressive hitless streak came to an end with a bloop single in to left field. Sheerin then walked another batter to load the bases and Jay had seen enough.

Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 3 runs / 0 Ks / 2 BB

Ever since his rough debut on the Monday following opening weekend, Jaden Noot had been fantastic. He hadn’t allowed a single baserunner through his next three appearances. On Wednesday, he threw a scoreless 8th inning in which he threw 11 pitches, with all 11 being strikes. But, despite turning things around, Noot came back down to earth in a brutal way. It was a huge spot with the bases loaded and down 1-0, considering the offense had a single hit up to this point. Any more runs would make the comeback feel closer to impossible. After working ahead to his first batter with a 1-2 count, he just missed a called strike three to even it at 2-2. He then left a pitch up in the zone and one swing later, LSU found themselves down 5-0. The spot made sense to go to Noot, but he simply just didn’t execute. A pitch later, he recorded a flyout to end the inning, but the damage was done.

Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 0 Ks / 0 BB

Cooper Williams had a brilliant opening day performance when he followed up Casan Evans, but his outings went down hill after that. With how strong he came on down the stretch a season ago and how dominant he was in preseason scrimmages, his poor performances were a big surprise. He entered for the 9th on Sunday following the Tiger offense finally scoring a few runs to close the deficit to 5-3. Williams task was simple. Hold the rope right there and give LSU’s offense a chance to get back to work and pull off the comeback. He did just that, recording a quick 1-2-3 inning on just 10 pitches. While the comeback fell just short, we can only hope that Saturday’s performance was a sign that Williams is getting back on track.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB

Hitting

Daniel Harden made his first start of the season in Lafayette on Wednesday and it did not go very well. But he bounced back in a big way when he got his chance on Saturday. To lead off the 9th inning with LSU down 5-3, Harden blasted a solo homerun in to the Diamond Dech in right field. It was a no-doubter, traveling 392 feet to get the Tigers within a run.

It’s not often that you find yourself on the list of top offensive performers with a 3 strikeout game, but Cade Arrambide had one of the only three hits for LSU all day. He finished 1-4 with two of his Ks being caught looking.

Zach Yorke had the other of the three hits, a ground rule double in the 8th that drove in the first LSU run of the game. It almost certainly would have scored both Jake Brown and Steven Milam, but the bounce over the 1st base line wall bailed the Hornets out. Both Milam and Yorke would eventually come around to score before the end of the inning, which is what set up the 5-3 deficit going in to the 9th.

Up Next

LSU and Sacramento St will face off in a rubber match on Sunday at 6 pm central. The game was originally scheduled for 1 pm, but was moved back due to inclement weather between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. William Schmidt will take the mound for the Tigers with his 3-0 record and have the chance to be the first to record a fourth win. The Hornets will answer with Carson Timothy, a sophomore RHP with a record of 0-1. Timothy has started all three Sundays for Sacramento St, so far, and enters with a 2.45 ERA in 11.0 innings pitched.

LSU - 15, Sacramento State - 4

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:59:30 GMT

Friday Night Recap

LSU needed a bounce back game to kick this weekend off and, boy, did they get it. Following a fairly pedestrian 6 game stretch where they went 3-3 with losses to McNeese, Northeastern, and then ULL on Wednesday, the Tigers had been looking nothing like the team we watched start the year 8-0. Even the three wins over Dartmouth and Northeastern over last weekend did not look pretty on the offensive side. Well, everything went right tonight. Casan Evans was marvelous from first pitch. He started his outing with five perfect innings and looked flat out dominant along the way. It was easily his best start of the season and arguably the best start of his career. Only his start against Tennessee in 2025, which was his first career start, can possibly compare. It wasn't just Evans that went to work, though. Not only did LSU's bats show up for the first time in two weeks, they showed up for their best night of the season. The 15 runs scored on Friday night equal half of what they scored in the previous six games. Speaking of the number six, that's how many homeruns the Tigers hit. Six of them in only 6 innings at the plate. It was a monumental return for Jay Johnson's offense.

Pitching

Casan Evans got off to a hot start with a two strikout 1st inning. His final pitch was a 99 mph heater that he blew past Sacramento State's 3-hole hitter. His 2nd and 3rd innings were just as good, as he struck out 2 more in each inning. After "only" striking out one in the 4th, Evans returned in the 5th and struck out another two to bring his total to 9 through his first 5 innings. It was the leadoff hitter in the 6th that finally broke up the perfect game, as his ground ball through the right side just barely missed Jack Ruckert's glove. Sacramento St would get to Evans for another single and then a 2 run double and that would be where Jay Johnson would call it a night for his sophomore ace. Despite only 72 pitches, Evans had a lot of long waits inbetween the first four innings with his offense going crazy. Simply put, he was phenomenal. Jay Johnson could not have asked for a better final tune up prior to traveling to Nashville next weekend for the start of SEC play.

Final line: 5.2 IP / 3 hits / 2 runs / 9 Ks / 0 BBs / 72 pitches (52 strikes, 72%)

Zion Theophilus came in to finish off the 6th once Evans exited the game and did exactly what he needed to. He only needed 4 pitches to get a strikeout and leave a Hornet stranded on 2nd base.

Final line: .1 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 1 K / 0 BB

Marcos Paz entered for the 7th to finish off the game and was up and down. After starting off with a strikeout, he issued back to back walks. He'd record the second out of the inning on a flyout, but then gave up 2 run double to the right center gap. Despite the trouble, Paz was able to lock in and strikeout the final hitter to close out the game.

Final line: 1.0 IP / 1 hit / 2 runs / 2 Ks / 2 BBs

Hitting

Jake Brown continued his torrid start to the season, blasting THREE home runs to bring his season total to 8. All were beautiful, but the first was an opposite field shot to the Left Field Landing at 104 mph off of the bat. Somehow, his second was even more impressive. At 108 mph off of the bat, Brown hit the ball off of the batter's eye in center field at 425 feet. Just when you thought it was going to be his third two homer game of the season, he stepped to the plate for his third at bat in the first three innings and deposited yet another ball over the fence in right center. Brown added a single to his final stat line, which read 4-5 with 6 RBI and 4 runs scored.

Derek Curiel followed up his 3-3 night in Lafayette with another stellar performance. In his first three at bats, he went: double, 2 run homerun, double. In his fourth at bat of the night, he was finally recorded out for the first time since Monday night against Northeastern. His homerun went 421 feet and came off of the bat at 108 mph. Curiel finished 3-4 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored.

Cade Arrambide also joined the homerun fun, blasting his fourth homerun of the season in the 4th inning. It was the longest of the night, flying out at 432 feet to dead center field. That was his first since hitting one in back to back games in Jacksonville two weeks ago. Arrambide was also hit by a pitch and finished 1-3 with the RBI on his solo bomb and scoring 2 runs.

Speaking of joining the homerun fun, Steven Milam finally got his first of the year. The junior launched a towering 404 foot blast in to the Diamond Deck and took his time leaving the batter's box, soaking up that "finally" moment. Monster finished 2-3 with the 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Zach Yorke did not leave the yard like multiple other guys, but he did put the barrel on the ball a few times. The big 1st baseman finished 2-4 with a couple of frozen ropes that surely have him mixed in to the top exit velocities on the night.

Like Yorke, Seth Dardar can hit the ball out of the park on any night, but tonight would settle for a 2 run double in the 1st inning that helped push LSU's lead to 4-0 and show that the offense was here to get back on track. He also smacked a ball in to the left center gap that was chased down, but was another very hard hit ball. He finished 1-3 with 2 RBI.

Up Next

LSU and Sacramento St will return to action tomorrow night. First pitch has been moved up to 2 pm central due to possible rain later in the evening. It was originally scheduled to start for 6 pm. Cooper Moore will make his fourth start of the season, coming in with a 3-0 record and three dominant performances. He went 7.2 innings and struck out 10 just a week ago.

Lawsuit on LA Tech Delays Release of 2026 Sun Belt Football Schedule

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 22:49:56 GMT

By this time in very early March, all Sun Belt Conference teams, including Louisiana and ULM, are usually made aware of their upcoming season's full football schedule. The Sun Belt typically has its football schedule out by March 1st, allowing teams and supporters alike to find out who, where, and when they will play come football season.

This year, however, things are looking a little different, as we may not see a definite 2026 Sun Belt football schedule for a few more weeks, if not months. How much sooner we will get it all falls in the hands of the outcome of an ongoing lawsuit.

As you might recall, Texas State officially announced that they would leave the Sun Belt for the Pac-12 on June 30, 2025, a move that would take place on July 1, 2026. This meant that the 2025-2026 athletic year was Texas State's final journey in the SBC. When it's all said and done, this means that the conference would need to find a new 14th member to avoid dropping to 13 members come the 2026-2027 athletic year.

A couple of weeks later, the conference officially announced on July 15, 2025, that Louisiana Tech would be filling the void left by Texas State. The problem to be determined, however, was whether LA Tech would be able to join in 2026 or 2027. Joining in 2026 would make this an easy transition for the SBC, keeping them at 14 members with no gaps. But a delay to 2027 would mean the conference gets stuck at 13 teams for the 2026-2027 athletic year, and right now, the there is a potential that this could be the case. Louisiana Tech, of course, wants to get this move done sooner rather than later.

So, the school wants to join in 2026, and the Sun Belt doesn't suffer a gap year. A win-win for both, so what's the hold up?

Not too long after the announcements went public, Conference USA, the conference in which LA Tech has been a member of since 2013, filed a lawsuit against the University of Louisiana System (which oversees Louisiana Tech). They accused the school and the system of violating Louisiana public records tied to the school leaving for the Sun Belt Conference. CUSA claims that a letter written on May 27, 2025, by Louisiana Tech President Jim Henderson, which referenced the school's move to the Sun Belt, suggested LA Tech made the decision to leave the CUSA earlier than its official notice on July 14th, which came after the conference's June 27 revenue distribution. Under Conference USA bylaws, schools that notify withdrawal after the payout can keep that year's (2025-2026) distribution but must forfeit the next two.

However, the actual timeline challenges this claim, suggesting the date of the letter was incorrect by clerical error. As mentioned above, the Sun Belt's void that Louisiana Tech ended up filling did not actually exist until June 30th when Texas State officially announced its departure, and SBC officials didn't vote on the move to bring in Louisiana Tech until mid-July, after which they sent a formal invitation for the school to join. Thus, there is no logical explanation as to why Louisiana Tech would have a letter written in May about the school moving over to the Sun Belt.

CUSA also accused the school of improperly withholding documents from an August public records, though the school had already provided major materials including the Sun Belt agreement. Louisiana Tech University has denied any wrongdoing, stating that they have complied with both conference bylaws and state law.

With the lawsuit still ongoing and a timeline not established, it has put the Sun Belt Conference and its teams in a bind, and could mean waiting a few more weeks, if not months, until seeing a definite finalized schedule. While the conference could put out a schedule which either does or does not include Louisiana Tech, it does not want to take the risk of having to change it all up if the result of the lawsuit changes those plans. Even if the Sun Belt were to release a schedule now, it would not be definite until the lawsuit is over and an outcome is obtained.

It is also important to keep in mind that the Sun Belt Conference is the last remaining Division-I conference with divisions. With the conference currently (including Texas State) at 14 members, it has them separated equally into two geographical East/West divisions. With Texas State's departure bringing the West down to 6 teams, Louisiana Tech is supposed to be the filler to that. But the conference could be forced to ditch the unique divisional setup if Louisiana Tech cannot join in 2026, as the conference would be at an odd number of teams. The Sun Belt currently utilizes the East/West divisional setup to determine who makes the Sun Belt Conference Championship, with the winner of each division taking the honors of doing so.

Other conferences like the Mid-American Conference and Mountain West Conference are also facing similar delayed schedule releasing situations due to conference realignments, but the Sun Belt Conference (and Conference USA) are the two where uncertainty still boils.

For now, our three Louisiana schools (Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, ULM Warhawks, and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs) will have to wait a little longer to find out their 12-game schedule for the 2026 football season.

New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons 2025 Week 18 Recap

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 22:20:17 GMT

Following an amazing resurgence fueled by Tyler Shough, the Saints' season has finally come to an end. What’s next?

New Orleans Saints 17 - 19 Atlanta Falcons

The Saints' season is officially over. As sad as it is to say that, this season ended on a much more positive note than I expected, and has me actually looking forward to the offseason, not dreading it. The defense finished on a positive note, Tyler Shough is definitely the guy for at least the next few seasons, and Kellen Moore improved over the second half of the year. If the season finished how we expected prior to Shough saving the team, this offseason would be much more bleak in appearance. This is supposed to be a week 18 recap, but why recap a game no one really had any expectations for or cared about? No one, not even us Saints fans or analysts, really expected Shough to be able to do much with this offensive group, and he couldn’t really. Sure, he made a few really good plays, but you could tell Kellen Moore was struggling to find plays that he felt confident running with the receivers, and I don’t view that as a negative, just a bad scenario for everyone. Because of this, I am not going to write this really as a week 18 recap, but more as a short preview of this offseason.

Chase Young

Chase Young has made it clear that he is the best young player on this Saints team. Maybe you could swap him out with Chris Olave, but I struggle to overlook his incredible performances and constant clutch play in big moments to close out the year. He finished this game with one and a half sacks and three tackles for losses, but should have even had one more sack and a forced fumble on his stat sheet. Mickey Loomis seemingly has gotten away with the deal of a lifetime, sorry Loomis haters, by signing Young to a three-year deal for only $17 million per year on average. That is more than $10 million less than what the top 10 defensive end salaries are on a per-year basis, and Young has 10 sacks in 12 games played. While watching this one, I texted my buddies and said that Young is a top 10 EDGE in the league at this point, but they disagree. Although he may not be right now, Chase Young is quickly improving and becoming what everyone expected him to be when he came into the league. If he continues down this path, it would be extremely reasonable for him to try and get a pay raise after next season. Going into this offseason, the Saints must add at least one other piece to the defensive end rotation, so teams are forced to take their focus off of Young and open up the opportunity for even more plays by him.

Tyler Shough

Tyler Shough did not by any means have a perfect game; he finished 23 of 39 for 259 yards and a touchdown and an interception. However, as I said earlier, I don’t think anyone expected him to with the weapons at his disposal. He led the team down the field multiple times, and a Charlie Smyth missed field goal, and Dante Pettis offensive pass interference made this game appear worse offensively than it was. He made some throws and plays out of scheme that once again added to the current mindset that he is the team’s future, so I am not worried about the interception that came late in the fourth quarter on the tenth or so double slant pattern of the game. However, I will say that Shough’s ability to make things work at times with this battered of a weapon room is impressive in itself, and means that if the team decides to go and get him weapons in the draft or free agency, he can be even more successful. I’d really like the Saints to leave the draft with one of the following: Jeremiyah Love, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, or Elijah Sarratt. If they do that, I think this offense alongside Shough would be extremely fun to watch next season.

The Defense

The Saints' defense finished the season without allowing a fourth-quarter touchdown since Week 11 against the Falcons. Yes, week 11. Although I felt the defense started off pretty rough, the second half of the season was a true testament to Brandon Staley’s abilities as a defensive coordinator. The Saints' defense improved this season in both total scoring and yardage allowed in comparison to last season, at 17th and 9th, respectively, before this game. They played another great game here with what should have been two turnovers if it weren’t for a bad call by the refs on the Chase Young strip-sack. Quincy Riley and Jonas Sanker both have been massive additions to this side of the ball, and Danny Stutsman appears to have the potential to be good whenever Werner or Davis leave. If the Saints decide to run it back with this same defense and bring back the vets, it would not be the worst thing in the world, but I would still like to see them bring in more young talent.

Closing Time

This season was my first writing for the team, and I really enjoyed recapping all of the highs and lows of the season and trying to let you guys know exactly how I felt about the team week in, week out. As much as I hate this team missing the playoffs and the season ending today, I’m happy I had this opportunity and look forward to doing the same next season. I may write a few offseason articles, but if not, I will definitely have a few Saints-focused episodes on my YouTube channel, Jenks Island. Until next time, Who Dat!!

Offensive MVP: Tyler Shough

Defensive MVP: Chase Young

Special Teams MVP: NONE (Please fire Phil Galiano)

New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons 2025 Week 18 Preview

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 17:03:11 GMT

The final game of the season is here!

Saints vs Falcons History

After their last matchup earlier in the season, the Atlanta Falcons took the overall lead over the Saints. Out of their 113 games against each other, the Falcons have won 57, and the Saints have 56 victories. This is one of the best rivalries in the NFL, and given how close the series stands, it would only be right if the Saints win and tie it up again. To emphasize again how close this matchup is, if New Orleans wins on Sunday, both teams will be tied for last in the NFC South.

The 2025/26 Season

For two teams eliminated from the playoffs, there are some high stakes in this game. If the Buccaneers win on Saturday, then they need the Saints to win on Sunday to make the playoffs. Also, New Orleans could finish second in the NFC South if the Panthers win and the Saints win, and the Falcons could fire their head coach if they lose. Looking at the Saints' roster, they also have a chance to get their QB, Tyler Shough, a ROTY Award with a win here. Yes, Shough would have to play well, but with all the injuries he is dealing with, a decent performance could get it done.

Injury Report

RB Alvin Kamara - OUT

DT Bryan Bresee - OUT

TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden - OUT

WR Chris Olave- OUT

WR Mason Tipton - OUT

DT Nathan Shepherd - OUT

QB Spencer Rattler - Questionable

OG Dillon Radunz - Questionable

LB Demario Davis - Questionable

Final Thoughts

This game will be unbelievably challenging for the Saints to win, given the number of injuries they have and the defense they are facing. Still, given how much momentum this team has, it's possible they can get it done. A first season of a rebuild that results in the team getting second place, 7 wins, and a potential franchise QB and HC is a homerun.

New Orleans Saints vs Tennessee Titans 2025 Week 17 Recap

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 19:50:29 GMT

The vibes in New Orleans couldn’t be higher, as Tyler Shough seems to shore up his Offensive Rookie of the Year case.

New Orleans Saints 34 - 26 Tennessee Titans

This is the exact type of game the Saints and Tyler Shough needed, albeit against a weak opponent, to help create assurance that the tides are actually turning. For the last few seasons, anytime the Saints fell behind by 10 or more points, it has felt like 21 or more. However, with Tyler Shough at the quarterback position, when the team starts slow, I don’t feel like they are ever behind by an amount they cannot come back from. In this game, when they fell to a 13-point deficit to start the game, I never once felt deflated as I had in the past few prior seasons, which is an amazing feat for this current roster to achieve. Look at the injuries that have piled up on the offensive side of the ball. Tyler Shough is throwing to receivers and handing the ball off to running backs who weren’t on the 53-man roster to start this season. We saw a similar, if not the same, situation play out last year for Spencer Rattler, who was unable to overcome the situation to win games. The thing with that is, Spencer Rattler is not a BAD quarterback by any means; he’s a high-end backup or bottom-tier starter, but he is 100% an NFL-level quarterback. This just shows that Tyler Shough is the true franchise quarterback for the Saints, and that even when the team is down, both in score and in talent, their current QB can elevate them to wins. With all of that being said, let’s look at the performances of this game and how they are changing how I want the Saints to attack this offseason.

Chris Olave

I can’t start this breakdown without giving Chris Olave his flowers. He has absolutely destroyed any doubt I had in him being able to be the number one guy for this team on any given week. He finished this one with eight catches for 119 yards and a touchdown. This performance gave him career highs across all receiving categories and also put him in a great spot to get a massive contract from the Saints this offseason, which he deserves. He isn’t in the conversation for comeback player of the year, but after saying he was genuinely considering retirement at the age of 24, he should be. He won’t win the award, as Christian McCaffery has absolutely shattered expectations of what he could be this season, but Olave, having his best season as an NFL player after his worst concussion yet, should not go unnoticed.

Tyler Shough

Once again, and I will try not to overdo it here, Tyler Shough was the team MVP and the best quarterback on the field for the fourth straight game. That includes games against Baker Mayfield, Bryce Young, and Cam Ward. Are those the best quarterbacks in the league? No. Are they quarterbacks that NFL fans and pundits had much higher hopes for this season than Tyler Shough? Yes.

The conversations involving Shough have gone from “How did he go above Shedeur?”, to “Why are the Saints benching Rattler for him?”, to “How is he going to overcome all of these injuries?”, all the way to now “Is he a top 15 quarterback in the league?” If I were to be asked that last question right now, it would be tough to give a definitive answer, but I am definitely leaning towards yes, he is. He has now led the Saints to four straight wins, and the current buzz around the league is that the Saints are the best team in the division, even though they won’t make the playoffs. Shough also surpassed Tetairoa McMillan today as the favorite to win the offensive rookie of the year, even though he has only started eight games. The things Tyler Shough is doing are certainly unexpected, but just because they are unexpected doesn’t mean they should go underappreciated by the league and NFL media. It’s nice to see the media finally starting to pick up on what’s going on in New Orleans. I hope that it continues throughout this offseason.

There is a big divide among the Saints fanbase about whether or not the team should really be happy about winning these games, since their draft position has been going down with every win. To me, the answer couldn’t be clearer; these wins are exponentially more valuable than their draft pick position. With these wins, the fanbase and the team have learned that they have a franchise quarterback, and the team culture is being rejuvenated more and more every week. I’m not sure if you have seen it yet, but if not, check out this video from the locker room postgame below. I’m not sure if it’s just because it is the highest quality video I’ve ever seen from a locker room (was this thing filmed with an IMAX camera??), or if it is truly just how happy everyone is, but I am completely bought in on Shough and the future of the organization at this point in time.

https://x.com/Saints/status/2005405454608859372?s=20

Kellen Moore

Anyone who has read these articles throughout the season knows I have been VERY down on Kellen Moore as the season progressed. That being said, I think he has truly spun my whole image of him and made me buy into what he is doing as the Saints' head coach. Is he perfect? No. Will the training camp next year look the same as this year’s? Again, No. However, Kellen Moore’s playcalling and decisions with timeouts and game management have 100% improved in recent weeks. Maybe he is more confident in calling a broad range of plays with Shough at quarterback, maybe he is simply more confident in the team’s ability as a whole to execute them, or maybe he simply has learned a little bit more every week what works and what doesn’t. He has called a lot more outside runs than he did to start the season, and has also learned how to manage the ends of halves. He had a few blunders of epic proportions to end halves this season due to timeout usage, and this week, Justin Reid ruined a really good job by Moore to use timeouts and display confidence in his QB and offense to go get points in a short amount of time.

Kellen Moore’s post-game speeches are very unique in comparison to what I see from other head coaches across the league as well. He is never overly energetic, he never screams just for the sake of screaming, and he never seems to run out of game balls. Moore isn’t a guy who yells like Dan Campbell or Ben Johnson, but you can tell that he is genuinely excited and happy for the team and the players every single week in these post-game speeches. Players can see straight through a fake personality, which is genuinely what I believe happened with Dennis Allen at the helm. In Moore’s case, he is almost genuine to a fault. If he were this nice to a team that continued to underperform and not execute, maybe it would grow old. But the team didn’t do that; they have overperformed expectations, and Moore has continued to be the same guy he has been all year. The players have definitely seen this, and you can tell they are happy to have Moore as the head coach.

Moore gives what he calls “shout-outs” to all of the guys who perform well in games. These shout-outs come with game balls for all of the players named, which leads to a LOT of game balls being tossed around the locker room. This may seem corny to those outside of the locker room, but the players love it; they are all getting recognized for what they bring to the table, something that can quickly win over a team to follow a coach to battle every week. Moore gave so many balls last week and also this week that in this week’s speech, he said he may get in trouble with the league.

Kellen Moore has completed a full 180 and is now someone I am confident in to lead the Saints to victory in the near future. I love the way he is calling an offense going through injuries left and right, and I love the way he is currently managing the locker room. He accomplished the hardest thing to do in a rebuild: picking the right quarterback. So, now my question is, how will he follow that up? If Moore, alongside Mickey Loomis, enters this offseason and successfully identifies the weakest position groups and gets talent there, he can earn himself a very long tenure with the organization in New Orleans.

The Future

I was relatively sure last week that the Saints had their quarterback and head coach of the future, but after this performance, I couldn’t be more sure and positive. With both of those things being locked in, where do the Saints go from here? The team is still lacking talent depth at numerous position groups, but to me, the two biggest concerns are the interiors of the lines on both sides of the ball and the weapons Tyler Shough has to throw to.

Before yesterday’s game, I would have had running back on this list too, with Kamara, Miller, and Neal all being injured and not seeing much from Estime or Hull the past couple of weeks. However, Audric Estime had the best game of his career on only 14 carries, finishing with 94 yards and a touchdown. If Estime can repeat a similar performance next year, it makes the conversation of who should stay around next season much harder. I could see Kendre Miller being a guy the Saints move in the offseason for a draft pick, simply due to injury history, but man, he can run the damn ball when he is healthy. This conversation could become even tougher if Kellen Moore decides he wants to build the run game for the team up even more by going and drafting the best RB in college football, Jeremiyah Love. If that happens, I don’t think there’s any chance Kendre Miller is back with the team.

I have not gotten the chance to scout interior talent from either side of the line much, but the Saints will need to decide whether or not the weaknesses there are something to attack in the draft or free agency. I believe the Saints could find solid fixes in free agency for the defensive side of the ball and try to find young talent in the draft to shore up the interior offensive line.

If the Saints go the route I believe they should pursue, which is to go and get a wide receiver with their first round pick, there are a couple of guys I think they should look at. Makai Lemon and Carnell Tate. Some may say I’m crazy for leaving Jordyn Tyson off of this list, but his injury history and competition level both scare me. Another great route the team could go is to go EDGE in the first round, then Elijah Sarratt in the second if he isn’t a shoo-in first-rounder by the time the draft comes around. All of these guys would be great additions to go alongside Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and Juwan Johnson in the passing attack for Shough.

The Saints are the best team in the division, and I don’t feel like that is a homer take. The Saints have looked the best on both sides of the ball and beat both of the teams above them. In addition, the Saints may end up finishing in second place in the South with a win over the Falcons next week and a Bucs loss to the Panthers. However, the ideal scenario is for both the Saints and Bucs to win, with the Saints finishing on a five-game win streak and getting the third-place schedule next year. The Saints are crushing expectations to end the season, and causing hope to rise over the win-deprived city of New Orleans. What more could you ask for?

Offensive MVP: Tyler Shough

Defensive MVP: Chase Young

Special Teams MVP: CHARLIE “THE IRISH HAMMER” SMYTH

Suns @ Pelicans Takeaways (Saturday Game)

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:41:49 GMT

Team Stats
(Suns @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 123-114
Rebounds: 55-43
Assists: 26-16
Blocks: 3-7

Steals: 7-11

Turnovers: 16-13

Stat Leaders
(Suns/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Devin Booker, 20; Trey Murphy III, 24

Rebound Leaders: Oso Ighodaro, 10; Derik Queen, 11

Assist Leaders: Collin Gillepsie, 7; Derik Queen/Jordan Poole/Jose Alvarado, 6

My Player of the Game: Jose Alvaredo

Takeaways

The Pelicans dropped the second game in a row to the Phoenix Suns, even though they kept Devin Booker to just 20 points.
The game got chippy in the third quarter after New Orleans went on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 73-71. Following a whistle, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Phoenix center Mark Williams exchanged punches. Both were ejected, and further suspensions are expected.
Trey Murphy III had 24 points for the Pelicans, and Zion Williamson scored 22 off the bench on 8-of-11 shooting. Rookie center Derik Queen had 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Jeremiah Fears scored 18 and Saddiq Bey finished with 17..

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New Orleans Saints vs Tennessee Titans 2025 Week 17 Preview

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 02:18:40 GMT

An exciting rookie QB battle.

Saints vs Titans History

In recent years, the Saints and Titans have actually played each other a number of times. Since only 2019, this week's matchup will mark the 4th time these teams have faced off in that time span, and the Saints lead 2-1 going into this game. Overall, the Titans have 9 wins, the Saints have 6, and there is also one tie. One of the main reasons for the Titans' lead is their four-game win streak from 1996 to 2007. It has been very even recently between these teams, but maybe the Saints can close the gap.

The 2025 Season

Like with the Jets game last week, this is a matchup between two teams with records that put them near the bottom of the NFL. Even with that in mind, this will be a fun game. The Titans are playing much better football, and with rookie QB Cam Ward leading the way, there is much more hope in Tennessee. Still, there are many issues throughout the roster, and although it seems the Saints are a bit ahead of the Titans, both teams are in very similar situations.

Injury Report

RB Alvin Kamara - OUT

DT Bryan Bresee - OUT

OG Cesar Ruiz - OUT

TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden - OUT

WR Chris Olave- Questionable

WR Mason Tipton - Questionable

K Charlie Smyth - Questionable

Final Thoughts

The Saints are once again entering a game with major obstacles ahead. The injuries have really piled up near the end of the season, and QB Tyler Shough will have to overcome everything thrown at him. This may be a very even matchup, and most of the focus will be on the rookie QB Battle.

Suns @ Pelicans Takeaways

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 20:47:10 GMT

Team Stats
(Suns @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 115-108
Rebounds: 52-38
Assists: 26-22
Blocks: 4-2

Steals: 9-10

Turnovers: 17-12

Stat Leaders
(Suns/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Devin Booker, 30; Zion Williamson, 20

Rebound Leaders: Mark Williams, 13; Zion Williamson, 8

Assist Leaders: Collin Gillepsie, 9; Zion Williamson/Jordan Poole, 6

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Takeaways

The Pelicans missed 17 free throws on the night, which was the nail in the coffin in a game they could have won.
The Pelicans were up 100-97 after Zion Williamson hit a free throw with 4:58 left in the game, but the Suns closed out New Orleans by outscoring the Pelicans 18-8 the rest of the game.
The Pelicans missed seven free throws in the third quarter, but still managed to be down only one point, 81-80, heading into the fourth quarter.
Jordan Poole scored 19 points in the game but had some critical turnovers, and missed the most free throws on the night.
The Pelicans will take on the Suns again tonight at 6 pm at the Smoothie King Center.

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Pelicans @ Cavaliers Takeaways

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 03:09:00 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Cavaliers)

Final Score: 100-128
Rebounds: 40-52
Assists: 23-29
Blocks: 3-9

Steals: 9-10

Turnovers: 11-11

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans/Cavaliers)

Scoring Leaders: Antonio Reeves, 34; Ty Jerome, 29
Rebound Leaders: Yves Missi, 8; Jaylon Tyson, 11

Assist Leaders: Elfrid Payton, 8; Jaylon Tyson, Craig Porter Jr., 7

My Player of the Game: Antonio Reeves

Takeaways

If you didn't know who Austin Reeves was before this game, well you should now. The rookie scored 34 points against the best team in the NBA right now.
The Pels were without Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, and Zion Williamson in this game. So there's that.
BI and Trey Murphy will hopefully be available for Friday's home game against the Warriors, and it's got to be close to time for McCollum and Jones to be coming back as well.
New Orleans is 4-12 on the season, and are the second to last team in the Western Conference standings.
It can only get better from here.

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Mavericks @ Pelicans Takeaways

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:07:34 GMT

Team Stats

(Mavericks @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 113-119

Rebounds: 57-51

Assists: 29-28

Blocks: 4-9

Steals: 9-9

Turnovers: 16-12

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Anthony Davis, 35; Zion Williamson, 24

Rebound Leaders: Anthony Davis, 17; Derik Queen, 10

Assist Leaders: Ryan Nembhard, 8; Derik Queen, 6

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* This is the first five-game win streak for the New Orleans Pelicans since 2023.

* James Borrego has turned this team around, not only offensively but they are so much better defensively.

* This is the fourth game in a row that Zion is coming off the bench and it is making the Pelicans into an insanely deep team. Z says he trusts Borrego and is fine with the role.

* DQ is getting better every game, and as a rookie, it's beautiful to see.

* The Pelicans play again on Tuesday against the Cavaliers on the road.

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Pacers @ Pelicans Takeaways

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 03:19:57 GMT

Team Stats
(Pacers @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 109-128
Rebounds: 42-49
Assists: 28-25
Blocks: 5-2

Steals: 7-6

Turnovers: 14-16

Stat Leaders
(Pacers/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Pascal Siakam, 22; Zion Williamson, 29
Rebound Leaders: Jay Huff, 6; Derik Queen, 10

Assist Leaders: T.J. McConnell, 8; Jordan Poole, 6

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Takeaways

Zion Williamson came off the bench and scored 29 points in the Pelicans' fourth straight win of the season.
The Pelicans only trailed for 17 seconds total in this game.
Indiana began the third quarter with an 11-5 run to pull within 69-60. Williamson entered the game less than four minutes into the period and quickly scored seven straight New Orleans points to push the lead to 16.
The Pelicans (7-22) will play the Dallas Mavericks at 7 p.m. Monday in the Smoothie King Center.

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New Orleans Saints vs New York Jets 2025 Week 16 Recap

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 23:24:45 GMT

The Saints win their third game in a row, and the feeling around this team is officially the best it’s been since Drew Brees retired.

New Orleans Saints 29 - 6 New York Jets

I really don’t have much to say about this one, except that everything feels like it’s going in the right direction for the Kellen Moo re-led New Orleans Saints. The offense still looked good with numerous starters out, Brandon Staley has the defense humming, and Charlie Smyth appears to be the answer to the long-term kicking issues. Considering where I and a lot of this fanbase felt about this team at the halfway point of the season, I think the Saints have significantly outplayed all expectations and have instilled hope into the city.

Taysom Hill

Taysom Hill fumbled on the first drive for the Saints, adding to a slew of ball control issues he has had this season. When that happened, I ended up texting my friends, “It’s time for the Saints to Old Yeller Taysom Hill”. Taysom Hill, if you are, for whatever reason, possibly reading this, just know I firmly retract that statement and appreciate how much you made me eat my own words. After the fumble, Taysom Hill ran for another 30+ yards, had 36 receiving yards, and even threw a touchdown bomb to Chris Olave on the last drive of the game. In this game, where everyone in the fanbase on X (Twitter) decided it was time for him to retire, he ended up having the most touches he’s ever had in a game and helped the Saints immensely on offense. I stand corrected on Taysom Hill no longer being able to be a threat, and I am happy that I was wrong. I wonder if he gets even more touches against the Titans next week, and if he can also have a similar performance against the Falclowns and potentially end his Saints career on a true high. In addition, this performance led to Taysom Hill being the only player in the NFL Super Bowl era to have 1000 yards passing, rushing, and receiving. This leads me to truly believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame as the greatest utility tool the league has ever seen, and I’m curious to see if he ever gets the chance at a gold jacket.

Brandon Staley’s Defense

I’m going to start this section by giving a huge shoutout to Cam Jordan. With his two sacks, he now has eight and a half sacks on the season and earned himself an extra $800,000 in incentives in this game. He has truly reemerged as a solid rotational piece for the pass rush, which leads me to hope he’s back for one more season as a Saint to compete for the divisional title next year. Another guy who has surprised me this season is Nathan Shepherd, who had a sack and forced fumble in this one. Although his box score numbers don’t look that great, defensive tackles’ (except for the all-pro level ones) performances are never really evaluated by those. He has played extremely well in the run game this season and has also provided a solid amount of pressure from the middle of the pocket. To no surprise, Chase Young had another great game and clutch sack, adding to his stellar season after an injury during training camp. If the Saints can hit in the draft on an EDGE or DT, this defensive line could be a spark for success next season.

In addition to the defensive line, the secondary is playing at a much higher level than expected. Although they did play a Brady Cook-led offense in this game, it was great to see the young defensive backs deliver multiple strong performances as the season continues. Jonas Sanker had a great interception and pass breakup, Quincy Riley seemed to shut down receivers in his coverage, Kool-Aid McKinstry had a few good tackles, and Justin Reid really stepped up as a veteran presence. The secondary held the Jets to three yards per pass, exactly what you want to see against a poor offense that has been struggling to find anything successful.

Demario Davis is still playing like an all-pro at the ripe age of 36. He has been shooting through gaps and blowing up running backs all season long, and he’s about to turn 37. If he can continue this level of play through the end of the season, I see no reason why the Saints should not confidently bring him back as a key piece of the defense next season. He is one of four linebackers in the NFL playing at his age, yet he is playing like some of the best linebackers in the league that are five or more years younger. He is simply nothing short of incredible.

The Offense

Tyler Shough led this offense to seven scoring drives, even though the team is missing numerous starters to injury. The two names everyone knew needed to step up with Devaughn Vele down, Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson, rose to the occasion with massive performances. Chris Olave had 10 catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns, which is one of the best performances he’s had in his young career. In addition to these stats, he almost brought down another touchdown, although the defender was able to rip it away last second as they went to the ground. Juwan Johnson was also a huge contributor, finishing the day with eight catches for 89 yards. Shough and Johnson have formed a very solid connection, one that, if they can continue to build on, will be really fun to watch in the future. A lot of people, including myself, were skeptical about whether the extension was worth it after the rough start to the season by Johnson, but he has definitely ended those discussions. At this point, I’m beginning to wonder if the Saints got a deal with the contract. Tyler Shough eclipsed the 300 passing yard mark and almost reached 50 passing attempts, yet was able to keep the ball out of harm’s way throughout the game. If Tyler Shough finishes the season playing at this level, he will 100% be in contention for offensive rookie of the year.

Offensive MVP: Chris Olave

Defensive MVP: The Pass Rush

Special Teams MVP: CHARLIE “THE IRISH HAMMER” SMYTH

New Orleans Saints vs New York Jets 2025 Week 16 Preview

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 02:02:15 GMT

The Saints have had a great past two weeks, but can they do it again and extend the win streak to three?

Saints vs Jets Recent History

Unlike the Saints' recent familiar NFC South opponents, New Orleans and the New York Jets do not have an extensive history. In 14 games, the Saints have won 8 and lost 6, but over the past five games, New Orleans has won 4, and in each game the Saints have scored at least 20 points. The last meeting between these two was in 2021, and the QB for New Orleans was Taysom Hill, who led the Saints to a 30-9 win over the Zach Wilson-led Jets.

The 2025 Season

Neither of these teams has had the season they wanted. After hiring Aaron Glenn as HC to lead the rebuild, the Jets have had a disappointing season, with disappointments across the roster. They have also moved on from two of their best defensive players, choosing to invest in the future rather than the present. There have been some nice wins for New York, but their focus is entirely on the draft and whether they will trade up for QB Fernando Mendoza. For the Saints, this is a game they should win, but New Orleans has only one more win than New York, so no reason to take them lightly.

Injury Report

RB Alvin Kamara - OUT

OT Asim Richards - OUT

OG Cesar Ruiz - OUT

DT Nathan Shepherd - Questionable

WR Mason Tipton - Questionable

TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden - Questionable

Final Thoughts

With how Tyler Shough is playing, Kellen Moore is improving, and the defense is always keeping the team in games, New Orleans has a real opportunity to extend the win streak to 3.

Rockets @ Pelicans Takeaways

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 04:29:29 GMT

Team Stats
(Rockets @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 128-133 (OT)
Rebounds: 58-41
Assists: 30-27
Blocks: 8-7

Steals: 6-15

Turnovers: 18-12

Stat Leaders
(Rockets/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Kevin Durant, 32; Saddiq Bey, 29
Rebound Leaders: Jabari Smith, 12; Derik Queen, 12

Assist Leaders: Alperen Şengün, 8; Jose Alvarado, 6

My Player of the Game: Saddiq Bey

Takeaways

Ahhhh oh my gosh there is so much to talk about from this game!
The Pelicans were down 25 points in the third quarter and rallied back to force overtime and end up winning.
James Borrego pulled off a masterclass in the second half of this game because in the first half, the team looked lost.
Herb Jones was terrible offensively in the first half and absolutely amazing defensively in the second half.
Saddiq Bey was incredible tonight on the offensive front; he didn't shy away from hitting the big shots.
Zion Williamson did not play the fourth quarter or overtime.
The Pels are on a three-game win streak.

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Pelicans @ Bulls Takeaways

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 02:51:16 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Bulls)

Final Score: 114-104
Rebounds: 53-43
Assists: 21-26
Blocks: 5-5

Steals: 7-10

Turnovers: 14-13

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans/Bulls)

Scoring Leaders: Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy III, 20; Coby White, 20
Rebound Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 10; Nikola Vučević, 8

Assist Leaders: Derik Queen, 6; Josh Giddey, Coby White, Tre Jones, 5

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Takeaways

The Pelicans have won two games in a row! James Borrego has figured something special out with this team, and it's so fun to watch .
For the first time in five years, Zion played his first minutes coming off the bench, and it was so good to see Z back on the court weeks ahead of schedule.
New Orleans started off the third quarter on a 10-0 run and ended up winning by 10 points.
This team is so talented with everyone playing an important role in games.
The Saints won today so to have them win as well as the Pelicans was really good for the city.
The Pelicans play their next two games at home on Thursday and Saturday.

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New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers 2025 Week 15 Recap

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 02:25:46 GMT

Tyler Shough is the future in New Orleans, Charlie Smyth is the Irish Hammer, and hope for this team’s future is at the highest it’s been in years.

New Orleans Saints 20 - 17 Carolina Panthers

Let me start by saying this is officially the happiest I have been as a Saints fan since the hot start the Saints had in 2021 with Jameis Winston. I felt great when the team started hot last season, but I also recognized what Derek Carr was for the organization: a placeholder. I don’t mean that as a slight to Derek Carr by any means, but the team needed to find a young and promising quarterback for the team to actually reset for the future. Well… that time has come with Tyler Shough beating the two top teams in the division in back-to-back weeks. Have the games been perfect? No, but I didn’t expect them to be with a rookie quarterback and a roster depleted of talent. That being said, as someone who doesn’t live in New Orleans, I have to imagine that the city is riding on a high tonight, and hopefully that continues into the offseason. With all of that being said, let’s break down the awesome performance by Tyler Shough and Co.

Tyler Shough

Shough has continued to improve every single week as a starter, and he seems to consistently take over in clutch moments. Against the Dolphins, he gave Olave a chance to win the game for the team, but it was dropped. Against the Bucs last week, he took over with his legs to take the lead in the fourth. This week, he once again showed up against the Panthers and delivered as perfect a pass as you will see in the NFL to Chris Olave against all-out pressure with Jaycee Horn in coverage. You cannot ask for more from this young rookie, and I will continue to be baffled if I don’t see all of the NFL pundits on ESPN and the other sports networks putting the word out there that Tyler Shough may be the guy for the Saints. Shough finished the night 24/32 for 272 yards and a touchdown, in addition to being the leading rusher of the day with 32 yards. Not only did he elevate this Saints offense, but he also did so even after Cesar Ruiz, Devin Neal, and Devaughn Vele went down. As much as I love Rattler, I can’t say that I believe he would have been able to overcome a similar situation. The Saints have their quarterback of the future, and now the question is, do they give him weapons or try to go and get pieces to make the defense more disruptive? In my mind, they should go and get Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, or Jeremiyah Love and do whatever it takes to see what Shough has in him in 2026.

The Defense

After allowing another opening drive touchdown in this game, the Saints’ defense has allowed the opposing team's offense into the endzone in five of their last six matchups. That being said, the defense has played well enough in these games to allow their offense chances to make plays to win games. I love what I am seeing for Chase Young, as he has exceeded all of my expectations since coming back from injury. He now has six sacks in the nine games he’s been healthy, and I can all but guarantee he’d have more if the opposing offenses had anyone else they had to worry about on the Saints’ defensive line. If the Saints do go defense to start the draft, Arvell Reese will be the obvious first choice, but I’m not sure they’ll be in the range to pick him. So instead I could see them going with Caleb Downs if they choose to go that side of the ball with their first, or instead wait to go defensive line with their second. I believe the Saints can wait to take a corner in this one, with Quincy Riley and Kool-Aid both showing they are at least average cornerbacks in the NFL. Yes, Quincy Riley did allow a touchdown in this one, but it was mainly because he tried to look for the football instead of simply playing the receiver after being beaten. This will quickly be coached up and is a common mistake you see made by cornerbacks across the league. In my eyes, the key to truly making this defense take another leap would be to fix the interior defensive line. Although they can somehow stop teams repeatedly in goal-to-go situations, opposing teams have found dominant success with inside run schemes. Once the team can fix that in the offseason or in the draft, this defense may find itself in the top half of the league for the foreseeable future.

Kellen Moore

If this game ended at halftime, I would once again be on here with numerous negative things to say about Kellen Moore. He made a bad challenge on the Panthers' first drive, he wasn’t aggressive to end the half, the offense started slow once again, and the penalties began to pop up, similar to earlier in the season. That being said, the game didn’t end at halftime, and Kellen Moore helped lead this team back in a divisional game, building more and more confidence for this team and what they’re building. Moore finally won his first challenge of the season, and his playcalling on the final two drives was textbook. He knew exactly how to take advantage of the clock and the Panthers’ “soft” defense, and was a major reason the Saints were able to win this game. If Kellen Moore can continue to build hope and make it look like he knows what he’s doing while navigating this roster in the middle of a rebuild, he’ll keep me in his corner. Let’s see what he does to start next week’s game against a Jets team that just let Trevor Lawrence look like he was back playing at Clemson

The Irish Hammer

I don't have too much to say, but a huge shout-out to Charlie Smyth for going two-for-two on the day with two 40+ yard field goals and a 47-yard game-winner to take down the divisional rival. Charlie Smyth is still developing, but it appears the Saints have found their kicker, and I'm excited to see when he gets the chance to break the new 67-yard field goal record. Cheers to the Irish Hammer.

Offensive MVP: Tyler Shough

Defensive MVP: Chase Young

Special Teams MVP: CHARLIE “THE IRISH HAMMER” SMYTH

Trail Blazers @ Pelicans Takeaways

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 01:44:52 GMT

Team Stats

(Trail Blazers at Pelicans)

Final Score: 120-143

Rebounds: 419-57

Assists: 27-36

Blocks: 7-8

Steals: 5-10

Turnovers: 15-8

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Shaedon Sharpe, 21; Trey Murphy III, 24

Rebound Leaders: Kris Murray, 9; Yves Missi, Saddiq Bey, 8

Assist Leaders: Deni Avdija, 6; Derik Queen, 7

My Player of the Game: Derik Queen

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The Pelicans have won their fourth game of the season. Yay !

* Jordan Poole was back tonight and he made a world of difference. His three-point shooting, confidence, and leadership were a ton of help.

* Derik Queen is a problem for all other 29 teams in this league. This kid has a vision that hasn't been seen in any recent rookies, especially for a center.

* Bryce McGowens was the second-leading scorer in this game with 23 points. He's stepped up in a big way.

* In surprising news, Zion Williamson is questionable for Sunday's game at the Chicago Bulls. This is the first time in what seems like years that Zion's health is actually improving much sooner than projected. Whether this is a sign of Zion pushing himself or James Borrego pushing him, it's nice to see.

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New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers 2025 Week 15 Preview

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 21:18:21 GMT

Can the Saints win again?

Saints vs Panthers Recent History

With the Saints and Panthers playing just five weeks ago, not much has changed between these two franchises, aside from New Orleans' lead extending to 4 wins. So, let's look at the recent history instead, specifically the past two years. Back in 2023, the Panthers finished with 2 wins, but have steadily improved since. In 2024, they had 5 total wins; now, in 2025, they are entering week 15 with 7. For the Saints, it has been the opposite. In 2023, New Orleans ended with 9 wins and nearly made the playoffs, but in 2024, as many of us know, they finished the season with only 5 wins. Currently, the Saints are at 3 wins on the season, but there is still a chance they can exceed their 2024 win total.

The 2025 Season

Since the Saints' big win over the Panthers in week 10, a bit has changed for both sides. Starting with Carolina, the gap between them and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the top of the division has completely disappeared, and now, the Panthers are at the top. Now, depending on what happens on Sunday, the Panthers may lose this spot and drop back to second, but the fact that they are even in this race is surprising. For the Saints, QB Tyler Shough is having impressive performances each week, despite some of the games ending in losses. This is exactly what New Orleans needed to see from their rookie QB, especially with their draft pick being as high as it is in 2026.

Injury Report

RB Alvin Kamara - OUT

OT Asim Richards - OUT

S Justin Reid - Questionable

Final Thoughts

The Saints have a chance not just to create their first win streak of the season, but also to hurt their division rival's playoff hopes. It will be a competitive game, but once again, it could come down to what happens on offense for the Saints.

'Means Everything to Me': Tyree Skipper's Emotional Return for UL's Bowl Game after Suspension

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:36:44 GMT

Amidst preparation for their eighth consecutive bowl game, the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team earlier this week received special news that came rather unexpectedly: redshirt senior safety Tyree Skipper would be reinstated by the Sun Belt Conference for the 68 Ventures Bowl. And in today's media availability, head coach Michael Desormeaux and defensive coordinator Jim Salgado expressed their gratitude and emotions about being able to have him for one last game.

"I'm incredibly grateful for [Sun Belt] Commissioner [Keith] Gill for reconsidering his suspension," Coach Des said. He later mentioned that ever since the suspension and prior to the reinstatement, Skipper had not missed a single team function or been late for anything, focusing on schoolwork and practicing with the team all while knowing he would not be able to play in any of the final three games. He was even voted scout team player of the week last week and has almost unanimously been voted the team captain by the team. "Skip has taken full responsibility. He's been a model teammate leader...He's done everything the way that you want a guy to do."

Defensive coordinator Jim Salgado also expressed his gratitude about Tyree Skipper, emphasizing how special it is to be able to have one last game together. "I FaceTimed [Skipper], and...he said, we're going to be able to do this one more time together. And, you know, that's special. I'm just glad he gets a chance to do that...He's done a lot for this place, so it's big."

A few weeks ago, following UL's 42-39 victory over Texas State, a post-game altercation between the two teams led to suspensions on both sides by the Sun Belt Conference. Six Texas State players were suspended, while Louisiana had seven players given suspensions. 11 of the 13 players were to serve one-game suspensions, and TXST's Tymere Jackson, who supposedly started the entire altercation, was suspended for two games. But one player received the biggest of all the suspensions, and that was star safety Tyree Skipper, who was given a suspension for the remainder of the season including any potential bowl game. This conclusion was made after it was determined that Skipper swung a helmet at another player during the brawl. With this year being Skipper's redshirt senior year, that basically meant his collegiate career was over.

Following the suspensions announcement, Skipper wrote a heartfelt and well-written apology on X, which included, "I understand that as a leader, I have to hold myself to a higher standard. That moment doesn't define who I am or the values I stand for." That public apology was eventually received by Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill, which prompted his reconsideration on Skipper's suspension going into the bowl game. According to the Sun Belt Conference, the reinstatement decision was made with support of both UL and TXST administrations.

Tyree Skipper himself was at media availability today as well and emphasized how much it meant to him that he would be able to finish his collegiate career off on a positive note. "It was the greatest news I got all year...Finishing one more with the guys, man that means everything to me. This is the game you'll remember for the rest of your life, the last game of your collegiate career...I even shedded some tears."

Skipper, a redshirt senior, has been on the team all six years of his collegiate career. Earning All-Sun Belt Conference 2nd team honors last year and Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference 1st team this year, the New Orleans has been the leader of this secondary all season. Leading the safeties room in tackles, Skipper has recorded a sack and an interception this season prior to his suspension. With him returning for one final game, he looks to mimic those stats against Delaware and even more, as the Cajuns set to face the Blue Hens in the 68 Ventures Bowl game on Wednesday at 7:30pm in Mobile, Alabama.

This article written by Abdul Abusada of Cajuns Insider and Cajun Sports Talk. Don't forget to tune into Cajuns Insider podcast shows on all The Kneaux socials every week during the football season! Our next episode is this upcoming Monday at 6pm. Also don't forget to tune into The Cajun Sports Talk Podcast Show on @CajunSportsTalk on YouTube every Tuesday evening!

Louisiana Football Taking a Trip to Play TCU in 2028

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:50:35 GMT

Louisiana Athletics have been working the phone lines today as they have set their second future non-conference matchup of the day.

Just hours after the announcement that the Cajuns would be making a trip to USC in 2026, it has been revealed that Louisiana will make a trip to Fort Worth, Texas in 2028 to play the Horned Frogs of TCU out of the Big 12 Conference. The game will be played in week 3 of the 2028 season on September 16th at Amon G. Carter Stadium, and will be the second all-time matchup between the two schools in football.

Louisiana and TCU last met in the 2024 Isleta New Mexico Bowl, where the Horned Frogs earned a 34-3 win. The Cajuns, who were depleted due to a large number of players opting out and entering the transfer portal, were limited to just two red-zone opportunities, taking advantage in one of them with a short 24-yard field goal that gave them their only points. TCU's QB Josh Hoover threw for 4 touchdowns and 252 yards.

TCU finished their 2025 regular season with an 8-4 record, and are now shifting focus on playing #16 USC in the Alamo Bowl at the end of the month. Louisiana on the other hand finished 6-6 after a four-game win stretch to earn bowl eligibility, and look to end 2025 with a winning record as they set to face 6-6 Delaware in the 68 Ventures Bowl.

This article written by Abdul Abusada of Cajuns Insider and Cajun Sports Talk. Don't forget to tune into Cajuns Insider podcast shows on all The Kneaux socials every week during the football season! Also don't forget to tune into The Cajun Sports Talk Podcast Show on @CajunSportsTalk on YouTube every Tuesday evening!

Louisiana Football to Play USC Trojans in 2026

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:47:23 GMT

The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team are scheduled to meet with the USC Trojans in Los Angeles, California on Saturday, September 12, 2026, Cajuns Insider learned. USC will host the Cajuns at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with UL getting a $1.3 million guarantee for playing the game, according to Kevin Kelley of FBSchedules.com.

This will be the first ever football matchup between the two schools. USC, a Big Ten school, has a record of 2-0 against Sun Belt teams, while Louisiana has an 0-6 record against Big Ten opponents. UL will have a chance to earn their first win against a Big Ten opponent when they make the cross-country trip to Los Angeles.

USC finished the regular season with a 9-3 record and ranked 16th in the CFP Top 25, which included wins against #15 Michigan and #21 Iowa. They finished the season top 10 in total offense, averaging 472 yards and 36.5 points per game. R-Jr QB Jayden Maiava and R-Fr RB King Miller have been on the throne for this high-powered offense, both with the potential of returning to USC next season for another run at the playoffs. The Trojans are currently set to face the TCU Horned Frogs in the Alamo Bowl.

With this addition, Louisiana's non-conference schedule, as of now, appears to be set for 2026. The Cajuns will play all four non-conference opponents in the first four weeks of their season, kicking off against an FCS opponent, the Lamar Cardinals, in Lafayette on September 5th. They will then head to Los Angeles to face USC the next week, then will be back home to face the UAB Blazers of the American Conference on September 19th. Following that game, the Cajuns are currently scheduled to play in Ruston against a familiar foe in Louisiana Tech on September 26th.

However, the Bulldogs are set to join the Sun Belt Conference, which could happen either prior to the start of 2026 or 2027. If they do join in 2026, that game against Louisiana Tech would be taken off of the Cajuns' schedule, re-opening UL's search for another non-conference game.

This article written by Abdul Abusada of Cajuns Insider and Cajun Sports Talk. Don't forget to tune into Cajuns Insider podcast shows on all The Kneaux socials every week during the football season! Also don't forget to tune into The Cajun Sports Talk Podcast Show on @CajunSportsTalk on YouTube every Tuesday evening!

Spurs at Pelicans Takeaways

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:53:04 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Mavericks)

Final Score: 119-126

Rebounds: 40-43

Assists: 27-31

Blocks: 2-6

Steals: 7-6

Turnovers: 11-12

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 41; De’Aaron Fox, 24

Rebound Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 9; Victor Wembanyama, 18

Assist Leaders: Derik Queen, 8; Stephon Castle, 14

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* Trey Murphy III scored 41 points on 15-for-22 shooting for the Pelicans. He was 5 for 11 on 3-pointers, including a high-arcing 31-footer at the close of the third quarter to stun the sellout crowd.

* The Pelicans are 2-7 with the loss while the Spurs are 7-2. The two teams have already played each other twice this season with San Antonio winning both games. The first one went into overtime and this second one was tied up in the third quarter.

* Jeremiah Fears Jeremiah Fears had 18 points and Herb Jones added 15 for the short-handed Pelicans, who were without Zion (strained left hamstring), Jordan Poole (strained left quad) and Yves Missi (illness).

* The Pelicans look to get back in the win column tonight on the road against the Phoenix Suns.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Week 14 Recap

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 23:09:00 GMT

The Saints may have finally found their franchise quarterback, and are surprisingly 2-1 against divisional opponents.

New Orleans Saints 24 - 20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Saints have taken down Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, providing a spark of hope for the future of this team, as well as for the Carolina Panthers. The team had great performances from many of the young players in this one, and Brandon Staley appears to have officially turned around a defense that looked hopeless last season. In a year where all hope seemed lost, Tyler Shough has provided life for the fanbase and has 100% earned his role as the 2026 starter for the team (barring any drastic decrease in play quality). Two games ago, I was praying the Saints landed as high of a draft pick as possible, and now I see myself not caring too much about it if Shough continues to play like this. If the Saints can rely on Shough to uplift a team void of talent at different positions, then they can quickly scratch off the QB position from the offseason needs list and turn their focus to other positions. With that being said, let’s dive into how the team did and where they need to focus this offseason.

Tyler Shough

Tyler Shough played an incredible game today, although it may not appear that way when glancing at the box score. Passing-wise, he finished 13/20 with 144 yards and an interception on a clear communication with Chris Olave, but shined in the run game with 55 yards on seven carries and two touchdowns. One came on a designed run play, with Shough shooting out of the hole alongside a great block by Devaughn Vele. The other came on a play where it looked like Shough would be taken down for a disastrous sack, from which he broke free and broke Kevin Harlan’s mind. He has showed multiple times this season that he can make plays in the clutch, and played an excellent second half to close this game out. He made multiple pro-level throws in big moments and displayed why some commentators have compared him to guys like Josh Allen and Ben Roethlisberger. If Tyler Shough continues to play the way he has, the Saints will have found their guy, and the worry about Shough’s age will disappear into thin air. I will say I’m surprised at the low level of hype he has gotten across social media and sports commentary, so I’m interested to see the discourse about him after this massive win.

The Young Guys

The Saints appear to have made all of the right picks in this past draft, with every drafted player performing well. This does not include Broughton, who was injured earlier on, and the seventh rounders, which are as good as blind shots in the dark anyway. Specifically in this game, Devin Neal played an excellent game, and all of the other guys have shown they definitely belong in the National Football League. Neal finished with 70 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, with a few really solid runs where he had to fight for extra yardage through contact. If he continues to play this way with Alvin Kamara out, he will likely be the Saints' RB2 for the foreseeable future, and possibly work his way into the RB1 role if he continues to develop. If the Saints were to go the Jeremiyah Love route in the draft, he and Love would be an amazing duo to watch every week.

The Saints' young guys in the secondary also played well today, with Kool-Aid McKinstry leading the team in tackles and having a clutch PBU late in the game, and Alontae Taylor having a big-time interception to start the third quarter. I also really liked what I saw from Jonas Sanker and Jordan Howden in this one, which is a positive without Justin Reid being able to play. Another young player that wasn’t drafted this offseason but is new to the team, Devaugn Vele, had two huge catches for third-down conversions on the last offensive possession. Although Vele is not young in the traditional age sense, he is on a rookie contract. If he can be the bigger body receiver that the Saints depend on to get first downs, the trade they made with the Broncos will pay off massively.

Brandon Staley’s Defense

The Saints' defense ranked 19th and 30th last season in points and yards allowed, respectively. Brandon Staley has the defense turned around in the points allowed per game department, where they currently rank 12th in the league. Although the Saints' defense currently ranks 22nd in points allowed per game, it’s hard to put that fully on Staley, as the offense has struggled to stay on the field and constantly has put this defense in poor positions this season. This is not at all to say the defense is perfect or that it doesn’t have holes, but it is nice to see the defense slowly starting to find its identity, even without a lot of high-level talent. This is a team that can acquire a high-level impact player like Arvell Reese or Caleb Downs in the draft and see their defense truly take a leap with the current coordinator at the helm. I will say, I can’t end this section without noting that Demario Davis has continued to play out of his mind for yet another season, and that I would happily watch another couple of years with him in the black and gold on if the team decides to bring him back.

Kellen Moore

I absolutely dragged Kellen Moore the last couple of weeks, and well, if the Saints didn’t win this one, you’d be seeing a common occurrence with another dragging of the Saints' head coach. That being said, the Saints DID win this one, so I will go a little easier on Kellen Moore than I expected to just a few hours ago at halftime. Kellen Moore has made mental mistakes time and time again this season. His playcalling when needing a yard on offense is that of a five-year-old mashing buttons on Madden… random. The most recent instance came in this one on fourth and one when he called an outside toss to Devin Neal, which proceeded to get stuffed for a loss of two. On plays where a Taysom Hill touch possibly makes sense, he refuses to call one, and will then call a Taysom Hill RPO on first and 10, or leave Taysom Hill in to drop two passes. In addition to playcalling woes, Kellen Moore’s decisions of when or when not to challenge plays have been worse than bad. On a third and one in the middle of the third quarter, Audric Estime went up the middle and seemed to gain a yard past the first down marker, yet the ball was marked a yard short. Instead of challenging this seemingly clear first down that was terribly spotted, he simply went for it, and an illegal man downfield penalty led to the Saints taking the field goal. This is by far not the worst mistake he’s made as a head coach, but as a 2-10 team with nothing to lose, it makes sense to throw the red flag and try to avoid the four-point swing that occurred. Tyler Shough is the future for the Saints at the quarterback position. By the end of the season, I would really like to see Kellen Moore give me reasons to believe he is the future at the head coach position as well.

Offensive MVP: Tyler “Turn That Nine Upside Down It’s a Six” Shough

Defensive MVP: Whole defense

Special Teams MVP: Mason Tipton

Copy of Timberwolves @ Pelicans Takeaways (Dec. 4)

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 00:18:27 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Nets)

Final Score: 101-119

Rebounds: 36-45

Assists: 29-36

Blocks: 3-7

Steals: 9-6

Turnovers: 15-16

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 23; Michael Porter Jr., 35

Rebound Leaders: Derik Queen, 9; Nic Claxton

Assist Leaders: Jose Alvarado, 6; Nic Claxton

My Player of the Game: Jose Alvarado

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* This was the worst game the Pelicans have played all season. The team started out flat and never picked up the pace or the defense. Offense struggled, too .

* No one looked ready to play -- it was like a different team was playing than we saw in the last two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

* The Nets led by 11 at the end of the first quarter and led by as much as 28.

* The Pelicans next game is on Monday at home at 7 pm against the Spurs.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Week 14 Preview

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 21:22:56 GMT

Can the Saints bounce back after losing two games in a row?

Saints vs. Buccaneers History

Unlike the past two games, the Saints actually have a massive lead over the Buccaneers in their historical record. In 68 total matchups between the franchises, New Orleans has won 40 times, while Tampa Bay has won only 28. In more recent years, this overall record has not been representative of the results. Looking at the past 10 games, the Buccaneers have beaten the Saints 7 times, and Sunday may be more of the same.

The 2025 Season

From the Saints' side, this season so far has met expectations, but for the Buccaneers, it has been worse than predicted. The injury luck of this team has been horrible, but the departure of former OC Liam Coen (new HC of the Jaguars) has really hurt this offense. QB Baker Mayfield has also really struggled recently, which could be due to the injuries. The top of the NFC South is very close due to Tampa Bay's struggles, and if they lose this game, it could be disastrous for them. The Saints' defense can take advantage of this, but with how New Orleans' offense is playing, this will be a challenging game.

Injury Report

RB Alvin Kamara - OUT

OT Taliese Fuaga - OUT

S Justin Reid - OUT

Final Thoughts

The odds of New Orleans winning this game are extremely low, but they still have an opportunity here. If the Saints can win the turnover battle, the offense will have better chances to score, which is what this team needs. Still, given how good the Buccaneers' defense is at forcing turnovers, this is going to be a long shot, and Tampa Bay's defense will be difficult for the Saints to deal with.

Timberwolves @ Pelicans Takeaways (Dec. 4)

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:45:27 GMT

Team Stats

(Timberwolves at Pelicans)

Final Score: 125-116

Rebounds: 49-43

Assists: 30-29

Blocks: 10-3

Steals: 5-11

Turnovers: 19-12

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Julius Randle, 28; Trey Murphy III, 21

Rebound Leaders: Rudy Gobert, 12; Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Fears, 7

Assist Leaders: Naz Redi, 6; Trey Murphy III, 8

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* This time it wasn't the third quarter that spoiled the game for the Pelicans -- it was the fourth quarter. The Pelicans were up 90-88 going into the fourth quarter.

* New Orleans did a much better job of containing Anthony Edwards as he only had 11 points compared to 44 points in Tuesday's game.

* The Pelicans are one lethal three-point shooter away from turning these losses into wins because the team is playing with so much pace and competing much better under James Borrego.

* With that being said, the Pelicans are 3-20 on the year. But Trey Murphy is playing like an all-star, and rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen are a sight for sore eyes .

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Timberwolves @ Pelicans Takeaways

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 03:59:02 GMT

Team Stats

(Timberwolves at Pelicans)

Final Score: 149-142 (OT)

Rebounds: 41-42

Assists: 29-26

Blocks: 4-1

Steals: 7-5

Turnovers: 9-12

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Anthony Edwards, 44; Trey Murphy III, 33

Rebound Leaders: Rudy Gobert, 13; Trey Murphy III, 15

Assist Leaders: Julius Randle, 6; Derik Queen, 6

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* This Pelicans team tonight was good. They seemed like a weight was off their shoulders and they just played ball.

* This overtime loss is due to the Pelicans not knowing how to close games and a lot of that is because this team doesn't have chemistry yet because they have had 8,000 different lineups this year due to injuries.

* Trey Murphy continues to play fantastic basketball. So impressed with his growth.

* If you haven't seen online yet, Zion Williamson somehow hurt his hip and will be evaluated in three weeks so we're back to Groundhog Day with him.

* The Pelicans play the Timberwolves again at home on Thursday, Dec. 4.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Pelicans @ Lakers Takeaways

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 18:42:08 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Lakers)

Final Score: 121-133

Rebounds: 40-46

Assists: 23-26

Blocks: 1-10

Steals: 6-4

Turnovers: 8-8

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Bryce McGowens, 23; Luka Dončić, 34

Rebound Leaders: Saddiq Bey, 11; Luka Dončić, Deandre Ayton, 12

Assist Leaders: Bryce McGowens, 5; Austin Reeves, 8

My Player of the Game: Bryce McGowens

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The best player for the Pelicans against the Lakers was Bryce McGowens. The Pelicans have lost 11 of their last 12.

* The Lakers dominated the first half, leading 46-27 after one quarter and 77-57 at the half.

* The Pelicans were without five of their top players -- Dejoute Murray, Jordan Poole, Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy. Frustrating to see all that talent not able to play together.

* The Pelicans found their offense in the third quarter, shooting 62.5% from the floor in the period and pulling to 100-89. That was as close as they got to tying things up.

* New Orleans will play again on Tuesday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins 2025 Week 13 Recap

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:42:11 GMT

The Saints lose excitingly, and it might just be the best result possible for the team’s future.

The Saints lose in Miami after a crazy final few minutes. Tyler Shough drove down the field and threw what could’ve been the potential game-tying touchdown, but then threw a “pick-two” on the two-point conversion. Naturally, the Saints converted an onside kick once again in Miami, recovered by the one and only Devaugn Vele. Unfortunately, the Saints were unable to drive down the field and ultimately lost a close game. However, there were some positives to this one: with Tyler Shough looking solid and making a potential game-winning throw to Olave that was dropped, Devaugn Vele having his breakout game, Charlie Smyth nailing a 56-yard field goal as his first official NFL field goal attempt, and young players on the defense making big plays. Let’s break all of that down, as well as another inept performance by Kellen Moore as the head coach.

Tyler Shough

Tyler Shough started extremely slow in this one, with two turnovers in the first half and no points, but turned it around massively to close it out, finishing 26/38 for 239 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick. He led a solid touchdown drive to start the second half, which ended with a Chris Olave touchdown on a scramble drill. He made multiple plays happen on the move and was able to navigate what felt like constant pressure relatively well. To end the game, Tyler Shough led the potential game-tying touchdown drive and also threw a perfect ball that would have given the Saints the lead, which went directly through Chris Olave’s hands. It was by no means a perfect game by Shough, as both picks (one doesn’t count statistically since it was on a two-point conversion attempt) were extremely poor throws. In addition to this, Shough did take four sacks, with a couple of them feeling like he should have been able to navigate the pocket better or potentially throw the ball away. Shough clearly has the potential to develop into the Saints' franchise quarterback, but the team desperately needs to build a more explosive weapon group around him.

Devaugn Vele

Through the 12 weeks of the NFL season before this one, many Saints fans (myself included) were questioning why the Saints traded for Devaugn Vele if they weren’t going to use him. He had nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown before this game, and he nearly matched his season total with eight catches against the Dolphins. It seems as though Kellen Moore finally realized that Vele has very strong hands, and his size makes him the perfect weapon to use for in-breaking routes such as slants and digs. He made multiple tough catches in this one, some through contact and some where he had to drag his feet/legs to make the play. This is exactly what all of us Saints fans have wanted to see to justify the Saints having one less draft pick in the upcoming draft. If Vele continues to perform this well, the Saints may just have a true weapon on their hands… And if the Saints somehow go and add Carnell Tate, Chris Bell, or Elijah Sarratt to this wide receiver room with Vele and Olave, watch out.

Charlie Smyth

Charlie Smyth, the Saints' new starting kicker from Ireland, attempted and made his first-ever NFL field goal today, which he nailed from 56 yards away. It appeared in this one for a while that he may never even get in range to attempt one, but when the Saints called on him to make a play in a very high-stakes moment, he did his job. That was something that Blake Grupe failed to do this season for the Saints multiple times, and the fact that Kellen Moore was confident enough to trust Smyth from that distance in that scenario makes me extremely happy and confident in Smyth’s future. Also, not only did Smyth make the kick, but it looked like it may have been good from 65 yards plus. Now, this is only his first kick, and things could turn bad after this week, but an international player who fought tooth and nail on his own to get to where he is, and that hard work paying off is special. I really hope that Smyth continues to succeed and that the Saints can rely on him for years to come, because that would be one less thing for the Saints to worry about this offseason.

Young Defensive Playmakers

Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley, and Danny Stutsman all flashed today for the Saints, making splashy plays that make me excited to see what they can do for this team in the future. Kool-Aid had an interception in the endzone and a huge TFL on a late fourth down, Quincy Riley had an interception that was wrongfully called incomplete in my eyes, and Danny Stutsman absolutely destroyed Devon Achane on a run in the first half. If all three of these guys are hits, and if Jonas Sanker continues to play at a solid level, it really would be a great boost for this team’s future. It would mean they could focus more on improving the offensive side of the ball, and potentially go snag a playmaker to add to the defensive line across from Chase Young, such as Arvell Reese. Quincy Riley has become the true CB1 for the Saints in my eyes, as I feel his coverage has been better, but Kool-Aid has made multiple big splash plays that, in the future, hopefully change games for this team.

Kellen Moore

I said it last week, and I’ll say it again this week: I’m done with Kellen Moore. If the Saints want to succeed in the future, they should fire Kellen Moore after this crapshow of a season is over. Moore called a horrific game in the first half, scheming up routes short of the sticks consistently, as well as giving touches to Evan Hull over Devin Neal. This is no slight to Evan Hull, as he did look alright when he was given the ball, but this is a team that needs to see what they have in Devin Neal for the future of this team. In the second half, Devin Neal was leaned on in the run game, and it paid off, so why couldn’t they do that in the first half? In addition, Kellen Moore seemed to be calling plays off of his “recently called plays” section of the playsheet, like I always do in Madden, as he painfully called spacing over and over again. He consistently shows no emotion on the field, does not ever seem to discipline players who make mistakes, and seems not to know how to call a cohesive game as a playcaller. Could this be due to the Saints’ lack of offensive talent? Definitely. However, I do not believe that routes being designed to be run short of the sticks is an offensive talent issue. His reluctance to go up-tempo when that is clearly what is working best in a game as well is frustrating, and I pray he improves as this season finishes up. If Kellen Moore continues to have a stagnant offense, especially if he loses games to the Jets and/or Titans, his seat better heat up, and tough conversations must be had.

Offensive MVP: Devaughn Vele

Defensive MVP: Whole defense (minus Alontae Taylor, who single-handedly allowed the first touchdown)

Special Teams MVP: CHARLIE “THE IRISH HAMMER” SMYTH

New Orleans Saints vs Miami Dolphins 2025 Week 13 Preview

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 16:44:43 GMT

After a disappointing loss last week, the Saints have a much more difficult opponent in Week 13.

Saints vs Dolphins History

After two NFC South matchups in a row, the Saints face a team with less experience. New Orleans and the Miami Dolphins have met only 13 times, and the Dolphins currently lead the series 7-6. In the past 5 matchups, the Saints have won 3-2, and had a three-game winning streak from 2009-2017. An interesting fact about this matchup is that the last time the Saints played in Miami was in the Super Bowl-winning game.

The 2025 Season

As I mentioned, the Saints are coming off an embarrassing loss to the division rival Falcons, and New Orleans needs to make improvements against the Dolphins to show some improvement. One of the most significant issues with the team is the regression and inability to improve under HC Kellen Moore. Last game, the Saints could have won, but the playcalling and unwillingness to go for it on 4th down killed any chance. Against the Dolphins, it will be a tougher matchup, but there is still a chance to win.

Injury Report

RB Alvin Kamara - OUT

Final Thoughts

Again, this is another winnable game for the Saints, and if they can get it done, it will be a big boost for future hope. The Dolphins have improved mightily this season. so it won't be easy.

Pelicans @ Warriors Takeaway

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 04:24:43 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Warriors)

Final Score: 96-104

Rebounds: 50-47

Assists: 16-28

Blocks: 2-3

Steals: 7-5

Turnovers: 13-9

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Zion Williamson, 25; Jimmy Butler, 24

Rebound Leaders: Yves Missi, 10; Gary Payton II, 11

Assist Leaders: Zion Williamson, Jose Alvarado, 4; Jimmy Butler, 10

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The most interesting part of this game were announcers Joel Myers and Antonio Daniels .

* The Pelicans are 3-17 on the season and play at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The Pels will be without at least Herb Jones (calf) and Zion Williamson (load management). Jordan Poole is almost ready to be back but it's not decided yet if he will be back for this game.

* If New Orleans would have made seven of their nine missed free throws, they would have tied with the Warriors at the end of regulation.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Grizzlies @ Pelicans Takeaways

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 04:39:12 GMT

Team Stats

(Grizzlies at Pelicans)

Final Score: 133-128 (OT))

Rebounds: 49-40

Assists: 38-34

Blocks: 8-9

Steals: 9-10

Turnovers: 16-14

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Jaren Jackson, 27; Jose Alvarado, 24

Rebound Leaders: Zach Edey, 15; Saddiq Bey, 10

Assist Leaders: Vince Williams Jr., 17; Derik Queen, 9

My Player of the Game: Jose Alvarado

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The Pelicans played with so much energy and passion that losing this game in overtime hurt because the team played hard and deserved it.

* New Orleans closed the first quarter on a 30-7 run to take a 39-25 lead entering the second quarter. The Pelicans led 68-53 at halftime.

* Zion hit the game-tying basket to force the game into overtime, but then the Grizzles.

* Stagnant offense was a problem for the Pelicans who scored only nine points in the final six minutes of regulation and just six in overtime.

* The Pelicans are 3-16 on the season.

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Bulls @ Pelicans Takeaways

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 03:36:13 GMT

Team Stats

(Bulls at Pelicans)

Final Score: 130-143

Rebounds: 33-55

Assists: 29-28

Blocks: 3-5

Steals: 3-13

Turnovers: 17-10

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Ayo Dosunmu, 28; Zion Williamson, 29

Rebound Leaders: Josh Giddey, 7; Yves Missi, 13

Assist Leaders: Tre Jones, 11; Jose Alvarado, 8

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* This was the best first half of basketball that the Pelicans have played all season, and it seemed actually possible that the team would get their third win of the season.

* James Borrego did something interesting to start the second half -- he started Jose Alvarado and Yves Missi instead of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. It was great to see, not because Fears or Queen had done anything wrong, but because Jose and Missi had the hot hands. Play who is working for you.

* You know who is so important but no one talks about him? Saddiq Bey. He consistently puts up numbers and works hard. Tonight he had his second night of a double-double.

* Micah Peavy had a heck of a game. Zion was solid all night long. Jose was a huge factor. Trey shot the ball well. The Pelicans were without Jordan Poole, Karlo, and Jordan Hawkins and still looked like a very good team.

* The Pelicans played with pace tonight and it made a huge difference in everything. This is how the team should be playing every night.

* Tonight might have been the awakening we've been waiting for with this team.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons 2025 Week 12 Recap

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 02:03:40 GMT

I am officially ready for the Kellen Moore era to end in New Orleans.

New Orleans Saints 10 - 24 Atlanta Falcons

This game is up there for the most miserable performance to watch by the team this season. The worst part? The offense didn’t play particularly poorly, but Kellen Moore repeatedly made immeasurably bad decisions. Due to this, I won’t be diving into the performances of the offense or the defense, but the two people who are most responsible for this loss: Kellen Moore and Blake Grupe (which also happens to fall on Kellen Moore).

Kellen Moore (Dennis Allen, but “Offensive-Minded”)

When Kellen Moore officially became the Saints head coach, I honestly wasn’t happy or sad; I was relatively neutral. I say this because I believed Kellen Moore was an extremely vanilla head coach, but that he at least seemed competent as a playcaller. I also felt that any head coach who came here would struggle to succeed with the current state of the roster. Now, after I have watched Kellen Moore struggle and fail over and over again to make good decisions 11 games into the season, I am completely out on bringing him back again.

I now have 18 tweets since the season started questioning Kellen Moore, whether it be regarding his demeanor, game management, or playcalling. He has had multiple instances where he doesn’t make up his mind whether or not he wants to call time-outs or let the clock run to the end of the half, and he has also made terrible decisions when challenging calls on the field. One of those things showed up again today, with Kellen Moore failing to challenge an iffy spot after Dante Pettis was just short of a first down, essentially ending the game. To me, it is a no-brainer to challenge that spot, as if it’s overturned, you still have the ball, save your three timeouts, and are near midfield. In Kellen Moore’s mind, I guess he was thinking that the defense could get a stop, which they did, and they’d still have a shot at scoring 14 points, after scoring only three through three quarters.

Don’t even get me started on Kellen Moore’s playcalling… Moore struggles to call high-quality plays once the Saints cross into opposing teams’ territory. He has struggled with this all season, with the Saints currently at a 38.5% redzone conversion rate (touchdowns only). This lands them last in the league, over 5.5% below the Texans, and makes them the only team below the 40% mark. This also showed up again in this matchup, as the Saints went to the red zone three times and could not score one touchdown. Two of those trips, they got stopped at the one-yard line, both times coming up short with Taysom Hill, NOT their rookie QB Tyler Shough, who you might think would be important to give reps down there. There was a glimmer of hope for Devin Neal on one drive, who single-handedly led the team from their own 25 to the Falcons’ 45, but he didn’t touch the ball again afterwards. This drive ended with a Taysom Hill shotgun rollout pass, with only one possible option to pass to. That is malpractice.

Finally, Kellen Moore does not possess the mentality or character to be a head coach of an NFL team; he is simply an offensive-minded coach, akin to Dennis Allen. He simply stands on the sideline, always straight-faced, and doesn’t ever seem to try to light fire under his players’ asses. Anytime something goes wrong, the team loses, players make mistakes, etc. I feel like Kelen Moore could show much more passion on the sidelines than he does. Would this definitely change the Saints season or their future outlook right now? Possibly, and honestly probably not. However, it does in my eyes as someone who has played football through the D3 college level, matter in terms of winning over a locker room. Level-headed coaches can come off as not caring, or as someone who will be in over their head when the going gets tough, and I think we can see that possibly happening this season.

One final point, the Saints just went to Carolina, won, and had a whole bye week to prepare for this Falcons team. Within that bye week, Kellen Moore said the focus was to “self-scout”. The team clearly failed in that department, as they once again started slow and failed to score 20 offensive points. All-in-all, the Saints team looks like it has a dud at the head coach position, which dampens any hopes I had of the team turning it around any time soon.

Blake Grupe

Blake Grupe should not have even been on the Saints roster for this game, as he was 17/23 on field goal attempts before this game. However, Kellen Moore believed in him, going against all NFL standards, and thought he could turn it around. Then, in another close game, Grupe misses two huge field goals from very makeable distances, with one also directly leading to three Falcons points. If Blake Grupe is not off the team after this game, or is not at least benched for Charlie Smythe or outside competition, Kellen Moore will absolutely get blasted by beat reporters and Saints fans.

This game was one I was actually looking forward to after having to wait two full weeks since the game in Charlotte. I wasn’t just let down, but I was made to feel like I couldn’t have been more wrong about how I felt about the team after the Panthers game. Change is needed if the season continues this way, but I do at least feel like the team may have something in Tyler Shough. On to the Dolphins…

Offensive MVP: NONE.

Defensive MVP: NONE. (Shoutout to Demario Davis still balling though)

Special Teams MVP: NONE.

Hawks @ Pelicans Takeaways

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 22:03:10 GMT

Team Stats

(Hawks at Pelicans)

Final Score: 115-98

Rebounds: 42-48

Assists: 28-21

Blocks: 7-6

Steals: 6-5

Turnovers: 7-14

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Kristaps Porziņģis, 30; Derik Queen, 20

Rebound Leaders: Jalen Johnson, 11; Derik Queen, Trey Murphy III, 9

Assist Leaders: Jalen Johnson, 9; Saddiq Bey, 5

My Player of the Game: Derik Queen

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* Rookie Derik Queen continues to impress everyone with his play. He's smooth on the court, and watching him play with other rookies Jeremiah Fears and Micah Peavy make it look obvious that this is really the future of this franchise.

* Saddiq Bey finished the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists, which was also his first double double as a Pelican.

* The Pelicans have lost nine games in a row and a re 2-15 on the season. Somehow we are worse than last year.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

New Orleans Saints vs Atlanta Falcons 2025 Week 12 Preview

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 14:49:37 GMT

Once again, the Saints have a divisional matchup, and like before the bye week, it's a winnable game.

Saints vs Falcons History

If I called the Saints and Panthers' overall historical record close, this is another level. As of now, including on postseason games, the Saints and Falcons have a tied record of 56-56. The last win came from the Saints when interim HC Darren Rizzi took over and led New Orleans to a three-point victory. In the past 10 games, the Saints have won 7, and most have been close, single-score games. To say this rivalry is intense is an understatement; it is full of hate.

The 2025 Season

This season has not gone well for both teams, but at least for the Saints, everyone knew this team would not be winning now. For the Falcons, there were playoff expectations with the rebuilding of the defense, the weapons on offense, and confidence with second-year QB Michael Penix. Atlanta knew this and traded a future first in 2026 to fix the defensive line so they could compete for the division title. Instead, they have three wins on the season, Penix is out for the year with a knee injury and did not look great when he did play, and they do not have a first-round pick to fix some of their issue. At the beginning of the season, the Saints' chances of winning this game were very low, but not anymore.

Injury Report

OT Taliese Fuaga - Questionable

OT Barry Wesley - Questionable

Final Thoughts

For the second straight game, this is winnable for the Saints, but it really comes down to dealing with the Falcons' run game and their pass rush. If New Orleans can deal with that, this could be a good day for the Saints.

Pelicans @ Mavericks Takeaways

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 05:18:22 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Nuggets)

Final Score: 115-118

Rebounds: 42-47

Assists: 25-30

Blocks: 4-9

Steals: 15-9

Turnovers: 13-20

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 25; Cooper Flagg, 29

Rebound Leaders: Herbert Jones, 9; P.J. Washington, 9

Assist Leaders: Derik Queen, 11; Brandon Williams, 12

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* Incredibly frustrating finish to a great game played by the New Orleans Pelicans.

* The first quarter was probably the best quarter the Pelicans have played all season. The second quarter was played really well too. The third quarter, like usual, put the Pelicans in the hole and it was one they were not able to climb out of.

* Rookie Derik Queen played another phenomenal game. Trey Murphy III looks great too .

* The Pelicans ar4e 2-14 on the season. God help us all .

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Nuggets @ Pelicans Takeaway

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:50:08 GMT

Team Stats

(Nuggets at Pelicans)

Final Score: 125-118

Rebounds: 41-44

Assists: 35-25

Blocks: 1-5

Steals: 8-12

Turnovers: 20-12

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Peyton Watson, 32; Derik Queen, 30

Rebound Leaders: Peyton Watson, 12; Derik Queen, 9

Assist Leaders: Nikola Jokić, 10; Zion Williamson, 5

My Player of the Game: Derik Queen

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* Rookie Derik Queen went toe-to-toe against one of the best big men in the NBA and was incredible. Nikola Jokić had some nice things to say about Queen after the game.

* Zion Williamson was back from a hamstring injury and having him on the court helped out a lot with the spacing. Hopefully he can stay healthy because it makes a big difference when he is on the court.

* Trey Murphy has found his stroke and is playing like we all knew he could this year.

* All three rookies are really dynamic and playing big roles on this New Orleans squad.

* Yes, the Pelicans are 2-13 on the season, but there has been an improvement in the play calls, lineups, and offensive since James Borrego took over.

* The Pelicans play in a cup game Friday night at 7:30 pm at the Dallas Mavericks.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Thunder @ Pelicans Takeaways

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 03:37:49 GMT

Team Stats

(Thunder at Pelicans)

Final Score: 126-109

Rebounds: 38-35

Assists: 30-21

Blocks: 5-4

Steals: 12-9

Turnovers: 16-20

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Chet Holmgren, 26; Jeremiah Fears, 24

Rebound Leaders: Chet Holmgren, 9; Derik Queen, 8

Assist Leaders: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 8; Jordan Hawkins, 6

My Player of the Game: Jeremiah Fears

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The ONLY good part about tonight's game was that no matter how far down the Pelicans got in the game, adjustments kept being made by James Borrego to help the home team go on some sort of run.

* The Pelicans started off the game with two turnovers, when they knew the key to the game was to minimize turnovers. And then the Thunder scored 49 points in the first quarter because at one point, the Pelicans had more turnovers than shots taken .

* Where is the pride in this team? Are they OK with making paychecks and looking pitiful against every team night after night?

* The defense and turnovers have to improve or who knows when this team will win another game.

* The Pelicans are now 2-12 on the season. Zion and Jordan Poole are still out with their injuries. Saddiq Bey was out tonight too with some kind of injury.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Warriors @ Pelicans Takeaways

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 03:14:55 GMT

Team Stats

(Warriors at Pelicans)

Final Score: 124-106

Rebounds: 47-45

Assists: 34-22

Blocks: 5-4

Steals: 14-11

Turnovers: 21-19

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Moses Moody, 32; Trey Murphy III, 20

Rebound Leaders: Moses Moody, 8; Trey Murphy III, 8

Assist Leaders: Moses Moody, 10; Derik Queen, 6

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* This was James Borrego's first time as a head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans and his starting lineup had Derik Queen in it, which a lot of people were hoping to see.

* This game did not have the outcome everyone was hoping for, especially now that Willie Green is gone, but to think Borrego will turn the team around in one game is unrealistic.

* Zion needs to become available as soon as possible. Having him out is hurting this whole team.

* With Zion and Jordan Poole being hurt, this season is already feeling like the past several seasons where we say, "Well if this team was healthy then they would be good."

* Trey Murphy III is doing all he can and putting up great numbers but he cannot lead this team to victory alone.

* The Pelicans take the court again in a back-to-back game on Monday, Nov. 16 at 7 pm against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Lakers at Pelicans Takeaways

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 04:05:19 GMT

Team Stats

(Lakers at Pelicans)

Final Score: 118-104

Rebounds: 45-42

Assists: 28-24

Blocks: 5-3

Steals: 13-11

Turnovers: 17-20

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Austin Reaves, 31; Trey Murphy III, 35

Rebound Leaders: Deandre Ayton, 16; Derik Queen, 10

Assist Leaders: Luka Dončić, 12; Saddiq Bey, Saddiq Bey, 7

My Player of the Game: Jeremiah Fears

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* Jeremiah Fears had seven steals in the game, which is one away from the Pelicans franchise record, which is currently held by Chris Paul.

* Trey Murphy III has returned to his all-star glory in the last three games. He needs one other guy to step up, and Zion, Fears, or Herb could be that answer .

* Speaking of Herb, he is struggling so bad offensively. He doesn't even look like the same player out there so hopefully that gets fixed ASAP.

* Following the loss, Willie Green was fired from his head coaching job.

* James Borrego will make his first start as head coach on Sunday at 6 pm against the Golden State Warriors at HOME.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Trail Blazers @ Pelicans Takeaways

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 03:56:39 GMT

Team Stats

(Trail Blazers at Pelicans)

Final Score: 125-116

Rebounds: 39-35

Assists: 26-28

Blocks: 5-7

Steals: 5-6

Turnovers: 13-10

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Shaedon Sharpe, 35; Derik Queen, 26

Rebound Leaders: Donovan Clingan, 10; Derik Queen, 7

Assist Leaders: Jrue Holiday, 12; Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III, 5

My Player of the Game: Derik Queen

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* Rookie Derik Queen was so good tonight. He had 16 points in 15 minutes in the first half, and then he did not start the third quarter for whatever reason. He ended the game with 26 points and was the leading scorer for the Pelicans.

* Yves Missi was playing great but he was ejected in the second quarter against the Trail Blazers after a clash with Jerami Grant. No one threw any punches so it was dumb that the players were thrown out of the game but the NBA has turned into a soft league.

* Chants for Willie Green to be fired were heard in the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday.

* The Pels play at home on Friday against the Lakers at 7 pm.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Pelicans @ Suns Takeaways

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 19:50:49 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Suns)

Final Score: 98-121

Rebounds: 40-42

Assists: 18-29

Blocks: 3-7

Steals: 12-12

Turnovers: 23-18

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 21; Grayson Allen, 42

Rebound Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 10; Mark Williams, 6

Assist Leaders: Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Jose' Alvarado, 4; Collin Gillespie, 6

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* Grayson Allen scored 42 points and made 10 three-pointers in this game in front of a sold out crowd. How do you let him do that?

* Trey Murphy is playing like we all expected him to, putting up big offensive numbers and being a top rebounder.

* Some of the rotations make no sense, though, and whether it's his fault or not, Willie Green needs to be fired so the fans can see if this is fixable.

* The Pelicans are 2-8 on the season and have more healthy talented in the first 10 games of this season than all of last year put together. However, the team is currently on pace to finish with a 16-66 record, which is somehow even worse than last year.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Pelicans @ Spurs Takeaways

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:55:51 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Mavericks)

Final Score: 119-126

Rebounds: 40-43

Assists: 27-31

Blocks: 2-6

Steals: 7-6

Turnovers: 11-12

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 41; De’Aaron Fox, 24

Rebound Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 9; Victor Wembanyama, 18

Assist Leaders: Derik Queen, 8; Stephon Castle, 14

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The Pelicans look to get back in the win column tonight on the road against the Phoenix Suns.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

No. 14 Southeastern Visits No. 18 Lamar in Pivotal Conference Clash

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 18:06:05 GMT

The Game

Saturday’s clash between the Southeastern Lions and the Lamar Cardinals is, without a doubt, one of the biggest FCS games of the week and possibly the defining moment of the Southland Conference season. Both teams enter at 7-2, but Southeastern sits atop the standings at 5-0 in conference play, while Lamar’s 4-1 mark leaves them one game back after last week’s loss to UIW.

A win for Southeastern would certainly position the Lions well for the Southland Conference title and keep them firmly in the driver’s seat for an FCS playoff berth. For Lamar, this game represents their last real shot to stay in the title hunt. A loss to Southeastern today would all but end their hopes for the conference crown and a shot at the FCS post season. Kickoff in Beaumont is set for 3 PM in what promises to be a physical, high-energy battle.

The Season So Far

Southeastern has been dominant in FCS play, averaging 47.1 points per game while giving up just 12.2 points per game for a point differential of +34.9, ranking among the FCS leaders in point differential. In 9 games, the Lions have outgained opponents by over 110 yards per game (402.9 to 289.1), powered by a balanced offense and a ruthless defense.

Quarterback Carson Camp leads the passing attack with 1,313 yards and 11 TDs, while Kyle Lowe has also put up numbers in the passing game (723 yards, 7 TDs). Jaylon Domingeaux remains a steady playmaker, averaging 70 yards per game and 8 TDs on the year. On the ground, the committee of Deantre Jackson, Calvin Smith Jr., and Jaedon Henry coupled with the running ability of Kyle Lowe continues to control tempo and wear down defenses.

Defensively, Southeastern is thriving behind the leadership of guys like KK Reno, Kaleb Proctor, Jakyri Jones, and Ian Conerly-Goodly. The Lions lead the conference with 29 sacks. They have forced 11 turnovers, holding FCS opponents to under 290 yards per game.

What truly separates this Southeastern team from the rest of the Southland is its elite special teams play. The Lions have scored in every possible way this season, whether it be offense, defense, or special teams, and their return units have been lethal. Brandon Hayes and D’Khai Joseph have combined for multiple kickoff and punt return touchdowns, consistently flipping field position and providing momentum-changing plays.

The Lamar Story

After starting 7-1 and climbing into the national rankings, Lamar’s momentum took a hit last week in San Antonio, falling 24-17 to UIW. The Cardinals are physical on defense, led by LB C.J. Miller (51 tackles) and DL Andrew Huff (4.5 sacks), allowing only 22.4 points per game.

Their offense averages 296 yards per game, with quarterback Aiden McCown throwing for 948 yards and 7 TDs, supported by running back Xavier Coleman’s 346 yards rushing, yet their offense has gone stagnant late in games, a problem that haunted them even in wins against East Texas A&M and UTRGV.

Their special teams, however, remain dangerous. Kyndon Fuselier is one of the top return men in the nation, averaging 19.0 yards per punt return with two TDs, while kicker Ben Woodard is 12-for-14 on field goals, including a 57-yard bomb. Expect Lamar to rely on field position and turnovers to stay competitive.

With all of this, the statistics tell a clear story, Lamar’s offense ranks near the bottom of the conference in total yardage, while Southeastern’s defense ranks among the highest. If the Lions continue to play their brand of fast, physical football, they should control the line of scrimmage and dictate tempo early.

Predictions

This matchup carries massive weight in the Southland title race and the FCS playoff picture. Southeastern can all but clinch the conference with a win, while Lamar is fighting to stay alive. Expect a fired-up home crowd in Beaumont, but the Lions have shown time and again that they thrive in pressure situations.

According to Dimers.com, the Lions enter as 9.5 point favorites with a money line of -350, while Lamar sits at +255. The total for the game is set at 51.5 points, suggesting an expectation of moderate scoring but with Southeastern’s balance on offense and defensive discipline, the Lions could easily move that number upward if they start fast like they have all season.

The keys to victory in this game are simple: win the line of scrimmage, protect the football, and sustain drives. Southeastern’s defensive front will be tested against Lamar’s offensive line, but have been dominant all year. The Lions’ offensive efficiency, averaging 402.9 yards per game, should continue to wear down a Lamar defense that has struggled late against physical teams.

Final Prediciton:

Southeastern 31, Lamar 20.

The Lions keep rolling, improve to 8–2 (6–0 SLC), and move one step closer to locking down a conference championship and postseason berth.

Where to find me?

X: @LionUpLeBlanc

You can also see me on the weekly Louisiana Gameday show, previewing all the College Football in Louisiana!

Lion Up!

New Orleans Saints vs Carolina Panthers 2025 Week 10 Preview

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 16:39:03 GMT

The New Orleans Saints face their second divisional game of the season, and it could be a winnable one.

Saints vs Panthers History

This divisional rivalry has always been a close one throughout history. Overall, the Saints and Panthers have played each other 61 times, with New Orleans winning 32 of the games and Carolina winning 29. Over the past 10 games, the Saints have won six and the Panthers have won four. The last time these two teams faced each other, Carolina won by one point, and the Saints then fired Head Coach Dennis Allen.

The 2025 Season

Going into the regular season, both teams were in a bit of a weird situation. The Saints had high hopes to shock the world and actually be a team competing for the top of the NFC South, but their roster was never quite at that level. For the Panthers, they had similar hopes, but with QB Bryce Young's career being very, and I genuinely mean very, up and down, it was difficult to have true confidence. In reality, Carolina has not needed Young to play at a high level. With a dynamic run game and great pass defense, the Panthers are fighting for the division. For the Saints' season, it has been the opposite. Nothing seems to be going right, and eyes are now on the NFL Draft rather than the NFL Season.

Injury Report

OT Taliese Fuaga - OUT

RB Alvin Kamara - Questionable

TE Jack Stoll - Questionable

OT Barry Wesley - Questionable

EDGE Jonah Williams - Questionable

DT Bryan Bresee - Questionable

Final Thoughts

The Saints are once again underdogs in the game, and with the injuries, it makes their job even harder. Still, this is a winnable game, but will New Orleans once again shoot itself in the foot and lose?

Pelicans @ Mavericks Takeaways

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 03:56:39 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Mavericks)

Final Score: 101-99

Rebounds: 56-44

Assists: 18-18

Blocks: 3-7

Steals: 10-11

Turnovers: 13-15

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Saddiq Bey, 22; Cooper Flagg, 20

Rebound Leaders: Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III, 9; P.J. Washington, 11

Assist Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 5; Naji Marshall, 5

My Player of the Game: Saddiq Bey

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The Pelicans started out with another new starting five lineup and things were going well for the first half.

* The third quarter was not as brutal for the Pelicans as it has been, but New Orleans still gave up their lead during that period.

* Saddiq Bey was a game changer in this game. Without him, it could have been a different outcome.

* I know we're only eight games in, but Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen do NOT look like rookies. Compared to how Cooper Flagg looked in the same game, he was the only one who looked like he's barely been in the NBA.

* I would really like to see Trey Murphy start trying to go over people instead of around them.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Hornets @ Pelicans Takeaways

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 03:32:18 GMT

Team Stats

(Hornets at Pelicans)

Final Score: 112-116

Rebounds: 49-39

Assists: 20-27

Blocks: 6-3

Steals: 8-9

Turnovers: 19-12

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy, 10; Miles Bridges, 20

Rebound Leaders: Derik Queen, 8; Ryan Kalkbrenner, 11

Assist Leaders: Derik Queen, 7; Collin Sexton, 5

My Player of the Game: Jose Alvarado

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The Pelicans started off doing well -- with Zion and Missi out, the lineup had Trey, Herb, Poole, Fears, and Looney.

* Jose Alvarado hit a three-pointer with 15 seconds to go in the game to take a one-point lead. He finished with 18 points and was huge for the Pelicans.

* Karlo Matković played great minutes and he was fantastic. Big spark for the team. He had two monster dunks and a huge block.

* The third quarter was another horrible period to watch. The Pelicans got outscored 34-26 and were outmatched.

* Fouling was a problem early on for New Orleans. Jordan Poole had four fouls in the third quarter and had to sit a good portion of the quarter.

* The Hornets had 19 turnovers and the Pelicans capitalized on it.

* With less than 90 seconds to go in the game, and the Pelicans down by two points, the lineup was Trey, Jose, Bey, Queen and Herb.

* Zion Williamson is out 7-10 days with a hamstring injury.

* The Pelicans have their first win of the season!!

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Pelicans @ Thunder Takeaways

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 23:34:08 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Thunder)

Final Score: 106-137

Rebounds: 38-42

Assists: 26-33

Steals: 6-12

Blocks: 3-5

Turnovers: 16-11

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Zion Williamson, 20; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 30

Rebound Leaders: Zion Williamson, 9; Isaiah Hartenstein, 14

Assist Leaders: Zion Williamson, 6; Isaiah Hartenstein, 8

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* Easy game from the start for OKC. The Thunder are now 7-0 while the Pelicans are a lovely 0-6.

* Zion Williamson did all he could to help out New Orleans, but something is not working.

* The Pelicans have all the talent in the world and yet haven't been able to win even one game yet. They play the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday back at home.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

No. 16 Southeastern Crushes East Texas A&M 59-14

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 21:52:42 GMT

The Battle of the Lions

The Southeastern Louisiana Lions delivered a complete performance in front of the home crowd of 4,121 on Military Night, dismantling East Texas A&M 59-14 in a statement victory at Strawberry Stadium. With the win, Southeastern improves to 7–2 overall and 5–0 in Southland Conference play, continuing their march toward a potential conference championship and FCS playoff berth. The win this week moved the Lions up to No. 14 in the AFCA FCS Coach's Poll and No. 19 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 from No. 16/21.

All week leading up to kickoff, fan account WeAreETAMU had plenty to say on X, predicting an upset in Hammond. The Lions responded where it mattered most, on the field. By the time the final whistle blew, Southeastern had outclassed their Southland foe in every phase of the game, forcing the talk from Commerce to turn to near complete silence.

Southeastern’s offense set the tone early and never looked back, totaling 476 yards, 340 through the air and 136 on the ground, while holding ETAMU to just 291. Quarterback Carson Camp led the way with an efficient 11/18 for 226 yards and two touchdowns, while Kyle Lowe added 85 yards and a touchdown on 9/11 passing. Tanner Murray saw action as well in the fourth quarter, going 3/4 for 29 yards.

Jaylon Domingeaux continued his incredible campaign, hauling in four catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns, including a highlight 82-yard bomb that put the first points on the board. The backfield committee was again steady and balanced as Kyree Paul, Calvin Smith Jr., Jaedon Henry, and Deantre Jackson combined for 114 rushing yards on 21 carries. Smith Jr. led the charge with two touchdowns, while Paul and Jackson each added one.

Coach Scelfo’s Lions showed a ruthless edge all night, refusing to take their foot off the gas. Up 28-0 late in the first half, Southeastern could’ve run out the clock, but instead drove the field with 1:36 remaining and scored again to make it 35-0 at halftime. Then, up 52-7 with under three minutes to play, the Lions threw one more touchdown to make it 59-7, reaffirming that this team continues to play all the way to the final whistle. From a fan’s perspective, that relentless mentality is exactly what you want to see; no coasting, no mercy, just pure dominance from start to finish.

Defensively, the Lions continued to assert themselves as one of the most complete units in the FCS. Linebacker KK Reno led with 10 tackles, while Ian Conerly-Goodly made a major impact with an interception, a pass breakup, and several key stops. Rowan Briggs forced a fumble and recorded 1.5 tackles for loss, while Jakyri Jones added 1.5 TFLs and a pass breakup. The pass rush was ruthless with sacks coming from Briggs, Evan Aubrey, Gabe Whittington, Kaleb Proctor, and Peyton Anderson.

Special teams once again contributed in a big way. D’Khai Joseph electrified the crowd with a 63-yard punt return touchdown, totaling 117 yards on returns for the night. Brandon Hayes added 35 yards on a kick return, and Kyree Paul added another 30. Kicker Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez drilled a 43-yard field goal and was perfect on PATs, while Jack Hunter averaged 42 yards on his two punts, both pinning ETAMU deep.

Lion Up LeBlanc’s Players of the Game

Offense - Carson Camp:

Carson Camp was 11/18 for 226 yards and 2 TDs. Camp was in full control of the offense leading the Lions to their most dominant offensive showing of the year.

Defense - Jakyri Jones:

Jakyri Jones had 9 total tackles (6 solo, 1.5 TFL, 1 BrUp) helping to hold ETAMU to only 291 total offensive yards! Jones is a consistent producer week after week.

Special Teams - D’Khai Joseph:

D'Khai Joseph had 117 punt return yards, including a 63-yard touchdown, his second Punt Return TD of the year. He averaged 29.2 yards per return.

Looking Ahead

The Lions now hit the road for a pivotal Southland showdown with the Lamar Cardinals (7-2, 4-1 SLC), a team looking to bounce back after a tough loss to UIW that drastically reduced their conference title chances. Lamar will be hungry for redemption, but for Southeastern, Coach Scelfo's mission remains clear: keep playing mistake free football, build consistency, and play like we have all year. In his Monday Morning press conference, the Head Coach indicated that this week is business as usual for the Lions and just one more game.

This matchup begins a crucial two-game road stretch before returning home for the heated River Bell Classic against Nicholls. With confidence surging and all three phases firing, the Lions are looking to close strong and prove once again why they’re among the FCS elite.

Stay tuned for my pre-game report on the Lamar matchup later this week!

Where to find me?

X: @LionUpLeBlanc

You can also see me on the weekly Louisiana Gameday show, previewing all the College Football in Louisiana.

Lion Up!

New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams 2025 Week 9 Preview

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 15:45:59 GMT

The New Orleans Saints are entering Sunday 1-7, and their next opponent could be the biggest test of the season.

What the Rams bring to the table?

Seven games into the season, the Rams are playing high-level football that is reassuring their hopes for another Super Bowl. The dynamic offense led by head coach Sean McVay has a million ways to beat teams. In the run game, RB Kyren Williams typically does not dominate teams, but he consistently gains around 60 rushing yards per game and can secure some tough yards. The real area of the offense that scares opponents is the passing attack, which includes QB Matthew Stafford, WRs Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and TE Tyler Higbee. The offense could single-handedly win this game, but their defense could do the same. The pass rush is great, the run defense is greatly improved, and they are one of the best scoring defenses in the NFL.

How about the Saints?

The story of this game is rookie QB Tyler Shough finally getting his first start in the NFL. Last week, Shough was subbed in at QB near the beginning of the third quarter, and it was a fine performance. Going into the game against the Los Angeles Rams, Shough is going to have a significant test for his first game as a starter, and the Saints are going to do everything right to win this game. The rushing attack needs to establish some consistency; they must avoid turnovers, and the defense must hold strong, not allowing big plays.

Injury Report

RB Alvin Kamara - Questionable (expected to play)

WR Rashid Shaheed - Questionable (expected to play)

CB Alontae Taylor - Questionable

My Prediction

As I mentioned when talking about the Saints, they will have to do everything correctly to win this game, but that has not happened yet this season. The fact that this is also Tyler Shough's first start in the NFL, which is a complete unknown factor, means there is no way I can choose the Saints to win this game. For a final score prediction, I believe the Rams will win 31-17, with Shough throwing 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Pelicans @ Clippers Takeaways

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 05:02:34 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Clippers)

Final Score: 124-126

Rebounds: 43-37

Assists: 28-28

Steals: 8-12

Blocks: 4-6

Turnovers: 15-12

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Zion Williamson, 29; Kawhi Leonard, 34

Rebound Leaders: Yves Missi, 9; Ivaca Dubac, 11

Assist Leaders: Jeremiah Fears, 8; James Harden, 14

My Player of the Game: Jeremiah Fears

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* It was great to see the New Orleans Pelicans come out early in the game and play well and be competitive.

* Rookie Jeremiah Fears is the real deal. He's 19 years old and playing like he's used to the pace of the NBA.

* Once again, the third quarter proved to be a turning point for the Pelicans as the Clippers took their biggest lead of the game during that time.

* BTW, Joel Meyers was unhinged during this game and said several things against the referees that were hilarious and true.

* Jordan Poole has been a gift to this team and it's strange that he isn't a starter anymore.

* We need to see resilience from this team and it hasn't happened yet.

* The Pelicans are 0-5 to start the season. This is depressing.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Battle of the Lions: No. 16 Southeastern Hosts East Texas A&M

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:25:59 GMT

The Game

The Southeastern Louisiana Lions return home to Strawberry Stadium this Thursday night for another great Southland Conference matchup against the East Texas A&M Lions. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Hammond, America. This week also marks Military Night, where all military members with identification receive free admission as the university honors those who serve.

Southeastern enters the contest at 6-2 overall and 4-0 in Southland Conference play, ranked No. 16 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. The Lions are undefeated against FCS opponents this season and have outscored them by an average of 33.2 points per game, according to @LionUpFootball on X, tied with No. 1 North Dakota State for the best point differential in the FCS.

The Southeastern Lions are also 3-1 all time against East Texas A&M, winning the last two meetings. While Southeastern is in the middle of a title race with Lamar and Stephen F. Austin, this week’s opponent cannot be overlooked. The Lions of Commerce, Texas may have a 2-6 record, but their level of play has been far stronger than the numbers suggest.

The Season So Far

Southeastern is coming off a 38-14 win over Houston Christian, improving to 6-2 and extending its win streak to four. The Lions’ offense has remained balanced and consistent, averaging 393.8 total yards per game with 1725 passing yards and 15 passing touchdowns on the year. Quarterbacks Carson Camp and Kyle Lowe continue to split time effectively under center, keeping defenses off balance with a mix of tempo and play design.

In the receiving corps, Jaylon Domingeaux has been a steady and reliable presence, averaging 59.1 yards per game while leading the team in receptions and yardage. The backfield trio of Deantre Jackson, Calvin Smith Jr., and Jaedon Henry has powered the rushing attack to over 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns, giving Southeastern one of the most well-rounded offenses in the Southland.

Defensively, Southeastern continues to set the tone across the conference, allowing just 288.9 yards per game. Linebacker KK Reno leads the team in total tackles and has been a key factor in run containment. Defensive back Khamron Ford continues to be a dependable playmaker on the back end, while Ian Conerly-Goodly and Kaleb Proctor have been disruptive forces as well. Proctor has garnered national attention as one of the Top 10 FCS Prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, ranked No. 5 on that list.

Southeastern has recorded 24 sacks and 54 tackles for loss, while holding opponents to just 19 points per game. Their ability to wear teams down has been a key factor in sustaining success throughout the season.

Special Teams has remained a major weapon for Southeastern. Brandon Hayes, fresh off back-to-back weeks wit h kickoff return touchdowns, continues to give the Lions momentum-shifting plays on special teams and ranks among the most dangerous return men in the FCS. Dkhai Joseph is right there with him, at 237 punt return yards and a TD on the year. Cade Collier also recovered a fumbled punt, leading to a score in the game versus HCU.

The East Texas A&M Story

East Texas A&M enters this matchup at 2-6 overall and 2-2 in Southland play, but their record does not reflect how competitive they’ve been. The Lions from Commerce, Texas have played several of the Southland’s best down to the wire. They led Lamar for most of the game before losing a heartbreaker late in the fourth quarter, and they were tied with Stephen F. Austin until just over seven minutes remained before falling to the Lumberjacks. Each of their four FCS losses has come by fewer than ten points.

This is a team that knows how to compete, they just haven’t found the stamina to finish. Despite that, East Texas A&M has proven capable of hanging with top-tier programs, showing the same resilience that earned them the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship before moving to the FCS.

ETAMU averages 379.6 yards per game on offense, with quarterbacks Ron Peace and Eric Rodriguez combining for 2,141 passing yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Wideouts Devin Matthews (535 yards, 5 TDs) and Christian Jourdain (486 yards, 2 TDs) headline a passing attack capable of striking quickly, while running back EJ Oakmon adds balance with 7 rushing touchdowns.

Defensively, East Texas A&M allows 423.6 yards per game but has shown flashes of disruption, led by linebacker Koby-Sebasyen King, who has recorded 68 tackles and 11 tackles for loss. ETAMU's defense has totaled 17 sacks on the season and will bring consistent pressure off the edges, something Southeastern’s offensive line, which has surrendered 16 sacks this year, will need to handle early.

Predictions

This game has all the makings of a classic “don’t overlook them” matchup. East Texas A&M has proven time and again that they can compete with the top teams in the Southland, and their record doesn’t reflect how close they’ve been to major wins. Still, Southeastern comes into this one with momentum, depth, and confidence as well as a defense that wears opponents down over four quarters.

Expect Southeastern to return with a chip on their shoulder after last week’s three-turnover outing and play with renewed focus. The Lions’ defense should outlast ETAMU’s offense in stamina, while the special teams unit could once again make a major impact in front of the Home Crowd.

Final Prediction:

Southeastern 38, East Texas A&M 17.

The Lions of Hammond extend their winning streak to five, remain unbeaten in Southland play, and continue their march toward an FCS playoff berth.

Where to find me?

X: @LionUpLeBlanc

You can also see me on the weekly Louisiana Gameday show, previewing all the College Football in Louisiana!

Lion Up!

Pelicans @ Nuggets Takeaways

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 03:17:16 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans at Nuggets)

Final Score: 88-122

Rebounds: 36-57

Assists: 17-40

Steals: 9-5

Blocks: 3-5

Turnovers: 12-14

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Jeremiah Fears, 21; Nikola Jokić, 21

Rebound Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 7; Nikola Jokić, 12

Assist Leaders: Jeremiah Fears, 6; Nikola Jokić, 10

My Player of the Game: Jeremiah Fears

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The starters for this game were Fears, Murphy III, Jones, Zion, and Deandre Jordan. So that was different, and it didn't work at all.

* With most of the third quarter over, Zion had five total points in the game. He finished with 11.

* The Nuggets went on a 32-4 run in the third quarter. The Pelicans came out very slow to start off the third.

* New Orleans went 7-of-33 from the three-point line.

* Nikola Jokić had a triple-double. The Pelicans had no answer for him all night.

* Do the Pelicans know that the season has started because the majority of the guys out there look like they still think they're playing Summer League.

* The problem with this team isn't the talent because they have that. So what's the problem? Coaching, effort, etc.? This has to be fixed ASAP.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Celtics @ Pelicans Takeaways

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:12:40 GMT

Team Stats

(Celtics at Pelicans)

Final Score: 122-90

Rebounds: 54-35

Assists: 25-17

Steals: 5-7

Blocks: 7-0

Turnovers: 11-13

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Anfernee Simons, 25; Jordan Poole, 22

Rebound Leaders: Neemias Queta, 11; Yves Miss, 7

Assist Leaders: Payton Prichard, 8; Trey Murphy, III, 5

My Player of the Game: Jordan Poole

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* The first two losses of the season were tough but at least the team looked good. In this game, no one looked fired up to compete except Jordan Poole and Jose Alvarado.

* Zion did not play because he's been spending all offseason getting in shape just so he could rest after two games. Makes no sense to me.

* Trey Murphy and Herb Jones need to find their spark and stride. These guys have been putting in a ton of work in the offseason but it isn't showing right now.

* Willie Green has got to be on a short leash because this 0-3 start feels like the team is just picking up where they left off except this time they're healthy and have all the momentum in the world.

* The next three games for the Pelicans will be on the road against Denver, Clippers, and Thunder .

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Lions Keep Rolling: No. 19 Southeastern Handles Houston Christian 38-14

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:47:34 GMT

Business Trip to Houston

The Southeastern Lions stayed hot over the weekend, defeating the Houston Christian Huskies 38-14 on the road in Houston. With the win, the Lions improved to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in Southland Conference play, extending their winning streak and increasing their chances at sole ownership of the Southland Conference.

The Lions’ balanced approach was on full display once again, posting 378 yards of total offense, 195 through the air and 183 on the ground, while holding the Huskies to just 199 yards. Southeastern’s maturity and depth continued to shine as the team executed cleanly across all three phases of the game. The victory also moved the Lions up to No. 16 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 this week.

Quarterbacks Carson Camp and Kyle Lowe shared time under center, combining to complete 15 of 25 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. Camp finished an efficient 12 of 15 (80%) for 169 yards and a score, with two interceptions keeping the stat line from being otherwise near perfect. The ground game remained steady as Deantre “The Jet” Jackson led the way with 64 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown, while Calvin Smith Jr. powered in two touchdowns on nine carries. The Lions' mature offensive line was able to handle HCU’s shifting defensive looks and continued to control the trenches. Through the air, Jaylon “JD” Domingeaux made the most of his opportunities, hauling in three catches for 87 yards, including a 42-yard strike that set up a score.

Defensively, the Lions continued their dominant run of form. KK Reno led the charge with 10 total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, a half sack, and a forced fumble. Reno was seemingly everywhere, helping the Lions hold HCU to 114 rushing yards and 85 passing yards. Khamron Ford added six tackles and two tackles for loss, once again proving his reliability up front. The Lions finished with seven tackles for loss, four sacks, and one forced fumble in another impressive all-around showing from Defensive Coordinator Bill D’Ottavio’s unit.

Coach Scelfo has emphasized all year the importance of getting sacks on defense and preventing them on offense. True to the Coach's statistic, the Huskies did not score once on the 4 drives where a sack was recorded for the Lions.

Special teams once again made a huge impact. Brandon Hayes electrified the crowd with an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown, his second consecutive week taking one to the house. He totaled 155 return yards on three attempts, setting up great field position and momentum throughout the game. Hayes’ breakout month earned him the Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance. Kicker Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez connected once for 3 from 22 yards out, while Alec Mahler averaged 62 yards per kickoff to consistently pin the Huskies deep.

Lion Up LeBlanc's Players of the Game

Offense - Jaylon “JD” Domingeaux:

3 receptions, 87 yards, 42-yard long.

Defense - KK Reno:

10 total tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, 1 forced fumble.

Special Teams - Brandon Hayes:

3 returns for 155 yards and an 85-yard touchdown (also named Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week).

Looking Ahead

The Lions return home to Strawberry Stadium this Saturday for another important Southland Conference matchup against East Texas A&M (2-6, 2-2 SLC). This will be Military Night where all military members receive free admission to the game. This game carries major playoff implications as Southeastern looks to remain undefeated in FCS play and continue climbing the national rankings. I would love to see an electric gameday with a packed crowd in Hammond, America as the Lions aim to keep their momentum strong all the way to the end.

Stay tuned for my pre-game report later this week!

Where to find me?

X: @LionUpLeBlanc

You can also see me on the weekly Louisian Gameday show, previewing all the College Football in Louisiana!

Lion Up!

Tulane Green Wave Basketball Preview 2025-2026

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 09:00:10 GMT

2025-2026 Tulane Green Wave Basketball Season Preview

In Memory of Gregg Glenn III

Head coach Ron Hunter, now in his seventh year at the helm (89-89), has gradually transformed Tulane into a team that can contend. Alot of optimism surrounds the team with the Wave being picked to finish third in the American Conference. Compared to last season's team, Ron will be counting on more leadership especially with a vet savvy team. Development and chemistry will also be key with some younger players from last season stepping into bigger roles.

That being said THE Tulane Green Wave men's basketball team enters the 2025-2026 season with high expectations. After losing 5 players to the transfer portal including key players like Kam Williams, Kaleb Banks and Mari Jordan, Ron Hunter wasted no time in hitting the portal and the 2025 recruiting class. Ron and his coaching staff were able to haul in 4 transfer portal players and 2 freshmen. The 4 transfers look to immediately help out the team and hit the ground running while the two freshmen look to slowly get involved as the season progresses.

Rowan Brumbaugh and Asher Woods received pre-season accolades for the Wave. Rowan was picked as Pre-Season Conference Player of the Year and Asher Woods was picked as second team all-conference.

As a team Tulane was picked to finish 3rd in the American Conference. Ron has stated “I'm not worried about pre-season rankings, all I'm focusing on is getting the team ready and winning the American Conference and Post-Season play, we are good enough to do that”

In my season preview I'll go over transfer departures, transfer additions, the recruiting class of 2025, positional breakdown, projected lineups and scouting reports on recruits/transfers/returning players

Coaching Staff

Head Coach

Ron Hunter

7th season

89-89 at Tulane

Associate Head Coach

Ray McCallum

Assistant Coach

Claude Pardue

Assistant Coach

Sean Mock

Assistant Coach

Gebereal Baitey

Assistant Coach

Rj Hunter

Supporting Staff

Director of Basketball Operations

Nate Summers

Senior Athletic Trainer

Quinton Nease

Assistant Coach/Strength and Conditioning

Dan Rickaby

Assistant Director/Student Development and Video

Ben Miner

Last Years AAC Standings

Memphis

16-2 Conf

29-6 Overall

North Texas

14-4

27-9

UAB

13-5

24-13

Tulane

12-6

19-15

Florida Atlantic

10-8

18-16

East Carolina

10-8

19-14

Temple

9-9

17-15

Wichita State

8-10

19-15

South Florida

6-12

13-19

Tulsa

6-12

13-20

UTSA

6-12

12-19

Rice

4-14

13-19

Charlotte

3-15

11-22

Roster

0 Tyler Ringgold-F. 6-8/225. R-SO

1 Josh "JoJo" Moore-G. 6-4/205. SO

2 Gregg Glenn III-F. 6-7/240. SR

5 Scotty Middleton-G/F. 6-6/165 JR

7 Rowan Brumbaugh-G. 6-4/185 R-JR

9 KJ Greene-G. 6-3/170 SO

11 Luke Rasmussen-G/F. 6-8/215 R-SO

13 Joseph Teich-G. 5-10/155 SO

15 Robert Moore-G. 6-6/180 FR

22 Asher Woods-G. 6-3/190 SR

23 Percy Daniels-F/C. 6-10/230 SR

32 Luke Cronin-F. 6-8/210 JR

34 Jake Shapiro-G. 6-1/190 R-SO

55 Davion Bradford-C. 7-0/265 SR

77 Vasilije "Vas" Kuridza-F. 6-9/235 FR

99 Curtis Williams Jr-G/F. 6-6/180 JR

Transfer Departures

Logan Stephens - The Junior Guard who came over from Rutgers 2 years ago never really was able to find ground in the Tulane lineup. When they first got Logan, I thought he could potentially be a key bench guy down the road, but things never really clicked for him here. Best of luck.

8 GP, 5.9 min, 26.7%, 2.3 pts.

Kam Williams -(Kentucky) Kam Williams was phenomenal for the Wave last year. It took him several games to find his shot but when he did it was electric. By the end of the season Kam was one of the best players on the team. Kam will be a very hard player to replace but this coaching staff has a plan to use multiple guys to make up for his play.

33 GP, 32 min, 48.5 FG%, 41.2 3PT%, 4.5 reb, 1.3 ast, 1.1 blk, 1.4 stl, 9.3 pts.

Kaleb Banks- (DePaul) Kaleb started the season on fire from beyond the arc but as the season progressed, he got a little streaky and seemed to fade a little as the season got closer to the end. Either way he was a great player for the wave last season and will also be a tough player to replace. Like I said for Kam it's going to take a couple of players to replace his play on the court.

32 GP, 31 min, 50.6 FG%, 34.1 3PT%, 6.7 reb, 1 ast, 1.3 blk, 14.7 pts

Mari Jordan - (Radford) I was really surprised that Mari left and he went to Radford out of all the places. He was mostly inconsistent on the year but when he got hot, he really helped out the Green Wave. The very first game of the year he balled out and got 18 points but that was against a really bad team, but you got to see his potential. Mari finished the season strong and for the entire year he finished in double digit points 12 times.

Mari Jordan was only a freshman last year and was still learning to play at the collegiate level so I figured he would've come back and be a key player in the lineup, potentially being the number two guy next to Asher Woods and Rowan.

32 GP, 19.6 min, 39.5 FG%, 34.9 3 PT%, 3.6 reb, 7 pts

Spencer Elliot - I really liked Spencer when Tulane first got him in his recruiting cycle and after a year of college ball under his belt I thought he could potentially be a guy off the bench to help out. In the limited amount of time he got on the court you could see the potential but you could also tell he lacked the confidence and aggressiveness to be successful at this level. I still have a lot of faith in Spencer and in the right system I think he can succeed. Best of Luck!

16 GP, 5.3 min, 1.1 reb, .9 pts

Transfer Additions

Josh “JoJo” Moore - (Oral Roberts) A versatile Playmaker with the ball in his hands and can be dynamic in the open court. The most athletic player on the team.

Ron Hunter: “He came over from Oral Roberts so he's getting used to the speed and size. Started off a little slow but is starting to pick it up and figuring out the system. No question he will be a part of the rotation.”

27.5 min, 10.9 pts, 49.4% FG, 4.4 reb, 2.2 ast

Curtis Williams Jr -(Georgetown) A shot making big wing who is versatile and a scoring threat when the ball is in his hands. Williams can be a weapon with his ability to shoot. He has a good mid-range jumper and knows how to attack the rim. A skilled rebounder and can play some defense.

33 GP, 15.4 min, 40% FG, 30% 3PT, 73% FT, 1.8 reb, 4.7 pts

Scotty Middleton - (Seton Hall) Scotty is definitely a Ron Hunter type of player. He can score from all three levels of the court. He plays pretty good defense but needs to get stronger. Good size and long arms. Has good range on his jumper and can play above the rim.

29 GP, 21 min, 43.4% FG, 38.4 3PT%, 77% FT, 2.3 reb, 5.8 pts

Davion Bradford - (East Tenn State) Big strong center who started his career at Kansas State. As a true freshman with Kansas State Bradford was averaging 21 min, 4.3 reb and 7.7 pts. In the right system his potential can be sky high. He's very active around the rim and has the potential to be a scoring threat but should immediately help the wave out in the rebounding and defense department. Davion was one of the most improved players on the team this offseason.

Ron Hunter: "Great Character Guy"

25 GP, 11 min, 52.4 % FG, 2.4 reb, 2.5 pts

Luke Cronin- (D-3 Yeshiva U)- Walk-on. Started 22 games in D-3 averaging 5.8 points with 5 boards and 3 assists. In the 22 games he averaged 20 min. Started his career at George Washington where he played in 4 games for a total of 6 min.

In High School he was named County and All-Long Island in 2022 and 2023. He received All-State in 2023 and played in the Philly All-American Game.

Recruiting Additions

Robert Moore - 3 Star/87. Ranked 138 in the nation on rivals and the 31st best shooting guard.

During his prep career Moore earned All-Region honors three times and was named All-Lowcountry in South Carolina. He also won the Sniper Award at the 2024 Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas. In his debut at the camp, he knocked down five three-pointers on his way to a 23-point performance on 8-of-13 shooting overall. Moore has proven to be a pure and effective shooter during his high school career. This season during his senior campaign he drained 12 shots from beyond the arc in a single game. He also sharpened his skills on the court playing for the AAU Upward Stars program on the Adidas Circuit.

-Tulane Athletic dept

SR: His skill should be able to help and contribute to the Green Wave this season. He really can shoot the 3-Ball from multiple areas of the court. With his size he's able to finish strong and has the ability to create plays. Robert is a smart player/scorer and playmaker. Moore has led the team in scoring in a couple of scrimmages this season.

Ron Hunter: “Phenomenal Shooter and a very skilled basketball player who has a great feel for the game, real opportunity for him to play this season”

Vasilije “Vas” Kuridza - A skilled forward who Tulane brought in late in the process and it's his first time in the United States.

Played with the Bosnia U18 National Team for three seasons…Averaged 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 22 career games with the national youth team… Helped the Bosnia U18 team finish 18th in the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B, 14th in the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship Division B, and 6th in the 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship Division B… Also participated in club competition including playing two years with KK Igokea in the Bosnian League and the ABA League and spending one season with the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2023 Europe Basketball Without Borders (BWB) organized by the NBA and FIBA… Averaged 6.7 points and 6.2 points during his two seasons with KK Igokea and 2.8 points in four games during the BWB Europe 2023… Helped KK Igokea win the 2023 Bosnian Youth Basketball Champions League. - Tulane Athletic Dept

They found Vas through a friend and got in contact with his agent to bring him in. -Coach Sean Mock

Ron Hunter: “He’s still learning everything between the culture and how to play in the Tulane system. He's a very talented player, so talented I want to find a way for him to play this season, but I don't want to rush him”

Ron seems very excited to get him in the door and start working with him.

Fun Fact: Ron said Vasilije's favorite food is shrimp so he's going to fit right in.

8.8 pts, 7.5 reb, 2.5 ast, 50% FG, 55% FT, 2.5 ast, 3.0 stl

Returning Players

Tyler Ringgold - Tyler really showed his potential in the first two games of the year defensively and offensively. In those two contests he tallied 20 points,13 reb, 2 ast, and 3 blk. Tyler is a very good defensive player and has a lot of promise offensively. I'm expecting a big jump from him this year and really help out the Wave on both ends of the court. Expect him to crash the boards and lock down defenders.

Ron Hunter: "Tyler is working on his corner three shot"

11 min, 43% FG, 21% 3PT, 69% FT, 2.4 reb, 3.6 pts

Rowan Brumbaugh - Will be the key for Tulane this season. Rowan is a true Quarterback for this Green Wave team scoring and passing the ball. Last season he played in all 34 games earning All-AAC First Team and Newcomer of the year. He collected 20 or more points in 9 games and had a career high of 25 points. In 17 games last year he had at least 5 assists and a career high of 11. This year he received the Pre-Season Player of the Year.

Rowan told me aspects of his game he wants to improve: "My 3-point percentage and making the first simple read. Getting better at what I do."

35 min, 41 FG%, 35% 3PT, 81% FT, 4 reb, 4.8 ast, 1.6 stl, 15.5 pts

KJ Greene - The highest recruit in Tulane basketball history returns for the Wave. He played sparingly last season 25 out of 34 games but still got good time for a true freshman. KJ was inconsistent at times and a little turnover prone, but he was a true freshman learning the college level of play. KJ has the ability to be a good PG and shows a lot of promise in facilitating the basketball to other players for the score, very good passer. In 3 games he recorded three assists and 5 pts. His career high was against UAB when he scored 9 pts on 4 of 5 shooting.

7 min, 39% FG, 28% 3PT, 65% FT, 1.5 pts

Luke Rasmussen - A big guard/forward (6-8) who has potential down the road with Tulane. We may get to see what Luke has with the lack of depth at the power forward position. Has a good three ball and can crash the boards. Redshirted this past season.

2 years ago, at Lafayette College averaged 2.5 pts, 1.6 reb and 14 threes made. Best game was against army and combined for 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists

Joseph Teich - Was a walk-on last year who got into 9 games as a freshman. Knocked down a three pointer late in the contest against USC in the College Basketball Crown.

Asher Woods - Asher is building off a very strong season from last year and its showing in offseason workouts and practices.

Ron Hunter: “Asher has been practicing very well for this team and is becoming a vocal leader by taking players under his wing”.

Like coach said Woods has also taken on a leadership role for the Wave this season and also been a mentor for a new transfer player.

Asher has been helping with the development of newcomer Josh “JoJo” Moore.

Woods is really excited to be the leader in the locker room and for the younger guys.

I talked to Asher about his personnel goals/team goals and areas of his game he wants to improve: “I'm always focused on the team and just showing up every day, we got a group of guys who can win. Playing one day at a time and being consistent." " Being more effective in every aspect of the game, understanding the details like film and being aggressive at all times, knowing my role”

11.5 pts, 2.5 reb, 2.4 ast, 42.3 FG%, 33.6% 3PT

Percy Daniels - I'm expecting a jump from Percy this season, on the court and as a vocal leader. Last season he got in on 34 contests and was inconsistent at times but when he was on, he provided a defensive spark and a guy who could score around the rim. As the season progresses this year, I could see him gaining some confidence and being a good starter or key guy off the bench. Expect Percy to come in at the Power Forward position this year.

10 min, 66% FG, 66% FT, 1.7 reb, .8 blk, 1.6 pts

Jake Shapiro - The walk-on got into 9 contests last season averaging 1.4 min with .7 pts. Jake knocked down a three against two teams last season, Southern Miss and UTSA.

Most Improved Offseason Player

Davion Bradford- "DB" has been practicing so well with the team that they had to start changing/tweaking the offense to get him more involved with the ball around the rim. A real quality post player.

Ron Hunter: " Really impressed and floored with how talented he is. DB could turn out to be really special."

Key Players This Season

1. Rowan Brumbaugh

2. Asher Woods

3. Scotty Middleton

Break Out Player's

1. KJ Greene

2. Davion Bradford

3. Tyler Ringgold

Positional Breakdown

Rowan Brumbaugh will be the quarterback of the room, expect another big season from the Redshirt Junior who received Pre-Season Player of the Year honors. KJ Greene should be the first one off the bench to come in for Rowan. Expect a jump from him this season with a year under his belt, could also see Rowan going out to SG and Greene at point.

Asher Woods also has the ability to come in and play PG if need be.

Asher Woods the Pre-Season 2nd team All-Conference SG really started to play well as the season went on. Woods has the potential to be a really good ball player, and I think he has a chance at All-First team conference when the season is over.

The first guy off the bench could be multiple of guys depending on the situation. Josh "JoJo" Moore and Curtis Williams, two new transfer's both have the ability to come off the bench and be productive for Tulane and give them a little spark. I could also see Scotty Middelton moving from SF to SG in certain situations.

Scotty Middelton could be the dark horse of this team. He fits perfectly into this style of play. Started his career at Ohio State where he got in 30 games and played fairly well for a true freshman. If he can get some confidence and put everything together watch out Tulane fans.

Just like SG this position as well could see different guys come in and play. Curtis Williams and true freshman Robert Moore. Curtis comes over from Georgetown where he played in 33 games, a skilled jump shooter and rebounder who can also play defense. Robert Moore a very skilled shooter from beyond the arc could be lighting in a bottle and a key spark off the bench if things aren't going the Waves way and they need some big 3's.

This position gets a little tricky with the lack of depth, but Tyler Ringgold should take over this spot, a very skilled defender and rebounder. Has the potential to find his three ball and knows how to score inside with aggression. Tyler could very well be the leader defensively for this team.

The international recruit Tulane got late in the process is Vasilije "VAS" Kuridza. Vas is a skilled forward who has the potential to help Tulane out down the road.

Percy Daniels is expected to come in and play the 4 spot, more of a traditional style of play. Something that Tulane basketball hasn't seen in a while.

Percy Daniels returns for the Green Wave and should get the starting nod but keep a very close eye on Davion Bradford. Davion has been practicing very well for Tulane and they're tweaking the offense just for him. Both Percy and Davion will be splitting time throughout the season. Expecting good thing's from the big men.

Projected Lineups

PG- Rowen Brumbaugh

SG- Asher Woods

SF- Scotty Middleton

PF- Tyler Ringgold/Percy Daniels

C- Percy Daniels/Davion Bradford

Backups

PG- KJ Greene

SG- Josh "JoJo" Moore

SF- Curtis Williams/Robert Moore

PF- Percy Daniels/Curtis Williams/Robert Moore/Scotty Middleton

C- Davion Bradford/Percy Daniels

Recruiting

Class of 2026- 1 Commit

Tobias Brinkley (CG/SF) 6-6/180- 4 star on ESPN and 7th best prospect in Georgia.

SR: (Good court vision and great passer. Versatility allows him to create separation and scoring opportunities for himself and other teammates, a true offensive threat. Relentless, hustles and a smart player. Brinkley shows the size and skill at the shooting guard and small forward position)

Class of 2026 Recruits

Gregory “Pops” Dunson-PG- 6-0/185. 3 Star/88

Javonte Floyd-C- 6-9/220. 3 Star/88

Collin Ross-PF- 6-9/200. 4 Star/90. Currently committed to VCU

Tyshawn Duncan-C- 6-8/215. 4 Star/90 Currently committed to Louisiana

Harris Reynolds-SG- 6-4/170. 4 Star/90. Visiting several schools Tulane not listed

Joseph Hartman-PG- 6-6/193. 4 Star/90. Currently committed to Michigan

Julian Washington-CG- 6-4/180. Final four Cincinnati, Dayton, FAU, Northern Iowa

Class of 2027

Evan Toms-C- 6-9/225. Tulane Offer

Ty Shine-G- 6-2. Tulane Offer

Allen Shaw-PG- 5-10/160. Attended Tulane Camp

Class of 28

Christian Clair-CG- 6-1/158.

Schedule

Nov 3, 2025

Samford

8:30 pm

Nov 8, 2025

Texas St.

2:00 pm

Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse

Nov 11, 2025

Louisiana

TBA

Cajundome

Nov 14, 2025

New Orleans

7:30 pm

ESP+

Nov 21, 2025

Utah St.

1:00 pm

ESP2

TD Arena

Nov 28, 2025

Nicholls

3:00 pm

Dec 2, 2025

Grambling St.

7:30 pm

Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse

Dec 6, 2025

Akron

4:00 pm

Dec 10, 2025

Tougaloo

7:30 pm

Dec 13, 2025

UC San Diego

11:30 pm

Lee's Family Forum

Dec 17, 2025

La. Tech

7:30 pm

Dec 20, 2025

Portland St.

7:30 pm

Dec 31, 2025

East Carolina

TBA

Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum

Jan 4, 2026

FAU

TBA

Jan 10, 2026

UTSA

TBA

Jan 14, 2026

UAB

TBA

Jan 18, 2026

North Texas

TBA

Jan 21, 2026

FAU

TBA

Jan 25, 2026

Charlotte

TBA

Dale F. Halton Arena

Jan 28, 2026

South Florida

TBA

Feb 1, 2026

Memphis

TBA

Feb 8, 2026

Wichita St.

TBA

Feb 11, 2026

Temple

TBA

Feb 15, 2026

UAB

TBA

Feb 18, 2026

North Texas

TBA

The Super Pit

Feb 22, 2026

Rice

TBA

Feb 25, 2026

Tulsa

TBA

Mar 1, 2026

South Florida

TBA

ESP+

Mar 4, 2026

Temple

TBA

Mar 8, 2026

Memphis

TBA

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Spurs @ Pelicans Takeaways

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 01:28:40 GMT

Team Stats

(Spurs at Pelicans)

Final Score: 120-116

Rebounds: 59-45

Assists: 25-24

Steals: 6-10

Blocks: 13-3

Turnovers: 18-13

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Victor Wembanyama, 29; Zion Williamson, 27

Rebound Leaders: Luke Kornet, 12; Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, 10

Assist Leaders: Stephon Castle, 6; Zion Williamson, 7

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* This was a tough loss in overtime. Should have won it, but too many mistakes were made during the game. Little mistakes can seem like no big deal until you go in OT and then lose by four points. Willie Green is going to be under a microscope for losses like this.

* Zion Williamson is looking like an absolute ALL-STAR already.

* Herb Jones scored 0 points, which is OK, but he kept shooting 3's. Drive in and get back in your rhythm.

* Rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derek Queen look insanely good for only having two games under their belt. And Queen missed all of Summer League!

* First win has to come on Monday, Oct. 27 at home against the 0-2 Boston Celtics.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Week 8 Recap

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 01:27:03 GMT

The Saints officially hold the #1 overall pick… and the Tyler Shough Era has begun.

New Orleans Saints 3 - 23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This game was a tough watch. There weren’t many positives, and the offense looked the worst it has all season, including the pathetic performances against the Bears and Seahawks from earlier on. The defense held the Buccaneers to 16 offensive points, and yet the Buccaneers were so in control of the game that they were able to put their second stringers in. That shouldn’t happen.

The Positives

Get ready for the shortest positives section of the season. There is not one positive from the offensive side of the ball, but surprisingly, there are a couple on the defensive side.

Chase Young once again made his presence felt on the opposing team, having a tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. You can clearly see that he is a good building block for this team for the future when healthy, but he needs someone on the other side who can help restrict quarterbacks to staying in the pocket. If the Saints get a top-tier edge rusher to go across from Chase Young next season, the team may have something going for them in terms of a pass rush.

The young secondary played well. Kool-Aid McKinstrey and Quincy Riley both looked prepared and ready to cover a better group of receivers, as neither allowed any big plays. Even more noteworthy, the Bucs attempted two fades on Kool-Aid, neither of which they were able to complete. He was able to completely shut both down to the point where he had two very good opportunities for interceptions, and the receivers had to play defense. As the season goes on, I’d like to see Kool-Aid turn opportunities like that into turnovers, especially if the offense won’t be able to do much themselves.

The Negatives

If I wanted to, I could write up negatives for every single person at every position on offense, but I don’t want to waste my Sunday night doing so. Instead, I am going to focus on the biggest negatives on this side of the ball and how I feel they will affect this season.

Rashid Shaheed looked like a pure “speed guy” out there. Although you may not see it from the box score if you were unable to watch the game, Rashid Shaheed had a horrid performance today. He had two catches that led to fumbles called on the field returned for touchdowns, with one being overturned to incomplete, and the other a touchdown that the refs wrongfully said they “blew dead”. This preseason, everyone at training camp discussed how well Shaheed was doing, and that this season might be his breakout season as a do-it-all receiver. I was so overhyped from all of these discussions that I believed he could even potentially surpass Olave as the WR1. Clearly, I’m an idiot and have no clue what I was thinking there. This game showed that Shaheed, a great speed threat, may never be a go-to guy for quarterbacks to rely on when needing tough catches. Do I think Shaheed is one of the best speedy receivers in the league? Absolutely. Do I love Shaheed and want him to stay on the Saints? Yes. However, I feel it is in the Saints' best interest, as well as Shaheed’s, to trade him to anyone offering a 4th or better. This obviously decreases the explosiveness of this receiver room, but provides more opportunities for Vele to step up alongside Olave. For Shaheed, it also means he could be traded to a contender and used for what he does best, scoring on deep balls.

Spencer Rattler had another tough game with multiple turnovers, one fumble on a scramble (second straight game with a fumble on the first offensive drive), and an interception for a touchdown thrown straight into a defensive end’s arms. Did I mention that both turnovers were forced by the same person, Anthony Nelson? I didn’t because it doesn’t really matter outside of trivial means, but it was definitely an impressive performance for him. Anyways, outside of the turnovers for Spencer Rattler, his performance wasn’t “terrible”. He had 136 yards through 15 completions on 21 attempts. I do not think at all that this offense is bad solely because of him, because he has shown positive moments, and I do believe he could succeed with better personnel around him. That being said, he wasn’t playing well enough to keep Tyler Shough off the field. Kellen Moore said he was looking for a spark by putting in Shough, but is unsure of who will be the starter next week. In my opinion, you can’t really afford to go back to Rattler after benching him mid-game, and I think you have to go and see what Shough can do the rest of the year, good or bad.

There are definitely many more negatives to discuss, such as Trevor Penning showing he isn’t worth being brought back, the penalties galore, and don’t even get me started on Juwan Johnson (if I could roll my eyes through the screen for you, I would). This Saints team is in desperate need of young talent, yet it only possesses five draft picks for the upcoming draft. Mickey Loomis and the rest of the Saints’ front office have put them in a terrible spot, and it is hard to see a way for Kellen Moore to claw this team out of it quickly.

Closing and Team MVPs

I really don’t know what to say about this Saints team. There are only about 10 or so guys that I’d keep right now if everyone were a free agent, and none of them are “stars”... yet, at least. I am excited to see what Tyler Shough has in him, and I like that Kellen Moore is willing to make the move, even if it doesn’t end up working out. The Saints now have the #1 overall pick in the draft, so if they lose out, so be it. The rest of this season is for figuring out if Shough is decent enough to prevent the team from drafting another quarterback in April, and I am praying the team doesn’t have to.

Offensive MVP: NONE.

Defensive MVP: Chase Young. (great to see)

Special Teams MVP: NONE. (Good to see Blake make one though)

New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Week 8 Preview

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 14:29:46 GMT

The first divisional game of the season is here!

What the Buccaneers bring to the table?

Coming into this game, the Bucs are in first place in the NFC South. Their record is an impressive 5-2, but most of their opponents have not been great teams, and it's even worse that they barely beat them. In only one of their wins this season, they got the victory by more than one score. In the end, it's impressive to win games, but the final scores show how the Bucs are beatable. One of the main reasons for this is Tampa Bay's injury issues this season. The roster has fallen apart, hampering this team from reaching its potential. Even with these obstacles, QB Baker Mayfield is somehow playing at a very high level, and he will be the main Bucs player to watch in this game.

How about the Saints?

The last game was embarrassing. When part of the team thing looked fine, another looked like a massive issue. QB Spencer Rattler looked rattled (no pun intended) most of the game, the decision making was not there, and Bears DC Dennis Allen had his number. The young QB was not the only one who struggled. Kellen Moore was making bad playcalls at important times, and if some better decisions were made, the Saints could have actually somehow won. Instead, the team is 1-6 and looking to end the losing streak.

Injury Report

HEALTHY

My Prediction

I made a risky decision last week to choose the Saints to get an upset win... but I can't do it again. The Saints are a struggling team, and although I do think this game is winnable, they must prove they can get victories.

Pelicans @ Grizzlies Takeaways

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:08:56 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans @ Grizzlies)

Final Score: 122-128

Rebounds: 47-39

Assists: 20-20

Steals: 10-5

Blocks: 4-12

Turnovers: 14-17

Stat Leaders

Scoring Leaders: Zion Williamson, 27; Ja Morant, 35

Rebound Leaders: Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, 9; Jaren Jackson Jr., 8

Assist Leaders: Zion Williamson, 5; Jaylen Wells, 4

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Chrissy's Key Takeaways

* THE HEALTHY NEW ORLEANS PELICANS ARE GOING TO BE A FORCE THIS SEASON!

* So many good things happened, which made it disappointing to lose such a close game.

* Some of the rotations were not effective, and Jordan Poole should have played more minutes because he had the hot hand.

* Zion looks great and will only get even more impressive as the season goes on.

* Jeremiah Fears is the real deal, y'all.

* It was great seeing Herb, Trey, and Z all on the court together healthy as can be.

* Friday's home game is going to be tough. Can't wait!

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Lions Look to Stay Hot: No. 19 Southeastern vs Houston Christian University Pre-Game Report

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 17:51:34 GMT

The Game

After back-to-back shutouts, the No. 19 Southeastern Lions (5–2, 3–0 SLC) travel to Houston to face the Houston Christian Huskies (2–5, 1–2 SLC) in what could be a pivotal matchup in the Southland Conference race. The Lions currently sit neck and neck with Stephen F. Austin and Lamar for control of the conference and an automatic FCS playoff bid. Many believe the Southland could be a two-bid league this year, making every game from here out crucial, and every bit of fan support essential, as the Lions push toward the final stretch of this season. There are two more home games against ETAMU and Nicholls this year.

As Coach Frank Scelfo said this week, “I know this, playing in our conference week in and week out, you’ve got to bring your best game. You can’t just think it’s going to happen. You’ve got to play well.” That mentality has defined this team’s recent run and will be vital as they try to maintain control of their postseason destiny.

In a fan poll I conducted this week on X (@LionUpLeBlanc), 45% of voters predicted a third straight shutout for the Lions, while 36% expected a decisive win that fell just short of a shutout. Only 18% thought the game would be close, and not a single vote went to an HCU upset. The fanbase has made it clear: confidence in this team is at an all-time high.

The Season So Far

Southeastern is currently playing its best football of the year. After a commanding 49–0 homecoming win over Northwestern State, the Lions’ 15th straight victory over the Demons, the Green and Gold are riding a wave of momentum. In last week's game the offense looked balanced, putting up 220 passing yards and 182 rushing yards. Special teams produced a touchdown on an 83-yard kickoff return from Brandon Hayes and a blocked punt by Brant Monistere. Defensively, the Lions have not allowed a single point in the last two contests, shutting out McNeese and Northwestern State in consecutive weeks.

This dominant stretch has granted Southeastern respect on the national level, climbing to No. 19 in the AFCA Coach's Poll after being ranked No. 22 the previous week. Coach Scelfo’s squad is clicking in all three phases of the game, and they’ll look to carry that same energy into Houston.

The Houston Christian Story

The Huskies come into this game at 2–5 overall and 1–2 in Southland play, fresh off a 27-0 Loss to McNeese, the same Cowboys team Southeastern blanked 38–0 earlier this month. Offensively, HCU has struggled to find rhythm. Coach Scelfo mentioned in his weekly press conference that the Huskies are “turning the ball over a little bit too much right now and giving up a lot of sacks,” these issues have kept them from becoming an effective offensive team.

Despite the growing pains, Houston Christian has shown flashes of competitiveness in conference play and continues to play hard under second-year head coach Jason Bachtel. They’ve been more dangerous at home than on the road, so the Lions can’t afford to look past this one.

On the defensive side, HCU has mixed things up schematically, which could test Southeastern’s offensive line. Coach Scelfo noted that the Huskies’ defense will be showing a mixture of different schemes and fronts that could prove challenging for the Lions’ offensive line to pick up. Still, this is a mature group up front with two seniors, a junior, and two sophomores. I have full confidence they’ll adapt quickly as they’ve done all season.

Predictions

This game feels like another opportunity for the Lions to show just how complete of a team they are. The defense is suffocating teams, the offense is spreading the ball effectively, and special teams are producing highlight moments. While a third straight shutout would be remarkable, and 45% of fans are betting on it, I think HCU finds a way to sneak a field goal or two on their home turf.

Final Prediction:

Southeastern 41 – Houston Christian 6

Another dominant showing keeps the Lions undefeated in Southland play and one step closer to a playoff berth.

Where to find me?

X: @LionUpLeBlanc

You can also see me on the weekly Louisiana Gameday show, previewing all the College Football in Louisiana!

LION UP!

Quotes attributed to Head Coach Frank Scelfo were sourced via Southeastern Sports Network’s official X account (@LionUpNetwork).

Lions Dominate: No. 22 Southeastern's 49-0 Homecoming Victory Over Northwestern State

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 01:47:05 GMT

Homecoming in Hammond, America

The SLU Lions put on a show for the Homecoming crowd Saturday night at Strawberry Stadium, dominating Northwestern State 49–0 in the 70th meeting between the longtime rivals. The win marked Southeastern’s 15th straight victory in the series, pushing their all-time record against the Demons to 41–29.

The Lions were in control from the start, scoring 7 total touchdowns and piling up 402 yards of total offense while holding Northwestern State to just 120 total yards. Quarterbacks Kyle Lowe and Carson Camp combined for 220 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, while Southeastern’s rushing attack added 182 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Brandon Hayes got a touchdown for the special teams as well with an 83 yard kickoff return.

The win capped off a festive Homecoming weekend in Hammond, America. Friendship Circle was packed for the tailgate, where fans enjoyed live music from The Chee Weez, food vendors, and a great homecoming parade celebrating the Lion Up Community. Many alumni and students made their way from the tailgate into Strawberry Stadium to witness the Lions’ most dominant performance of the season. As an alum myself, I loved seeing the University buy into the Homecoming festivities this year with great entertainment and an electric atomosphere.

Head Coach Frank Scelfo emphasized earlier in the week how important homecoming is for the university, noting that for many alumni, this is the only game of the year they get to attend. After the game, he praised his team for delivering for the homecoming crowd and giving our fans something to be proud of.

Lion Up LeBlanc’s Players of the Game

Offense – Deantre “The Jet” Jackson:

Jackson continued to live up to his nickname, finding the end zone three times. Deantre had two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air, totaling 67 yards on just a handful of touches. His early spark set the tone for a long night for the Demon defense.

Defense – Jakyri Jones:

Jones anchored the Lion defense with seven total tackles (four solo), helping lead a unit that forced five sacks and nine tackles for loss. Southeastern’s defense suffocated the Demons all evening, allowing only 24 rushing yards on 30 attempts.

Looking Ahead

As impressive as the atmosphere was, I can only hope this energy carries beyond homecoming weekend. The Lions have proven they can contend with anyone in the FCS, and if they continue to play like this, more alumni and students should want to pack Strawberry Stadium every single home game. The Lions are putting an exceptional product on the field, it's our time to do our part as fans to match that energy, fill the stands, and keep the train rolling!

Next up, Southeastern (5–2, 3–0 Southland) hits the road for another conference matchup against Houston Christian University. Stay tuned for my pre-game report later this week.

Where to find me?

X: @LionUpLeBlanc

You can also see me on the weekly Louisian Gameday show, previewing all the College Football in Louisiana!

LION UP!

New Orleans Saints vs Chicago Bears 2025 Week 7 Recap

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 21:58:38 GMT

In a game where the Saints looked to beat former head coach Dennis Allen, the team put up their worst performances of the year at multiple spots.

New Orleans Saints 14 - 26 Chicago Bears

The Saints somehow found a way to have a more upsetting loss than their horrific loss to the Seahawks earlier this season. They were bad across all sides of the ball, plain and simple. Spencer Rattler might have had the worst game of his career, and Dennis Allen looked like the best DC in the league. For Spencer Rattler and Saints fans in the year 2025, that may be the worst outcome possible.

The Positives

This is going to be quick, because there are only two positives that stand out to me. Chris Olave. Chase Young. Two players that are clearly solid building pieces for this team in the future.

Chris Olave had a huge bounce back game after his tough performance last week, in which he had multiple drops. He turned in those drops for two touchdowns in this one, something Olave had never previously done in his career, which is a great sign for this team’s future. Although Olave had those two massive touchdowns, I really wish the Saints tried to get him more involved both earlier and later in the game like they did last week. There are rumors going around the NFL and social media that the Saints and Chris Olave are working on an extension, and if true, Chris Olave may have earned himself a few extra million dollars today.

Chase Young has only played two games for the team this year, as he suffered a calf injury before the week one matchup with the Cardinals. That being said, in the two games he has played, last week and today, he has definitely made an impact for this team. In this game he batted down two passes at the line, and had a half sack shared with Bryan Bresee. These numbers aren’t jaw dropping statlines that the top edges in the league may put up, but Chase was providing a great amount of push on his side. The problem is, most times Chase Young is getting push, Chris Rumph, Carl Granderson, or Cam Jordan fail to do so and Caleb Williams was able to freely roll out the opposite way. If the Saints go into the draft and get a game wrecker edge to go across from him, the pass rush could immediately be set up for success next season. Right now, the pass rush does not look good at all, and they’re giving quarterbacks all the time in the world in the pocket, but Chase Young is a sign that there may be light on the horizon.

The Negatives

Spencer Rattler played his worst game of the season today, if not his whole career. He finished the game 20 of 32 for 233 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and a fumble lost. Woof. In the first half, before the final drive, Rattler was clearly flustered by the Bears defensive line getting constant pressure. He had less than 10 passing yards until that final drive where he found Olave two times for one massive gain and a touchdown. He then followed that up with another touchdown to Olave, but the struggles soon came back thereafter. Spencer Rattler threw multiple bad picks today, each being directly to a defender, and one being into triple coverage.

Spencer Rattler is a guy that Saints fans wanted to be more aggressive, myself included, and he finally seemed to jump head first into an aggressive playstyle without any second thought. On his second interception, it appeared as though he could have ran for a few yards. Instead? He ended up waiting too long and practically directed Kevin Byard to the interception. In addition, he had a throw that should have been picked off, if it weren’t for two Bears defenders absolutely crushing one another and breaking up the pass.

This performance heats up the Shough conversations, and they are now louder than they have ever been before. Spencer Rattler couldn’t afford an implosion game like he had today, and this performance on top of his record, really makes the Saints consider seeing what they have in the 40th overall pick (at least in my eyes). I’d completely understand if Kellen Moore and the team want to give him another shot next week against the Buccaneers, so that the team can see if this was merely a fluke performance. Spencer Rattler needs to find a midpoint between his aggressive and conservative playstyles to succeed in this league, and if he can’t, then I could see Tyler Shough’s number being called in the 504 soon.

Both the offensive and defensive lines played terribly today for the Saints, with the run game not being able to pick up anything against the worst defense in terms of rushing yards per game, and the defense allowing over 6 yards per carry to both featured Bears running backs. Early in the game, Jaquan Brisker was able to get pressure through Taliese Fuaga, Juwan Johnson, and Alvin Kamara, and the Bears were able to get pressure on Rattler even when the Saints had max protection to help Rattler. It is inexcusable, nothing else to say. On top of this, Erik McCoy went down with an arm injury in this one, with Kellen Moore saying some concern is present. Without McCoy, this offensive line could have massive struggles on the inside, and put even more demand on the young tackles who don’t need more on their already full plate.

The defense struggled against the run in this one, with holes that trucks could drive through being available for both Swift and Monangai multiple times. Not only that, but the holes opened up so quickly that the running backs were able to get to the second level at full speed, making it harder on the linebackers and secondary to make tackles. Let me say this too, it has nothing to do with the defensive line, but Justin Reid absolutely struggled all over the field today. Talking about run defense made me think of it, but Reid was terrible in run help and also had multiple blown coverages. If I had a say, I’d put in Jordan Howden, and get on the phone to move Reid for some draft compensation.

I can’t believe I am having to write about him again, but Blake Grupe missed another kick. Is he the reason the Saints lost the game? No, but he surely isn’t someone any fan or player involved with this team should trust to go out there and help win them games. Yes, the kick was from over 50 yards out. Yes, the weather wasn’t great. It doesn’t matter anymore. He has been given his chance to clean it up and he has failed. Kellen Moore and Co. need to do something to apply pressure this week, whether that be giving Charlie Smyth a real shot or bringing in some kickers for tryouts. It may not solve all of the Saints issues, but it would at least mean that Kellen Moore does not accept mediocrity and constant mistakes.

Kellen Moore did not have a good game as a playcaller. He had a great two drives on the two drives that ended in touchdowns, but had numerous questionable decisions sprinkled throughout today. First of all, running inside on third and long is very uninspiring, and makes me lack the trust he has in Rattler. However, he decided not to run on third and fourth down when the Saints needed less than a yard on their final offensive possession of the game, which tells me he didn’t trust the run game. Additionally, Kellen Moore has failed to truly get Devaughn Vele involved in any game this season, which makes no sense considering they invested draft compensation in him when the team needs nothing but more draft picks. If you trade for someone, especially a fourth rounder, you need to make them a part of your gameplan. Kellen Moore has showed some promise, and by no means is he the reason this team is failing (at least so far), so I want to see if he improves throughout the rest of the season.

Closing and Team MVPs

By no means did I think the Saints were a sure thing to win this game, but I definitely believed they could make it close. Players across all phases of the game looked like they have never played the sport before, and that can’t be happening this late in the season, especially when veterans are some of the ones making the mistakes. The Saints need to commit fully to the younger players on this roster, and see what they can do the rest of this season. I don’t think Shough will start next week, but if Rattler somehow turns this performance into a trend, Shough will get playing time this season.

Offensive MVP: Chris Olave

Defensive MVP: NONE. Pathetic. (2 weeks in a row)

Special Teams MVP: NONE. (Can we please put Shaheed back there on kickoffs if we aren’t going to use him more as a receiver?)

New Orleans Saints vs Chicago Bears 2025 Week 7 Preview

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 13:43:09 GMT

After losing last week, can the New Orleans Saints bounce back with a win over the Chicago Bears?

What the Bears bring to the table?

In the 2024/25 season, Chicago had a pretty disappointing year, and rookie QB Caleb Williams struggled. Following a complete coaching staff change and significant roster improvements, the Bears were hoping to have the season they had hoped for last year. It started a bit slow due to the offense not finding their consistency expected when former Lions OC Ben Johnson was hired as HC, but going into Sunday's game, the Bears offense has greatly improved. On the other side of the ball, a familiar face to Saints fans is coaching the defense: Dennis Allen. After being fired by New Orleans last season, it didn't take much time for Allen to find a job. This defense has been one of the best in the NFL at causing turnovers, and they are playing confidently.

How about the Saints?

The term "revenge game" is tossed around a lot when talking about sports, and this game fits the bill. Current Saints starting QB Spencer Rattler was benched for Caleb Williams at Oklahoma, which led to Rattler leaving for South Carolina. In the end, this was actually a good thing for his career, but it wouldn't be surprising if there is a little extra motivation in this game against the Bears. Rattler has been playing winning football, and if it wasn't for some drops and a fumble last game, we could have been talking about the two-win Saints entering this game. The other issue in the Patriots loss was the defense, and if the Saints want any chance of beating the Ben Johnson-led Bears, the defense can not start as bad as it did last week.

Injury Report

CB Isaac Yiadom - Questionable

DT John Ridgeway III - OUT

My Prediction

I really think this is going to be a challenging game for the Saints to win. The offense should have a decent day against the Bears defense, but again, the Saints defense could let them down. That first half against the Patriots was an ugly one, but the second-half adjustments kept the team in the game. This is really a toss-up, but I'm going to go with the Saints winning this game 20-15.

2025 LSU Week 8 Preview

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 00:23:02 GMT

Let's get into it!

When: Saturday, October 18th, 2025, 11:00 AM

Where: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN

Channel: ABC

Spread: Vanderbilt -2.5

O/U: 47.5

The Tigers will be playing Saturday morning in Music City. This matchup will tell us a lot!

Vanderbilt, 5-1 (1-1), is entering into this contest coming off of a bye week. Vandy does appear to be a little beat up. Keep an eye out for this. The Commodores have the 4th best rushing offense in the SEC as well as the 5th best total offense in the SEC. Diego Pavia is the leader of this team. Pavia has over 1400 passing yards, over 300 rushing yards, and 16 total TDs. Sedrick Alexander and Makihilyn Young are the leaders in the running back room. The leading pass catchers are Eli Stowers, Junior Sherrill, and Tre Richardson. The defense is led by safety CJ Heard, edge rusher Miles Capers, and Bryan Longwell. This isn't your grandpa's, your dad's, nor your Vanderbilt. This is a high strung team. The Tigers are in for a fight.

LSU, 5-1 (2-1), enters the contest coming off of a big win against South Carolina. Garrett Nussmeier appears to be healthy. The ball really jumped off of his hand last week. The Tiger signal caller will look to cut back on the interceptions. Caden Durham and Ju'Juan Johnson will take care of the backfield duties for the Tigers. Both Durham and Johnson had solid games last week. The offensive line will look to build off of the momentum from last week. Trey'Dez Green had a great game last week. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers use Green. Kyle Parker has stepped up big time in recent weeks. I would like to see Parker continue to be involved. Aaron Anderson appears to be good to go for this one. This is huge for the Tigers. The Tiger defense is a solid unit with talent at all 3 levels. Jacobian Guillory is the leader on the line. Whit Weeks, who is a bit dinged up, is the leader in the linebacker room. Tamarcus Cooley and AJ Haulcy are the leaders in the defensive backfield, but this defensive backfield is LOADED with talent!

KEYS TO THE GAME

- The Tigers shut down Diego Pavia last year. This defense had practice last week facing LaNorris Sellers. Let's see if the Tigers can make Pavia one dimensional.

- Can the Tiger defense get off the field on 3rd down?

- Can the Tigers keep the running game going?

This will be a perfect way to start the day, Tiger fans. This looks to be a great game.

Fun Fact: The 1st time these teams met was in 1902. LSU finished the season 6-1 with the only loss being to Vanderbilt. The Tigers went on to capture a co-conference championship.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

LSU vs South Carolina Week 7 Review

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 18:33:59 GMT

Let's get into it!

The Tigers move to 5-1 on the season, 2-1 in SEC play.

LSU goes 3 and out on the opening drive of the game. LaNorris Sellers fumbles on the 1st play of South Carolina's opening drive. Tigers recover the fumble. LSU goes on a 4 play 7 yard drive that is capped off by a Damian Ramos 28 yard field goal. LSU 3-0. South Carolina puts together a 9 play 46 yard drive, but William Joyce misses a 47 yard field goal. LSU puts together a strong 13 play 71 yard drive, but Ju'Juan Johnson fumbles. South Carolina recovers the fumble. South Carolina takes advantage by going on a 3 play 80 yard drive that was capped off by a Matt Fuller 72 yard rushing TD. SC 7-3. LSU punches back with a 6 play 72 yard drive that was capped off by a Trey'Dez Green 6 yard receiving TD. LSU 10-7. The teams trade punts. Then the quarterbacks trade interceptions. The teams trade punts again. South Carolina runs out the 1st half. South Carolina opens the 2nd half with an 11 play 46 yard drive that was capped off by a William Joyce 47 yard field goal. Tied 10-10. LSU responds with a 4 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Kyle Parker 43 yard receiving TD. LSU 17-10. South Carolina goes 3 and out. Garrett Nussmeier throws an interception. The teams trade punts. South Carolina turns the ball over on downs. LSU takes advantage by going on a 10 play 64 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 22 yard field goal. LSU 20-10. South Carolina turns the ball over on downs. LSU kneels out the clock. Tigers win! LSU 20, South Carolina 10.

Takeaways

- The turnovers, especially in the end zone, have to be talked about.

- This defense will keep LSU in games. This offense has to pull their weight.

- TREY'DEZ GREEN!!

Awards

- Offensive MVP - Trey'Dez Green - This guy stepped up big time tonight. Hopefully this is a preview of things to come!

- Defensive MVP - AJ Haulcy - This guy is climbing draft boards every week. Take it in, Tiger fans!

The Tigers travel to Music City to take on Vanderbilt Saturday morning.

Thank you for checking out my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

New Orleans Saints vs New England Patriots 2025 Week 6 Recap

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:22:39 GMT

In a game where Spencer Rattler might have had his best performance as a Saint, his weapons failed him.

New Orleans Saints 19 - 25 New England Patriots

The Saints lose another “competitive” game where they keep the fans in it til the end, just to break their hearts yet again. This result was due to two main causes: the defense lacking talent, and the weapons on offense making mistakes.

The Positives

Spencer Rattler had another solid performance in this one, completing 20 of 26 attempts for 227 yards and had 10 straight completions at one point. He also made some really good plays with his legs again, navigating the pocket well and running for 20 yards on 4 attempts. He had multiple plays and throws in this game that had me saying to myself, “he’s the guy”, and that the team should build around him. That being said, there were a few plays that Chris Olave let Rattle down on good throws, one in the endzone, one on a deep ball, and another on a crucial play late in the game for a first down. Spencer Rattler is doing everything he can to keep the Saints alive… and the offense around him isn’t helping him out.

Blake Grupe had his best game of the season, going 4/4 with a long of 54. This was a game where another miss like he’s had in previous games would be a dagger, and he stood up to the test and did his job today.

Chris Olave had a very solid game today if you look at the box score, and his first hal-f was one of the best he’s had as a Saint. The sad thing is, I can’t rightfully put him in the positives today as his misses helped the Patriots win the game.

The Negatives

Getting right back to Chris Olave, who is a possible trade piece for the Saints this year, he failed to make plays that a true WR1 for an NFL team should make. As I mentioned before, he had three drops/misses on balls from Rattler that could have, and arguably should have been, caught. Each came in big moments and all of them were throws in big moments that could have been massive boosts for the team. He did make one absurd contested-catch leaping over Marcus Jones on a long 3rd down, but came down and then fumbled (luckily the play ended up being ruled an incomplete catch). Olave has made some incredible catches in his career, but he has failed to truly step up in big moments, with a few exceptions. He is looking to sign a big contract, and he has not lived up to how you would expect a WR getting a huge pay day to perform. In fact, Kayshon Boutte stepped up in big moments for his team, with two strong contested catches over Kool-Aid McKinstry. If Olave wants a pay day, and if the Saints are looking to keep him around, he needs to make plays like Boutte did today.

The Saints defense was horrific today. More specifically, the secondary was horrific today. Jonas Sanker and Quincy Riley had extremely bad lapses in coverage today, both failing to realize where their help was and allowing their assignments to get wide open. Drake Maye was able to find open receivers constantly throughout the game, picking apart a talent ridden defense. Kool-Aid McKinstry looked terrible again, after a 2-interception game all of us would hope he could build off of. Opposing QBs seem to be targeting him, and I just can’t blame them for doing so. The defense did stand up and force two punts during the 4th quarter, but Kool-Aid let up another big gain on a 3rd and 11 in coverage against Kayshon Boutte of all people.

Juwan Johnson. Someone who was extremely productive to start the season, let the team down with a huge fumble in the 4th quarter as Spencer Rattler tried to drive the team down the field. There are a lot of people on Twitter (or X, whatever you’d like to call it), calling him Juwan “Jared Cook” Johnson, but Jared Cook was a reliable option in the red zone and at least had above average hands. I can’t say the same about Johnson. Johnson has let down the team and Rattler a couple of times this season, and his production has steadily decreased every game so far. If he wants to be the TE1 for this team for the foreseeable future, he needs to live up to the $30 million contract the Saints gave him, and so far he hasn’t.

Closing and Team MVPs

In all honesty, I just don’t have much to say about this game other than that I’m very disappointed. Spencer Rattler showed up quickly, and he didn’t make any “bad” plays this game, if anything, he made lots of “good” plays that showed me the team can build around him. It’s just a shame that the weapons the team have “invested” in let him down like they did. The team was competitive, as they have been in all but 1 game, so let’s see if they can bounce back and hopefully get revenge against Dennis Allen next weekend in Chicago.

Offensive MVP: Spencer Rattler

Defensive MVP: NONE. Pathetic.

Special Teams MVP: Blake Grupe

New Orleans Saints vs New England Patriots 2025 Week 6 Preview

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 16:36:36 GMT

The New Orleans Saints have done it. They won their first game of the season. Now, can they create a win streak?

What the Patriots bring to the table?

New England is entering their second year of a rebuild, and after an impressive win last week against the Buffalo Bills, they improved their record to 3-2. This is a quick turnaround from the disappointment of last season, and this can be attributed to the hiring of HC Mike Vrabel, improving the overall roster, and QB Drake Maye's development. Still, there are holes on this roster that could be the difference in this game. The Patriots have had fumbling issues, the running game has not been great, the offensive line is still developing, and the pass rush may be the most glaring weakness of this team. To say this is a complete roster is far from the truth, but under Mike Vrabel, they will compete in every game and win.

How about the Saints?

This is nowhere near an easy game for New Orleans, but it's winnable. The Saints have shown competitiveness in nearly all of their games, except the outlier against the Seattle Seahawks. HC Kellen Moore and QB Spencer Rattler are growing/developing together, these players are showing fight, and besides one injury, this roster is fully healthy. Edge rusher Chase Young is finally making his season debut, and with how much of an issue the defensive line has been for the Saints, this may be the most significant return from injury in a while. The defensive line will play better, the cornerbacks will face less pressure, the run defense will improve, and the entire defense will have a better chance of turning the ball over. Like with many of the previous games, the New Orleans Saints will be competitive in this game, but will they win it?

Injury Report

CB Isaac Yiadom - OUT

RB Alvin Kamara - Questionable

DT John Ridgeway III - Questionable

My Prediction

I said last week that until the Saints get their first victory, I would not choose them to win a game. Well, they won last week... but I am still not choosing them to win. This is going to be a tough game, and I think it ends close, 20-17, with a missed field goal by kicker Blake Grupe being the difference.

2025 LSU Week 7 Preview

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 19:03:56 GMT

Let's get into it!

When: Saturday, October 11th, 2025, 6:45 PM

Where: The Real Death Valley, Baton Rouge, LA

TV: SECN

Spread: LSU -8.5

O/U: 44.5

LSU and South Carolina will meet for the 24th time on Saturday. LSU leads the series 18-2-1. LSU had 2 wins vacated.

South Carolina

South Carolina comes into this game with a 3-2 record (1-2 SEC). LaNorris Sellers is the leader of this offense. He is a dual threat quarterback, who LSU fans are very familiar with. Rahsul Faison is the leader in the running back room. The leading pass catchers are Vandrevius Jacobs and Nyck Harbor. This offense ranks last in total yards in the SEC and rushing offense. Sellers has been sacked the 3rd most in the SEC (14). The Gamecock defense is led by Fred Johnson; the linebacker has 25 total tackles on the season. Dylan Stewart is a very good edge rusher. Stewart has 3.5 sacks this season. The leader in the defensive backfield is Gerald Kilgore. Kilgore is tied for 1st in the SEC with 2 interceptions. The Gamecock defense is tied for 3rd in the SEC with 6 interceptions. This defense ranks 116th in 3rd down defense. Hopefully the Tigers can expose this.

LSU

LSU enters this matchup with a 4-1 record (1-1 SEC). LSU is led by Garrett Nussmeier. Hopefully Nussmeier was able to get healthy during the bye week. Caden Durham will likely be back for this contest. Durham leads the Tigers with 52 carries for 213 yards and 2 TDs. Aaron Anderson will likely be back for this one as well. Anderson has 23 catches for 305 yards. Barion Brown has 25 catches for 239 yards and 1 TD. The Tiger defense ranks 2nd in the SEC with 7 interceptions. Linebacker West Weeks leads the Tigers with 31 total tackles. Jacobian Guillory II leads the defensive line with 6 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. DaShawn Spears leads the defensive backfield with 2 interceptions, which is tied for 1st in the SEC.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Can the Tigers expose the Gamecock 3rd down defense?

Can the Tigers expose the weak Gamecock rush defense?

Can the Tigers contain LaNorris Sellers?

This will be a solid matchup on Saturday night!

Fun Fact: The 1st time these teams played was 95 years ago to the day.

Thank you for checking out my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

New Orleans Saints vs New York Giants 2025 Week 5 Recap

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 21:46:24 GMT

After a long 300 day wait, the Saints are finally back in the win column.

New Orleans Saints 26 - 14 New York Giants

The Saints were 1.5 point favorites going into their home matchup against the Giants, the team they had their most recent win against… in December of last year. Spencer Rattler joined the infamous group of NFL quarterbacks to start their career with 10 straight losses, but bounced back with his first career win. This team is one that has been looking for a positive boost to the season and it has finally arrived.

The Positives

First things first, congratulations to Spencer Rattler. His whole career to this point has been working with backups or fighting for a spot against Tyler Shough, and although he has been playing well, a win was necessary to keep the discussions from getting louder. Prior to this game, Rattler was relying on shorter passes, and the deep balls he has been throwing have been inconsistent at best. He finally connected perfectly on one today with Rashid Shaheed for an 87 yard touchdown, the only offensive touchdown scored today. Oh, and did I mention this was the longest offensive touchdown for the Saints since Drew Brees was our quarterback? Rattler put up a solid final statline with 20 completions on 30 attempts for 225 yards and one touchdown. He avoided putting the ball in harm's way, and before rewatching, seemed to make the right decisions on most passing plays. He also had a solid game on the ground, with 21 yards on 6 carries. This is exactly the type of game us fans have wanted to see from Rattler, and if he can build off of this, the Saints may have their guy.

Kellen Moore had a solid game today with the offensive scheme, as it got 7 different receivers the ball (not including Rattler’s fluke reception), got Kendre Miller over 10 touches again, and reintroduced Taysom Hill with a small role. I’ve given Kellen Moore a good amount of knocks this season, and I have one I want to mention later, but the aggressive move to go for it on 4th and 5 late in the 4th quarter was something I loved seeing. Kellen Moore showed confidence in his guys by going for it here, especially in Rattler, calling a quick pass play that ended in a first down to Rashid Shaheed on a slant. In addition to this, towards the end of the game he fed Kendre Miller, who looked unstoppable on every rush. Kendre Miller was Dennis Allen’s enemy number one, and Kellen Moore has given him a much needed fresh start. As we saw last week vs the Bills, Kendre Miller seems like the best pure rusher on the team right now, which isn’t a slight to Saints legend Kamara, it just is a compliment to how talented Kendre is. He is one of the league’s top running backs in yards after contact and missed tackles forced, so it is essential for this offense that he keeps getting the ball.

The defense and secondary came alive in this one, with 5 turnovers, 3 of which were fumble recoveries, and 2 being much needed interceptions by Kool-Aid McKinstry. I will talk about the defense’s struggles later, but after the first two drives the defense allowed zero, yes zero, points. They held all Giants rushers outside of Jaxson Dart to less than 4 yards per carry, and got a good amount of pressure on Dart when they brought more than 4 rushers. In addition, we saw Justin Reid go down early in this one with a concussion, forcing Jordan Howden to step up into his role. Jordan Howden and Jonas Sanker looked like a promising duo on the field together, both constantly crashing down to make tackles and both looking solid in coverage. Not only did these two and Kool-Aid step up, but Bryan Bresee had multiple pressures and also forced the fumble on Jordan Howden’s fumble return touchdown. This is a team that is in need of young players to step up, and today the young players on defense did just that.

The Negatives

Although the majority of this game was positive for the Saints, it’s still important to note that there were a few things that need to be improved. The penalties came back in this one, 7 being called on them with false starts and offsides from the offense causing setbacks on drives. The most notable penalty came after Taysom Hill completed a pass to Juwan Johnson to get them to the Giants’ 7 yard line. Torrecelli Simpkins false started on 1st down, leading to 1st and goal from the 12, and the Saints being held to a field goal.

Red zone struggles continued for the team, who are now down at 50% conversion rate for touchdowns in the endzone. They went 0-3 in the redzone today, with playcalling in the area being questionable and execution not being there. Kellen Moore has had moments every game that I question, and the biggest one that comes to mine was the pass play to Kamara with 11 seconds left before the half. With just 11 seconds left, you would expect a pass play that gets to the endzone, and instead no receivers ran past the sticks. The target was a quick out to Kamara, who had no shot at getting out of bounds or to the endzone, and the team had to burn their final timeout with 6 seconds left and ultimately settle for a field goal.

The Saints defense and secondary flashed today, but Staley’s scheme has me questioning any chance the team has of the performance being consistent. Staley has been vocal about his belief of limiting the explosive plays, and that they’ve done, but on the first two drives the Giants were getting anything on the field they wanted in the pass game short of 20 yards down the field. Staley has had the DBs off about 7-10 yards on majority of plays, and seemed to only rush 4 for the good majority of the first half. When doing this, the Giants were able to pick apart the zone defense, and there was essentially zero pressure being put on Dart. It was good to see this change after the defense allowed two straight easy touchdowns, and I hope to see the Saints defense improve every week from here on out.

The final negative, Blake Grupe. Although Grupe did make 4 field goals, he also missed 2 from 52 and 46 yards out. The first could have been due to an announcer’s jinx, if you’re the superstitious type, but the second was just a straight up miss. In games where the saints aren’t able to build a lead like they did today, it can help lead to losses, which we did see play out a few times this season already. Kellen Moore needs to do something about this, whether that be bringing in kickers to tryout, or having a mini-competition between Smyth and Grupe this week at practice.

Closing and Team MVPs

In all honesty, I have waited too long for the Saints to win a game, so I’m going to bask in the glory of this one, even though it was against a team that isn’t exactly great. I’m happy for Spencer Rattler, Kellen Moore, and for the team to finally have some positive momentum. Now, it’s up to the team to take this momentum and put it towards the next two weeks, with winnable games against the Patriots and Bears.

Offensive MVP: Spencer Rattler

Defensive MVP: Whole defense, they all played their hearts out

Special Teams MVP: NONE.

New Orleans Saints vs New York Giants 2025 Week 5 Preview

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 03:50:00 GMT

For the first tme this season, the New Orleans Saints enter a game as the favorites. Will this 0-4 team be able to get the job done?

What the Giants bring to the table?

After winning their first game of the season last week, the New York Giants hope to start a win streak after a terrible start to the season. Head coach Brian Daboll fell in love with QB Jaxon Dart throughout the draft process, which led to the Giants trading up into the first round to select the young quarterback. Still, it was unlikely Dart would start early in the season after the team signed Russel Wilson, but after some underwhelming play, the Giants took a risk and started Dart last week. Although he wasn't the main reason for their win, Dart was a real threat in the run, and when he gets comfortable in the scheme, it could get scary for opposing defenses. Speaking of defense, the Giants defensive line is one of the best in the NFL. Their pass rush is dynamic and destroys any plan the offense has.

How about the Saints?

Although New Orleans is the favorite in this game, the Giants could make the Saints' day tough. Looking first at the offensive line, the Saints have had overall decent play throughout the season, but this will be the biggest test so far. This is mostly in pass rush, but against the run, the Saints can expose the Giants' struggles in that area. QB Spencer Rattler could also have a big game running the ball, but when focusing on the pass, the ball must get out quickly and accurately.

Injury Report

EDGE Chase Young - OUT

WR Devaughn Vele - Questionable

G Dillon Radunz - Questionable

TE Juwan Johnson - Questionable

G Trevor Penning - Questionable

G Cesar Ruiz - OUT

CB Isaac Yiadom - OUT

WR Trey Palmer - OUT

My Prediction

Due to the Saints entering this matchup without a win, I'm not sure I can choose this current team to win until I see a win. With that in mind, I do have the Saints losing this game, but in a very close 13-10 score.

LSU vs Ole Miss Week 5 Review

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:09:02 GMT

Let's get into it!

LSU drops one against Ole Miss. It is time to talk about this LSU offense.

The teams trade punts to open the game. Ole Miss goes 3 and out. LSU goes on a 5 play 67 yard drive that was capped off by a Nic Anderson 7 yard receiving TD. LSU 7-0. Ole Miss answers with an 18 play 83 yard drive that was capped off by a Lucas Carneiro 25 yard field goal. LSU 7-3. Garrett Nussmeier throws an interception on LSU's next drive. The teams trade punts. Ole Miss fumbles the ball away on the following drive. LSU goes 3 and out. Ole Miss goes on a 5 play 70 yard drive that was capped off by a Kewan Lacy 15 yard rushing TD. Ole Miss 10-7. LSU punts on the next drive. Ole Miss goes on a strong 9 play 69 yard drive that was capped off by a Cayden Lee 2 yard receiving TD. Ole Miss 17-7. LSU kneels out the half. The teams trade punts to open the 2nd half. LSU goes on an 8 play 33 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 39 yard field goal. Ole Miss 17-10. Trinidad Chambliss throws an intercept on Ole Miss' next drive. LSU takes advantage by going on a 6 play 16 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 48 yard field goal. Ole Miss 17-13. Ole Miss responds by going on an 11 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Logan Diggs 6 yard rushing TD. Ole Miss 24-13. LSU punches back by going on a 15 play 80 yard drive that was capped off by a Harlem Berry 6 yard rushing TD. Ole Miss 24-19. Ole Miss runs out the clock on the Tigers. Ole Miss wins.

Takeaways

- On opening drives, LSU has run 19 plays for 62 yards and has thrown 1 interception. Something needs to change here.

- No, Brian Kelly, LSU fans are not spoiled. This offense is yet again near the bottom of the SEC in rushing offense.

- Brian Kelly's comments about practicing are getting old quick. You make too much money to not take accountability.

Awards

- Offensive MVP - Harlem Berry - Harlem was able to score a TD for the Tigers in a big game. His future is bright!

- Defensive MVP - A.J. Haulcy - What more can you say about this guy?! A true leader on the field who FLIES to the football.

The Tigers will look to heal up during the bye week.

Thank you for checking out my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

New Orleans Saints vs Buffalo Bills 2025 Week 4 Recap

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 01:58:03 GMT

Although the result in the win/loss column remained the same from last week, the product on the field was much better for the Saints.

New Orleans Saints 19 - 31 Buffalo Bills

The Saints were never supposed to or expected to win the game today against the Bills, who are one of, if not the best team in the NFL. That being said, I wanted to see the team clean up the penalties and show some fight against a really good opponent, which they did. The team is in the rebuilding process, something we all knew going into the season, so what is most important for this team is showing that they have key building pieces in the building. Multiple young players showed up for the Saints today in key moments, with the most notable being Kendre Miller and Jonas Sanker. Kendre Miller has shown flashes in previous games, and today when the Saints relied on the run game, he took 11 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. These numbers aren’t jaw dropping by any means, but it shows that he is potentially ready to take the reins as RB1 whenever Alvin Kamara leaves the team. On the other side of the ball, Jonas Sanker was the best player on the field, with 5 tackles, 3 PBUs, and the first interception of the Saints’ season. When Julian Blackmon went out, Jonas Sanker was called upon earlier than expected, and he’s showing key flashes in his young career.

The defense is one that visibly lacks talent, yet they had a solid performance overall against one of the most dangerous offenses in the league led by the MVP Josh Allen. Although they let up two touchdowns to start the game, the Saints’ defense held the Bills scoreless in the second quarter, providing a perfect opportunity for the offense to take control of the game, which they failed to do. Like I said above, Jonas Sanker gave the defense their first turnover, and the defense had 3 sacks in big moments (Cam Jordan, Carl Granderson, Bryan Bresee). This being said, the Saints are in need of talent on defense, with their defensive line lacking the necessary speed/agility to succeed in the 3-4 scheme. They can rush the passer and get some pressure, but dropping into coverage is an issue, one that showed up when Dalton Kincaid scored the final touchdown of the game with just over 7 minutes left.

Kellen Moore clearly had a gameplan focused on running the ball against the Ed Oliver-less Bills’ defense, and it worked well until the Saints were forced to turn to the pass game. Quick sidenote, I of course took the Spencer Rattler over at 200.5 yards, which he had hit the previous 3 games. It was Rattler’s first game of the season with less than 200 yards and 30 passing attempts, and with the way the Saints run game was working, that could become a new norm. The Saints also ran much more plays from under-center than they had in prior games this season, as Moore decided this would be a key in helping reduce pre-snap penalties. The biggest focus for both Kellen Moore and this offense, in my eyes, after the first 3 games was getting the pre-snap and offensive penalties under control. I expected them to do slightly better in Buffalo with another loud crowd, but they had 0 penalties on the offensive line, and the only offensive penalty was an intentional grounding.

The offense did have a couple missteps in this game, with Moore calling a Philly special in an unnecessary situation, and Rattler having yet another bad open miss in the endzone. Kellen Moore dialed up the Philly special right before the half on 3rd and goal from the 5, even though the run game had been working, and Chris Olave ended up throwing an interception. I don’t mind the aggressiveness this showed, but it prevented the Saints from being able to kick a field goal to cut the lead to 1 before the half (if they got stopped on another type of play). As you can see below, Rattler mainly focused on short and outside passes, and the one long incompletion down the middle was due to yet another inaccurate redzone pass. Redzone misses have been a recurring theme for Rattler since week 1, something I hope he can clean up, and if he does he truly can be a good quarterback for this team. Here is Rattler’s throwing chart for the game:

One of the biggest notes I have about the Saints offense so far is that it completely lacks explosiveness. Now is that on Rattler, the receivers, the playcalling, or someone else? It’s hard to tell. Spencer Rattler, while having shown some aggressiveness this season, has stuck relatively to more conservative throws. This could be said about numerous teams across the NFL though, as defenses have been scheming to prevent the deep ball and force teams to take what they are given. With as much hate as Derek Carr received, he showed to a tee how to make this offense explosive by throwing deep balls to Rashid Sahaheed, no matter the coverage. If this offense wants to compete against better teams, the deep balls will need to start showing up again, and the Saints definitely have the receiving room to make that happen. Going into this game I felt that the Bills would be a good team to attempt some shots against, as their secondary is likely the weakest the Saints have faced so far, but as I stated before their focus was on run game success.

The Saints’ special teams unit faced scrutiny over its brutal performance last week, and reasonably so, after allowing a blocked punt and punt return touchdown on back to back opportunities. Phil Galiano, the Special Teams Coordinator, assured a better performance this week. Although their performance was better, the unit committed 3 penalties, 2 of which being critical for the team. Blake Grupe made his 2 field goal attempts on the day, but after his second he failed to kick the ball into the landing zone. This gave the Bills the ball with optimum field position in the 4th quarter, right after the Saints looked to gain momentum and cut the lead to 2 points, The second penalty, committed by Nephi Sewell who was called up specifically to help the special teams unit, was a roughing the kicker on the punt after the defense got a critical stop down 9 and just over 5 minutes remaining. This penalty was the dagger to the Saints’ chances at mounting a comeback, as it allowed the Bills to kill more clock and kick a field goal. So, the special teams did look better as a whole, but the penalty issues from the offense have seemingly transferred to this unit.

Closing and Team MVPs

I had little to no expectations for this team against the Bills, and even though we lost I honestly liked what I saw on the field. Obviously, the team did make some mistakes and there is lots of room for improvement, but the team showed fight and young players made plays. Kellen Moore is the youngest head coach in the league, and if he shows more improvement in his playcalling and scheming I will start to feel really good about what he is building.

Offensive MVP: Kendre Miller

Defensive MVP: Jonas Sanker

Special Teams MVP: Blake Grupe

New Orleans Saints vs Buffalo Bills 2025 Week 4 Preview

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 16:08:00 GMT

The losing streak is up to three games, and after last week's horrible loss to the Seahawks, the Saints aim to bounce back in Week 4. Only issue is their opponent... the Buffalo Bills.

What the Bills bring to the table

Entering this game 3-0, the Bills are one of, if not the best, team in the NFL. A Super Bowl is more of an expectation than a hope with this team, with star QB Josh Allen leading the team. There is not much a team can do against the Bills high-power offense, and that's primarly due to Allen's ability to dominate. If you play off, he will pick apart the defense; if you send pressure, he will avoid it and make the play; and if you cover everything, he will beat you on the run. The Bills rushing attack is also excellent, with James Cook having a great year so far. On defense, the Bills pass rush has been decent so far, and the run defense could be exposed at times. The pass defense has also struggled this year, and could be another issue going into the game.

How about the Saints?

Yeah, this could be a tough one. The Saints have had some good moments throughout the season so far, but last week was horrible, and could be a sign for things to come in this game. This defense is not ready to compete in the NFL, and teams will be able to pick them apart. The pass rush has been underwhelming, and the pass defense has been horrible. This is a recipe for Josh Allen to do anything he wants against the Saints. On offense, QB Spencer Rattler has been decent and could win games, the rushing attack has looked strong, and when healthy, the offensive line is good. The issue is consistency with this group and penalties. Special teams also need to be much better, and if kicker Blake Grupe misses another makeable kick, I'm not sure he will be on the team after this game.

Injury Report

EDGE Chase Young - OUT
WR Devaughn Vele - Questionable
G Dillon Radunz - OUT

My Prediction

I love being optimistic going into each game, but there is zero chance I can feel comfortable about the Saints against the Bills. I can almost guarantee this game results in a Saints loss, and I have the final score at 38-14, with the Bills dominating for most of the game.

2025 LSU Week 5 Preview

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:10:09 GMT

Let's get into it!

When: Saturday, September 27th, 2025, 2:30 PM

Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS

Channel: ABC

Spread: Ole Miss -1.5

O/U: 55.5

This will be a battle in Oxford. This game features 2 teams with postseason dreams!

Ole Miss Rebels

Ole Miss comes into this game with a 4-0 record. The Rebels are looking to go 3-0 in SEC play. Trinidad Chambliss will get the start at quarterback. The former Ferris State star is a dual threat quarterback. Kewan Lacy and Logan Diggs are the leaders in the running back room. Lacy has 7 TDs on the season. Harrison Wallace III, Deuce Alexander, and Dae'Quan Wright are the leading pass catchers on this team. Zxavian Harris and Will Echoles are the leaders on the defensive line. Jaden Yates and TJ Dottery are the leaders in the linebacker room. Wydett Williams, Jr. and Antonio Kite are the leaders in the defensive back room.

LSU Tigers

LSU enters this contest with a 4-0 record. The Tigers are trying to move to 2-0 in conference play. Garrett Nussmeier will look to keep the momentum rolling in this game. Running back Caden Durham is a bit banged up. Ju'Juan Johnson and Harlem Berry will look to lead the running back room if Durham cannot play. Aaron Anderson is the leading pass catcher on this team. Bauer Sharp, Zavion Thomas, and Barion Brown are the other leading pass catchers on this team. West Weeks and Dahvon Keys are the leading tacklers on this Tiger defense. Tamarcus Cooley and AJ Haulcy are the leaders in the defensive back room. Jack Pyburn and Jacobian Guillory II are the leaders on the defensive line.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- Can the Tiger defense contain Trinidad Chambliss?

- Can the Tiger offensive line hold up against this Ole Miss defensive line?

- Can the offense stay balanced in this one?

This will be a great game in this storied rivlary!

Fun fact; The last time these 2 teams met while being undefeated was on Halloween night in 1959. Billy Cannon took care of it for the Tigers!

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

LSU vs Southeastern Louisiana Week 4 Review

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 19:57:05 GMT

Let's get into it!

The LSU Tigers are now 4-0 on the season!

Each team goes 3 and out on their 1st possessions of the game. LSU goes on a 13 play 45 yard drive that was capped off by a Garrett Nussmeier 1 yard rushing TD. LSU 7-0. Southeastern Louisiana turns the ball over on downs. LSU goes on a 7 play 44 yard drive that was capped off by a Ju'Juan Johnson 2 yard rushing TD. LSU 14-0. Southeastern Louisiana punts. LSU goes on a 7 play 74 yard drive that was capped off by a Ju'Juan Johnson 10 yard rushing TD. LSU 21-0. Southeastern Louisiana goes 3 and out. LSU goes goes on an 8 play 57 yard drive that was capped of by a Barion Brown 17 yard receiving TD. LSU 28-0. Southeastern Louisiana goes 3 and out. LSU goes on an 8 play 56 yard drive that was capped of by a Zavion Thomas 9 yard receiving TD. LSU 35-0. Southeastern Louisiana kneels out the half. Southeastern Louisiana punts on the opening drive of the 2nd half. LSU goes on a 7 play 87 yard drive that was capped off by a Bauer Sharp 23 yard receiving TD. LSU 42-0. Southeastern Louisiana answers back with an 8 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Deantre Jackson 14 yard receiving TD. LSU 42-7. LSU answers back with a dominant 16 play 81 yard drive that was capped off by a Michael Van Buren Jr. 1 yard rushing TD. LSU 49-7. Southeastern Louisiana goes 3 and out. LSU goes on a 6 play 58 yard drive that was capped off by a Kyle Parker 27 yard receiving TD. LSU 56-7. Southeastern Louisiana answers back with an 11 play 55 yard drive that was capped off by a Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez 37 yard field goal. LSU 56-10. LSU goes 3 and out. Southeastern Louisiana runs out the clock. Tigers win 56-10!

Takeaways

- Hopefully the Caden Durham injury is not too serious.

- Ju'Juan Johnson is a playmaker.

- 13 Tigers caught passes in this game. That is impressive!

Awards

Offensive MVP - Garrett Nussmeier - It was great to see Nuss let it fly in this matchup!

Defensive MVP - Dashawn Spears - Spears led the Tigers in tackles.

The Tigers travel to Ole Miss on Saturday.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

New Orleans Saints vs Seattle Seahawks 2025 Week 3 Recap

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 23:56:59 GMT

The Saints lose after putting up their worst performance I’ve ever seen… and that’s including the Dennis Allen era.

I was going to follow my standard format, which includes what I was looking for and how it played out, but after the Saints immediately fell behind 21-0 to start this game, it made no sense to. There were zero positives in this game for the Saints, other than Rattler seemingly not being the reason the score ended the way it did. This game showed Saints fans and the NFL where this organization currently is, and it is clearly a rebuilding team at the bottom of the power rankings.

The crazy thing about this blowout is that the Saints led the game in time of possession, which can mean a few things. Firstly, it can mean that the Saints' offense had long drives and didn’t capitalize on points, which happened. Secondly, it can mean that the Seahawks had big returns as well as quick scoring drives, which also happened. Neither of those things you want to see from your team, and hopefully, we will see those fixed in the coming weeks.

My biggest takeaway from this game was that Kellen Moore seems to be in over his head as an NFL head coach, and I really wanted to be patient this year with him. Before the half, when you are down by more than 30 points, it makes no sense at all to attempt a field goal on 4th down in the opponent’s territory. It also makes even less sense after the first field goal misses, and you then attempt another from the opponent’s 5-yard line. Both of those moments scream surrendering defeat, or even a lack of confidence in your team, and neither of those are desirable traits for a head coach in the league.

What made these decisions make less sense is that Kellen Moore attempted to go for it on 4th down two times early in the game, once resulting in a turnover on downs, and the other leading to a false start, leading to a punt return touchdown. The Saints once again struggled to cut down on penalties, having 11 in the game, with multiple being pre-snap by the line or receivers. Yes, it is Kellen Moore’s first season as an NFL head coach, but this doesn’t mean he can constantly let sloppy, undisciplined play go without showing some emotion on the sideline. One of my biggest issues with Dennis Allen was that he never seemed to show any emotion on the sideline, whether that be positive energy in a good game or performance, or lighting a fire under the players’ asses in bad ones. So, with the way the Saints started this game, I would have loved for Kellen Moore to show something, anything, and he didn’t. Does that mean he is a bad head coach? No, but it also isn’t the sign of a good one. This is still only the third game of the season, so I’m very interested to see exactly how he gets the team to respond after this week.

Offense

I really don’t know what to say about the offense in this one. Spencer Rattler looked okay considering he was forced into trying to play hero ball early, and he seemed to have poise all the way through the end. He had a few almost picks in this one, and they weren’t the best of throws or decisions, but none of them actually ended up standing. His only REAL pick in this one came on a 4th down where he faced immediate pressure and was forced to throw it, so I won’t take that throw as a negative.

The Saints were down Radunz and Fuaga, so I wasn’t expecting clean OL play, but the number of penalties this group committed was absolutely atrocious. The run game was also visibly impacted without both of those guys, which isn’t a surprise. The passing game seemed fine without the two, although the pocket was definitely worse than the prior couple of weeks.

Chris Olave played well in this one, with the Seahawks limiting deep plays and Olave being able to find short holes in the zone constantly, and catching almost everything thrown his way.

The Defense

An atrocity to football. The defense let up 4 touchdowns in a row to start the game, followed by 3 field goals, and did not get their first stop of the game until the fourth quarter. There was no pressure in this game, with seemingly no blitzes being thrown at the Seahawks, and a secondary appearing to always leave at least one player wide open. Those two things added together lead to one thing: points. Brandon Staley let Sam Darnold sit in the pocket all game long, and the results did not bode well for a Saints team that lacks a lot of talent outside of their vets, i.e., Demario Davis and Justin Reid.

The only positive things I can say about this side of the ball is that once Quincy Riley was put in, he made a play by forcing a fumble late in the 4th quarter, and that the run defense showed some good moments. Outside of that, nothing desirable on this side of the ball.

Special Teams

No positives at all. Blake Grupe missed another field goal, they allowed a punt to be blocked, and let up a punt return touchdown. All three are the ultimate triple header of poor special teams play, and I’m not sure how you let Phil Galiano have a job after this performance. On the blocked punt, they left the end man on the line go completely unblocked, and on the punt return, the lanes by the coverage team were absolutely horrific. In addition, Grupe’s miss put Kellen Moore in the position to either cut him or bring in competition this week (if they decide not to just roll the dice on Charlie Smyth).

Closing and Team MVPs

This game was ugly to watch, and I know all of the Saints fans reading this are embarrassed to call themselves fans of the team, and frankly, I’m right there with you all. But that being said, this is a rebuilding team lacking young talent, so this was bound to happen sooner rather than later. The biggest thing for me is seeing how this team responds, and if the locker room is able to survive this type of hit. If it doesn’t, this team could see major movement before the deadline.

The final thing I want to note is that this game, in no way, shape, or form, influenced my opinions on Rattler. Did he miss a couple of throws? Sure, but he was forced to play hero ball early, and the Seahawks were able to sit back and play prevent all game. That being said, Rattler needs to start winning games soon, or the Saints will have no choice other than to see what Shough is able to do.

Offensive MVP: Chris Olave

Defensive MVP: NONE

Special Teams MVP: NONE

New Orleans Saints vs Seattle Seahawks 2025 Week 3 Preview

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 15:03:06 GMT

Another week, another loss for the New Orleans Saints. Now, going into the third game of the season, expectations are low, but hopes remain high.

What the Seahawks bring to the table

After an offseason consisting of trading the starting QB, trading away the #1 WR, and losing the #2 WR in free agency, the Seahawks had work to get done. With new additions of quarterback Sam Darnold and WR Cooper Kupp, the prior losses seem to be fixed, and after hiring OC Klint Kubiak, this Seattle offense was complete. This will be a primary run game team with Kubiak at the helm, which helps their subpar offensive line play. Looking at their defense, the Seahawks will be stout against the run and force their opponents to pass the ball. The bad news for this team is that injuries, which you will see later, have really affected this defensive back room.

How about the Saints?

As I mentioned previously, the Seahawks' run defense is going to play well, and New Orleans may go away from the run game fast. The Saints' offensive line has been bad in run blocking, specifically at LG and RG, and there is no reason to believe that changes in this game. With the run game predicted to struggle, that means the offense will rely on quarterback Spencer Rattler, which is both good and bad. It's good because Rattler has played well in this offense, and if he performs like last week, conversations must start about him being the starter for the rest of the season. On the other side, it's bad because putting the full offense in the hands of a developing second-year QB is not what you want to do. This is probably the story of the offense, but on the defensive side, it's a bit all over the place. The Saints' defensive line has done really well with getting sacks, but the pressure rate is horrible. When Chase Young comes back, this number should get better, but he is out for another week. In run defense, the Saints must get stops and hold strong against the zone run offense, but even if they do that, the pass defense will be relied upon, which is not good. The Mac Jones-led 49ers destroyed any pass defense plan the Saints had last week, and it could be a big issue once again this week.

Injury Report

EDGE Chase Young - OUT
G Trevor Penning - Questionable
S Jordan Howden - Questionable
OT Taliese Fuaga - Questionable
WR Trey Palmer - Questionable
WR Devaughn Vele - Questionable
G Dillon Radunz - OUT

My Prediction

For the first time this season, I'm predicting the Saints lose. I just don't see a matchup the team wins against the Seahawks, and although I can see Spencer Rattler play well again, it just won't be enough. For the final score, I believe it's going to be a weird 15-12 win by the Seahawks.

2025 LSU Week 4 Preview

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:16:59 GMT

Let's get into it!

When: Saturday, September 18th, 2025, 6:45 PM

Where: The Real Death Valley, Baton Rouge, LA

Channel: SEC Network

Spread: LSU -39.5

Over/Under: 51.5

The Tigers welcome the Southeastern Louisiana Lions to Baton Rouge this weekend. Southeastern Louisiana is a scrappy team who would love to make some noise Saturday night.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions

The Lions are 2-1 entering this contest. Southeastern Louisiana is on a 2 game winning streak. The offense uses a 2 quarterback system. Carson Camp and Kyle Lowe are the 2 quarterbacks. Both quarterbacks can run. Jaedon Henry and Calvin Smith, Jr. are the leaders in the running back room. Jaylon Domingeaux and Tristan Goodly are the leading pass catchers on this team. This offense can put up a lot of points in a hurry! The Lion defensive line is led by Rowan Briggs and Ahmad Bradley. The linebacker room is led by KK Reno and Carter Hanberry. The defensive back room is led by Kamron Norwood and Blayne Delahoussaye.

LSU Tigers

The Tigers are 3-0 heading into this matchup. The offense has not been what many fans expected heading into the season. Head coach Brian Kelly hinted at this team leaning on the defense and playing field position throughout the season. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is a little dinged up heading into this contest. It will be interesting to see how much he plays in this one. Caden Durham and Aaron Anderson are coming off of strong games. Double A is the most consistent player on this team in my opinion. Dashawn Spears burst onto the scene last week. He deserves more playing time. West Weeks and Dahvon Keys continue to rack up tackles. Grant Chadwick may be the best transfer on this team. What a weapon!

KEYS TO THE GAME

- Can you get your starters out early?

- Can you stay healthy?

- Can you rack up points early in this one?

This team from Hammond, America, would love nothing more than to give LSU trouble in this one.

Fun Fact: The 1st time these teams met was back in 1949. The LSU football team featured a young man by the name of Ebert Van Buren. Van Buren would go on to be the number 7 overall pick in the 1951 NFL draft, but that is nowhere near his greatest feat. Van Buren moved to New Orleans as a young child, and he decided to join the military in 1943. Ebert served in the US Army 96th Infantry Division in the Pacific Ocean during World War II from 1943 to 1945. He was wounded in heavy fighting on Hacksaw Ridge in Okinawa. Van Buren received the Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Stars, the Philippine Liberation Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, and the Good Conduct Medal. Ebert was the only survivor in his unit in Okinawa by the time the war finished. In the 1970s he served as Lt. Commander in the US Naval Reserve. Ebert Van Buren is a hero.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

LSU vs Florida Week 3 Review

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:30:40 GMT

Let's get into it!

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New Orleans Saints vs San Francisco 49ers 2025 Week 2 Recap

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 22:22:54 GMT

The Saints lose another close game in the final minutes, but bright spots might have appeared for the team’s future.

New Orleans Saints 21 - 26 San Francisco 49ers

What I was Looking for

Following last week's game, where the offensive playcalling and time management appeared questionable, this team sought to bounce back on offense. In addition, the defense looked solid against the Kyler Murray-led Cardinals, so I wanted to see them look good against a 49ers team led by the average at best Mac Jones. The Notes I made before the game to look for were:

How does Rattler look against a solid 49ers defense?
How will Kellen Moore bounce back after a poorly called game 1?
Does Juwan Johnson continue being a top target?
How often does Brandon Staley blitz Mac?

Rattler: Spencer Rattler had one noticeably bad missed touchdown to Olave on the first drive, but after that, he showed up and showed out. Rattler had his first multi-passing touchdown game of his career, finishing 25 of 34 for 207 yards and 3 touchdowns. This was by far Rattler’s best game of his career, and I believe this performance should encourage both the team and fans about his potential future as the starting quarterback. As I mentioned, the start was iffy, with him missing a wide-open touchdown to Olave behind him (should’ve been caught), and multiple drops by Juwan Johnson. He then went out and finished the game strong, at one point having 13 consecutive completions. Rattler looked confident in himself and his receivers, and also used his legs in multiple situations to help the team. All in all, this was a B+ performance by him, and if he can build off of it, it could completely change the team’s rebuilding decisions.

Moore: I was avidly down on Kellen Moore as a playcaller last week, as he abandoned the run game and giving Alvin Kamara touches in the second half. This week, it appeared that Kellen Moore realized Alvin Kamara is a crucial playmaker in this offense, as he gave Alvin 21 carries spread throughout the game, which resulted in 99 yards. In addition, the passing game seemed much more diverse in depth of target as well as the routes being run, which is definitely encouraging in terms of his confidence in Rattler. In the future, I want to see Moore continue to improve each week as well as show some emotion on the sidelines, something I feel is lacking at the moment (and reminds me of Dennis Allen too much).

Juwan Johnson: Juwan Johnson was the leading receiver last week, so I wanted to see if that would continue this week. He ended up being the 2nd leading target for Rattler, with 9 targets being just behind Olave’s 10. Outside of the 2 horrific drops, which justifiably made fans get the torches ready, Juwan was very productive and ended up bringing in a great touchdown reception. It appears he and Rattler do have a great connection brewing, and I would love for the redzone targets to continue this season.

Brandon Staley Blitz Rate: The Saints blitzed just over 35% last week, and the defense seemed to get pretty consistent pressure against the Cardinals. This would lead one to believe that Brandon Staley would blitz an offense led by Mac Jones (who struggles against pressure), right??? Wrong. Throughout this game, I found myself dumbfounded by the lack of blitzing, and it seemed as though Mac Jones had all the time in the world to find at least one receiver down the field with lots of room around them. The worst part about this is that the Saints failed to get out of 3rd down situations, with two long 3rd down conversions on the 49ers' final touchdown drive, where Mac Jones faced zero pressure. With Chase Young missing from this DL, I knew Cam Jordan wouldn’t be able to replicate his 1.5 sack performance from last week, but I just wish Staley knew this as well. I hope Staley sees the lack of pressure this front 4 got for most of this one, and that he brings more pressure next week against the Seahawks.

The Offense

The Good: Alvin Kamara is still Alvin Kamara. As I previously mentioned, he had a great game on the ground, but also back as a pass catcher with 6 receptions for 21 yards. Spencer Rattler was also great on the ground, as he picked up multiple clutch 1st downs with his legs, making defenders miss tackles in the process. The Passing game looked to have significantly improved, with routes being more diverse and the ball being spread out to 7 different receivers. I love the confidence Rattler has in his guys, and I would also love to see more Vele targets in the redzone after his touchdown today. Finally, the last thing that is great to see is that the Saints went 3/3 in the redzone today, something that will be huge this season if they can continue succeeding at a high clip in that area.

The Bad: The Saints' offense had more sloppy moments again today, with penalties bringing back 1st downs, easy balls being dropped, and big losses on early downs. Kellen Moore seemed to call a better game, but I hate that he went away from tempo, which was working wonders for Rattler and the offense. The offense struggled to convert on 3rd down, only being able to do so on 36% of them. Finally, although Kelvin Banks and the offensive line looked solid today, Banks and Fuaga both got beaten on crucial downs on the last two drives, something you don’t want to see from the two first-round picks.

Something that also belongs technically in the bad column, but I see more as unlucky than anything, is that Alvin Kamara lost a fumble on a bang-bang play. I won’t hold it against him, as I’ve seen similar plays get ruled incomplete after review multiple times when watching NFL games.

The Defense

The Good: The Saints' defense looked solid to start the game, forcing a quick 3 and out after the Saints' offense stalled in 49ers territory. In addition, this defense stood up after struggling for the majority of the game after that first possession, by forcing two crucial stops in the 4th quarter. Carl Granderson continues to be a crucial piece for this defense in the absence of Chase Young, finishing the game with 2 sacks and now being tied for the NFL sack leader title. The safety play again by Justin Reid felt like a great piece of this defense, as he played great in the run game and was doing a good job communicating with the younger DBs around him. Kool-Aid McKinstry seemed to have a better outing this week, something the young corner can hopefully build on next week, going against a solid receiver group for the Seahawks. The Saints also forced their first turnover of the season, with Chris Rumph II having a huge strip-sack in the 3rd quarter.

The Bad: After the pressures accrued early again in the game, the pressure felt non-existent in the second half, and Brandon Staley seemed to completely abandon all blitz packages. Alontae Taylor and Isaac Yiadom struggled massively in this one, with Alontae Taylor blowing a coverage on Christian McCaffrey, allowing a touchdown before the half, and Isaac Yiadom simply was picked on early and often throughout the game. The Saints need to consider Lincoln Riley starting over Yiadom, as the Saints will miss out on a compensatory pick if they continue with Yiadom this season. There were numerous big down plays that you could tell the 49ers would design to attack Yiadom as a weakness, and it worked wonders. In conclusion, I was extremely discouraged by the cornerback group, and I hope Staley goes back to blitzing at a higher rate next week against Sam Darnold.

Special Teams: No positives jumped out to me with this group; the return game was solid, but punting seemed hit or miss by Kroeger, and Blake Grupe again missed another field goal. If Grupe makes that field goal early, the Saints would have possibly only needed a field goal on the final drive.

Closing and Team MVPs

This game felt like another game the Saints took themselves out of, and not one where the opposing team beat them. I did love the sparks that showed on offense, and if Spencer Rattler can build off of this and continue to play at this level, I can say that I’d feel okay if the Saints decided to go with another position than quarterback in the upcoming draft.

Offensive MVP: Spencer Rattler

Defensive MVP: Carl Granderson

Special Teams MVP: NONE

New Orleans Saints vs San Francisco 49ers 2025 Week 2 Preview

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 16:18:26 GMT

After a close loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the New Orleans Saints have a chance to bounce back against a depleted San Francisco 49ers team, but can they do it?

What the 49ers bring to the table

Going into each season, the 49ers are a competitive team filled with talent, but this year is a bit different. The team saw many key players leave this offseason, and with the goal of extending QB Brock Purdy's contract, many of the roster holes could not be filled. In addition, injuries have been a constant issue for the 49ers, and this year as already started with way too many. Purdy will be out of this game, which leaves backup Mac Jones set to start. With RB Christian McCaffrey healthy, the game plan should be to rely on the running game. If they do go to the pass, 2nd-year WR Ricky Pearsall and veteran Juan Jennings will be the main targets in the offense. Going to the defensive side of the ball, this is where the 49ers can win this game. With Nick Bosa on the edge, Fred Warner at LB, and Deommodore Lenoir at CB, the Saints are going to have a tough matchup ahead of them.

How about the Saints?

After their loss to the Cardinals, the Saints had some positives to take away from the game. Spencer Rattler looked fine passing and was accurate, the running game looked excellent, the offensive line did not struggle much, and the defensive line disrupted the game. The main issues were the penalties, and if the Saints have any hope of winning this game, they need to fix that. This is also a game Rattler should do well in. Yes, I mentioned the defense for the 49ers is strong, but Rattler is going to have opportunities to throw deep on this team, and he could have a big game.

Injury Report

EDGE Chase Young - OUT
G Trevor Penning - OUT
S Jordan Howden - Questionable

My Prediction

I believe if Spencer Rattler plays well in this game, the New Orleans Saints win. I think this happens, and the Saints should also clean up the penalties. My final score prediction is 24-10 with the Saints winning.

2025 LSU Week 3 Preview

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 06:23:00 GMT

Let's get into it!

When: Saturday, September 13th, 2025, 6:30 PM

Where: The Real Death Valley, Baton Rouge, LA

Channel: ABC

Spread: LSU -7.5

O/U: 46.5

This will be the 72nd time these schools meet up in this storied rivalry. This game always has a story, a moment to remember, so be ready, football fans!

Florida Gators

The Gators enter this contest with a record of 1-1. Florida opened up the season with a 55-0 win over Long Island University, but the Gators dropped a game last week to a talented South Florida team. This Gator offense is led by quarterback DJ Lagway. LSU fans remember Lagway all too well from last season. On the season, Lagway is 38/51, with 342 passing yards and 4 TDs. Jadan Baugh is the leader in the backfield. The leading pass catchers on this team are Vernell Brown III, Eugene Wilson III, and Hayden Hansen. The Gator defense is a solid unit. Jaden Robinson and Myles Graham are the leading linebackers. Tyreak Sapp is the leader on the defensive line.

LSU Tigers

The Tigers are coming off of a "disappointing" victory against Louisiana Tech. The Tigers have a chance to bury the Gators' dreams for the season in this game. This game being in Death Valley helps out the Tigers tremendously. The Tigers better be ready to get on the Gators early and often because this is an upset Gator team with a big upset on the mind.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- Can the Tigers establish a running game? The leaders on this team need to get up.

- Will the Tigers' defense keep up the red-hot start to the season?

- Will Braelin Moore be back on the field?

This is a mad Florida team who would love to upset the Tigers in this rivalry. Can the Tigers contain DJ Lagway?

Fun Fact: Florida running back coach Jabar Juluke was born in New Orleans. He was the running back coach at LSU in 2016.

Thank you for checking out my article.

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LSU vs Louisiana Tech Week 2 Review

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 22:10:16 GMT

Let's get into it!

It wasn't the prettiest game, but a win is a win. The Tigers are 2-0.

On the 4th play of LSU's opening drive, Garrett Nussmeier throws an interception. The Bulldogs go 3 and out. LSU puts together an 8 play 25 yard drive, but Damian Ramos misses a 51 yard field goal. The Bulldogs punt, but they pin the Tigers inside the 5 yard line. The Tigers go on a strong 11 play 98 yard drive that was capped off by a Nic Anderson 7 yard TD reception. LSU 7-0. The Bulldogs are forced the punt. LSU puts together a 13 play 85 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 23 yard field goal. LSU 10-0. The teams trade punts. The Bulldogs kneel out the 1st half. The teams trade punts to open up the 2nd half. LSU goes on a 6 play 33 yard drive that was capped off by a Caden Durham 3 yard rushing TD. LSU 17-0. The Bulldogs punt. LSU goes on an 11 play 38 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 46 yard field goal. LSU 20-0. The teams trade punts. The Bulldogs go on a strong 13 play 74 yard drive that was capped off by a Devin Gandy 33 yard TD reception. LSU 20-7. LSU answers back with a 6 play 48 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 19 yard field goal. LSU 23-7. The Bulldogs punt. LSU kneels out the clock. Tigers win!

Takeaways

- This LSU defense is for real! This unit will keep the Tigers in games this season.

- LSU has to get the running game going. I think it will come around, but the Tigers have to make opponents respect the run.

- West Weeks is quietly having a strong start to the season.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Barion Brown - This guy plays with the spirit you want to see. Get familiar with the name, Tiger fans!

- Defensive MVP - West Weeks - West flocks to the ball!

LSU welcomes Florida to Baton Rouge on Saturday.

Thank you for checking out my article.

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New Orleans Saints vs Arizona Cardinals 2025 Week 1 Recap

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 22:04:50 GMT

The Saints may have a new era underway, with new coaches and players, but the feeling sitting in many fans’ stomachs is eerily familiar.

In Kellen Moore’s debut as a head coach, many similar mishaps from last season were present: questionable time management, disgustingly vanilla playcalling, pre-snap penalties left and right, the defense letting up big plays on 3rd downs, and oh, Chris Olave almost got killed again. The storyline of the game was also a mirror image of games from the previous regime, as the team built optimism early, then made fans consider breaking out the brown bags, just to rebuild that hope and break every heart in the dome in the end. With all that being said, let’s break it down.

What I was Looking for

The Saints are a team clearly trying to cover up a rebuild, so I was by no means expecting much, but I was hoping to see some young players show promise. The notes I made before the game to look for were:

How does Kool-Aid look against Marvin Harrison Jr.? Does he look like a CB1?
Does Rattler look calm, cool, and collected in the pocket, and is he making good decisions?
Can the Saints' defense finally stop a mobile QB with Staley at the Helm? (While noting that Chase Young is missing)
What is the target share between Olave and Shaheed?

Kool-Aid: Kool-Aid McKinstry’s performance left more to be desired, but also showed that there is a possibility for him to grow into a solid player for the Saints, just maybe not that true CB1. Throughout the game, it felt as if the Cardinals were targeting him, and perhaps the defensive play calls weren’t doing him any favors (man-to-man at the end zone against a mesh concept). He had a good PBU against MHJ that appeared clean, only to be wiped away by a late PI call. MHJ then beat him on solid coverage on a go ball, and he also had a bad mistake on a long run down the sideline, where he failed to force Trey Benson out of bounds.

Rattler: Spencer Rattler’s day was also a mixed bag, but it felt like Kellen Moore’s playcalling was extremely limiting Rattler’s ability to air it out. Spencer Rattler finished the day with 214 yards from 27 completions, with 0 touchdowns or interceptions. It felt as though Kellen Moore didn’t fully trust Rattler in this one, calling what felt like a short hitch/slant followed by a run over and over until the Saints' final two drives. The only two times before that drive that Rattler really let loose were two deep ball attempts to Rashid Shaheed, one being a pick called back by a Cardinals penalty, and the other being a missed PI. The first throw was a poor decision, as Shaheed never seemed to come open, whereas the second was good ball placement on a fade. In the final two drives of the game, Rattler made good decision after good decision, and gave Juwan Johnson the chance to tie the game with a perfectly thrown pass down the seam, which was sadly dropped. With all this being said, I don’t think Rattler was good or bad, and I would love to see the performance on the final two drives spread out throughout the rest of the game (which could also mean adjusting the playcalling throughout).

Defense vs. Murray: The Saints defense has struggled massively with mobile quarterbacks for what feels like an eternity, so what we saw today felt slightly better than I expected. Although Kyler Murray was able to escape a few times and extend drives with his legs early, having 38 yards on 7 carries, the Saints' defense felt like they were able to slow him down when it got to crunch time. In this game, the Saints were also without their lead man in pressures from last season, Chase Young. Without him, they demanded more from Cam Jordan and Carl Granderson, who both absolutely balled out, with 1.5 sacks each. When we all went into this game, did any of us expect Cam Jordan to have 1.5 sacks?!? Although it’s not the younger guys stepping up, I will take that from a guy who has been talked about as simply a “vet presence” in the locker room.

Target Share, Who’s the WR1: An interesting wrinkle in this training camp was that Rashid Shaheed was seemingly getting the same, if not more, targets than the team’s WR1, Chris Olave. In this game, Olave finished with 54 yards from 7 receptions on 13 targets, and Shaheed finished with 33 yards from 6 receptions on 9 targets. The majority of these receptions came short of the sticks, with an exception here and there. Shaheed did not seem to be involved in the game at all until the second half, which felt like another misstep in gameplanning by Kellen Moore.

The Offense

The Good: The Saints' offense had some great runs from Alvin Kamara (11 car, 45 yds, 1 td) and Kendre Miller (5 car, 24 yds), with Devin Neal also stepping in with a couple of nice runs (2 car, 9 yds). Another reflection from the previous season popped up, with the team's leading receiver from the previous season, Juwan Johnson, stepping up big time (8 rec, 76 yards). He did “drop” the potential game-tying pass from Spencer Rattler, but the defender made a great play on the ball to hit it out. Rattler had flashes, as I previously mentioned, so he held off the “Tyler Shough should be playing” conversation for at least another week.

The Bad: The Saints' offense had more bad moments than good today, with numerous penalties both pre and post-snap by the offensive line stalling drives. Kellen Moore, coming over as an offensive-minded head coach and as one who focused on building the OL this offseason, should be able to have these penalties held to a minimum. The playcalling by Moore also felt really iffy as passing concepts seemed to all go short of the sticks, even on late downs. In addition, the run game became very predictable, and also fell non-existent in the second half. Something that feels like a gimme for this team, year in, year out, are targets for Alvin Kamara in the passing game, and no screens or designed dump-offs to him seemed like an idea to Moore. The Saints went 5-14 on 3rd down and 1-4 in the red zone, both of which need to be improved.

The Defense

The Good: The Saints' defense had flashes early, with quick pressures often to start and finish the game. The defense finished with 5 sacks, without Chase Young, a number they can look to improve upon each week when he comes back. Both linebackers, Demario Davis and Pete Werner, looked poised yet again, making plays all across the field and making good tackles. The safety play by Justin Reid felt noticeable in the run game, as he came up and made tackles throughout the game. Oh, and Alontae Taylor is still that dude in the slot.

The Bad: After the pressures accrued early in the game, in the middle of it, they felt non-existent. It felt as though Kyler had lots of time in the pocket, and that no edge was being set on the run game. For this Saints team to be better than expectations, the pressure needs to be present all game, and they can’t afford not to set the edge. The cornerback play looked iffy at best from everyone not named Alontae Taylor, with the Cardinals attacking both Yiadom and McKinstry when paired against MHJ or McBride.

Special Teams: The only good for this unit is that Kendre Miller, Rashid Shaheed, and Bryan Bresee are still on the roster. Kendre Miller and Rashid Shaheed provide great energy and potential for every kick and punt return, and Bryan Bresee feels built to block field goals. On the other hand, the coverage units on both sides were hit or miss, leading me to question even more the decision to cut JT Gray. Oh, and Blake Grupe pulled a Blake Grupe on a short field goal after being seemingly perfect all preseason and training camp.

Closing and Team MVPs

All in all, this game felt like one the Saints could have easily won if they were more polished on both sides of the ball, something we have been saying for years. The start to the Kellen Moore era has me questioning his decisions, but I’ll give him some time and grace to see if things improve. I shouldn’t feel like the old vets are the only thing providing sparks on a rebuilding team, but today that’s how it felt.

Offensive MVP: Alvin Kamara

Defensive MVP: Cam Jordan

Special Teams MVP: Bryan Bresee

New Orleans Saints vs Arizona Cardinals 2025 Week 1 Preview

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 19:59:30 GMT

The NFL Regular season is here, and so is the new era of New Orleans Saints football. Led by new head coach Kellen Moore, the Saints host the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 1 matchup that both teams need to take advantage of.

What the Cardinals bring to the table

As this is the first game for both teams this season, we may not see the full potential of each squad, but we can pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of the Cardinals on paper. Starting with the strengths that may make the Saints' lives difficult on Sunday, we need to talk about Kyler Murray. The 7th-year QB is a dynamic runner who could take over games with just his speed. Being able to stop Murray from running for positive yards is one thing, but also trying to contain him and not extend plays is nearly impossible, and with edge rusher Chase Young ruled out, the Saints are going to have a real challenge on Sunday. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals have made significant improvements to their defensive line, and this will be a good first test for the Saints' newly constructed defensive line. Josh Sweat is the main name to point out, and if New Orleans can not deal with him, he could disrupt any offensive plan Kellen Moore has.

These are two strengths that jump out, but the Cardinals also have some weaknesses that the Saints can take advantage of. Like with New Orleans, Arizona has a very young/inexperienced cornerback room. The run game is going to be a focal point of the Saints' offense, but if that slows down or the Saints are behind early, starting QB Spencer Rattler could take advantage of the Cardinals' cornerbacks. The other main weakness is the offensive line. Last season, led by OL coach Klayton Adams, the offensive line overperformed and was a solid group throughout the season. Now, with him leaving for the Dallas Cowboys, this group could take a step back, and even without Chase Young, the Saints can still disrupt the game through the defensive line.

How about the Saints?

I mentioned before in the intro that this is a new era of Saints football. With an entirely new coaching staff and new players throughout the roster, there is way too much uncertainty to really feel comfortable about this game. Besides the WR room led by Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the safety room led by Justin Reid, and the Center position with Eric McCoy, every other spot on the roster is going to be tested this Sunday. The primary position of focus for everyone is at quarterback, with all eyes on second-year QB Spencer Rattler. After beating out second-round rookie Tyler Shough in a heated QB battle, Rattler was named the starter and overcame the odds. Kellen Moore has stated multiple times before the decision was made that the team would rally behind whoever he and his staff decided to name the starter. This is the case.... for now. QB Tyler Shough is Kellen Moore's "guy," and he will be ready to come in if need be. Will that happen this game? I highly doubt it, but the Saints' coaching staff will evaluate Rattler's performances each week and consider putting in Shough if the team starts to lose. This is just one of the outcomes, and Spencer Rattler can still secure the long-term starting QB spot,. However, against the Cardinals, the pressure will be on Rattler to perform.

Injury Report

EDGE Chase Young - OUT
G Trevor Penning - OUT
S Jordan Howden - Questionable

My Prediction

Even after mentioning all the uncertainty with the Saints in this game, especially at QB, I think New Orleans will win this game 20-17, with Blake Grupe hitting a game-winning field goal.

2025 LSU Week 2 Preview

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:59:31 GMT

Let's get into it!

When: Saturday, September 6th, 2025, 6:30 PM

Where: The Real Death Valley, Baton Rouge, LA

Channel: SECN+/ESPN+

Spread: LSU -36.5

O/U: 49.5

LSU will welcome the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs to Baton Rouge for the 15th time. The Tigers look to keep the momentum going.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Louisiana Tech is coming off of a week 1 shutout of Southeastern Louisiana. The offense is led by junior quarterback Trey Kukuk. Kukuk is a JUCO transfer. He had a solid career. The dual threat quarterback will look to keep the Tiger defense on its heels. The backfield is led by JUCO transfer Clay Thevenin. Thevenin had nearly 1000 all purpose yards at Navarro College last season. The leading pass catchers are Eli Finley and Marques Singleton, Jr., Finley is on multiple preseason award watchlists. Singleton, Jr. put together an impressive JUCO career, scoring 20 TDs. This Bulldog defense is led by Kolbe Fields, Amari Butler, and Emmanuel Oguns. Fields is an LSU transfer. Butler and Oguns are JUCO transfers.

LSU Tigers

LSU is coming off of a huge week 1 victory. The Tigers will have to get pumped up for this one and try to avoid the hangover. Garrett Nussmeier needs to get this team up. Caden Durham and this offensive line need to keep the positive momentum going. Chris Hilton, Jr., needs to get his confidence up. Look for Chris to get some big touches in this one. The defense needs to continue playing smash mouth Tiger football. The leaders need to get this unit up.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- Can the Tigers keep the foot on the pedal?

- Can the Tigers shut down this dual threat quarterback?

- Can the Tigers get the studs out early to get other guys valuable playing time?

This Bulldog team has nothing to lose. The Tigers need a dominant performance.

Fun Fact: LSU placekicker Sean Perret and Louisiana Tech offensive lineman Ervin Smith were teammates at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge.

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LSU vs Clemson Week 1 Review

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 17:56:54 GMT

Let's get into it!

For the 1st time since 2019, LSU fans can cheer after week 1.

The two teams trade punts on their opening possessions of the game. On the 2nd play of LSU's next drive, tight end Bauer Sharp fumbles the ball, and Clemson recovers. Clemson takes advantage of the turnover and kicks a 42 yard field goal. Clemson 3-0. The two teams trade punts on their following possessions. LSU puts together an 8 play 49 yard drive, and Damian Ramos kicks a 52 yard field goal. Tied 3-3. Clemson marches down with a 13 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a 1 yard TD run by Adam Randall. Clemson 10-3. LSU puts together a promising 12 play 62 yard drive, but Chris Hilton Jr. fumbles, and Clemson recovers. Clemson kneels to finish out the half. Clemson opens the 2nd half with an 8 play 45 yard drive, but they miss a 48 yard field goal. LSU had a strong 8 play 69 yard drive that was capped off by a 2 yard TD run by Caden Durham. Tied 10-10. On the 2nd play of Clemson's next drive, Mansoor Delane picks off Cade Klubnik. LSU puts together an 8 play 25 yard drive, but they miss a 46 yard field goal. Clemson goes 3 and out. LSU goes on a huge 11 play 73 yard drive that was capped off by an 8 yard TD reception by Trey'Dez Green. LSU 17-10. Clemson turns it over on downs. The teams trade punts on their following possessions. Clemson turns it over on downs. LSU kneels out the clock. LSU wins 17-10!

Takeaways

- The transfer portal has paid off big time for LSU. Mansoor Delane and Braelin Moore showed up big!

- Caden Durham and this offensive line were just what LSU ordered in this one. They were able to keep the Clemson defense off balance.

- ALL ABOARD THE NUSS BUS!

AWARDS

Offensive MVP - Garrett Nussmeier - What more can you ask from your leader? Big time players step up in big moments!

Defensive MVP - PJ Woodland - 5 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, and 1 pass defended. This guy has a bright future!

Fun Fact: For all you Varsity Blues fans out there, go check out the formation LSU was in on the Trey'Dez Green TD reception play. Did Lance Harbor call this play?

The Tigers gear up for Louisiana Tech on Saturday.

Thank you for checking out my article.

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2025 LSU Week 1 Preview

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:37:33 GMT

Let's get into it!

When: Saturday, August 30th, 2025, 6:30 CST

Where: Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC

Channel: ABC

Spread: Clemson -4

O/U: 57.5

The 2025 LSU football season kicks off Saturday night against the Clemson Tigers. This game is one of many top 25 week 1 matchups. This will be the 5th time these schools meet on the gridiron, but it will be the 1st regular season matchup. LSU leads the series 3-1.

Clemson Tigers

Clemson is led by quarterback Cade Klubnik. Klubnik looks to be a 1st round draft pick in next year's NFL draft. Antonio Williams, TJ Moore, Bryant Wesco, and Tristan Smith are the leading pass catchers on this offense. Williams is a stud receiver who needs to be accounted for at all times. Look for Clemson to have a bit of a rotation at the running back position with Adam Randall leading the way. The defensive end position will be led by Will Heldt and TJ Parker. The defensive tackle room will be led by Peter Woods, DeMonte Capeheart, and Stephiylan Green. The defensive backfield will be held down by Avieon Terrell, Ashton Hampton, Jeadyn Lukas, and Khalil Barnes. Wade Woodaz, Sammy Brown, Jeremiah Alexander, and Jamal Anderson will be the leaders at the linebacker position. This may be the best team LSU faces all season. They are high powered in all aspects of the game.

LSU Tigers

The LSU Tigers have not won a season opener since Joe Burrow was the starting quarterback. Head coach Brian Kelly has said this is his most talented team since he has taken over in Baton Rouge. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will be the leader of this team. Caden Durham looks to build off of a stellar freshman campaign. The biggest question mark is the Tiger offensive line, as they are replacing 4 starters. The Tiger receiver room is loaded with playmakers. Aaron Anderson and Chris Hilton Jr. are big play threats. Trey'Dez Green and Bauer Sharp will provide a nice 1-2 punch at the tight end position. The LSU defense will be led by Harold Perkins Jr. and Whit Weeks. These 2 playmakers will be flying to the football

Keys to the Game

- The Trenches - This Clemson defensive line is LOADED with talent. Can the LSU offensive line slow this defensive front?

- Field Flippers - Can Barion Brown or Zavion Thomas get the Tigers into good field position? These 2 elusive returners can be weapons for the Tigers.

- Quick and Efficient - Can this LSU offense keep this Clemson defense off balance early on? Look for LSU to utilize quick routes, screen plays, and quick runs to get the Clemson Tigers off balance early on.

This game will be full of NFL caliber talent. Enjoy it Tiger fans!

Fun Fact: Clemson's Co-OC, Matt Luke, and LSU's running back coach, Frank Wilson, coached together at Ole Miss in 2005.

Thank you for checking out my article.

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2025 LSU Football Preview

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 20:02:29 GMT

Let's get into it!

The 2025 LSU football season is here! Here we go Tiger fans!!! This may be the biggest season of Brian Kelly's tenure at LSU. The Tigers are ranked 9th in both the AP and coaches polls.

Number 7

For the second consecutive season, Harold Perkins, Jr., has been awarded the number 7 jersey. The number 7 jersey is awarded to an electric playmaker who is also a leader.

Number 18

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has been awarded the honor of wearing the number 18 jersey. The number 18 jersey is awarded to a true leader on and off the football field. This is a perfect choice for this number.

Preseason Award Watch Lists

Maxwell Award - Garrett Nussmeier, Caden Durham

Bronko Nagurski - Whit Weeks

Butkus - Harold Perkins Jr., Whit Weeks

Wuerffel - Harold Perkins Jr.

Paul Hornung - Zavion Thomas

Lou Groza - Damien Ramos'

Walter Camp - Garrett Nussmeier

Biletnikoff - Aaron Anderson

Davey O'Brien - Garrett Nussmeier

AP Preseason All American - Garrett Nussmeier, Whit Weeks, Harold Perkins Jr.

Preseason Coaches All SEC - Garrett Nussmeier, Whit Weeks, Barion Brown, Caden Durham, Aaron Anderson, Harold Perkins Jr., and Zavion Thomas (WR and Return Specialist)

Offense

Quarterbacks

#18 Garrett Nussmeier - You cannot say enough good things about this guy. In a world full of transfers, Garrett stayed at LSU to wait his turn. Garrett has high expectations for the season that lies ahead. According to DraftKings, Nuss has the 2nd best odds to win the Heisman.

#11 Michael Van Buren Jr - The Mississippi State transfer comes into the season with valuable starting experience. The dual threat quarterback brings a lot to the table.

#16 Colin Hurley - Entering his redshirt sophomore season, Hurley has had an impressive camp.

Running Backs

#29 Caden Durham - Coming off of a Freshman All SEC season, Durham is looking to have a big season. Look for Caden to touch the ball early and often.

#28 Kaleb Jackson - The junior has played in all 26 games of his LSU career. He brings value to this offense and special teams.

#8 Ju'Juan Johnson - Possibly one of the most versatile Tigers on this roster. Johnson has spent time in many position rooms. Look for Ju'Juan to get plenty of touches this season.

#22 Harlem Berry, #23 JT Lindsey - These two true freshmen will add valuable depth to the backfield.

Tight Ends

#14 Trey'Dez Green - At 6'7" and 240 pounds, Trey'Dez will be a red zone threat. The two sport athlete will have a big part in this offense.

#10 Bauer Sharp - The versatile tight end brings a lot of experience to this tight end group. Bauer has played in 37 games at tight end and quarterback in his college career.

#88 Donovan Green, #47 JD Lafleur, and #45 GiVanni Peterson - All three will provide valuable depth.

Offensive Line

#71 Tyree Adams - Probable starter at left tackle

#65 Paul Mubenga - Probable starter at left guard

#61 Braelin Moore - Probable starter at center

#56 Josh Thompson - Probable starter at right guard

#75 Weston Davis - Probable starter at right tackle

#79 DJ Chester, #78 Coen Echols, #57 Carius Curne - Look for these three to get a lot of playing time.

Wide Receivers

#3 Chris Hilton Jr. - Look for Chris to be involved in a big way this season. This can be a huge season for Hilton Jr.

#1 Aaron Anderson - Aaron was the most consistent receiver for the Tigers last season. Look for Aaron to continue to step up in big moments.

#0 Zavion Thomas - Thomas is a threat anytime he touches the football.

#6 Barion Brown - The 3 time All SEC wide receiver is the most experienced in this group. Brown is a big play threat.

#4 Nic Anderson - Anderson had a huge freshman season at Oklahoma. Nic looks to build off of that season after missing last season.

This is an extremely deep wide receiver room.

Defense

Defensive Tackle

#96 Dominick McKinley - At 6'6, and 308 pounds, Dominick McKinley looks to make a statement for the Tigers this season.

#88 Bernard Gooden - The 5th year senior will bring a ton of experience to the defensive tackle position for the Tigers.

#16 Ahmad Breaux - The true sophomore will look to build off of a strong freshman season.

#90 Jacobian Guillory II - The 6th year graduate student is a true leader on this team. He brings a lot of talent and experience to this group.

Defensive End/JACK -

#44 Jack Pyburn - The Florida transfer has 80 total tackles in his career. Jack has hit the ground running in Baton Rouge. Get familiar with this name Tiger fans!

#19 Gabriel Reiford - Reiford had a strong freshman season. He will be making a statement this season for the Tigers.

#6 Patrick Payton - Payton played in 40 games in 4 seasons at Florida State. Payton has 16 sacks to his name.

#12 Jimari Butler - The graduate transfer from Nebraska has played in 36 games with 7.5 sacks.

Linebackers

#33 West Weeks - The graduate student looks to continue building on his strong career at LSU.

#40 Whit Weeks - The true junior, with 174 career total tackles, is looking to have a huge season for the Tigers.

#42 Davhon Keys - Keys burst onto the scene last season for the Tigers. The sophomore flies to the football.

#46 Tylen Singleton - Tylen had a big offseason. Tiger fans will be hearing this name often.

STAR Position - The STAR position is a safety/linebacker hybrid in Blake Baker's defense.

#7 Harold Perkins Jr. - It goes without saying, Harold Perkins Jr. is a massive part of the success of the Tiger defense.

Cornerback

#4 Mansoor Delane - The Houston transfer has 146 total tackles and 6 interceptions in his career. Look for Mansoor to have a big season.

#1 Ashton Stamps - One of my favorite Tigers. Ashton is an extremely hard worker and plays with passion. Look for Ashton to continue his strong LSU career.

#11 PJ Woodland - PJ stepped up early in his Tiger career. The true sophomore brings experience and production to this defense.

#3 DJ Pickett - At 6'5" and 195 pounds, look for DJ to make a quick impact this season. Pickett had a great offseason.

Safety

#13 AJ Haulcy - The Houston transfer has 259 total tackles, 7 interceptions, 15 pass breakups, and 22 passes defended in his career. This guy has a nose for the football.

#10 Dashawn Spears - Dashawn had an extremely productive freshman season. Look for Dashawn to have a strong presence in the defensive backfield.

#0 Tamarcus "Agent Zero" Cooley - Tamarcus had a strong season at NC State last season with 39 total tackles and 3 interceptions. Tamarcus will look to keep the momentum going.

#25 Javien Toviano - Toviano has played in 26 games in 2 seasons with LSU. Javien can provide valuable depth all over the defensive backfield.

Special Teams

Kickoff Specialist

#32 Aeron Burrell - Burrell has a cannon for a leg. He finished in the top 3 in the nation in kickoff average. Aeron will look to build off of his All SEC 2024 campaign.

Kicker

#34 Damian Ramos - The fifth year senior will look to build on his strong LSU career.

Punter

#90 Grant Chadwick - The All Conference USA punter brings his talents to Baton Rouge. Tiger fans should feel great with Grant taking over the punting duties.

Long/Deep Snapper

#49 Jonathan Ferguson - Ferguson is likely to take over as the long snapper for the Tigers.

Return Specialist

#0 Zavion Thomas - A big play waiting to happen.

#6 Barion Brown - Brown can take one to the house at any point in the game.

These two returners are EXPLOSIVE!

GEAUX TIGERS!

Thank you for checking out my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

The Curious Case of the Player to Be Named Later

david@djrainey.com (David Rainey) — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 15:00:00 GMT

It’s that time of year again. The excitement of All-Star weekend and the Homerun Derby are behind us, and it’s on to the second half of the MLB season. This is the time where the great teams separate themselves from the good teams. It’s the time for teams to show whether they should be considered contenders or pretenders. And with this time of the year, of course, comes the MLB trade deadline. Arguably the most intriguing trade deadline of all the major sports. Fringe teams will have to decide whether to be buyers or sellers, and the great teams will mortgage their futures for one player they believe will take them to the promise land. Now, as out of left-field as the ending to this year’s All-Star weekend was (raise your hand if you also weren’t aware that swing offs were a thing), the MLB trade deadline features something much more curious. The Player to Be Named Later.

You see, as most of us know, it’s extremely common in Major League Baseball for a team like the Padres, for example, to sell off a handful of their top prospects at the trade deadline for a lefty reliever they hope will help them navigate the difficult waters that is the postseason. But what some people aren’t aware of (outside of us baseball nerds of course) is the use of something, or someone more specifically, called the “Player to Be Named Later (PTBNL)” in these trade scenarios.

For those of you who don’t know, here’s a quick explanation of what exactly the phrase “Player to Be Named Later” means. In baseball, when a team isn’t sure exactly which prospect they want in return or when they are trying to finesse the roster management rules, they will accept a “Player to Be Named Later” in return in a trade. This gives that team the opportunity to further evaluate players and choose who they want in return at a later date. This doesn’t mean that the team will just be able to choose a superstar down the road, there are limitations placed on who can be chosen, and most of the time the player ends up being just another player lost in baseball lore. However, sometimes these PTBNL turn out to be more than just a journeyman or even lead to oddities that only baseball can provide.

So, what are the most famous cases of Players to Be Named Later?

Well, I’m glad you asked. Let’s start with the not so unexpected scenario that actually led to the PTBNL rules to be changed.

Trea Turner

Before 2015, there was a rule in place in the MLB in which prevented players from being traded for a year after being drafted. Trea Turner was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2014 Draft which meant, you guessed it, he wasn’t eligible to be traded until the following year. However, in December of 2014 the Padres, Nationals, and Rays agreed to mega-deal that involved 11 players AND a Player to Be Named Later. So, what does this have to do with Turner? Well, everyone was aware of who that PTBNL would be. Trea Turner. But as I mentioned before, he wasn’t allowed to be traded yet. So Turner had to spend the beginning of the next season playing for the Padres who had already traded him. This led to a rule change in MLB before the next draft to avoid this situation ever playing out again.

But where is Trea Turner now? He’s certainly no journeyman. He had an incredible start to his career with the Nationals, before being traded (again) to the Dodgers with Max Scherzer in 2021. He eventually signed a $300 million deal with the Phillies where he still plays and remains one of the best players in Major League Baseball. But is he the best PTBNL of all time? Not quite.

David Ortiz

Big Papi. Ever heard of him? Sure you have. But did you know he wasn’t always the mashing lefty for the Red Sox that we know and love? That’s right. Early on in David Ortiz’s career he actually struggled to find a place in the league; and at one point, was even a Player to Be Named Later in a trade. He actually started his career with the Seattle Mariners, but he doesn’t mean much to the Mariners franchise outside of being a PTBNL in a trade in 1996 with the Minnesota Twins for Dave Hollins. As a matter of fact, not only was Ortiz not the player we know on the field, he wasn’t even David Ortiz on paper. At the time, he was actually known as David Arias.

You might be thinking, “Wow. The Mariners really traded BIG PAPI.” Trust me when I tell that the Twins feel even worse. Ortiz would play a handful of seasons for the Twins from 1997-2002; however, even after a solid season in 2002 with the Twins, they would go on to RELEASE Ortiz. That’s right. Even one of the greatest players to ever step foot on a baseball diamond was not only traded as PTBNL but was also outright released.

Of course in 2003, David Ortiz would go on to join the Boston Red Sox. Ten All-Star games, 3 World Series Championships, a World Series MVP, and a Hall of Fame selection later, David Ortiz would go down in baseball history as one of the most feared batters of all time, and the legend we know him as today Big Papi.

What is the oddest Player to Be Named Later situation?

There is a rare, but always delightfully bizarre situation in which a player is traded for himself as a Player to Be Named Later. This hilariously absurd scenario is so rare that it has only happened four times in the history of Major League Baseball.

Harry Chiti – traded from the then Cleveland Indians to the Mets in 1962 for a PTBNL. However, he was so bad that the Mets decided trade him back to Cleveland as the PTBNL
Brad Gulden – traded (with $100,000) from the Yankees to the Mariners for Larry Milbourne and a PTBNL in 1980. Once again, he performed so poorly that the Mariners traded him back to New York as the PTBNL in the original trade. Are you sensing a theme?
Dickie Noles – In 1987 the Cubs traded him to the Tigers for a Player to Be Named Later. Sadly, he didn’t do enough during the Tigers playoff run that year for them to want to keep him around. So, they shipped back to the Windy City to complete the trade as the PTBNL.
John McDonald – The most recent example. He was acquired by Detroit, who clearly didn’t learn anything in 1987, from the Blue Jays in 2005 for, that’s right, a PTBNL. Later that year, he was sent back to Canada for cash considerations.

There you go. Next time you’re hanging out with your buddies on the back porch naming random athletes from your pass, feel free to drop in a “Dickie Noles” reference and explain the wonderful scenario of him being traded for himself.

Baseball is such a beautiful sport in so many ways. For many of us, it’s the first sport we play as children, or the sport we remember watching with our grandparents on the living room floor. It has such an iconic and rich history. It’s known as “America’s past time” for a reason. But throughout that history, there are so many things that have happened that can only be described as strange and uniquely baseball. And that’s why we love it.

So, when you’re scrolling social media or watching ESPN this trade deadline season and see that stud middle reliever traded for nothing but a Player to Be Named Later, maybe you won’t just brush it off this time around. Maybe you’ll wait to see who that player becomes, and maybe they’ll end up being another great piece of baseball trivia.

Tulane Football Season Preview E-Book

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:52:23 GMT

First and foremost, thank you for your interest in not only Tulane Football but also BeInTheKneaux. It is our goal to provide the most in depth coverage of Tulane Green Wave Football in the state of Louisiana.

We do this 100% free of cost, but would genuinely appreciate if you took the time to donate to Fear The Wave, a very important cog in helping Tulane athletics be as successfull as they are, and will be.

With that being said, feel free to download our Tulane Football Season Preview E-Book below, as well as subscribe to our mailing list.

CJ McCollum Gets Traded To The Wizards

dylanmckneely@gmail.com (Dylan Mckneely) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 18:31:25 GMT

The New Orleans Pelicans Land Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey & The 40th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

In a bold move, the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to send veteran guard CJ McCollum and stretch big man Kelly Olynyk to the Washington Wizards , in return for young scorer Jordan Poole , versatile forward Saddiq Bey , and this year’s No. 40 draft pick .

For New Orleans, the trade will fill the Dejounte Murray void, add cap space, and young veterans:

Jordan Poole

Jordan Poole comes to New Orleans after averaging a career-high 20.5 PPG before injuries derailed his season. On a fresh team, he’ll have an opportunity to regain his rhythm and benefit from the gravity of All-Star Forward Zion Williamson , and fringe All-Star Trey Murphy III .

Saddiq Bey

Saddiq Bey adds a 3&D forward with shooting range and defensive versatility—an ideal fit for a system emphasizing spacing and athleticism. Bey is set to return from a torn ACL he sustained against the Pelicans during the 23-24 season. Bey hasn't played less than 63 games a season his entire career, with that 63-game year being the one he sustained his ACL injury.

No. 40 pick

The No. 40 pick offers further drafting flexibility or trade leverage.

What to Watch

Poole’s bounce-back : Will Poole return to his scoring form with more freedom in NOLA? Jordan Poole is coming off a career year in all stats, yet it is still seen as a bounce-back year.
Draft pick maximization : Will No. 40 be used for a rotational talent or packaged in a future deal?
Bey’s Return To Pre-Injury Form? : Can Bey replicate the three-point shooting he showcased in the 22-23 season, where he shot 36%?

This move deepens the Pelicans’ young core around Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson . McCollum and Olynyk were seen as potential movable assets, and this trade capitalizes on their peak value. Furthermore, this deal seems to cement the organization's desire not to continue in the same direction it was going in. It’s a new dawn and a new day in New Orleans.

The Pelicans look to build around their dynamic young duo.

The Chronicles Of The Pelicans: Draft Day

dylanmckneely@gmail.com (Dylan Mckneely) — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 18:01:19 GMT

"Are the New Orleans Pelicans the most interesting team of the summer?"

With the hiring of Bryson Graham as the Senior VP of Basketball Operations for the Atlanta Hawks, this officially concludes the David Griffin and company executive regime. The new basketball operations team consists of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars and General Manager Troy Weaver. Along with settling in on who will be the leaders of the Pelicans moving forward, Dumars has also made the intentions of the Pelicans regarding franchise cornerstone Zion Williamson clear. In an interview with WDSU Sports Director Fletcher Mackel, Dumars is quoted as saying Zion Williamson will not be cut or traded and that the Pelicans are moving forward with Zion as the face of the franchise.

So What Now?

The Pelicans have full control of their 2026 first-round pick. Barring a complete collapse of the Indiana Pacers next season, they will have two first-round picks due to the rights to swap picks with the Milwaukee Bucks. The value of the Bucks' pick swap is hanging by a thread, with zero indications of a trade request from superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. With recent reports from NBA Insider Kevin O'Connor stating that the Pelicans are reportedly "aggressively" pursuing the number three pick in this year's draft, in hopes of selecting Rutgers Scarlet Knights' Ace Bailey, along with a plethora of other rumors among insiders, one has to wonder... Are the Pelicans the most interesting team of the summer?

Let's Play 2K!

Ace Bailey has one of the highest ceilings in the entire draft. His freakish athleticism, coupled with his shot-making from midrange, is almost too tantalizing to pass up on if you can get him for the right price. A team executive may be a little hesitant to include Herb Jones in this deal for such a raw talent, due to Jones' ability to affect the game in multiple facets. Also, Jones is on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the entire NBA. With that being said, General Manager Dylan, reporting for duty. Instead of including Herb Jones in this deal, here is my proposed deal...

76ers Receive: Jordan Hawkins, Pelicans 2025 First Round Pick(7), Indiana Pacers 2026 First Round Pick(Top 4 Protected)

Pelicans Receive: 76ers 2025 First Round Pick(3), Andre Drummond

Full disclaimer: I absolutely hate the idea of trading Jordan Hawkins. With the Pelicans' pursuit of Bailey and CJ McCollum's mainstay on the roster, it would be most advantageous for Hawkins and the Pelicans to go their separate ways. Veteran Andre Drummond brings a defensive presence at the center position that the Pelicans have not had since the Anthony Davis era. He could also serve as a mentor to All-Rookie Second Team center Yves Missi. This deal will send Hawkins just over four hours away from the University of Connecticut, where he starred for the Huskies en route to a national championship.

Jeremiah Fears Loading...

If the Pelicans are unable to secure pick three and Bailey doesn't fall to seven, all arrows point to Jeremiah Fears being the preferred pick. The 6'3" combo guard out of Oklahoma has had a brilliant pre-draft process. His shot-making ability and quick-twitch movements resemble those of Kemba Walker in the early years of his career. Fears' scoring ability will keep defenders up at night, once he develops his NBA body frame and gets comfortable within the flow of the game. His demeanor is oddly extremely similar to that of Kemba as well: a man of principle, and extreme confidence. Fears is quoted as saying that he's most looking forward to playing against Anthony Edwards his rookie season. When asked further how he thought his rookie season would pan out, his simple response was, "I'mma kill, in the games and in practice." That level of confidence, coupled with his talent, gives one a reason to be excited about the potential of Fears' talent translating to the NBA. When asked about his high school matchup against projected first overall pick Cooper Flagg, Fears acknowledged that Flagg's team got the best of him. He then shifted quickly to looking forward to their incoming summer league matchup and said, "On the bigger stage, it's really time to go."

With the NBA Draft approaching, the Pelicans have signaled that last year’s performance was unacceptable. Joe "Officer" Dumars is poised to streamline the team's progression while preparing for a possible complete rebuild. The question remains: Are the Pelicans ready to make bold moves, or will we face another quiet offseason? It all starts with what happens on Wednesday, June 25th and Thursday, June 26th.

NOLA Gold hosts New England Free Jacks in the final home game Saturday night at the Shrine

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:56:17 GMT

NOLA Gold Rugby returns to the Shrine on Airline this Saturday, June 7, for an end-of-season showdown against the New England Free Jacks. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM CT, with gates opening at 5:00 PM.

Saturday’s match is the final home match of the season. Don’t miss your chance to cheer on NOLA Gold one last time in 2025 as they battle for a win and finish strong in front of the home crowd! The Free Jacks bring a well-balanced attack and disciplined defense, but NOLA is determined to defend home turf and feed off the energy of the Gold faithful.

Expect an intense matchup for the end of the season. Fans can look forward to live music, food, and an electric game-night atmosphere unique to New Orleans rugby.

The match will be broadcast live on the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network (Cox Cable Channel 10) and streamed on ESPN+. Follow live updates, exclusive content, and player features across NOLA Gold Rugby’s social media platforms and official website.

Tickets for the match and ticket packages are available now at nolagoldrugby.com or by calling 504-507-8429 (504-50-RUGBY). Matchday tickets start at just $25.

LSU Star Kade Anderson Named Sugar Bowl Athlete of the Month for May

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:12:16 GMT

Kade Anderson, the star left-handed pitcher for LSU, has been selected as May’s Allstate Sugar Bowl Athlete of the Month presented by LCMC Health. Athletes of the month have been selected by the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee since 1957. The athlete must be a native of the greater New Orleans area or must compete for a team in the metropolitan region to be eligible.

Anderson, a sophomore from Madisonville who graduated from St. Paul’s School, posted a 4-1 record in May as he helped the Tigers to the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In his five May starts, he recorded a 2.30 ERA, allowing 22 hits and eight runs in 31.1 innings to go with 54 strikeouts. He had double digits in strikeouts in four of his five appearances to give him ten 10-plus K performances on the season. His 12 strikeouts in the win over Texas A&M (5/3) are the school record for punch-outs in an SEC Tournament effort. In his NCAA Regional appearance against Dallas Baptist (5/31), he tossed seven innings of four-hit, shutout ball while striking out 11 to key the Tigers’ victory.

“And Kade, as Kade has been all year, was the best pitcher on the planet tonight. And executed at a high level,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said after the Dallas Baptist victory.

Anderson is expected to get the start on Saturday in the first game of LSU’s NCAA Super Regional against West Virginia. The game is slated for a 1 p.m. start from Alex Box Stadium. It will be televised live on ESPN. The second game is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Sunday on ESPN2.

For the year, the southpaw has a 9-1 record with a 3.28 ERA and 156 strikeouts (No. 1 in the nation, as of 6/1) in 96 innings (tops in the SEC). Opponents are hitting just .216 against him and he has walked just 26 batters.

NOLA Gold heads to the Windy City for a matchup against the Chicago Hounds

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Sat, 31 May 2025 14:00:15 GMT

NOLA Gold Rugby hits the road for a late-season clash as they take on the Chicago Hounds this Saturday, May 31, 2025, at 6:00 PM CT. With the regular season entering its final stretch, every point matters in the tight Eastern Conference race and this matchup promises to deliver high stakes.

Coming off a gritty performance last week, NOLA Gold is hungry for a win. Saturday’s battle against the Hounds offers the perfect proving ground as the Gold looks to bounce back and finish the season strong. The last meeting between these two squads was a close match, and you can expect another fierce contest as NOLA seeks to tame the Hounds on their home turf.

Fans can watch the match live on the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network (Cox Cable Channel 10) and ESPN+ or follow play-by-play updates through NOLA Gold Rugby’s official website and social media channels, NOLA Gold.

Following their trip to Chicago, NOLA Gold will return home to The Shrine on Airline for a can't-miss matchup against the New England Free Jacks on Saturday, June 7, at 6:00 PM CT.

Tickets for their last home match, including ticket packages and individual tickets are available now at nolagoldrugby.com or by calling 504-507-8429 (504-50-RUGBY). Matchday tickets start at just $25.

NOLA Gold Rugby to host the Utah Warriors Saturday at the Shrine on Airline

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Fri, 23 May 2025 17:56:24 GMT

NOLA Gold Rugby is back on home turf this Saturday, May 24, for a primetime Major League Rugby battle against the Utah Warriors. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM CT at the Shrine on Airline, with gates opening at 5:00 PM.

With the MLR season heating up, every match is crucial, and this Saturday's contest is shaping

up to be one of the most electric of the year. The Warriors, known for their high-tempo offense

and physical play, arrive in New Orleans hungry for a win. But the Gold, fueled by fan energy

and home-field advantage, are ready to rise to the occasion.

Fans are encouraged to bring the noise and be part of the city’s most unique sporting experience

as NOLA Gold fights for a playoff push under the lights.

The match will be broadcast live on the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network (Cox

Cable Channel 10) and streamed on ESPN+. Follow live updates, exclusive content, and player

features across NOLA Gold Rugby’s social media platforms and official website.

Tickets for the match and ticket packages are available now at nolagoldrugby.com or by calling 504-507-8429 (504-50-RUGBY). Matchday tickets start at just $25.

I AM NUMBER 7

dylanmckneely@gmail.com (Dylan Mckneely) — Thu, 15 May 2025 23:00:00 GMT

"With The Seventh Pick In The 2025 NBA Draft, The New Orleans Pelicans Select..."

The New Orleans Pelicans will pick seventh in this year's NBA Draft. While that isn't the spot the Pelicans had hoped for (or perhaps planned for), there is still a lot to be excited about due to the exorbitant amount of talent this draft consists of. We all know about the big three of Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and Dylan Harper Jr., but beyond these prospects, the draft is brimming with talent, providing a strong sense of reassurance and confidence to every Pelicans fan. Here are the top four prospects that the Pelicans should target with the seventh overall pick, pending their availability.

Kasparas Jakučionis - G/F

6'6

205.2 lbs

Stats

15.2 Pts | 5.6 Rebs | 4.8 Ast | 45.5 FG% | 33.1 3P% | 83.2 FT%

Strengths

Playmaking
Three Level Scorer
Pick And Roll Miastro
Offensive Creativity

Weaknesses

Athleticism
Turnover Rate
Shot Selection
Average To Below Average Defender

Summary
Kasparas Jakucionis is a genuinely unique prospect. His 6'6, 207-pound frame aligns perfectly with the modern lead guard profile. Jakucionis, who added five pounds of muscle in his freshman season at the University of Illinois, possesses an offensive game that mirrors that of elite European guards, such as Luka Dončić

and Goran Dragić. Like Dončić, Kasparas loves to shoot the step-back three after neutralizing the defender with his smooth ball handling. Kasparas's footwork and craftiness compensate for his less-than-stellar athleticism when it comes to finishing around the rim. With his high IQ, vision, and creativity, Kasparas stands out as the best playmaking guard in the draft. His ability to pass his teammates open and orchestrate one of the toughest offensive schemes in the country under Coach Brad Underwood as an eighteen-year-old is genuinely remarkable. Kasparas's greatest strength lies in his ability to execute ball screens effectively. Moving at his own pace, he uses his 6'6 frame to see passes that smaller guards might not see, create room for a shot, or snake the lane for a rim attack. The biggest knock on Jakucionis is his inconsistent play. He had a season of extreme highs, including 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 50/50/100 against the Top 25 team Arkansas. However, he also experienced extreme lows, with just 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, shooting 25% against Rutgers. If Jakucionis can minimize turnovers, learn defensive angles to compensate for his lack of athleticism, and be consistent in his role, he could have a successful pro career.

Derik Queen PF/C

6'10 1/2

248 lbs

Stats

16.5 Pts | 9 Rebs | 1.9 Ast | 52 FG% | 20 3P% | 76 FT%

Strengths

Skilled Post Scorer
Prime Time Gamer Gene
Guard Like Handle
Lateral Mobility

Weaknesses

Jump Shot Mechanics
Situational Motor
Non-Rim Protector
Limited Athleticism

Summary

Derik Queen is undoubtedly the most skilled big man in this draft. His combination of brute strength and a soft touch around the basket makes him a difficult matchup for leaner, more athletic post players. His guard-like mobility and ability to handle the ball on the perimeter create challenges for larger post players trying to defend him as he drives to the basket. What made Queen nearly unguardable at the college level was his unselfish style of play, as he often made the right decisions when facing double teams and help-side coverage. Queen's game resembles that of All-Star big men DeMarcus Cousins and Alperen Şengün. He possesses a high basketball IQ and is a skilled big man with limited athleticism. However, like many players of his type, he can become disengaged if he is not consistently involved in the game. If Queen can improve his situational focus and develop a reliable three-point shot, he has the potential to be one of the top three players to emerge from this draft.

Jeremiah Fears - G

6'3

180 lbs

Stats

17.1 Pts 4.1 Rebs | 4.1 Ast | 43.4 FG% | 28.4 3P% | 85.1 FT%

Strengths

Rim Attacking
Advanced Ball Handling
Ability To Switch Gears
Passing Lanes Merchant

Weaknesses

Three Point Shooting
On Ball Defense
Ball Dominant
Inconsistent Decision Making

Summary

Jeremiah Fears was a fan favorite this past year, not just among Oklahoma fans, but basketball fans in general. Fears' elite ball handling capability, a skill that sets him apart, coupled with his ability to finish around the rim at an efficient rate(50%), kept fans on the edge of their seat anytime the ball was in Fears' hands. His most significant advantage is his ability to start and stop in traffic, never being sped up or slowed down by the defender, but always moving at his own pace, a sight to behold for any basketball enthusiast.

Jeremiah's game resembles that of Monta Ellis and future Hall OF Famer Kyrie Irving. At just 6'3, 180 pounds, his size may seem like a disadvantage to most, but he more than makes up for it with skill and toughness. The biggest knock on Fears is his inability to shoot from three at an efficient clip. In the modern NBA, it's harder to win with a Point Guard that is a non-threat from deep. However, there were moments last year where Fears showed great potential in developing a long-range attack, scoring 29 points on Georgia and Arizona and scoring 26 points while shooting 57% from three(4-7) against both. If Fears can climb up into the high 30's, low 40's from three, his already elite ability to draw fouls will set him up for a promising and successful career in the NBA.

Kon Knueppel - G/F

6'6

219 lbs

Stats

14.4 Pts | 4.0 Rebs | 2.7 Ast | 47.9 FG% | 40.6 3P% | 91.4 FT%

Strengths

Elite Shooter
High Motor
High IQ
Great Footwork

Weaknesses

Athleticism
On Ball Defense
Creating Space
Average Ball Handling

Summary

Kon Knueppel is one of the safest picks in the lottery, largely due to his elite shooting ability. His knack for shooting the ball from deep makes him a low-risk, high-reward prospect. When he's not lighting up the scoreboard from three, Kon uses his large frame to power his way to the rim, using his impressive footwork to create scoring opportunities. Kon's high basketball IQ enables him to fill the lead guard role in spot minutes. His unlimited range and shooting efficiency(40.6% from 3) make him a force to be reckoned with. Defenders rush to close out on him, fearing his long-range scoring ability, only to find themselves overpowered by Knueppel's aggressive style of attacking the paint.

Kon's game resemble that of Desmond Bane and Wally Szczerbiak. His limitless range coupled with his capitol "T" body build makes him a very tough cover. Where Knueppel may stuggle at the next level is his in between game. Don't get me wrong Kon's midrange jumper is just as deadly as his three point shot, scoring at a 50% clip, the issue is Kon's ball handling skills or lack there of may become a hindrance in creating space to take that midrange jumper. On the defensive end, Kon could struggle due to his lack of foot speed. With Knueppel it's not about want to, it's about his physical limitations, that could be alleviated somewhat in a professional development system, but one has to wonder how close to his defensive ceiling is Kon after spending a year in the pro like system of Coach Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils.

NOLA Gold battles hard in D.C., falls to Old Glory 27-14

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Wed, 14 May 2025 14:00:07 GMT

NOLA Gold showed flashes of dominance and grit in an away physical clash against Old Glory DC, but ultimately fell short, 27-14. Despite early leads and intense defensive phases, the Gold couldn’t hold off a determined Old Glory side that surged in the second half to secure the win.

The match began with Old Glory DC striking first via a penalty to go up 3-0. But NOLA Gold responded quickly and decisively, earning a penalty try after sustained pressure deep in the opposition’s territory. The automatic conversion pushed the Gold ahead 7-3.

The Gold didn’t let up, Julian Roberts powered through for a well-earned try, and Luke Carty added the extras to give NOLA a promising 14-3 advantage midway through the first half. Old Glory closed the gap just before the break with a try of their own, cutting NOLA’s lead to 14-8 heading into halftime.

Momentum shifted after the break. Old Glory struck early in the second half and regained the lead. Two additional tries from the home side widened the gap to 27-14, putting pressure on the Gold to respond late.

In the dying minutes, Jonah Mau’u appeared to breathe life into a comeback with a brilliant finish, but after a TMO review, the try was disallowed. The final whistle blew, and NOLA Gold could not overcome the deficit.

Though the result didn’t go their way, NOLA Gold once again showcased sparks of attacking potential and defensive resolve. With the team continuing to gel and push for consistency, the focus now turns to the next challenge.

NOLA Gold returns home for a highly anticipated match against the Utah Warriors on May 24th, at 6:00 p.m. CT at The Gold Mine.

Lions in Jeopardy after Thursday's Losses

basmith.eagle@gmail.com (Brendon Smith ) — Fri, 09 May 2025 17:20:39 GMT

Brennan Stuprich gets the start in what will likely be his last game in Pat Kenelly. Photo by Liam Adamson of SLU Athletics

After two rocky games Thursday, SLU is backed into must-win situations if they want to take the Southland Conference and make the NCAA Tournament.

Although Lions Baseball can still share the conference with UTRGV by earning 2 more wins or having McNeese lose 2 more times, all this accomplishes is the regular season title and the number one seed. Southeastern would still need to battle through the tournament and almost certainly win the whole thing to make the NCAA playoffs.

As much as Southland has advocated for itself to be a two-bid conference, you can’t leave things open for chance, especially after Lamar was excluded from the tournament last year, even after an incredible 44-15 season.

Even though the game was non-televised the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee almost certainly saw the result of the 13-0 loss for SLU, and even with two close losses with ranked Southern Miss, a 2-1 series win against UTRGV and only one lost conference series, the committee will throw that all out of the window if they believe SLU doesn’t deserve the bid over other teams.

While Baseball is backed into a corner so is softball as after a close game that ended 2-1, SLU needs to win both consecutive games to win the series and clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

McNeese has had SLU’s number all year as even though the Lady Lions took the first game in a softball double header against the Cowgirls April 4, McNeese still took the series outscoring Southeastern 12 to 8 in the last two games.

While like in baseball SLU can certainly trust in the good faith of the selection committee, it is best to take things into your own hands and get to the post season on your own efforts.

Southeastern will play Nicholls in baseball again Saturday in a doubleheader starting at 1 PM, while softball will play McNeese for the 2nd game of the Southland Conference Championship at 6 PM today.

NOLA Gold falls short on the road against the San Diego Legion

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Mon, 05 May 2025 01:43:27 GMT

In an intense battle marked by big plays and momentum swings, NOLA Gold came up just short against the San Diego Legion, falling 45-36 in a thrilling contest on the West Coast. Despite the loss, NOLA secured a valuable bonus point by scoring four tries, a testament to the team's determination throughout the match.

San Diego struck first, powering ahead with two early tries to take a quick 14-0 lead. NOLA Gold responded with determination, as Moni Tonga'uiha broke through defenders and touched down in the try zone to cut into the deficit at 14-7. The Legion answered right back with another converted try to make it 21-7.

NOLA came roaring back. Tonga'uiha sparked the comeback once more, finishing off a well-structured attack to notch his second try of the night. Harley Wheeler followed up minutes later with a determined run, diving over the line for another score. Reece Botha capped off the flurry with his own try, giving the Gold an impressive 24-21 lead heading into halftime.

After the break, San Diego regained momentum with an early try to pull ahead 28-24. NOLA quickly countered with a smartly executed kick-and-chase by Cooper Coats, setting up Damian Stevens for a dazzling try that restored the Gold’s lead at 31-28.

The Legion, however, surged late in the second half, scoring three unanswered tries to create a 45-31 advantage. Harley Wheeler punched in a late try in the 78th minute—his second of the match—to help NOLA close the gap to 45-36, but time ran out before the Gold could mount a final comeback.

Despite the loss, NOLA Gold walked away with a bonus point for the four tries scored in the match, demonstrating grit throughout the contest.

NOLA Gold will look to regroup and turn their attacking promise into a win as they return home to face the Miami Sharks on May 9th at 6:00 PM CT.

Tickets for the game, including ticket packages and individual match-day tickets, are available now. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 504-507-8429 (504-50-RUGBY) or visiting nolagoldrugby.com. Matchday tickets start at just $25.

NOLA Gold's win over Seattle secures 3rd place in the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference standings

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:40:50 GMT

After a weather-delayed kickoff, loyal NOLA Gold fans were treated to a rollercoaster of a match that ended with a well-earned 44-36 victory over the Seattle Seawolves at the Shrine. This win moved NOLA Gold into 3rd place in the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference standings.

Coach Danny Lee said of the team's response to the delay, “We just had to control the controllables. Once we told the boys the definitive time for kickoff, we had a plan ready to go. In terms of game plan, we had to be a little bit more direct, and we had to kick and adapt quickly.”

NOLA Gold set the tone early, taking an initial 3-0 lead thanks to a steady penalty kick from Dorian Jones. Though Seattle answered quickly with a try to make it 7-3, the Gold launched into a dominant scoring stretch. Isaac Te Tamaki powered across the try line to ignite the offense, followed by back-to-back tries from the relentless Jonah Mau’u. Jones continued to add points from the tee, stretching the Gold’s lead to 27-7.

Just before halftime, the Seawolves found a breakthrough and scored at the buzzer, narrowing the margin to 27-14. However, NOLA emerged from the locker room with purpose. Xavier Mignot wasted no time reestablishing momentum with a try that pushed the lead to 34-14.

Seattle fought back with intensity, capitalizing on back-to-back tries to bring the score to 34-24. But NOLA responded with composure, as Jones added another penalty to keep the visitors at bay, 37-24.

The closing stages of the match saw both teams exchanging blows. Seattle’s try was met by a decisive moment from Joe Taufete’e, who muscled through defenders for a critical score. Luke Campbell’s conversion extended the lead to 44-29. Though Seattle scored one final try at the buzzer, it wasn’t enough.

With a final score of 44-36, NOLA Gold walked away with a crucial five-point win in front of a roaring home crowd and strengthens their postseason hopes with a firm grip on 3rd place in the East.

Their next match will be on the road against the San Diego Legion on May 4th at 4:00 PM CT. For tickets and more details, please visit www.nolagoldrugby.com

10th annual Covington Antiques and Uniques Festival

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:22:09 GMT

The 10th annual Covington Antiques & Uniques Festival will be held this Saturday, April 26, and Sunday, April 27, at the Covington Trailhead Museum. This two-day, juried festival features over 60 vendors offering an eclectic mix of antique furnishings, period collectibles, architectural salvage, and vintage-inspired fine crafts, as well as a live auction, car show, good food, music, and more.

The Covington Heritage Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to preserve the city’s culture, character and community. Founded in 2015, the festival is coordinated with the support of the City’s Department of Cultural Arts and Events. As the festival grows and evolves each year, their goal remains the same- to offer a first-class juried event that reflects the unique charm and history of the city of Covington.

The festival is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. For more details, please visit https://www.covingtonheritagefoundation.com/

NOLA Gold hits the road to face the Houston SaberCats

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 13:38:41 GMT

The NOLA Gold will hit the road for a showdown against the Houston SaberCats on Saturday, April 19, 2025, beginning at 7:00 PM CT. The matchup against Houston is expected to be an intense one, with both squads vying for playoff positioning as the MLR season heats up.

Fans can catch all of tonight's action live on the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network (Cox

Cable Channel 10) and ESPN+, or follow along in real time through NOLA Gold Rugby’s social

media channels and official website.

After their trip to Houston, NOLA Gold will return home to the Shrine on Airline for a matchup against the Seattle Seawolves on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at 3:00 PM CT.

Tickets for upcoming home matches are available now at nolagoldrugby.com.

The Crescent City Classic races into New Orleans this weekend

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:53:58 GMT

The 2025 Crescent City Classic will take place this Saturday, April 19th starting at 8 a.m. The Classic is the New Orleans and Gulf South's premier 10k road race, and one of the oldest 10k races in the nation. This Easter weekend tradition along with Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, is one of New Orleans signature events. Every year, over 20,000 people gather in Downtown New Orleans for an event that attracts everyone from international elite athletes to those who walk the entire route carrying cocktails or wearing bunny suits. Young, old, fit and not so, the Crescent City Classic is the most fun you can have over 6.2 miles.

For over 40 years, it has combined world class competition, amateur participation and great fun for all participants. Starting in 1979 with 902 participants, the Crescent City Classic has grown to become the preeminent fitness event in Louisiana. All CCC events are produced by the Crescent City Classic Foundation, a not-for-profit entity whose sole purpose is to promote health, fitness, and a better lifestyle for the people of the New Orleans metropolitan area.

The “Run For It” Program is the Official Charity Program of the Crescent City Classic. The goal of the “Run For It” Program is to raise $1 million annually and serve the Greater New Orleans area. Each year, the Crescent City Classic Foundation selects local charities to support and partner with for the 10k race. No matter who crosses the finish line first, everyone wins!

For more information about the Crescent City Classic and to register for the race, please visit www.ccc10k.com

French Quarter Easter Parade celebrates its 40th year in New Orleans

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:33:58 GMT

The 40th annual French Quarter Easter Parade will roll this Sunday, April 20 at 1 p.m. in New Orleans. The historic Easter parade was originally named after Chris Owens, the iconic Bourbon Street entertainer. Every year, Owens presided over the parade until her passing in 2022.

The parade will begin at the corner of St. Louis and Royal in front of Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, turning right on Bourbon to Gov. Nicholls Street to Decatur, and conclude on St. Louis and Royal at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. The parade will be complete with colorful floats, marching bands, beads, Easter trinkets, and plenty of eager revelers.

In addition to the Easter parade and celebrations, there will also be a silent auction, music, and hat contest held at the Omni Royal Orleans Grand Ballroom, starting at 11 a.m. The silent auction helps raise money to support music education in New Orleans.

Following the parade, the fun will continue with a champagne brunch and live music by David Cook and The Yat Pack.

For more information on the parade and silent auction, please visit www.frenchquartereasterparade.com

The Zurich Classic swings into New Orleans next week

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:15:00 GMT

The Zurich Classic swings into New Orleans on April 21 through April 27, 2025. Established in 1958, the Zurich Classic is a professional golf tournament that is held in Louisiana on the PGA Tour, at TPC Louisiana in Avondale.

The Fore!Kids Foundation hosts the Zurich Classic to help raise money to fund various children’s service organizations. Since it was established in 1958, Fore!Kids has raised over $45 million through golf events – like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the Golf Ball Gala, a kids’ summer junior tour, and several charitable golf tournaments to help provide healthcare, education and hope for over 200,000 children each year.

Individual day tickets are $45 and all-inclusive tickets "Best of the Zurich Classic" are $185. All tickets to the Zurich Classic are via mobile entry only. Children 15 and under are admitted free at the front gate with a ticketed adult. Public p arking is $20 per day.

For more details, please visit https://zurichgolfclassic.com/

Hogs for the Cause in New Orleans raises record-shattering $5.25 million

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 16:02:52 GMT

This year's Hogs for the Cause in New Orleans was one of the best yet. The two-day sold-out event held on April 4th and 5th raised a record-shattering $5.25 million to help fight pediatric brain cancer. The new record surpasses last year's $4.3 million raised.

Becker Hall, CEO and Co-Founder of Hogs for the Cause said, "I’m amazed by the monumental generosity and compassion of our fans, teams, sponsors, and staff. The amount of good we will achieve with these funds is staggering. I want to thank everyone who made this possible. Thank you.”

Founded in 2009, Hogs for the Cause has become the premier nationwide source of funding for families with children fighting pediatric brain cancer through the amazing efforts of their teams and fans. They work with both local and national children’s hospitals, including Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, Ochsner Hospital for Children, Duke Children’s Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Children’s Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, and Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, to offer monetary relief to families with children who have brain cancer.

To learn more about Hogs for the Cause or to donate, please visit https://hogsfest.org/

Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival celebrates 53 years of fun

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 22:00:49 GMT

Back for its 53rd year, the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival will be held on Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Ponchatoula Memorial Park.

Held annually in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, the Strawberry Capital of the World, the 3-day event is Louisiana's largest free harvest festival. According to their website, the festival draws in over 300,000 people annually and features over 40 separate booths operated by non-profit organizations.

Established in 1972, the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival attracts visitors from all over the country to celebrate local strawberry farmers, non-profits, and their special community. It is three days filled with time-honored traditions, incredible strawberry inspired dishes and drinks, live music, rides and a parade for tons of family, friendly fun.

The year's Strawberry Festival Parade will take place on Saturday, April 12, starting at 9:30 am at the Ponchatoula Lions club. The parade has been an integral part of festival weekend since the very beginning.

For more details on this year's festival and parade, please visit www.lastrawberryfestival.com

French Quarter Fest celebrates its 42nd anniversary of music, food and fun

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 17:09:46 GMT

The French Quarter Festival celebrates its 42nd anniversary of music, food and fun on Thursday, April 10th - Sunday, April 13th. The 4-day festival in New Orleans is the largest free festival in the state of Louisiana, attracting thousands of visitors from all over the country every year. The festival features over 300 musical acts across 22 stages, celebrating our local music and representing every genre from traditional jazz to brass bands and Zydeco. This year's musical performers include Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Irma Thomas, Chapel Hart Band, The Original Pinettes Brass Band with Mia X, Little Freddie King, and Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters.

There will also be 70 culinary vendors showcasing our incredible New Orleans cuisine with dishes from Desire Oyster Bar, Jacques Imo's, Landry's, Nori Guys, Restaurant R'evolution and more.

Fans are invited to join festival organizers, sponsors, and partners on Thursday, April 10th at 10 am for the French Quarter Festival Kickoff Parade. The parade will start on the 200 block Bourbon Street to St. Ann, making its way to Jackson Square for the Annual Opening Day Ceremony.

For more information on the FQF festival, to see the complete musical or culinary lineup or to purchase Fest Family VIP tickets, please visit https://frenchquarterfest.org/

Hogs for the Cause 2025: A great event for a greater cause

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:57:28 GMT

Hogs for the Cause returns for 2025 at the UNO Lakefront Arena on Friday, April 4th and Saturday, April 5th, for two days of good music, food, fundraising and family fun.

Hogs for the Cause welcomes 85 local and regional BBQ masters and the best backyard chefs to compete in seven categories: Whole Hog, Ribs, Pork Butt/Shoulder, Porkpourri, Sauce, Fan Favorite, and Fundraising Champion.

With both New Orleans musicians and national musical acts performing, you can dance all weekend long while enjoying some delicious dishes like Beef Back Ribs, Bacon Praline Egg Roll, Pulled Pork Nachos , Pineapple Pepper Jelly Wings, Bananas Foster Pudding and more.

Hogs for the Cause has become the premier nationwide source of funding for families with children fighting pediatric brain cancer through the amazing efforts of their teams and fans. Working with both local and national children’s hospitals, including Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, Ochsner Hospital for Children, Duke Children’s Hospital, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Children’s Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, and Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, to offer monetary relief to families with children who have brain cancer.

For more information on this year's festival and to purchase tickets, please visit: https://hogsfest.org

LSU Gymnast Kailin Chio named 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 01:35:03 GMT

LSU gymnast Kailin Chio has been named the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year, announced by the Southeastern Conference in its annual gymnastics awards for the season.

Chio has not only been the top freshman performer in the SEC throughout the 2025 season, but also in the country. On top of her FOTY honors, she was also named to the All-SEC and All-Freshman Team. Chio is just the fourth gymnast in LSU history to win the SEC Freshman of the Year award, joining Haleigh Bryant (2021), Kiya Johnson (2020) and April Burkholder (2003), and the 20th gymnast to earn a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team since it began back in 2009.

Chio has had the most historic freshman debut in LSU's history. In her first year, she has competed in the all-around in every meet for the Tigers, recording season highs of 10.0 on vault, 9.950’s on bars and beam, 9.975 on floor and 39.800 in the all-around, the highest all-around score by a freshman in LSU history and in the country currently. She has placed as one of the top five gymnasts in the country for five straight weeks in only her first year, putting up veteran numbers all year long. She owns an NQS of 39.670 in the all-around heading into postseason and has ranked amongst the top 10 gymnasts in the nation for eight out of 12 weeks of competition so far in 2025, including claiming the No. 1 spot on vault for two weeks in week seven and Week 11.

Chio currently ranks in the top 20 on every event nationally with an NQS of 9.9+ across the board. She has had nine meets this year where she has put up scores of 9.900 or better on at least three events for the Tigers and owns 20 titles, with six of those coming on vault, five in the all-around, four on bars, three on beam and two on floor.

Chio has marked many “firsts” in her first year at LSU, including being the first freshman to record a 10 this season after her perfect yurchenko one and a half on vault against Auburn on March 22. It was only the fourth perfect score in the country by any gymnast so far this year.

She also made SEC history when she set the record for the most SEC Freshman of the Week honors in a single season, taking home nine out of 11 awards in 2025, the most by any freshman in SEC history. She broke the previous SEC record of eight set by Florida’s Kayla DiCello’s in 2023 and Haleigh Bryant’s previous LSU record of five.

In her postseason debut, Chio finished amongst the top 10 performers in the 2025 SEC Gymnastics Championships on vault, bars, floor and the all-around. She finished second on floor with her score of 9.950 and fourth in the all-around with her 39.650 at the championships.

LSU Gymnastics Wins 2025 SEC Championship

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 15:40:58 GMT

The No. 2 ranked LSU Gymnastics team (12-2, 8-1 SEC) has won the 2025 SEC Championship with a record-breaking score of 198.200 in Session II of the 2025 SEC Gymnastics Championships inside Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL.

This is LSU's 2nd consecutive championship and 6th total, winning five in the last eight years.

LSU’s final score of 198.200 was their best in the school's history at the SEC Championships to finish as the top team across both sessions of competition on Saturday. No. 1 ranked Oklahoma finished in second with their score of 197.925 and Florida in third with their 197.825.

The Tigers began on bars, recording a team score of 49.600, which was good for the program’s highest bar score at the SEC Championships. On beam, they scored a total of 49.450, which is the highest beam score in LSU history at the SEC Championships. O n vault, they finished 49.525, their fourth highest in LSU history at the meet and on floor rotation, they wrapped up with a total score of 49.625, their second highest at SEC’s.

LSU held the lead through all rotations in the second session, highlighted by top five program scores in every event at the conference championships.

50th annual Louisiana Crawfish Festival: 4 days of good food and fun

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:39:27 GMT

The 50th annual Louisiana Crawfish Festival returns for 2025 in Chalmette, LA for 4 days of good food and fun starting on Thursday, March 20th -Sunday, March 23rd. Come on out to the Parish to enjoy some delicious crawfish and crawfish inspired dishes plus rides, games and live music with performances by Chapel Hart, Harvey Jesus and Fire, Laine Hardy, The Chee-Weez, and more.

The festival was first established in 1975, when the Knights of Columbus Rummel Council 5747 saw a need in the St. Bernard Community. Debating on how to raise funds, a member of the council suggested that they host a festival, and the rest is history. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated St. Bernard Parish, the festival was postponed until 2007. Once it reestablished itself, the festival became the main fundraiser for Knights of Columbus Rummel Council, which has allowed them to donate over $100,000 per year to multiple community initiatives throughout the St. Bernard Community and the surrounding areas. Since Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana Crawfish Festival has donated over 2 million dollars back to the community.

The festival is hosted by the Louisiana Crawfish Fest Foundation with a mission to help those in need and to support community programs in St. Bernard Parish and the surrounding areas.

Admission to the festival is free today, $20 on Friday and $10 on Saturday and Sunday. Carnival ride bands are $20 on Thursday, $25 Friday and $30 for Saturday and Sunday. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.louisianacrawfishfestival.com

LSU Gymnast Aleah Finnegan named 2025 AAI Award Finalist

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:39:32 GMT

LSU Gymnast Aleah Finnegan has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2025 AAI Award, which is awarded to the top senior gymnast in the nation by the American Athletic Inc.

Finnegan was chosen a finalist from a field of 59 nominees. She is joined by Oklahoma’s Jordan Bowers and Audrey Davis, Oregon State’s Jade Carey, Florida’s Leanne Wong and Utah’s Grace McCallum.

Voting will be conducted by NCAA women's gymnastics head coaches with the winner to be announced at the NCAA Championships Banquet in Fort Worth, TX next month.

LSU has seen four AAI Award Winners in school history, the most by any school since 2010 and the most in the SEC. The prestigious group includes Haleigh Bryant (2024), Aleah's sister, Sarah Finnegan (2019), Ashleigh Gnat (2017) and Susan Jackson (2010).

This year, Finnegan has competed in the all-around in all but two meets this year, putting up season highs of 9.950 on vault and bars, 10.0 on beam, 9.975 on floor and 39.725 in the all-around. Nationally, she has ranked amongst the top 20 all-around gymnasts in the nation for nine out of 12 weeks of regular season competition. Finnegan is an eight time All-American and All-SEC member who owns eight perfect scores in her career, with the most recent coming this season on beam. She was the first Tiger this year to earn a perfect 10 and it was only the third perfect score on beam in the country. Her eight-career perfect 10’s is the sixth most in LSU history, including the second most on floor.

She owns 36 titles in her career so far at LSU, with 13 of those coming in 2025. She owns 14 titles on floor, 10 on beam, six on vault, five in the all-around and one on bars. Her 14 floor titles ties for the seventh most in LSU history, which she currently shares with her sister, Sarah Finnegan.

On top of her collegiate success, Finnegan has continued be a great representative of LSU across NCAA Gymnastics and the world stage, becoming the first LSU Gymnast to represent the Tigers in the Olympics when she competed in the qualifying rounds of the 2024 Paris Olympics with Team Philippines.

Tulane | Spring Football Preview E-Book

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 14:30:00 GMT

With that being said, feel free to download our Tulane Football Spring Preview E-Book below, as well as subscribe to our mailing list.

Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana to host 1st annual Seize the Day Warrior Walk in New Orleans

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 22:38:03 GMT

On Saturday, March 22nd, the Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana will host their 1st annual Seize the Day Warrior Walk in New Orleans.

Founded in 1977, the Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana is dedicated to supporting those impacted by epilepsy in local communities by confronting the spectrum of challenges created by seizures. They offer resources and information with a “hands on” approach and is the only agency of its type in Louisiana to exclusively provide outreach, education, and advocacy to individuals with epilepsy.

Seize the Day Warrior Walk is one of the most powerful ways you can raise awareness and make a lasting impact for those living with epilepsy in your own community. The events are now held in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, as well as Youngsville, combining both fun and community spirit with a powerful purpose.

These walks offer more than an opportunity to raise awareness and funds, they are also a chance to connect with others and strengthen the epilepsy community. The funds raised will help support vital programs and services for individuals and families affected by epilepsy, ensuring no one must face the challenges of epilepsy alone.

To learn more about the Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana or to register for one of the walks, please visit www.epilepsylouisiana.org

LSU Gymnast Kailin Chio claims her 9th SEC Freshman of the Week Honor

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:41:51 GMT

It's another week and another honor for LSU Gymnastics freshman Kailin Chio, who has just won her ninth career SEC Freshman of the Week honor. This breaks the previous single season record by any freshman in the conference since the award began in 2009.

Chio shares the Week 11 honor with Oklahoma’s Addison Fatta after both freshmen put up a 39.650 in the all-around last Friday. Chio now has the most SEC Freshman of the Week honors in SEC history, breaking the previous record of eight set by Florida’s Kayla DiCello’s in 2023. Chio also holds the LSU record for the most SEC awards by a gymnast in their first season. She surpassed Haleigh Bryant’s previous record of five in 2021.

Chio recorded her first career perfect 10 in the Tigers regular season finale against No. 14 Auburn last Friday. She became the first freshman in the country to earn a 10 this season after her flawless yurchenko one and a half on vault and her 10 on vault was only the third in the country so far this season.

She put up a strong performance to add to LSU’s season high road victory last Friday, recording scores of 9.900 on bars and 9.925 on floor on top of her perfect 10.0 on vault. She took home the vault title on the night, her 20th title this season and sixth on the event, winning at least one title in all but one competition so far this year.

In only her first year as a Tiger, Chio has earned a spot among the top five gymnasts in the nation for four straight weeks, currently ranking No. 5 in the all-around with her NQS of 39.670. She also sits in the top 10 nationally in the vault and beam rankings, including the No. 1 spot on vault with her NQS of 9.955 on the event.

4th annual Food Fight NOLA returns to Lafreniere Park

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 22:18:55 GMT

The highly anticipated 4th Annual Food Fight returns on Thursday, March 27th, at the Carousel Lawn at Lafreniere Park in Metairie. Organized by Yeah You Right Events, this exclusive one-night-only event promises a diverse and exciting mix of exceptional food, cocktails, and live entertainment. This exciting food competition features over 40 restaurants and 30 spirits competing to see who can create the Top New Orleans dishes and cocktails. Local chefs and bartenders will compete in five categories: Top Traditional Dish, Top Creative Dish, Top Vegetarian Dish, Top Classic Cocktail, and Top Creative Cocktail for NOLA Boards trophies.

This all-inclusive event benefits the PLEASE Foundation, a Louisiana non-profit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in New Orleans through education. PLEASE Foundation provides at-risk teens with mentorship, leadership training, and scholarships to attend local college-preparatory high schools.

Food Fight organizer Shane Finkelstein said, “We’ve found that Lafreniere Park is the perfect venue for our events. This year, we have the most diverse lineup of restaurants we’ve ever had, and it’s going to be an unforgettable night.”

Food Fight 2025 ticketing options include:

$145 VIP
$115 Early Entry/First Tasting
$95 General Admission

Early Bird tickets are available online now. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.foodfightnola.com

Interview with LSU legend Kramer Robertson

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:05:42 GMT

Let's get into it!

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with LSU legend Kramer Robertson. Kramer was kind enough to give me some of his time.

Take us back to Midway High School; talk to us about your recruitment process.

Kramer: My recruiting process actually started pretty early after I attended Texas A&M and then LSU baseball camps in 9th grade. Things picked up after my sophomore summer, with more teams starting to recruit me. I ended up going on 3 visits my junior year, which were A&M, Ole Miss, and LSU, before obviously choosing LSU around Christmas time that year.

Talk to us about your adjustment to college baseball.

Kramer: The adjustment to college in general was tough for me. My entire freshman fall, like lots of kids, I was just homesick. I actually hit really well that fall but still felt like I couldn't do anything right. I was your typical freshman just trying to survive each day.

Talk to us about your freshman season in 2014.

Kramer: My freshman season had ups and downs. For the first time in my career, I was dealing with being in and out of the lineup and really, failure as well. These were such vital lessons for me as I went on later in my career.

Talk to us about that SportsCenter Top 10 catch against Grambling State University.

Kramer: The catch against Grambling is still one of my favorite baseball memories. First career start, I was so nervous I remember my legs shaking in the first inning. I had made those catches countless times as a young kid in my yard pretending I was on SportsCenter, so to do it in my first career game was truly surreal.

In 2016 you burst onto the scene, seeing time at shortstop and 2nd base. You hit .324 and helped lead the team to the College World Series. Talk to us about your junior season.

Kramer: My junior season is where it finally all clicked for me. My first two seasons didn't go exactly how I had hoped, but I had learned so much and felt physically better than ever. Week 3 I got moved to shortstop and never missed another game there the rest of my career. I felt like the experience we gained as a team in 2016 really set the tone for what we knew would be a special 2017 team.

In 2017 you start all 72 games at shortstop; talk to us about that season.

Kramer: We knew going into 2017 we were going to be super talented. 4 of us turned down real money in the draft to come back for another season with a talented class coming in. It really was one of the best teams you could ever be a part of. We were such good friends away from the field, and we were a damn good baseball team. From offense to defense to pitching, we were stacked. I still lose sleep to this day thinking about losing that national championship.

Take us back to the 2016 Arkansas series. You guys sweep the Razorbacks, but 2 things happen in that series. Talk to us about the "Rally Possum" and your busted lip.

Kramer: Yeah, the famous Rally Possum game that was for everyone, except me (haha). But yeah, obviously, I got smoked in the mouth, and it was gruesome, but there was just no way I was coming out of the game. Ironically, it just happened to be in a famous 9-2 comeback win on national TV, so it blew up, and everyone got to see how ugly I looked that night. I got the game winning hit and had to try to do interviews with that fat lip. It was pretty awful, but a fun memory now.

In 2017 you were selected in the 4th round of the MLB draft; talk to us about the draft process.

Kramer: Getting drafted was another feeling I'll never forget. It was something I thought and dreamed about so much as a kid. I could not believe this was my reality. So many people had helped me get to that point, and it was really rewarding to see all of their reactions. It was all of our moment.

What is your opinion on Coach Mainieri at South Carolina?

Kramer: Coach Mainieri has had the greatest impact of anyone on my baseball career. I love that man. I wish him nothing but success, except when they play LSU.

What is your opinion on the LSU baseball program today?

Kramer: LSU baseball is in a great place and exactly where it should be - competing for national championships. Jay understands the expectations here, and he's absolutely crushing it. LSU baseball is here to stay.

What is it like having Kim Mulkey, a living legend, as a mother?

Kramer: Things have always been a bit more public having Kim Mulkey as your mom, but that helped prepare me for my own career later in life. But outside of the public, she's so cool; we have a great relationship. Things are better since she's been at LSU, but that's okay; she hasn't changed one bit and never will. I'm so grateful for her.

What is Kramer Robertson up to nowadays?

Kramer: I am now working in the LSU athletic administration. My official title is the sports performance analyst, but I will be doing many different things in the department. Looking forward to being back at LSU.

Plug your social media handle; tell everyone where they can find you.

Kramer: @kramerrobertson

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter): @eazytro

Bayou Boogaloo brings 3 days of fun to New Orleans

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:52:20 GMT

Bayou Boogaloo returns for 2025 celebrating its 18th year on Friday, May 16th - Sunday, May 18th for 3 days of incredible music, food, arts and family friendly fun along Bayou St. John in New Orleans.

Their just announced musical lineup will include performances by Big Freedia’s Gospel Revival, 420 Funk Mob featuring members of Parliament Funkadelic, Jagged Little Pill: An Alanis Morissette Tribute featuring Alexis Marceaux, Leo Nocentelli, LSD Clownsystem, Honey Island Swamp Band presents Dark Side of the Bayou, GLBL WRMNG, Crowe Boys, Jelly Joseph, Desert Nudes, Billy Iuso, Alexis & The Sanity, Ghalia Volt, James Andrews and The Crescent City Allstars, Bo Dollis Jr and The Wild Magnolias, Asylum Chorus and Kirkland Green.

Proceeds from the event help Friends of Bayou St. John, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes stewardship, cultural appreciation, responsible recreation and initiatives that support a clean, healthy Bayou St. John that is accessible to all.

Early bird weekend passes are $34.50, with VIP passes also available at https://www.ticketweb.com/event/2025-mid-city-bayou-boogaloo-the-bayou-boogaloo-tickets/14099723

LSU Gymnast Kailin Chio claims 8th SEC Freshman of the Week Honor

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 18:04:01 GMT

LSU freshman gymnast Kailin Chio has just been named SEC Freshman of the Week again, making this her eighth career SEC award, which now ties the conference record for the most by any freshman in a single season.

Chio has matched Florida’s Kayla DiCello’s record of eight awards in her freshman season set in 2023. She already holds the LSU record for the most SEC awards in their first season, surpassing Haleigh Bryant’s previous record of five set in 2021.

Last Friday, her scores of 9.900+ on every event helped lead the Tigers to a program record score over No. 10 Georgia last Friday (198.575). Chio posted a career high 39.800 in the all-around to finish on top of the meet, claiming her fifth all-around title this year. She also shared the vault and floor titles on the night with her 9.950 on vault and career high 9.975 on floor, moving her career total to 19 titles this year.

Chio his ranked amongst the top five gymnasts in the nation for the third consecutive week, currently ranking No. 5 in the all-around with her NQS of 39.655. She also sits in the top 10 nationally in both the vault and beam rankings.

The Tennessee Williams Festival to celebrate its 39th year in New Orleans

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 17:01:09 GMT

Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival will celebrate its 39th year on March 26th - 30th in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans.

With over 60 events in five days, the Tennessee Williams Festival brings award-winning writers, poets, historians, scholars, journalists, actors, musicians, and cultural experts together to present five days of literary revelry in New Orleans. Thousands of book and theatre lovers come to New Orleans from all over the country and abroad for their writer's craft sessions, literary panels, theatre events, author interviews, literary walking tours, culinary and cocktail events, music events as well as their incredible Stella Shouting Contest. The contest is a fan favorite in which contestants show off their best rendition of Stanley Kowalski’s big scene from “A Streetcar Named Desire.” The contest will feature New Orleans own Bryan Batt as emcee and Beth Bartley d’Amour and Todd d’Amour as Stella and Stanley. This event is also a fundraiser for the New Orleans Family Justice Center (NOFJC), a network of agencies assisting anyone affected by domestic violence.

The Tennessee Williams Festival’s mission is threefold: to serve the community through educational, theatrical, literary, and musical programs; to nurture, support, and showcase regional, national and international writers, actors, musicians, and other artists; to honor the creative genius of Tennessee Williams, who considered this city his spiritual home.

This year's festival lineup will include over 50 New Orleans writers and over 100 speakers including Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Cunningham and New York Times best-selling author Gillian Flynn, as well as Maureen Corrigan, Laura Lippman, Fatima Shaik, Yuri Herrera, Kalamu ya Salaam, Megan Abbott, KB Brookins, Chin-Sun Lee, Karisma Price, E. M. Tran, Miles Harvey, Jewelle Gomez, Alex Jennings, Mari Kornhauser, Joan Larkin, Bernice L. McFadden, Timothy Schaffert, and more.

“We are looking forward to another great weekend of literary and performance events,” said Paul J. Willis, executive director. “We are especially excited about the addition of the Pinckley Prize panels, plus an expanded schedule of our Last Bohemia events celebrating New Orleans culture. As always, we have many New Orleans writers participating in our festival because they are, after all, what makes this city such a vibrant literary center.”

The festival will also include numerous cultural and theatrical events celebrating the Bohemian nature of New Orleans. The Last Bohemia series will include Mink at the Monteleone, with Mink Stole, Harry Mayronne, and Dr. Sick; a soirée at the Toulouse Theatre featuring Tim Murray Is WITCHES!, a musical comedy fresh from a sold-out award-winning run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; a culinary and cocktail event with Chef Eric Cook at his restaurant, Saint John; A Drag Brunch Named Desire with Poppy Tooker at Dickie Brennan’s Tableau; a South Louisiana culinary event with music at Mister Gregory’s Shrimp Boil Cabaret; a music series featuring Layla Musselwhite, the Slick Skillet Serenaders, and Alexis and the Sanity; and a four-course Romani culinary event with music and tea leaf readings.

For the TWF's full schedule and tickets, please visit: https://tennesseewilliams.net/festival-information/

Trombone Shorty’s 12th annual Shorty Fest returns to Tipitina’s in April

fleurstruly@yahoo.com (Tina Howell) — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:45:00 GMT

The 12th annual Shorty Fest Presented by Acura will be held at Tipitina’s on Monday, April 28th, and will feature musical performances by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Black Opry Revue, “The Jersey Takeover” with Dogs in a Pile and special guests Robert Randolph and Jake Clemons (of the E Street Band Tour), and students from the Trombone Shorty Academy.

There will also be a free outdoor “Cultural Block Party” that will start at 5 p.m. The block party is for all ages and will feature be food trucks, a family friendly kids’ area, silent auction and a VIP access tent, as well as a special induction into the Tipitina’s “Walk of Fame” for this year’s recipient, Shannon Powell.

Established in 2012, The Trombone Shorty Foundation’s mission is to inspire the next generation of talented opportunity youth through music education, instruction, mentorship, and performance. By honoring the New Orleans tradition of “playing it forward” from the earliest jazz legends onward, the foundation seeks to preserve and perpetuate the musical heritage of a city where music is everything. Experienced and professional teachers, tutors, and mentors support every student in the pursuit of a well-rounded understanding of New Orleans’ musical traditions, experience in music performance, reading, writing, and now, even business, and the social and academic skills they need to make noise wherever they go – in music and in life.

Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketweb.com/event/shorty-fest-2025-with-performances-tipitinas-tickets/14187273?pl=tipitinas&REFID=website .

All proceeds benefit the Trombone Shorty Foundation.

LSU vs. Purdue - Fort Wayne Feb. 15th Recap

bryceduhon3@gmail.com (Bryce Duhon) — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 22:24:31 GMT

78°. Cloudy. A brisk wind towards centerfield. This was the recipe for another dominant performance by the LSU Fighting Tigers on Saturday. After a 14-0 shutout on Friday of Purdue - Fort Wayne, the #2 ranked Tigers found their way to a Saturday W by routing the Mastodons 10-1. Rocking the beloved all-white with pinstripes, LSU sent 11,000 fans home happy as they move to 2-0 on the season.

UC - San Diego transfer Anthony Eyanson got the nod on the mound. The 6’2 right-handed junior didn’t have the fastest start to the game, hitting one batter in the 1st, and allowing two hits in the 2nd. However, he also showed why Jay Johnson brought him to Baton Rouge. His fastball lived in the mid-90’s, and he was able to get out of multiple jams. While he didn’t peform at the same level Kade Anderson did on Friday, he still heavily impressed in his first start in a Tiger uniform. In all, Eyanson saw 5.0 innings, struck out 6, allowed 4 hits, and no walks. In relief, junior Connor Benge came out firing. Going 1 and 2/3 innings, the Dallas Baptist transfer struck out three and walked one on base. He was relieved by sophomore DJ Primeaux. Primeaux was lights out in his season debut, striking out three batters before handing the ball to freshman Mavrick Rizy. The new man on campus made it look effortless, closing out the game with three quick outs, including 2 K’s and securing the win for LSU.

At the plate, the Tigers continued their Friday onslaught. Utah Valley transfer and starting 2B Daniel Dickinson gave the Tigers their first home run of the season in the 1st inning, bringing home Bear Jones who walked the previous at-bat. After that, it wouldn’t be until the 5th inning that LSU would score again. However, they more than made up for that scoring drought. Back-to-back homers by Derek Curiel and Jared Jones brought across three runs for the home team. The hits continued as Ethan Frey started off the 6th with a single. Josh Pearson walked right after, and Michael Braswell brought Pearson across with an RBI double. The Tigers added on two runs in the 7th after PFW pitching fell apart, walking one home and allowing another run on a wild pitch. Ashton Larson pinch hit for Braswell, and hit a 2-RBI single through the middle of the infield to give LSU back-to-back days of double digit runs. Plate vision was the story as LSU walked 7 times, not including their 4 times hit by pitch, and didn’t go down on strikes until the 5th inning.

The Tigers transfer class came to play to start the season, which is all you can ask for their first weekend in Alex Box. Between Eyanson and Benge’s powerful performances as well as Dickinson’s early homer, you can tell Jay Johnson and his staff were intentional in the portal. Even Auburn transfer Chris Stanfield got in on the action, showing off his next-level speed beating out a grounder to the shortstop in the 5th and stealing a bag in the 7th.

As for the freshmen, Derek Curiel showed why he was hailed as the Preseason SEC Freshman of the Year. A 2-out homer sparked some life into the Tigers and elicited a huge reaction from Alex Box. He had expectations coming into this year, and he met them on Saturday.

The 2-0 Tigers will finish their series with the Mastodons on Sunday. Look for Chase Shores to take the mound and for the Tigers continue with their bats on fire.

Make sure to follow me @therealbduhon and @offthe_domepod on X and follow The Kneaux as well @beinthekneaux.

2025 LSU Baseball Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:16:03 GMT

Let's get into it!

The 2025 LSU baseball season begins Friday, February 14th at 2:00 PM as the Tigers begin a 3 game series against Purdue Fort Wayne in Alex Box Stadium. The Tigers are returning a lot of contributors from last season, but they do have some production to replace. LSU comes into the season ranked #3 by D1Baseball. Once again, the SEC is loaded, having 9 teams in the top 25. Throughout the season, LSU is taking on 7 top 25 opponents. The Tigers were picked to finish 4th in the SEC by the SEC coaches, but according to DraftKings, LSU has the 2nd best odds to make it to the College World Series. This will be a fun season. Buckle up, Tiger fans!

Coach Jay Johnson is entering his 4th season as the Tigers head coach. Johnson comes into the 2025 season with 137 wins at LSU and 454 wins throughout his coaching career. For the 1st time in his time at LSU, Jay Johnson has a pitching coach returning for a 2nd season. This will help the Tiger pitching staff tremendously. The coaching staff did lose Terry Rooney to South Carolina and Brent Haring to Nicholls. The Tigers have added Josh Simpson to the staff as an assistant coach. Simpson returns to LSU, where he last was the director of baseball operations in 2023. Simpson spent 2024 as an assistant coach at Georgia.

NUMBER 8

Number 8 for LSU baseball goes to a true leader on and off the field since it began in 2009. Think of it as LSU football's number 18, but on the diamond. This year the honor goes to Gavin Guidry. Gavin has been a part of some big time moments for the Tigers. He always provides a much needed spark.

NEWCOMERS

According to Baseball America, LSU has the #1 newcomer class in the country. Let's get familiar with the new Tigers.

Transfers

Grant Fontenot - RHP, R-JR - Fontenot returns to LSU after pitching at McLennan Community College in 2023 and at Texas in 2024. He had a 2.45 ERA with 14 strikeouts last season.
Deven Sheerin - RHP, SO - Sheerin spent last season at Mount St. Mary’s. Baseball America ranked Deven as the #8 transfer. Deven had the most strikeouts in the conference last season with 109. He was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, was named 1st team All-MAAC, and was a 2nd Team Freshman All American. Deven suffered a torn ACL in late 2024.
Connor Benge - RHP, JR - Benge spent last season at Dallas Baptist, where he had 35 strikeouts. Connor spent 2023 at LSU Eunice, where he was named a 3rd Team All American. He had the 2nd most wins at his level. He posted a 2.82 ERA, 86 strikeouts, and 11 wins.
Chandler Dorsey - RHP, JR - Chandler spent the last 2 seasons at South Florida, where he struck out 71 batters. He held opposing hitters to a .180 batting average. He had 8 saves last season. Baseball America ranked Dorsey as the #22 transfer. D1Baseball ranked Chandler as the #132 draft prospect.
Jacob Mayers - RHP, JR - Jacob spent the last 2 seasons at Nicholls, where he won 14 games and only had 2 losses. He had a 3.26 ERA and 211 strikeouts. Mayes was named ABCA/Rawlings 2nd Team All South Region in 2024, and he was named NCBWA National Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2023. Baseball America ranked Mayers as the #17 transfer, and Perfect Game ranked Jacob as the #81 junior in the nation.
Dalton Beck - OF/1B/LHP, SR - Beck spent 2022 at Grayson College, where he posted 7 wins and 75 strikeouts. He hit .380, 9 HRs, 34 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. He spent 2023 at Kansas State, where he struck out 3 batters. In 2024, Beck was at Incarnate Word, where he was named the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year. He has .377, 18 HRs, and 67 RBI. He led the conference in slugging percentage, hits, HRs, and RBI. Baseball America ranked Beck as the #34 transfer.
Edward Yamin IV - C/1B, JR - Yamin has spent the last 2 seasons at Dayton, where he hit .284, 18 HRs, and 73 RBI.
Zac Cowan - RHP, JR - Cowan spent the last 2 seasons at Wofford, where he posted 13 wins, 3 complete games, 2 saves, 178 strikeouts, and a 4.35 ERA. Zac was named 1st Team All Southern Conference and 2nd Team ABCA All-Region. Baseball America ranked Cowan as the #23 transfer.
Anthony Eyanson - RHP, JR - Anthony has been named the Saturday starter for the Tigers. Eyanson spent the last 2 seasons at UC San Diego, where he posted 8 wins, a 3.41 ERA, 1 complete game, 1 save, and 119 strikeouts. He was named 2nd Team All Big West last season. Baseball America ranked Eyanson as the #4 transfer. Perfect Game ranked Anthony as the #87 junior in the country.
Luis Hernandez - Utility, SR - Hernandez spent the last 3 seasons at Indiana State, where he hit .314, 32 HRs, and 120 RBI. In 2023, he was named to the MVC All Tournament team. In 2024, he was named ABCA/Rawlings 2nd Team All Midwest Region, 1st Team All MVC, and MVC All Defensive Team. D1Baseball ranked Hernandez as the #10 catcher in the nation. Perfect Game ranked Hernandez as the #6 senior in the nation.
Daniel Dickinson - IF, JR - Daniel has been named the starting 2nd baseman for the Tigers. He was selected as a preseason 2nd Team All SEC member. Daniel spent the last 2 seasons at Utah Valley, where he hit .369, 171 hits, 27 HRs, and 95 RBI. Daniel was a 1st Team All WAC selection last season. D1Baseball ranked Dickinson as the #3 2nd baseman in the country. Perfect Game ranked him as the #34 junior. Baseball America ranked Dickinson as the #2 transfer.
Chris Stanfield - OF, JR - Chris spent the last 2 seasons at Auburn, where he hit .278, 97 hits, 7 HRs, 47 RBI, and 18 stolen bases. Baseball America ranked Stanfield as the #79 transfer.
Conner Ware - LHP, JR - Conner spent the last 2 seasons at Pearl River Community College, where he posted a 1.69 ERA, 3 wins, 2 saves, and 49 strikeouts. Perfect Game ranked him as the #79 junior in the country.
Tanner Reaves - IF, R-JR - Tanner spent the last 2 seasons at Blinn College, where he hit .398, 28 HRs, 142 RBI, and 25 stolen bases. Reaves won a national championship at Blinn. He was named 1st Team JUCO All American and Region XIV Conference Player of the Year.
Blaise Priester - C, R-JR - Blaise spent 2022 on the LSU roster before transferring to Meridian Community College, where he spent the last 2 seasons. He hit .368, 24 HRs, and 101 RBI.

Freshmen

Cade Arrambide - C - Arrambide was the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year. Cade was ranked as MLB.com’s #1 high school catcher. In 2024, he hit .430, 12 HRs, and 35 RBI while leading the team to a state championship.
Derek Curiel - OF - Derek was named the SEC Preseason Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball. Perfect Game ranked Derek as the #1 freshman. Derek was the #10 recruit in the nation according to Perfect Game. He hit .314 and stole 19 bases during his senior season. He was a 4 time All American in high school, and he was named Player of the Year twice by Perfect Game.
William Schmidt - RHP - Perfect Game ranked William as the #4 freshman. William was ranked as MLB.com’s #16 overall draft prospect. He won Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year. He posted a 9-0 record, with a 0.44 ERA, and 102 strikeouts while leading his team to a state championship last season.
Mikey Ryan - IF - Mikey participated in the 2024 MLB Draft combine. Perfect Game ranked Mikey as the #1 SS in Louisiana and the #113 overall prospect in 2024. He is the #69 ranked freshman according to Perfect Game.
David Hogg II - David participated in the 2024 MLB Draft combine. He was named All State and All American. Perfect Game ranked David as the #79 high school recruit and the #21 SS in the country.
Casan Evans - RHP/Utility - Casan will mainly serve as a pitcher at LSU. Casan threw 3 no hitters in high school. Perfect Game ranked him as the #19 SS in the country. He was named 2nd Team All TX. He is the #26 ranked freshman according to Perfect Game.
Cooper Williams - LHP - Cooper had a career ERA of 1.34, with 10 wins and 152 strikeouts. Perfect Game ranked him as the #12 LHP and the #67 ranked freshman in the nation.
Ryan Costello - 1B - Perfect Game ranked Ryan as the #92 overall recruit and the #32 freshman in the nation. Ryan hit 14 HRs, 34 RBI, and a .562 batting average his senior year.
John Pearson - OF/3B - John led West Monroe to a state championship last season while hitting .378, 6 HRs, and 45 RBI. Perfect Game ranked him as the #6 recruit in Louisiana. He is the younger brother of teammate Josh Pearson.
Mavrick Rizy - RHP - Mavrick participated in the MLB Draft combine. Perfect Game ranked him as the #1 recruit in Massachusetts and the #36 ranked freshman in the nation.

RETURNERS

Gavin Guidry - RHP, JR - For the 2nd season in a row, Gavin has been named to the Preseason Stopper of the Year watchlist. Gavin was named Preseason 1st Team All SEC.
Mic Paul - OF, R-SO - Mic received a medical redshirt last season. He will provide quality outfield depth.
Ethan Frey - OF/1B, JR - Look for Ethan to get playing time in the outfield, 1st base, and designated hitter. He has done this throughout his time with the Tigers.
Josh Pearson - OF, SR - Josh has earned Regional All Tournament team honors in his 3 seasons with the Tigers. Look for Josh to get playing time in the outfield and as a designated hitter.
Jared Jones - 1B, JR - Jared has been named Preseason 1st Team All SEC. Jared will be the day 1 starter at 1st base. He will be a big time leader for the Tigers.
Steven Milam - IF, SO - Steven has been named the starting SS for the Tigers. D1Baseball ranked Milam as the #6 SS in the country. Perfect Game has ranked him as the #32 sophomore in the country.
Jake Brown - LHP/OF, SO - Perfect Game ranked Jake as the #54 sophomore in the country. Jake should be a day 1 starter in the outfield for the Tigers. Jake may even see some time on the mound this season.
Michael Braswell III - IF, SR - Michael has been named the starting 3rd baseman for the Tigers. D1Baseball has ranked Michael as the #36 3rd baseman in the country. Perfect Game has ranked him as the #38 senior in the nation.
Kade Woods - RHP, R-JR - Kade will provide quality pitching depth this season for the Tigers.
Jaden Noot - RHP, R-SO - Jaden was fighting back from Tommy John surgery the last 2 seasons. He will provide quality pitching depth for the Tigers.
Kade Anderson - LHP, SO - Kade has been named the Friday starter for the Tigers. He was selected as a Preseason 1st Team All SEC member. Perfect Game has ranked him the #21 sophomore in the nation.
Chase Shores - RHP, R-SO - Chase has been named the Sunday starter for the Tigers. Perfect Game has ranked him as the #20 junior in the nation. Chase will be an exciting addition for the Tigers.
DJ Primeaux - LHP, R-SO - DJ will be a top reliever for the Tigers this season.
Ashton Larson - OF, SO - Perfect Game ranked Ashton as the #59 sophomore in the nation. Ashton will get major playing time in the outfield and at designated hitter for the Tigers.

MY PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

C - Luis Hernandez

1B - Jared Jones

2B - Daniel Dickinson

SS - Steven Milam

3B - Michael Braswell

LF - Derek Curiel

CF - Chris Stanfield

RF - Jake Brown

DH - Ashton Larson

SP - Cade Anderson, Anthony Eyanson, Chase Shores

This is a loaded Tiger team with a ton of expectations heading into the season. This will be a fun one. Get your popcorn ready, Tiger fans!

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

2025 LSU Softball Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 23:02:14 GMT

Lets get into it!

The 2025 LSU Softball team comes into the season as the 9th ranked team in the nation. The Tigers are coming off of a 44 win season, which is an improvement from the 42 win season before that. LSU faces 10 top 25 opponents this year. Coach Beth Torina is known for her tough scheduling. This team lost some big names last year, but the Tigers have names stepping up in those places.

Coach Torina is entering her 14th season as the head coach of the Tiger Softball team. She has over 500 wins as the head coach at LSU and over 600 wins in her head coaching career. Get familiar with this entire roster, as Coach Torina likes to use a true team effort approach with her teams.

RETURNING STARTERS

Maci Bergeron, JR, C, 2 year letter winner. Maci brings plenty of experience to the catcher position, and she will come into the season as LSU’s all-time leader with a .996 fielding percentage on 530 chances.
Danieca Coffey, R-SR, IF, 3 year letter winner. 2023 NFCA South All-Region 1st Team, 2022 NFCA South All-Region 2nd Team, 2022 All-SEC 2nd Team, 2022 LSWA All-Louisiana 2nd Team. Danieca had a great start before suffering a season ending injury last season. Danieca will be a leader on and off the field for this team.
Mckenzie Redoutey, SR, OF, 3 year letter winner. 2023 All-SEC 2nd Team and 2023 SEC All-Defensive Team. Mckenzie had a .303 batting average and an amazing 1.000 field percentage last season.
Sydney Peterson, R-JR, IF, 1 year letter winner. Sydney suffered a season ending injury early on last season. Sydney started 50 games at 2nd base in 2022.

RETURNING CONTRIBUTORS

Jadyn Laneaux, SO, OF, 1 year letter winner. Jadyn appeared in 6 games last season, and she will provide outfield depth as well as speed on the basepaths for the Tigers.
Mckaela Walker, JR, IF, 2 year letter winner. Mckaela has appeared in 30 games over 2 seasons for the Tigers. She will provide quality depth in the infield for the Tigers.
Tori Edwards, R-FR, Utility. Tori made 3 appearances before her season was cut short due to an injury. She will provide quality depth for the Tigers.
Abigail Savoy, JR, IF, 2 year letter winner. Abigail has appeared in 10 games over 2 seasons for the Tigers. She finished last season with a .333 batting average.
Maddox Mckee, SO, Utility, 1 year letter winner. Maddox played in 32 games last season, while starting in 17 games at 3rd base. She came up big for this team last season. I would expect to see a lot of Maddox this season.
Madyson Manning, SO, IF, 1 year letter winner. Madyson started in 18 games last season. She had a .320 batting average, .452 OBP, and .946 fielding percentage. Madyson should see a lot of playing time this season.
Savanna Bedell, SO, Utility, 1 year letter winner. Savanna appeared in 20 games last season. Savanna will provide speed on the basepaths and quality for the Tigers.
Maia Townsend, JR, OF, 2 year letter winner. Maia appeared in 25 games last season. She will provide outfield depth for the Tigers.
Sierra Daniel, SO, Utility, 1 year letter winner. Sierra appeared in 40 games last season, and she made 32 starts at 2nd base, 3rd base, and designated hitter. She finished the season with a .300 batting average. I expect to see Sierra all over the field for the Tigers.
Madilyn Giglio, SR, OF, 3 year letter winner. Madilyn will provide speed on the basepaths as well as quality outfield depth this season.

PITCHING STAFF

Sydney Berzon, JR, 2 year letter winner. 2024 NFCA All-American 2nd Team, 2024 NFCA South All-Region 1st Team, 2024 All-SEC 1st Team, 2024 SEC All-Tournament Team, 2023 NFCA All-American 3rd Team, 2023 NFCA South All-Region 1st Team, 2023 All-SEC 2nd Team. Sydney is the clear leader of the pitching staff, in and out of the circle. Sydney’s calm demeanor while pitching is fun to watch. She always seems to be having fun. She has 34 wins, 7 saves, and a 1.84 ERA in her LSU career.
Emilee Casanova, R-SR, 3 year letter winner. Emilee brings a strong arm to the Tiger rotation. She is sporting a 4-0 record and a 1.75 ERA in her Tiger career.
Tatum Clopton, R-JR. Tatum was forced to sit out the last 2 seasons, but while at Oklahoma State, she made 2 Women’s College World Series appearances.

TRANSFERS

Ashley Vallejo, R-SR, P, 4 year letter winner at McNeese. Ashley won 3 straight SLC championships with the Cowgirls. She was named the SLC Pitcher of the Year in 2022, and she is a 2 time All-SLC pitcher. She has 45 career wins, a 2.44 ERA, 306 strikeouts, 6 career shutouts, and two saves.
Avery Hodge, JR, IF, 2 time National Champion at Oklahoma. Avery has a career .278 batting average.
Jalia Lassiter, JR, OF. 2 time NFCA South All-Region selection. Jalia has a .302 career batting average and a .994 career fielding percentage.

INCOMING FRESHMEN

Jayden Heavener, Pitcher/Utility. 2024 Florida 6A State Championship, 2024 Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, 2024 Max Prep National Player of the Year, 2024 Florida 6A 1st Team, 2023 FACA 6A Player of the Year and 1st Team All-American
Sa’mya Jones, IF. MaxPreps #2 prospect and was the offensive MVP during her sophomore and junior seasons, and 1st Team All-District as a junior.
Zoe Calvez, OF. 3 time FSHAA 7A All-State selection, 4 time FHSAA 7A All-Metro/District Softball Team, and West Orange Female Player of the Year, was ranked #9 in the class of 2024 by Extra Innings Softball and was ranked #4 at her position.
Jada Phillips, Catcher/Utility. 3 time Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive MVP, and 2 time All-State selection.
Alix Franklin, IF. 3 time Louisiana 5A State Champion, 4 time All-State selection, and 2024 5A District 5 MVP.
Destiny Harris, OF. 2024 Regional Player of the Year, 2-time Eastern District Player of the Year, and 2-time All-State and All-Region selection.

The Tigers are looking to hit the ground running this season. This will be an exciting team to watch!

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Jazz @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sun, 19 Jan 2025 00:47:17 GMT

Team Stats

(Jazz @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 123-136

Rebounds: 40-56

Assists: 30-34

Blocks: 8-8

Steals: 7-9

Turnovers: 15-13

Stat Leaders

(Jazz/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Keyonte George, 26; CJ McCollum, 26

Rebound Leaders: Isaiah Collier, Drew Eubanks, 7; Zion Williamson, 14

Assist Leaders: Isaiah Collier, 11; Zion Williamson, Jose Alvarado, Dejounte Murray, 6

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Chrissy's Takeaways:

* The New Orleans Pelicans have won four of their last five games and their only loss came against the Boston Celtics by one point.

* If you were hoping for the Pelicans to tank to get a high draft pick, then you are are going to be disappointed.

* Zion has to be at his lowest weight in years. He looks great and was explosive the whole night.

* Yves Missi did not play because he was sick with the flu, according to Joel Myers.

* This team can keep going on a run with so many guys healthy, and Brandon Ingram is close to returning too. That will leave Herb Jones as the only main player who is still hurt.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Timberwolves @ Pelicans

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 22:01:48 GMT

Team Stats

(Timberwolves @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 104-97

Rebounds: 53-46

Assists: 26-23

Blocks: 8-5

Steals: 9-12

Turnovers: 16-14

Stat Leaders

(Timberwolves/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Anthony Edwards, 32; Dejounte Murray, 29

Rebound Leaders: Rudy Gobert, 14; Yves Missi, 9

Assist Leaders: Donte Divencenzo, 7; Dejounte Murray, 6

My Player of the Game: Dejounte Murray

Chrissy's Takeaways:

* Zion was back on the court and looked great and full of energy and a spring in his step.

* Dejounte Murray played exceptionally well, leading the team in points and assists.

* Jose Alvarado brought a spark after the Pelicans started the game down 7-0.

* If the Pelicans would have Trey Murphy able to play then I think they could have won this game.

* Herb Jones hit two big corner three's so it's nice to see him get back in a rhythm.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Pelicans @ Wizards Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:38:56 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans @ Wizards)

Final Score: 110-98

Rebounds: 49-46

Assists: 26-25

Blocks: 8-4

Steals: 7-6

Turnovers: 11-15

Stat Leaders

(Pelicans/Wizards)

Scoring Leaders: CJ McCollum, 24; Kyle Kuzma, 28

Rebound Leaders: Dejounte Murray, 10; Alex Sarr, 11

Assist Leaders: Dejounte Murray, 12; Malcolm Brogdon, Jared Butler, 5

My Player of the Game: Dejounte Murray

Chrissy's Takeaways:

* CJ McCollum was still hot following his previous game where he hit 50 points.

* Dejounte Murray has had two games in a row where he has had 12 assists and only three turnovers so it' s nice to see him become the PG that the team needs.

* The Pelicans have won two games in a row.

* Trey Murphy sprained his ankle in the game and his status is to be determined.

* Yves Missi had two blocks against the Wizards and continues to be a bright spot on this Pelicans squad.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Wizards @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 21:05:03 GMT

Team Stats

(Wizards @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 120-132

Rebounds: 48-37

Assists: 28-36

Blocks: 0-6

Steals: 6-10

Turnovers: 21-7

Stat Leaders

(Wizards/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Jordan Poole, 29; Christian James McCollum, 50

Rebound Leaders: Jonas Valanciunas, 10; Yves Missi, 11

Assist Leaders: Jordan Poole, 7; Dejounte Murray, 12

My Player of the Game: CJ McCollum

Chrissy's Takeaways:

CJ McCollum dropped 50 points on the Wizards in a spectacular performance where he made 10 three-pointers in the game. He was cooking from the first quarter and you could tell something special was going to happen that night.
The Pelicans snapped their 11-game losing streak by beating Washington, who had six wins coming into the game.
One of the biggest keys to the victory for New Orleans was that the team only had seven turnovers the entire game.
Rookie Yves Missi was spectacular again, finishing the game with 11 rebounds and one block.
Jose Alvarado was back on the court after being sidelined for six weeks from a hamstring injury, and he immediately brought energy and a defensive presence to the team.
Dejounte Murray had 12 assists, which was great, because he struggled offensively.
The Pelicans look to get another win against the Wizards on Sunday on the road.

Follow @TheKneaux on X, and follow me there too, @SportsChrissy.

Pelicans @ Heat Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 18:20:58 GMT

Team Stats

(Pelicans @ Heat)

Final Score: 108-119

Rebounds: 31-38

Assists: 25-34

Blocks: 7-1

Steals: 4-6

Turnovers: 10-10

Stat Leaders

(Pelicans/Heat)

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 34; Tyler Herro, 32

Rebound Leaders: Yves Missi, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins, Brandon Boston Jr., CJ McCollum, 4; Bam Adebayo, 9

Assist Leaders: Dejounte Murray, 7; Bam Adebayo, 10

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Chrissy's Takeaways:

The New Orleans Pelicans have lost 20 of their last 21 games.
The Pels have also lost 11 games in a row.
In this game against the Heat, the rebounding was divided up evenly among six players, which was a strange thing to see in the stat sheet.
Trey Murphy III is turning into a full-blown starter for this team and it's great to see. He's not just a three-point shooter anymore.
Yves Missi is SPECIAL!! This guy has a legitimate shot to win Rookie of the Year. It's rough to think about how good the Pelicans might have been this year if everyone would have been healthy plus the team has a ROY center.
What could have been....time to focus on the special spots of the season.

Follow The Kneaux on X, and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

LSU vs Baylor Kinder's Texas Bowl Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:00:13 GMT

Let's get into it!

Spread: Baylor -4
O/U: 60.5

Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Date and TV: December 31, 2024, 2:30 PM, ESPN

For the 1st time since 1985, LSU and Baylor will be meeting on the gridiron. LSU leads the all time series 8-3. The 1st meeting between the 2 schools came in 1907, and the Tigers won by a score of 48-0.

Baylor, 8-4, 6-3, comes into the contest as one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning the final 6 games of the season. The Bears' offense ranks 3rd in the Big 12 in total yards per game (434.5), 7th in the Big 12 in passing yards per game (246), and 6th in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (188.5). Quarterback Sawyer Robertson is the leader of this offense. Robertson has 2626 passing yards, 26 passing TDs (4th in the Big 12), 7 INTs, 227 rushing yards, and 4 rushing TDs on the season. Running back Bryson Washington has had a great season. Washington has 1004 rushing yards (8th in the Big 12), 12 rushing TDs (7th in the Big 12), 217 receiving yards, and 1 receiving TD. Josh Cameron and Ashtyn Hawkins are the leading pass catchers on the team. Cameron has 44 receptions, 643 receiving yards, and 9 TDs. Hawkins has 41 receptions, 512 receiving yards, and 4 TDs. The Bears defense ranks 10th in the Big 12 in total yards per game given up (382.8), 11th in the Big 12 in passing yards per game given up (227.6), and 11th in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game given up (155.2). Linebackers Keaton Thomas and Matt Jones are in the top 4 in the Big 12 in total tackles. The leaders in the defensive back room are Lorando Johnson and Devyn Bobby. Bobby has 3 INTs this season. Johnson ranks 3rd in the Big 12 with 10 PBUs. The leaders on the defensive line are Treven Ma'ae and Jackie Marshall. Ma'ae has 3.5 sacks this season, and Marshall has 3 sacks this season. Baylor has zero opt outs for the NFL Draft, but they have lost 4 players to the transfer portal.

LSU, 8-4, 5-3, enters this game having won the final 2 games of the regular season. The Tiger offense ranks 5th in the SEC in total yards per game (431.9), 2nd in the SEC in passing yards per game (315.3), and 16th in the SEC in rushing yards per game. The Tiger offense is led by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Nuss ranks 2nd in the SEC in passing yards (3739) and passing TDs (26). He has the 2nd most INTs in the SEC with 11. The running back room is led by Josh Willams and Caden Durham. Williams has 108 carries, 440 yards, 5 TDs, 29 receptions, and 249 receiving yards on the season. Durham has 127 carries, 693 yards, 6 TDs, 27 receptions, 257 receiving yards, and 2 TDs on the season. The leading pass catchers for the Tigers are Kyren Lacy, Mason Taylor, and Aaron Anderson. Lacy has 58 receptions (5th in the SEC), 886 yards (5th in the SEC), and 9 TDs (1st in the SEC) on the season. Taylor has 55 receptions (7th in the SEC), 546 yards, and 2 TDs on the season. Anderson has 53 receptions (10th in the SEC), 784 yards (11th in the SEC), and 5 TDs on the season. The LSU defense ranks 11th in the SEC in total yards per game given up (352.5), 7th in the SEC in passing yards per game given up (205.9), and 13th in the SEC in rushing yards per game given up (146.6). The linebacker room is led by Whit Weeks and Greg Penn III. Weeks ranks 3rd in the SEC with 114 total tackles this season. GP3 has 80 total tackles this season. The defensive line is led by Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones. Swinson ranks 5th in the SEC with 8.5 sacks this season. Jones has 4.5 sacks this season. The defensive back room is led by Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander. Stamps ranks 5th in the SEC with 9 PBUs on the season. Alexander has 2 INTs on the season. The Tigers will be without Will Campbell, Emery Jones, Mason Taylor, and Kyren Lacy, who are all getting ready for the NFL Draft. Sage Ryan, CJ Daniels, Rickie Collins, Da'Shawn Womack, Shelton Sampson, Jr., Kylin Jackson, Xavier Atkins, Jyaire Brown, and Jordan Allen, among others, have entered the transfer portal for the Tigers.

Fun Fact: Baylor head coach, Dave Aranda, was the LSU defensive coordinator from 2016-2019.

Thank you for reading my article.

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Tulane Recruiting Class of 25

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 22:09:48 GMT

Tulane Green Wave Recruiting Class of 2025

Tulane Recruiting Class of 2025

The Tulane Green Wave have put a bow on the early signing period by signing 15 new players and one more still to sign but still a hard commit. So far it is a good class with a lot of high-end talent, but the Wave are not done yet the transfer portal opens Monday so with such a low number class look for the Green Wave to hit the portal and get some instant impact players for next year. I'm expecting them to focus on Wide Receiver, Offensive Line, Defensive Line, and Cornerback. The recruiting cycle isn't quite done with another and last signing period coming on February 5th. We should see Tulane round out its final roster spots with that last signing period. Let's get into the Players and some players still uncommitted that Tulane could snag on Feb 5th.

Remember to DONATE to FEAR THE WAVE everything helps!

Class of 2025 Signed Letter of Intent

Micheal Igbinighene (CB) 5-10/180. 3 star/89 rating 24/7 sports- This guy has blazing speed (4.3 forty) and great hands. Will be great in the boundary and leave on an island. Senior year recorded 33 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF, and six pass break ups. Junior year recorded 5 interceptions.Not afraid to come up and lay a hit. Would be fun to use in the return game. Good Change of direction. Dad was in the 1996 summer Olympics, Mom was bronze medalist 1992 and gold in 1996, brother was a 1st round pick in 2020. PEDIGREE!

Warren Roberts Jr (edge) 6-1.5/220. 3 star/88- Can play with the hand on the ground or standing edge. Will be a great fit for the Bandit position. A true attacking pass rusher who can get after the QB with speed and explosion from the first step. Aggressive play style and sure-fire tackler.

Juelz Baptiste (OT) 6-5/280. 3 star/87- Good size, can move and set the edge, has a good foundation and base when blocking. Stays with his blocks and is a good finisher.

Joshua Lewis (DE) 6-4/245. 3 star/87- Big frame and has room to grow. High effort guy doesn't give up on plays and plays to the whistle. Descent athleticism. Should turn out to be a good power rushing defensive end.

Antwaun Parham ( WR) 6-3/195. 3 star/87- Tall physical receiver on the boundary. Has the ability to go up and catch 50/50 balls. A really talented basketball player as well. Runs a 4.5 forty

Joshua Brantley (ATH/QB/DB) 6-3/218. 3 star/86- Dual Threat QB with great athleticism. Has the ability to run with power and speed. Projected to make the transition to safety but things can change when camp starts. I could see him at Wide Receiver as well.

Javin Gordon (RB) 5-10/200. 3 star/87- Receiving back that can lineup in the slot position, can be an asset in the screen game, does not go down on first tackle, pretty good speed and can make defenders miss

Nikolas Alston (DT) 6-3/260. 3 star/86- Really good movement on the line. Impressive athleticism, can get off blocks and knows how to get after the ball for a DT.

Oliver Mitchell Jr (WR) 6-1/175. 3 star/85- A true playmaking wide receiver with decent route running and good hands. Will be a nice gadget in the short and screen game. Reliable 3rd down move the sticks guy.

PaLanding Drammeh (DT/NG) 6-2/300. 3 star/85- For a guy his size has good speed and tracking of the ball. Good build and can get off of blocks. High motor doesn't give up on plays

Landon Hammond (CB) 6-0/160. 3 star/85- Good speed and acceleration (4.47) ran track in high school. Landon needs to add some weight and strength. Has good ball skills. Willing to come up and lay a hit and can defend the run. He plays very physical for a guy his size.

Cameron Roberts (TE) 6-6/215. 3 star/85- True receiving threat at the TE position. Has a little swagger to him. Physical with the ball after the catch. Can go up and catch 50/50 balls. Knows how to get open when the play breaks down. Needs to bulk up in order to be effective in the run blocking game. He has the ability and will to block. Descent speed and has ability to make sideline catches.

Jay Beamon (QB) 6-2/205. 3 star/85- A pocket passing QB with a pretty deep ball with good accuracy. Isn't afraid to take a hit, keeps looking downfield while the defensive lineman closes in. Has some mobility to escape the pocket and improvise. He can definitely run the ball when needed. Nice zip on the ball in tight windows.

Gabriel Lovorn (ATH/RB/TE/LB) 6-4/225. 3 star/84- A do it all athlete who has the ability to play on both sides of the ball. Coaches on twitter were calling him Taysom Hill 2.0! In high school they used him alot like Ty Thompson. Gadget player. Has good speed and ability to make people miss. Fights through contact and is hard to bring down. I like him better on offense than defense.

Gresham Perry (IOL) 6-4/300. 3 star/82 rating ON3- Played LT in high school. Has a mean streak in him and has really good size. Perry play’s with power. Leans a little too much while blocking but that's easily fixed and can get too straight up when blocking. He will get coached up but i can see him being a really good Offensive lineman down the road

Jason Arredondo (LS) 5-10/240 6th best LS- Comes out of powerhouse high school Bishop Gorman. Has not signed yet but still committed

Decommitted

Jotavion Pierce (S) 6-2/185. 3 star/89- Last month visited Alabama and visited Oklahoma State then they gave him a scholarship. He's a true ball hawking safety who had 6 interceptions his Senior year through the first 5 games of the season. Junior year he had 103 tackles, a sack, 2 FF, and an interception

Uncommitted

Bishop Burkhalter (LB)- 3 star- Visited 3/30/23

Chastan Brown (OT)- 4 star- Dream sign for me I believe this was Jon Sumrall's first scholarship offer when he got hired at Tulane

Jotavion Pierce (S)- 3 star- You never know you may see he come back but usually highly unlikely

Xavier Ford (RB)- 3 star- Visited Tulane recently but may go to Houston with Javin Gordon commit

Takaylen Muex (IOL) 3 star- Offered 1/31/24

Christopher Johnson (DL) 3 star-

Darnell Williams (ATH/S) 3 star- Offered 5/10/24

Shamar Fowles (WR) 3 star- Offered 1/25/24

Colton Foster (WR) 3 star- Offered 1/26/24

Emile Picarella (QB) 3 star- Stated a while back Tulane was his favorite and came for spring camp

Hayden Delatte (LB)

Makin Lenard (RB) 3 star visited Tulane

TI Mims JR (WR) 3 star- Would love to see him in a Tulane jersey. Human highlight reel. Most likely going to Ole Miss

Roger Brownstein (WR)- Offered scholarship

Kenyatta Fleet (DB)- no offer

Caleb Ricks (DB)- no offer

Rory Lambert (OL/DL)- no offer

Jake Thibodeaux (K)- no offer

Mekah Ryder (CB)- no offer Juco college

Preston Parker (WR)- Offered

Noah Remetich (OL)- no offer

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @TheKneaux everywhere

Tulane @ Army Championship Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 20:03:13 GMT

Tulane Green Wave

Army Knights

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -5

Total: 45.5

Tulane travels to Michie Stadium in West Point, New York to square off against the Army Knights. Jeff Monken is in his 11th year with the Army Knights and has an overall record of 80-56. Their offense mainly consists of flexbone options, pistol options, and shotgun. They're ranked 134 passing with 89 yards average, 1st in the nation running the ball at 312 yards a game, and 32nd for points scored at 32. Defensively (3-4 multiple) they are ranked 8th in the nation for points against, ranked first in the AAC for least amount of yards per game at 295, 5th in the AAC for passing at 220 yards a game, and 1st in the AAC for stopping the run at 103 yards a game.

Offense

Quarterback- Mensah

Army is a very good run defensive team, and we all know Tulane loves to run the football. Let's hope this Tulane team has a little trick up their sleeve and try to start this game with some shots down field. Opening up the passing attack and try to get some yards against a weak Army secondary that is prone to giving up some big plays. It's time to let Mensah to put this team on his shoulders and show the college football world how great of a quarterback he is going to be.

Army QB Bryson Dailey- There are running quarterbacks and then there is Bryson Dailey. Through the air he has 860 yards with 8 touchdowns and 1 interception, with a 56-completion percentage. The guy is basically a running back who has some passing skills; he has totaled 1,348 yards rushing with 25 touchdowns.

Ty Thompson

If Tulane is trying to play catch up all game, we may not see Ty for another week.

Running Back

It may be a very hard day for the Tulane running backs to get going. Army has a very good defensive front led by linebacker Andon Thomas 75 tackles on the year, a sack, and an interception. It would be nice to see Makhi and Shadie help out in the passing game but If Tulane can get their running game going against this Army team, they should be able to handle their business all game long.

Receiving Game

The receiving game of Tulane must step up and play a much better game than they did last week on Thanksgiving night. Drop passes and fumbles in the rezone will cost any team a W. They have a chance against this Army secondary to rack up some yards and make some big plays. Army does have some guys who can get their hands on the ball. Casey Larkin the linebacker/safety has three picks and Corner Jaydan Mayes does as well. 3 other guys for Army have 2 picks on the year Justin Weaver, Donavon Platt, and Max Didemencio.

Offensive Line

The offensive line of Tulane must play better in the run blocking scheme if the Wave come out like usual and try to get the run game going. All five of the starters from this Unit received some sort of all conference honors which is well deserved by their play all year long. They are some of the best pass pro blockers out there, but Army does have a strong front seven they will have to deal with. Elo Modzie, the pass rushing linebacker, leads the team with 4.5 sacks. Kyle Lewis the 6-3 280 NT has 4 sacks on the year, the other blitzing linebacker Brett Gerena has 3 sacks followed by the defensive lineman Kody Harris-Miller with 2 sacks.

X Factor: Throw the ball and challenge the secondary

Defense

Defensive Line

This game will be won or lost in the trenches especially by a team like Army who loves to use the option run to the fullest. The defensive front of Tulane must be able to create havoc in the backfield and disrupt the option offense quickly. The defensive ends and Linebackers must also be on the same page with one group having to decide to take the quarterback and the other to stay in the running backs. Mathew Fobbs White could have a big game. Bryson Dailey (QB), Cayenne Udoh (RB), and Noah Short (RB) is Armies three headed option running monster they must shut down and try to force them to beat them through the air.

Linebackers

Sam Howard and Tyler Grubbs need to be on a mission in this game. After a bad defensive performance last week these two must step up and lead the defense to a victory by helping slow down the running attack of Army. The defensive ends and linebackers have to be on the same page in order to have success against this style of offense Army runs.

Secondary

Army is not known for throwing the ball, but they do have a couple of guys Tulane must account for. Wide Receiver Casey Reynolds leads the team in all categories with 16 catches, 409 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running back Noah Short can come out of the backfield and make some plays in the passing game, catching 15 passes for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns. Look for Caleb Ransaw and Bailey Despaine to be used a lot in this game to help out with the option attack of Army.

X Factor: Load the Box and stop the Run. Make Byrson beat you through the air.

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter/Return Game

K- Patrick Durkin went 3 for 3 on extra points and hit a 44 yarder last game

P-Will Karrol had 3 punts for 100 yards averaging 33.3 with a long of 37 last game

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

LSU vs Oklahoma Week 14 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 13:49:51 GMT

Let's get into it!

LSU won in convincing fashion to finish out the regular season.

The two teams trade punts on each of their opening drives. The Tigers had a 7 play 53 yard drive that was capped off by a Kyren Lacy 18 yard receiving TD. LSU 7-0. Oklahoma punted back to LSU. On the 5th play of LSU's next drive, Garrett Nussmeier fumbled, and Oklahoma scoops and scores. Tied 7-7. The teams trade punts. The Tigers had a 5 play 44 yard drive that was capped off by a 34 yard Damian Ramos field goal. LSU 10-7. Oklahoma has a 3 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Xavier Robinson 2 yard rushing TD. Oklahoma 14-10. On the following kickoff, Aaron Anderson returned it 100 yards for a TD. LSU 17-14. Oklahoma has an 11 play 49 yard drive that was capped off by a 44 yard Zach Schmidt field goal. Tied 17-17. LSU had a 6 play 66 yard drive that was capped off by a Chris Hilton, Jr. 40 yard receiving TD. LSU 24-17. Oklahoma ran out the 1st half. Oklahoma punted on the opening drive of the 2nd half. LSU had a 9 play 88 yard drive that was capped off by a Chris Hilton, Jr. 45 yard receiving TD. LSU 31-17. Sage Ryan intercepted a horrible Bauer Sharp pass. LSU had a 9 play 54 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 22 yard field goal. LSU 34-17. The teams trade punts. Oklahoma turned the ball over on downs. LSU had a 6 play 13 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 32 yard field goal. LSU 37-17. The clock runs out on Oklahoma's next drive. Tigers W! LSU 37 Oklahoma 17.

TAKEAWAYS

- This offensive line played some of the best football they have played all season in these last 2 games.

- Chris Hilton, Jr., you have to feel good for this guy after all he has been through.

- Garrett Nussmeier! What a gutsy performance by this guy. He is a leader.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Chris Hilton, Jr. - 2 catches and 2 TDs! The future is bright for this young man.

- Defensive MVP - Whit Weeks - 15 total tackles in this one! This guy is an absolute ball hawk.

The Tigers now await to find out their bowl destination.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Memphis @ Tulane Week 14 Review

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 19:07:12 GMT

Memphis Tigers-34

Tulane Green Wave-24

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -13

Total: 56.5

Turnovers and bad tackling are a recipe for disaster and that's what happened Thursday night for the Green Wave. Unfortunately, the Wave just couldn't get anything going offensively on the ground which is their bread and butter and usually allows them to have a good passing game with the defense creeping up to stop the run, but the Tigers forced them to become one dimensional. Memphis already had a good run stopping defense to begin with, but you could tell their main goal was to stop the run and have the young freshman QB Mensah beat them and it worked. Defensively it was just a disaster from the start, they simply just got out coached and they did nothing to try and stop the running back for Memphis Greg Desrosiers who totaled 125 yards and 3 touchdowns (more on that later). But this is football, and Memphis is a good team, time to regroup and move onto the next. WIN the AAC CHAMPIONSHIP that's all that matters now.

Offense

Quarterback- Mensah

On the night Mensah was 21/33 with 317 yards passing, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The first half was a struggle to get things going with key dropped passes, but he showed all game long how good he can be at escaping the pocket and creating plays with his legs and trying to buy time for his receivers. One thing Mensah must work on this offseason is his deep ball accuracy. Sometimes they are right on the money and others are either overthrown or underthrown which you saw late in the game when he forced it to Mario for an interception. If he can locate his deep ball better, he could’ve hit Mario on his outside shoulder towards the sideline where he has a better shot of catching that. I think he was trying to play hero ball, not a smart decision but he's young and will learn from this game. But not all the blame goes on Mensah; there were two very costly fumbles within 10 yards of scoring.

Ty Thompson

Did not play

Running Back

It was not a good day for the running game. They only amassed 57 yards on 18 carries for an average of 3.2 and one score. Memphis had a very good defensive game plan to shut down the running game of Makhi and force Tulane to throw the ball and it worked. I felt Shadie Clayton could've been used more in the passing game. He had 3 catches for 21 yards while also getting 2 carries for 29 yards. Arnold Barnes was the lone back who got the score.

Receiving Game

Mario Williams had a good game but that all got negated when he fumbled the ball on the 9-yard line when Tulane looked like they were going to make an impressive comeback. He finished with 7 catches for 130 yards and a score. Yulkeith was having a decent game as well, but he also had a very costly fumble at the five-yard line that allowed Memphis to take over and score later that drive. Yulkieth finished with 4 catches for 93 yards. Drops and fumbles killed/stalled the offense all game long.

Offensive Line

The pass blocking of Tulane was holding up all game besides the 2 sacks but in the run game it was more of a struggle with the running backs not being able to find any lanes. Memphis' game plan was actually really smart by blitzing the first half to shut down the run game. Then in the second half they disguised their coverage by looking like they would blitz then dropping back into coverage.

Defense

Defensive Line

It wasn't the greatest night for the defensive line allowing the running backs of Memphis to get 242 yards rushing on 46 carries and 2 touchdowns. They were able to get some key 3rd down stops during the game and allow the offense to get the ball back. On the night they totaled 2.5 sacks on the defensive line. Kam Hamilton had another sack putting his total up to 5 while Terrel Allen, Patrick Jenkins, and Parker Peterson both received half a sack.

Linebackers

Poor tackling and allowing soft coverage in the middle of the field to be open allowed Memphis to create plays all game long. The Tigers running back Greg Desrosiers was killing Tulane all game long. I was hoping the coaches of Tulane would make the adjustment by putting Chris Rodgers on him after the half. He is the better coverage and faster linebacker out of the bunch. On the night Tyler Grubbs led the team in tackles with 8 with Sam Howard assisting with 6 and 1 sack.

Secondary

Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan was able to pick apart the secondary of Tulane in the first half and finished the game going 22 for 29 with 218 yards and 2 touchdowns. The secondary has struggled this season when they play a good Quarterback. You saw this against Louisiana and North Texas. Jack Tchienchou led the secondary with 6 tackles followed by Caleb Ransaw with 5 tackles. Ransaw had a costly pass interference on a 3rd down that later led to a Memphis touchdown.

In the grand scheme of things this was a bad loss, but this is a very good football team with a very bright future. They still have a chance to bring home the AAC championship trophy and very good coaching staff with an up-and-coming freshman Quarterback. Tulane football is here to stay! Move on to the next game and get the conference championship at all costs. ROLL WAVE!

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter/Return Game

K- Patrick Durkin went 3 for 3 on extra points and hit a 44 yarder

P-Will Karrol had 3 punts for 100 yards averaging 33.3 with a long of 37

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

LSU vs Oklahoma Week 14 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 16:13:26 GMT

Let's get into it!

Date and Time: Saturday, November 30th, 2024, 6:00 PM

Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

Spread: LSU -6

O/U: 47.5

TV: ESPN

For only the 4th time ever, LSU and Oklahoma will be meeting on the football field Saturday night. This will be the 1st regular season matchup between the 2 schools. The 1st meeting took place in 1950, and Oklahoma was victorious by a score of 35-0 to win the Sugar Bowl.

Oklahoma, 6-5, 2-5, will be playing an 8th SEC game this season. The Sooner offense ranks 16th in total yards per game (326.6), 16th in passing yards per game (172.8), and 10th in rushing yards per game (153.8). This offense is led by quarterback Jackson Arnold. Arnold has 1311 passing yards and 12 passing TDs this season. Arnold has been sacked 30 times, which is the most in the SEC. Jackson has rushed for 369 yards and 3 TDs this season. He rushed for 131 yards against Alabama, which is the 2nd most the Crimson Tide has given up this season. The leader in the running back room is Jovantae Barnes. Barnes has been a little dinged up this season. Barnes has 122 rushes, 577 rushing yards, and 5 TDs. He also has caught 17 passes for 123 yards and 1 TD. The leading pass catchers on this team are tight end Bauer Sharp and wide receiver Deion Burks. Sharp has 41 receptions, 320 yards, and 2 TDs this season. Burks has 31 receptions, 245 yards, and 3 TDs this season. The Sooner defense is for real. This defense ranks 4th in the SEC in total yards given up per game (311.3), 8th in the SEC in passing yards given up per game (205.8), and 5th in the SEC in rushing yards given up per game (105.5). The leader of this defense is Danny Stutsman. The star linebacker has 100 tackles this season, which ranks 3rd in the SEC. The leader on the defensive line is R Mason Thomas. Thomas ranks 5th in the SEC with 8 sacks this season. The leaders in the defensive backfield are Kani Walker and Billy Bowman Jr. Walker has 6 PBUs this season, and Bowman Jr. has 2 INTs.

LSU, 7-4, 4-3, will be playing an 8th SEC game this season. The Tiger offense ranks 5th in the SEC in total yards per game (435.5), 2nd in the SEC in passing yards per game (317.7), and 16th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (117.7). Garrett Nussmeier is the clear leader of this offense. Nussmeier has the 2nd most passing yards (3458) and passing TDs (23) in the SEC this season. The Tigers continue to have a 2 back approach with Caden Durham and Josh Williams. Durham has 115 rushes, 609 yards, and 6 TDs. He also has 23 receptions, 225 yards, and 2 receiving TDs. Williams has 95 rushes, 409 yards, and 5 TDs. Williams has added 24 catches and 233 receiving yards. The leading pass catchers for the Tigers are Kyren Lacy, Aaron Anderson, and Mason Taylor. Lacy has 55 receptions, 825 yards, and 8 TDs. Anderson has 52 catches, 778 yards, and 5 TDs. Taylor has 52 catches, 518 yards, and 2 TDs. All 3 rank in the top 6 in receptions in the SEC. Lacy and Anderson are in the top 8 in receiving yards in the SEC. Lacy is tied for the most receiving TDs in the SEC. The Tiger defense comes into this contest ranked 12th in the SEC in total yards given up per game (359.4), 10th in the SEC in passing yards given up per game (214.6), and 14th in the SEC in rushing yards given up per game (144.7). The leaders in the linebacker room for the Tigers are Whit Weeks and Greg Penn III. Weeks has 99 tackles this season, which is tied for the 4th most in the SEC. GP3 has 70 tackles. Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones are the leaders on the defensive line. Swinson ranks 4th in the SEC with 8.5 sacks. Jones has 4.5 sacks this season. The leaders in the defensive backfield are Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander. Stamps has the 3rd most PBUs in the SEC, and Alexander has 2 INTs this season.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- This game features 2 teams who have nothing left to play for other than self pride. Who will want it more?

- Both of these teams are playing some of their better football at this point. Who can cause a turnover and take advantage of it?

- Can this Tiger offensive line continue to provide running lanes? This will be a fun matchup to watch.

Fun Fact: Zy Alexander (LSU) and Bauer Sharp (Oklahoma) were teammates at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

LSU vs Vanderbilt Week 13 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:58:04 GMT

Let's get into it!

This Tigers finally got back in the win column Saturday night.

The Tigers received the opening kickoff and went 3 and out. Vanderbilt scored on the 1st play on their opening drive on a 63 yard bomb to Quincy Skinner Jr. Vandy 7-0. The Tigers answered back with an 8 play 90 yard drive that was capped off by a Josh Williams 20 yard rushing TD. Tied up 7-7. Vanderbilt went 3 and out. The Tigers turned the ball over on downs. The 2 teams traded punts. Vanderbilt turned the ball over on downs. LSU has a 9 play 80 yard drive that was capped off by a Josh Williams 21 yard rushing TD. LSU 14-7. Vanderbilt punted back to the Tigers, and the Tigers kneeled out the 1st half. Vanderbilt opened the 2nd half with a 12 play 46 yard drive that was capped off by a Brock Taylor 47 yard field goal. LSU 14-10. LSU answered back with a 10 play 77 yard drive that was capped off by a Kyren Lacy 12 yard receiving TD. LSU 21-10. Vanderbilt went 3 and out. LSU has a 13 play 74 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 28 yard field goal. LSU 24-10. Vanderbilt answered back with a 10 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Diego Pavia 1 yard rushing TD. LSU 24-17. The Tigers had a 11 play 66 yard drive to finish out the game. Tigers Win! LSU 24 Vanderbilt 17.

TAKEAWAYS

- This offensive line played mad in this game. They played whistle to whistle, and that was refreshing to see.

- Josh Williams stepped up when his team needed him. Many of Josh's plays will be lost in time, but this was a perfect game for all Tiger fans to remember for Josh.

- This Tiger defense shut down Diego Pavia on the ground. This was impressive to see this turn around.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Josh Williams - #18 had 151 total yards and 2 TDs. You have to feel good for Josh.

- Defensive MVP - Let's go with 3 Co-MVPs - Bradyn Swinson, Sai'vion Jones, and Davhon Keys - Swinson and Jones may not have had the greatest stats, but these guys were key in holding Pavia in check. Keys is a true freshman who has been performing better and better each week.

The Tigers welcome the Oklahoma Sooners to Baton Rouge Saturday night.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Pelicans at Pacers Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:43:54 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Pacers)

Final Score: 110-114
Rebounds: 44-41
Assists: 44-41
Blocks: 3-2

Steals: 9-10

Turnovers: 15-13

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans/Pacers)

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 24; Tyrese Haliburton, 34
Rebound Leaders: Yves Missi, 13; Bennedict Mathurin/Myles Turner, 9

Assist Leaders: Elfrid Payton, 21; Tyrese Haliburton, 13

My Player of the Game: Elfrid Payton

Takeaways

Elfrid Payton has been so CLUTCH for the Pelicans while dealing with so many injuries. With his 21 assists against the Pacers, he has had the most assists in a single NBA game this season.
Even though the Pelicans lost this game by four and Friday's game against the Warriors by four points, the team is showing so much fight considering they're still without Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Jose' Alvarado and Zion Williamson.
Rookie Yves Missi is a HIGHLIGHT for this Pelicans team right now. He is quick, plays smooth defense, and continually is getting better on offense.
Trey Murphy III lit it up on the offensive end for the Pelicans, which is a great sign.
Brandon Ingram is dealing with a minor calf injury so although he's playing, he's not 100%.

Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

Memphis @ Tulane Week 14 Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 20:41:17 GMT

Memphis Tigers

Tulane Green Wave

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -13

Total: 56.5

Tulane comes into this game ranked 18 in the AP coaches' poll just followed by Memphis at 23. No matter the outcome Tulane will play in the AAC conference championship game but will need to win out in order to have a chance for the CFP. Now that Memphis is ranked this will help Tulane's playoff chances. Memphis come’s into this game at 9-2 and ranked third in the conference. They are coached by Ryan Silverfield who has an overall record of 40-20 and is in his 5th season. Memphis offense is led by QB Seth Henigan who currently has Memphis passing offense ranked 24th in the nation averaging 273 yards a game. South Carolina transfer Mario Anderson leads the rushing attack ranking the tigers at 61st in the nation with an average of 167 yards a game. The Tigers defense (3-3-5) is giving up 22 points a game which ranks 45. They are giving up 353 yards a game (4th in AAC), 245 yards a game passing (10th AAC), and 108 yards a game rushing (3rd AAC). They also know how to create turnovers going 12 for 12 on forced fumbles and recoveries and 9 interceptions.

Offense

Quarterback- Mensah

This could be a huge day for Mensah and this Tulane offense. With Memphis pass defense not playing very well Joe Craddick (OC) could be opening up the playbook all the way for the young freshman QB. Still expect Tulane to try and establish the run but I expect this to be a pass heavy game until Tulane pulls away. Like always Tulane will come out running but when the defense starts to creep up look for play action and some deep shots. Mensah has to play smart football and use his legs like the previous game when no one is open.

Ty Thompson

Expect Ty to get his usual amount of carries anywhere from 5-10 carries. I could see Tulane using him in the red zone with a RPO or play action and have him throw the ball to fake out the defense.

Memphis QB- Seth Henigan

On the season Seth is having a decent season completing 269 passes out of 422 (63.7%) with 21 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while taking 15 sacks. Seth has the ability to run the ball so the Green Wave must keep that in mind. He has 61 carries for 119 yards (2.0) with 1 touchdown.

Running Back

Makhi will be in for a battle in the ground game. Memphis run defense has been pretty solid all year and they have one of the better linebackers in the conference Chandler Martin currently sitting at 90 tackles and 6 sacks. Makhi will get used early and often but if the ground game can't get going look for Tulane to start passing the ball. I'd like to see Shadie Clayton get some use in the passing game on some screens. Look for Arnold to spell Makhi when he needs a breather. Arnold has been running very well lately.

Receiving Game

We could see a huge day for the Tulane receiving game. Memphis secondary has been lackluster this year and allowing teams to throw on them. Tulane needs to capitalize on such a weak passing defense. Memphis safety Davion Ross has been playing decently with 40 tackles, 11 pass break ups, and 2 interceptions. Greg Rubin, the only returning defensive player has 64 tackles and 8 pass break ups. I could see Tulane coming out in 4 wide receiver sets a lot this game to try and spread out the 5 defensive backs. Mario Williams, Yulkeuith Brown, Dontae Fleming, and Shazz Preston must get utilized with their speed. Alex Bauman could be the x factor in this game with the secondary trying to slow down Tulane's 4 headed monster.

Offensive Line

Memphis has three guys who can get after the QB, stud linebacker Chandler Martin (6 sacks), William Withlow Jr (4 sacks), and Elijah Herring (3.5 sacks). Tulane's offensive line is one of the best in the nation displaying 6 guys who can all play at an elite level. On the year they have only given up 14 sacks, while allowing the offense to score 40 points a game which ranks 6th in the nation, while boasting 227 yards for the run game which ranks 10th, and a passing attack of 207 yards a game ranking 88th. The success of the offensive line will determine how the game ends up.

X Factor: Alex Bauman

Defense

Defensive Line

On the year Tulane has 30 sacks and that's been a big part to the defensive line. With 9 different guys getting at least 1 sack or more. The Green Wave front needs to play lights out against this Memphis rushing attack. Memphis running back Mario Anderson has 195 carries (5.7 avg), 1,115 rushing yards, and 16 touchdowns. Tulane's defensive front must be able to slow down this rushing attack of the Tigers in order to win this game. The offensive line of Memphis has given up 15 sacks on the year, that's one more than Tulane. They have been playing very well all year keeping Seth Henigan up right.

Linebackers

Sam Howard and Tyler Grubbs will be the x factors in this game. They must be able to shed blocks in the run game and shut down the running back before he gets into space. They both have been leaders of the defense and Sam Howard is starting to play very well. Look for Dickson Agu and Chris Rodgers to come in on key passing downs. They also must keep an eye out for running back Mario Anderson and tight end Anthony Landphere in the passing game. Mario has 44 catches for 294 yards and 2 touchdowns while Anthony has 379 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Secondary

The secondary is going to have their hands full against this Memphis passing attack. Seth Henigan has been playing well of late and that's thanks to his receivers. Roc Taylor the 6-3 senior has been playing pretty well with 738 yards and 2 touchdowns, Demeer Blankumsee has 545 yards and 5 touchdowns, and Koby Drake has 471 yards and 1 touchdown. This will have to be an all-around group effort from the Green Wave secondary. Micah Robinson and Jonathan Edwards will try to slow down Roc Taylor with Javion White and Reyshawn Pleasant lining up against the other speedier receivers, with Javion lining up in the slot. I can see Caleb Ransaw helping out with the tight end and running back this game. Jack Tchienchou, Bailey Despaine, and Kevin Adams must lock down the deep end of the field and cannot bite on the play action or Seth will burn them.

X Factor: Stop the run and make Memphis one dimensional

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter/Return Game

K- Patrick Durkin or Jacob Barnes need to have a solid day if Tulane can't punch it in.

P-Will Karrol must have an amazing game and flip the field if Tulane stalls in their own end of the field

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Tulane Recruiting Class of 25

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 02:28:23 GMT

Tulane Green Wave Recruiting Class of 2025

Jon Sumrall (HC), Cole Heard (GM), Kyle Schexnayder (Offensive Recruiting Specialist), and Hunter Sims (Defensive Recruiting Specialist) so far are on pace for the best recruiting class in Tulane football history. Last year in such a short amount of time Jon Sumrall and Co still managed to get the 64th best recruiting class with a 48th ranked transfer class. That ranked as an all time high for Tulane recruiting with an average player rating of 87.15. Previous rankings from the Willie Fritz era 2023-76, 2022-76, 2021-81, 2020-70, and 2019-89. As of right now they are currently sitting at 15 hard commits, 8 defensive and 6 offensive and 1 long snapper. Hard commit is basically a verbal agreement nothing is official yet until they put pen to paper on December 4th or they can wait till February 5 2025 for the final and last day to sign with a collegiate football program. On 24/7 sports Tulane is currently ranked 75th out of the nation. ON3 has the Green Wave ranked 69th in the nation and 2nd in the AAC. With early national signing day (Dec 4) right around the corner let's get into the current players committed with scouting reports, potential flips that Tulane could snag, 2 guys I'm worried about that Tulane may lose, other uncommitted recruits that may be coming to Tulane, 5 guys who should/could be 4 stars when they update the rankings, and with the current state of LSU football could Tulane snag a player or two from the tigers.

Remember to DONATE to FEAR THE WAVE Collective everything helps!

Class of 2025 Hard Commits (15)

Micheal Igbinighene (CB) 5-10/180. 3 star/89 rating 24/7 sports- This guy has blazing speed (4.3 forty) and great hands. Will be great in the boundary and leave on an island. Senior year recorded 33 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF, and six pass break ups. Junior year recorded 5 interceptions. Dad was in the 1996 summer olympics, Mom was bronze medalist 1992 and gold in 1996, brother was a 1st rd pick in 2020. PEDIGREE!
Jotavion Pierce (S) 6-2/185. 3 star/89- 4.6 forty. Through the first 5 games his senior year recorded 30 tackles, 6 INTERCEPTIONS, and 4 pass break ups. A great center fielder for the back end of the defense. A true ball hawking Free Safety. Junior year had 103 tackles, a sack, 2 FF, and 1 interception.
Warren Roberts Jr (edge) 6-1.5/220. 3 star/88- Can play with the hand on the ground or standing edge. Will be a great fit for the Bandit position. A true attacking pass rusher who can get after the QB with speed and explosion from the first step. Aggressive play style and sure fire tackler.
Juelz Baptiste (OT) 6-5/280. 3 star/87- Good size. Can move and set the edge. Has a good foundationand base when blocking. Stays with his blocks and is a good finisher.
Antwaun Parham (WR) 6-3/195. 3 star/87- Tall physical receiver on the boundary. Has the ability to go up and catch 50/50 balls. A really talented basketball player as well. Runs a 4.5 forty and a 37" vertical. Plays faster on the field. Has descent agility and can make people miss.
Joshua Brantley (ATH/QB/DB) 6-3/218. 3 star/86- Dual Threat QB with great athleticism. Has the ability to run with power and speed. Projected to make the transition to safety but things can change when camp starts. I could see him at Wide Receiver as well.
Nikolas Alston (DT) 6-3/260. 3 star/86- Really good movement on the line. Impressive athleticism, can get off blocks and knows how to get after the ball for a DT.
Oliver Mitchell Jr (WR) 6-1/175. 3 star/85- A true playmaking wide receiver with decent route running and good hands. Will be a nice gadget in the short and screen game. Reliable 3rd down move the sticks guy.
PaLanding Drammeh (DT/NG) 6-2/300. 3 star/85- For a guy his size has good speed and tracking of the ball. Good build and can get off of blocks. High motor doesn't give up on plays
Landon Hammond (CB) 6-0/160. 3 star/85- Good speed and acceleration (4.47 forty) ran track in high school. Landon needs to add some weight and strength. Has good ball skills. Willing to come up and lay a hit and can defend the run. He plays very physical.
Cameron Roberts (TE) 6-6/215. 3 star/85- True receiving threat at the TE position. Has a little swagger to him. Physical with the ball after the catch. Can go up and catch 50/50 balls. Knows how to get open when the play breaks down. Needs to bulk up in order to be effective in the run blocking game. He has the ability and will to block. Descent speed and has ability to make sideline catches.
Jay Beamon (QB) 6-2/205. 3 star/85- A pocket passing QB with a pretty deep ball with good accuracy. Isn't afraid to take a hit, keeps looking downfield while the defensive lineman closes in. Has some mobility to escape the pocket and improvise. He can definitely run the ball when needed. Nice zip on the ball in tight windows.
Gabriel Lovorn (ATH/RB/TE/LB) 6-4/225. 3 star/84- A do it all athlete who has the ability to play on both sides of the ball. Coaches on twitter were calling him Taysom Hill 2.0! In high school they used him alot like Ty Thompson. Gadget player. Has good speed and ability to make people miss. Fights through contact and is hard to bring down. I like him better on offense than defense.
Gresham Perry (IOL) 6-4/300. 3 star/82 rating ON3- Played LT in high school. Has a mean streak in him and has really good size. Plays with power. Leans a little too much while blocking but that's easily fixed and can get too straight up when blocking. He will get coached up but i can see him being a really good Offensive lineman down the road
Jason Arredondo (LS) 5-10/240 no rating- Comes out of power house high school Bishop Gorman.

Potential Flips from other Schools (19)

Talib Graham (Edge) 3 star/89- Seems to be fully committed to Ole Miss.
Dante Core (CB) 3 star/87- Attended a camp back in the Willie Fritz era. Dante was committed to Auburn then he decommitted and Just announced he has committed to Ole Miss so may not be happening.
Cooper Helmke (K) 5 star- Tulane was in the running but he committed to Boise State. Local product so a guy can dream.
Kentez Allen (OL) 3 star/84- Currently committed to Colorado State.
Nate Sheppard (RB) 3 star/88-Currently committed to Duke and local product Tulane was in the final 6. Was at a Tulane camp during the Fritz era.
Lionel Prudhomme (OL) 3 star/87- Local product and currently committed to Arkansas.
Dylan Lewis (CB) 3 star/87- Currently committed to Tennessee. Tulane offered him on 1/23/24
Caleb Bell (DL) 3 star/87- Also currently committed to Arkansas.
Reshad Sterling (DL) 3 star/88- Local product and currently committed to Houston. Has visited Tulane during a game and visited June 20. He's going on a visit to Houston so that's not good but Tulane still very much in the running.
Corey Amos (LB/Edge) 3 star/88- Currently committed to Ole Miss. De committed at one point during the year then re committed this may be another long shot. Visited back in June.
Derrick Johnson (TE) 3 star/86- Local Product and just committed to Boston College. Visited June 21. With the commitment of Cameron Roberts they may have backed off.
Xavier Newsom (Edge) 3 star/87- Currently committed to Buffalo. Visited Tulane 3/9/24.
Tae’shaun Gelsey (WR) 3 star/88- currently committed to Florida. Visited June 20.
Dennis Uzochukwu (DL) 3 star/88- currently committed to Georgia State but just recently picked up a Georgia scholarship. Should be ranked higher. Visited Tulane June 14.
Nicolas Clayton (Edge) 3 star/89- currently committed to Wisconsin and visited Tulane June 13.
Cole Allen (OL) 3 star/86- currently committed to Duke and visited Tulane June 13.
Eddie Love (RB) 3 star/87- committed to ECU but visited June 13. They are going after Javin Gordon and Xavier Ford pretty hard so this is doubtful.
Joeseph Skipworth (TE) 3 star/87- Tulane was in the running but committed to. Kansas and later flipped to Miss State. With Cam Roberts committed this is not likely.
Jordan Scott JUCO (WR) 3 star/87- Currently committed to Arizona State

Potential Flips to other Schools (2)-Updated (1)

Jotavion Pierce (S)- Just received an offer from Alabama and Oklahoma State, visited both. Can Jon Sumrall and Co hold onto the talented DB. Should be ranked higher.
Antwaun Parham (WR)- Recently went on a visit to Notre Dame and NC State and both offered. He is gaining serious ground in the recruiting world. This one will hurt if Tulane loses him. Should be ranked higher than a 3 star. Had 28 catches for 598 yards and 4 touchdowns. (Announced on twitter he is fully commited to Tulane!)

Uncommitted Recruits that may come to Tulane (29)

Javin Gordon (RB) 3 star/86- Was committed to Duke and recently decommitted. Dec 4th he announces his commitment. Tulane has been cranking up the heat on Javin. He has visited Tulane and the Green Wave seem to be gaining serious ground.
Xavier Ford (RB) no rating (should be ranked)-Tulane has also been firing up the heat for Ford. Will be visiting Tulane.
Carl Jenkins jr (WR) 3 star/87- Offered 1/23/24
Cameron White (Edge) 3 star/86- Offered 1/24/24
Kamron Cullins (DL) 3 star/86- Offered 5/14/24
Takaylen Muex (IOL) 3 star/86- Offered 1/31/24
Darnell Williams (ATH) 3 star/84- Offered 5/10/24
Shamar Fowles (WR) 3 star/84- Offered 1/25/24
Colton Foster (WR) 3 star/82- Offered1/26/24
Emile Picarella (QB)3 star/86-Tulane hasn't offered Emile. Currently the number 1 QB in LA. He has come in for a camp before the season started. He also stated Tulane is his favorite school a while back, that may have changed.
Hayden Delatte (LB/Nickel) no rating (Possible walk-on). Really rooting for this young man.
Makin Lenard (RB) no rating-Announced on twitter he will be visiting Tulane against Memphis
Christian Neptune (WR) 3 star/88- Hasn't visited Tulane so this may be a long shot.
TI Mims Jr (WR) 3 star/86- Most likely going to Ole Miss but this kid is a highlight real
Steven Ranel (DB) no rating- Visited Tulane 1/27/24.
Joshua Lewis (DL) 3 star/87- Just recently decommitted from Missouri. Tulane was in the running before he committed to Missouri. Tulane seems to be the favorite again and he's a local product.
Carde Smith (OL) 3 star/89- Just decommitted from USC but rumors are he may be going to Colorado.
Abrum Lewis (OL) no rating- Tulane offered.
Roger Brownstein (WR) no rating- Tulane offered.
Bishop Burkhalter (LB) 3 star/85- Visited back in 3/30/23
Kenyatta Fleet (DB) no rating- no offer
Caleb Ricks (DB) no rating- no offer
Rory Lambert (OL) no rating- no offer
James Little (DB) 3 star/85- Visited Tulane 9/28/24 vs USF
Jake Thibodeaux (K) 4.5 star- no offer
Elliot Arnold (K) 5 star- Visited Tulane 11/10/24
Preston Parker (WR) no rating- Tulane offered 1/26/24 and he visited 3/22/24
Alan Grimme JUCO (OL) 3 star/85- Tulane offered 10/16/24
Noah Remetich (OL) no rating- visited tulane 6/2/24 brother of OL Josh Remetich

Positional Breakdown

QB (1 commit) I would really like to see Tulane get another QB in this class. Ty Thompson may be gone next year. Emille Picarella preferably. He already said Tulane was his go to school.

RB (0) Javin Gordon and Xavier Ford are the frontrunners. Have to at least get one with Shadie being gone next year.

WR (2) Dontae Fleming, Phatt Watts, Yulkeith Brown will be gone. Mario Williams may enter the draft and with Antwaun Parham possibly going to Notre Dame you'd like to see Tulane get at least 4 receivers.

TE (1) Reggie Brown will be on the way out and Cam Roberts is a good prospect to have in the room

IOL (1) Caleb Thomas, Vincent Murphy, Josh Remetich will be leaving next year. Gabe Forston should replace Vince next season and Dominic Steward/Landry Cannon/Elijah Baker should replace Remetich.

OT (1) It's Rashad Greens last year and Derrick Graham may go to the draft so you'd like to see Tulane get at least one more offensive tackle. Juelz Baptiste will be a great addition to this room and hopefully Tulane can get one more

Edge/Bandit (1) Mathew Fobbs White returns for Tulane so Warren Roberts will have someone of his prototype to learn from. Don't be surprised if Roberts gets some playing time next year

DL (2) Tulane will be losing Patrick Jenkins, Adin Huntington, Terrel Allen, and Javon Carter. This is going to hurt for Tulane to lose so much talent. You have to get at least 4 recruits to fill this room out or get help in the transfer portal. Tulane also has three Juniors so look for next year to have another heavy defensive line recruiting class.

LB (1) Fan favorite Tyler Grubbs will be leaving Tulane next year. Luckley Jesus Machado will be coming back from a medical redshirt. But Gabe Lovorn looks to come in and help out the room. Would like to see them add another like Bishop Burkhalter or Hayden Delatte as a walk-on and let him develop.

CB (2) Micah Robinson, Jonathan Edwards, and Caleb Ransaw (NFL draft) will all be gone and that will definitely hurt. True freshman Jayden Lewis and Javion White (nickel) have been getting alot of playing time this year so they should help the blow. But the two guys they have now are great additions and will be good corners down the road. I would like to see at least one more get added to the class or get a transfer.

Safety (2) Jalen Geiger will be leaving but Jack Tchienchou is starting now and should be a great player. Despaine returns and Kevin Adams has been getting alot of time as well. I'm a little worried about Jotavion Pierce leaving so at least one more recruit at their safety position would make me feel better. Josh Brantley projected as a safety.

Kicker (0) Need to find a kicker with Jacob Barnes leaving

Punter (0) Will Karrol returns

LS (1)

5 guys who should/could be 4 stars when they update rankings

Jotavion Pierce (Safety)
Micheal Igbinoghene (CB)
Antwaun Parham (WR)-Espn has rated him a 4 star
Warren Roberts Jr (Edge)
Juelz Baptiste (OT)

Possible flips from LSU

With the recent struggles of LSU and the decommitment of the number one player in the nation and number one rated QB Byrce Underwood the Tigers recruiting trail may get a little derailed. With such a big time QB leaving this may have others wanting to leave as well plus it doesn't help that they have been struggling on the field under Coach Brain Kelly who may be on the hot seat. Tulane may be able to get their hands on a couple local products that are currently committed to the Tigers and who knows maybe even the transfer portal later on with players already on the team. These are probably long shots but I do not underestimate this Tulane staff.

Aidan Anding (CB) Ruston, LA 4 star/92- Can current Tulane commit Josh Brantly and high school teammate convince the star corner to come to NOLA. Committed 8/24/24. Tulane offered him on 2/21/24
JT Lindsey (RB) Alexandria, LA 4star/91- I would personally love this flip. I'm a huge fan of JT. Top 5 RB in the nation and Harlem Berry the 2nd best running back in the nation is currently committed to LSU as well, Berry is from Metairie. JT has been committed since April to LSU. Lindsey visited Tulane back in April.
TaRon Francis (WR) Edna Karr/New Olreans, LA 4 star/90- Committed October 24. Tulane offered TaRon on 12/12/23. He's a big physical fast receiver standing at 6-2/200.
Jhase Thomas (S) Destrehan, LA 3 star/89- Committed 7/13/24. Tulane offered Jhase back on 5/7/23. Tulane offered back in 2022. This dude is just an Athlete, can fly all around the field with great ball skills (used to play receiver) and was a track star.
Phillip Wright (WR) Destrehan, LA 3 star/88- Committed 8/9/24. Tulane offered back in 2022. Good at creating separation down field and has game changing runs after the catch. Can we say Jet sweeps and screen game extraordinaire.
Brett Bordelon (OT) Newman/New Orleans, LA 3 star/88- Has been committed since 2022. Good height and size. Will be a Mauler in the run game.

Wave Watch will be dropping a video/pod on this so stay tuned!

ROLL WAVE!!!

For more Tulane Football watch/listen to WAVE WATCH a tulane pod apple and youtube

This is Patrick Harkness and you can find me on X @rolldatwave and @TheKneaux everywhere

LSU vs Vanderbilt Week 13 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 22:36:09 GMT

Let's get into it!

Date and Time: Saturday, November 23rd, 2024 6:45 PM

Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

Spread: LSU -7.5

O/U: 53.5

TV: SEC Network

LSU and Vanderbilt will be playing for the 33rd time Saturday night. LSU leads the all time series 24-7-1. The 1st meeting between these schools took place in 1902, and Vanderbilt walked away with a 27-5 victory.

Vanderbilt, 6-4, 3-3, will be playing a 7th SEC game this season. The Commodore offense is 15th in the SEC in total yards per game (331.3), 14th in the SEC in passing yards per game (187.2), and 13th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (144.1). Vanderbilt is led by quarterback Diego Pavia. The former New Mexico State Aggie currently ranks 6th in the SEC in QBR, 9th in the SEC in passing yards (1843), and 6th in the SEC in passing TDs (15). Diego has the most rushing yards by a quarterback in the SEC this season (628) and 5 rushing TDs. The leader in the running back room is Sedrick Alexander. Alexander has 125 carries, 470 rushing yards, and 5 rushing TDs. The leading passing catchers for Vanderbilt are tight end Eli Stowers and wide receiver Junior Sherrill. Stowers has 42 receptions, 557 receiving yards, and 4 receiving TDs, and Sherrill has 21 receptions, 331 receiving yards, and 3 receiving TDs. The Vanderbilt defense ranks 12th in the SEC in total yards given up per game (349.1), 12th in the SEC in passing yards given up per game (227.1), and 8th in rushing yards given up per game (122.0). Linebackers Bryan Longwell and Randon Fontenette are the leaders on this defense. Longwell has 63 tackles on the season, and Fontenette has 53 tackles and 6 PBUs this season. The leader on the defensive line is Khordae Sydnor. Sydnor has 4 sacks on the season. The leader in the defensive back room is Martel Hight. Hight has 4 PBUs and 1 INT this season.

LSU, 6-4, 3-3, is heading into a 7th SEC contest. The Tiger offense comes into this game ranked 6th in the SEC in total yards per game (431.9), 2nd in the SEC in passing yards per game (316.3), and 16th (LAST) in the SEC in rushing yards per game (115.6). This offense goes as quarterback Garrett Nussmeier goes. Nuss ranks 5th in the SEC in QBR, 2nd in the SEC in passing yards (3126), 1st in the SEC in completions (262), and tied for 1st in the SEC in passing TDs (22). The Tigers continue to have a two running back approach with Caden Durham and Josh Williams. Durham has 101 carries, 551 rushing yards, 6 rushing TDs, 21 receptions, 219 receiving yards, and 2 receiving TDs on the season. Williams has 81 carries, 319 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs, 20 receptions, and 172 receiving yards on the season. Both have made big plays this season for the Tigers. The leading pass catchers for LSU are wide receivers Kyren Lacy, Aaron Anderson, and tight end Mason Taylor. Lacy has 49 receptions, 740 receiving yards, and 7 receiving TDs this season. Anderson has 46 receptions, 713 receiving yards, and 5 receiving TDs this season. Taylor has 49 receptions, 478 receiving yards, and 2 receiving TDs. Lacy, Anderson, and Taylor all rank in the top 8 in the SEC in receptions this season. Lacy and Anderson rank in the top 7 in the SEC in receiving yards and in the top 8 in the SEC in receiving TDs. The Tiger defense comes into this game ranking 13th in the SEC in total yards given up per game (364.5), 10th in the SEC in passing yards given up per game (217.5), and 14th in the SEC in rushing yards given up per game (147.0). The leaders on this defense are linebackers Whit Weeks and Greg Penn III. Weeks is tied for the 3rd most tackles in the SEC this season (93), and GP3 has the 10th most tackles in the SEC this season (70). The leaders on the defensive line are Sai'vion Jones and Bradyn Swinson. Jones has 4.5 sacks this season. Swinson has the 4th most sacks in the SEC this season (8). The leaders in the defensive back room are Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander. Alexander has 2 INTs this season. Stamps is tied for the 3rd most PBUs in the SEC (9).

KEYS TO THE GAME

- SELF PRIDE - If you are LSU, all you have left to play for is self pride, and nothing is wrong with that. Can you come out Saturday and play LSU football?

- GO DIEGO GO - LSU struggles with a mobile QB. Can they contain Diego Pavia in this one?

- DEATH VALLEY - Tiger Stadium will probably not be packed, but can this team and coaching staff give these fans a worthy performance? Give these fans something to cheer about Saturday night.

This game features 2 exciting returners: Zaivon Thomas leads the SEC in kickoff return yards (443), and Martel Hight leads the SEC in punt return yards (260).

Fun Fact: LSU Co-OC Cortez Hankton was the WR coach at Vanderbilt from 2015-2017. LSU QB AJ Swann played at Vanderbilt the past 2 seasons.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Pelicans @ Cavaliers Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 16:15:37 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Cavaliers)

Final Score: 100-128
Rebounds: 40-52
Assists: 23-29
Blocks: 3-9

Steals: 9-10

Turnovers: 11-11

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans/Cavaliers)

Scoring Leaders: Antonio Reeves, 34; Ty Jerome, 29
Rebound Leaders: Yves Missi, 8; Jaylon Tyson, 11

Assist Leaders: Elfrid Payton, 8; Jaylon Tyson, Craig Porter Jr., 7

My Player of the Game: Antonio Reeves

Takeaways

If you didn't know who Austin Reeves was before this game, well you should now. The rookie scored 34 points against the best team in the NBA right now.
The Pels were without Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, and Zion Williamson in this game. So there's that.
BI and Trey Murphy will hopefully be available for Friday's home game against the Warriors, and it's got to be close to time for McCollum and Jones to be coming back as well.
New Orleans is 4-12 on the season, and are the second to last team in the Western Conference standings.
It can only get better from here.

Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

2024 River Bell Classic Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 03:30:56 GMT

Let's get into it!

The Nicholls State Colonels and the Southeastern Louisiana Lions will meet on the football field for the 35th time on Thursday night. This series is tied 17-17.

BACKGROUND

The 1st meeting between the 2 schools took place on September 30th, 1972, and the Lions were victorious by a score of 31-9. The home of the Colonels, John L. Guidry Stadium, and the home of the Lions, Strawberry Stadium, are about 90 miles away from each other. These 2 schools played every season from 1972-1985; Southeastern Louisiana did not have a football program from 1986-2002. The Lions rejoined the Southland Conference in 2005, and the rivalry was reborn. The winner of the River Bell Classic each year takes home the River Bell Trophy. The River Bell Trophy, which was redesigned before the 2012 contest, was just a bell for the 1st game in this rivalry.

TOP PERFORMANCES

This game has seen it all: blowouts, close games, high scoring contests, and low scoring contests. This game has seen some great performances by many athletes.

On the Colonel side, in 1977 linebacker Rusty Rebowe, brother of current Nicholls head coach Tim Rebowe, had 23 tackles. In 2019, Dai'Jean Dixon caught 9 passes for 190 yards and 3 TDs, including a game winner with less than a minute remaining. In the Spring of 2021, Julien Gums rushed for 4 TDs in a game that had a combined score of 97 points. In the fall of 2021, Collin Guggenheim ran the ball 29 times for 267 yards and 3 TDs in a game that had a combined score of 87 points.

On the Lion side, in 1972, Gino Marino ran the ball 28 times for 127 yards, in a dominant performance by the Lions. In 1980, Mack Boatner ran the ball 25 times for 135 yards to help the Lions secure a 15 point victory. In 2005, Trey Willie passed for 403 yards and 3 TDs in a 38 to 28 shootout. In 2014, Devante Scott caught 7 passes for 196 yards and 1 TD in a dominant 62-3 Lion victory.

Former Quarterbacks

Chase Fourcade, Nicholls State 2016-2019:

What does the River Bell Classic mean to you?

Chase: This game means a lot to me. Everybody in Louisiana knows what it is all about. It is a rivalry that a lot of players either grew up playing with or against each other. I was 2-2 in this game; you can throw records out of the window. It doesn't matter if you are 0-11 or 8-3. You circle this game on your calendar when the schedule comes out. My sophomore year I threw for right around 100 yards, and my junior year I had a really efficient game throwing the ball. A lot of great players have played in this matchup, which is part of why it means a lot to me.

Take us through that week of practice and school. Does the atmosphere change around campus?

Chase: Playing on Thursday, everything moves up a day; Sunday you are practicing Wednesday you are having your walkthrough; you are pushing everything up. In 2018 we needed that game to go to the playoffs and for a Southland Conference Championship. In 2018, they had a lot of good players. They had a great quarterback, Chason Virgil. Our message that week was, "How can we get better? and "How can we continue to score points?". School did not change much. Everyone is there; you know the place will be packed. You look forward to this. It is a Thursday night matchup; where else would you rather be? You have to play your best football in November.

Talk to us about that 2019 River Bell Classic game. You throw a game winner with 45 seconds left. What was that game and moment like for you?

Chase: We got off to a slow start. They went up 14-0 quick. They had a great scatback type of player, Devonte Williams. I throw a post route that really got me going, and we go on to score 21 unanswered points. We came up with some big defensive stops. I knew it was a Lance Guidry defense that was going to throw a lot at you, but also, I knew that Southeastern was going to do the same things they always do. Fun fact: the kicker who missed the extra point earlier in the game played at Nicholls before transferring. As far as that final drive went, every Sunday we would practice 2 minute drill, and on that drive we had 1:30 left on the clock. Coach Rob called basic day 1 install. On the final play, Dai'Jean had a matchup we really liked; he had a 5'11'' cornerback on him, and Dai'Jean is 6'4". The play call was Deuce 64 Up. We got a big stop from Sully Laiche. 1 blade of grass was our saying that season, and that is what we did. We kept them from getting one more blade of grass. For me, Sully, Evan, and Dontrell, it summed up 4 great years for us; we played with great players and made great memories. After that 2019 game, I remember going back to Nicholls, then heading to Last Call with my guard, PJ Burkhalter, and drinking a beer. This is the last game a lot of players will play, so you get everyone's best.

B.J. Young, Southeastern Louisiana 2008-2011:

What does the River Bell Classic mean to you?

B.J.: The River Bell Classic is a big game. It's a rival game that means a lot for both schools.

Take us through that week of practice and school. Does the atmosphere change around campus?

B.J: Campus is more electric, especially if the game is at your university. Having the game on a Thursday night helps bring a lot more excitement as well. Everyone is on campus on Thursdays. Nothing changed during the week of prep/practice. It is business as usual; the only difference is everything is pushed up a few days and more urgent being that the game is on a Thursday instead of a Saturday.

Talk to us about that 2011 River Bell Classic game. You have over 260 total yards and 2 TDs.

B.J.: The 2011 River Bell was a good game for SLU. We played really well that night. We started fast, which helped and was able to keep the momentum throughout the entire game. Playing at SLU was a great time. I built a lot of great relationships and learned a lot about the game of football that directly affects me in my career today.

CURRENT PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:

Jhy Orgeron: 2 Time Southland Commissioner’s Fall Academic Honor Roll & 2 Time All Southland Conference Offensive Lineman

Jhy has been a mainstay on the Lion offensive line these last 3 seasons. Orgeron has helped the Lion offense finish in the top half of the conference since becoming a full-time starter. Jhy was kind enough to give me some of his time this week.

What does the River Bell Classic mean to you? Talk to us about your thoughts on this year's game. What is your favorite River Bell Classic memory? What would it mean to end your Lion regular season career with a win, especially in this game?

Jhy: The River Bell Classic is always something that I look forward to. Big rival game. There's nothing more exciting than ringing that bell and being able to keep the trophy for the year. The year we are tied at 17-17, which is an awesome opportunity for us. Unfortunately, I will not be able to play this year because of an ankle injury, but if we make the playoffs, I should be cleared to play. This year's game is a little different for me. It'll be the first time in four years that I don't see the field. I want nothing more than for us to get the dub in order to maybe have a chance at the playoffs. My best River Bell Classic memory has to be in 2022, when we won the River Bell and the 2022 conference championship. That was a feeling that'll be hard to forget. When you work so hard for something and get the results you want it's an awesome feeling. A win would be big time for me because it may give me a chance to suit up again and ball out at least one more time.

THIS SEASON'S MATCHUP

The 2024 Lions

Southeastern Louisiana, (RV) 6-5, 5-1, has played a tough schedule this season. They have faced 3 teams that are in the FCS top 25 and Tulane, who is in the CFP top 25.

The Lion offense ranks 8th in the SLC in total yards per game (328.5), 5th in the SLC in rushing yards per game (160.7), and 8th in passing yards per game (167.8). This offense is led by quarterback Eli Sawyer. Sawyer has thrown for 1683 yards and 11 TDs this season. Dynamic playmaker Darius Lewis is the leading receiver for the Lions. Lewis has 73 receptions (2nd in the SLC), 711 receiving yards (4th in the SLC), 4 TDs (8th in the SLC), and 351 punt return yards (1st in the SLC). Antonio Martin Jr. is having a great season. Martin Jr. has 1164 rushing yards (1st in the SLC) and 11 rushing TDs (1st in the SLC). Brandon Hayes has 487 kickoff return yards (1st in the SLC) and 1 kickoff return TD (T-1st in the SLC). The Lion defense ranks 2nd in the SLC in total yards given up per game (345.5), 5th in rushing yards given up per game (159.4), and 2nd in passing yards given up per game (183.5). This defense is led by linebacker KK Reno. Reno has 85 tackles on the season (4th in the SLC).

The 2024 Colonels

Nicholls State, 4-7, 2-4, opened up with a tough 3 game stretch out of the gate, playing 2 FBS opponents (Louisiana Tech and LSU) and a solid Sacramento State team.

The Colonel offense ranks 6th in the SLC in total yards per game (342.7), 6th in the SLC in rushing yards per game (159.4), and 6th in the SLC in passing yards per game (183.4). Quarterback Pat McQuaide is the leader of this offense. McQuaide has 1920 passing yards and 13 passing TDs this season. Wide receiver Terry Matthews is a big play waiting to happen. Matthews has 32 receptions for 380 receiving yards this season. Running back Collin Guggenheim has been a force in the Southland Conference since walking on campus. Guggenheim has 178 carries for 790 yards and 7 TDs this season; he ranks in the top 5 in each of these categories. The Colonel defense ranks 1st in the SLC in total yards given up per game (296.6), 1st in the SLC in rushing yards given up per game (78.5), and 4th in the SLC in passing yards given up per game (218.2). This defense is led by linebacker Eli Ennis. Ennis has 104 tackles on the season (3rd in the SLC).

Be sure to tune in Thursday, November 21st, 2024, at 6 PM on ESPN+.

Get your popcorn out!

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Pelicans @ Mavericks Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 18:58:59 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Mavericks)

Final Score: 91-132
Rebounds: 37-48
Assists: 19-26
Blocks: 3-7

Steals: 9-12

Turnovers: 21-11

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans/Mavericks)

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 19; Luka Doncic, 26
Rebound Leaders: Yves Missi, 9; Quentin Grimes, 8

Assist Leaders: Brandon Ingram, Yves Miss, Jaylen Nowell, 4; Kyrie Irving, 7

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Takeaways

The Pelicans lost by 40 points.
New Orleans had 21 turnovers, which started early in the game, and there was no coming back.
Until some of the Pelicans starters come back healthy, Brandon Ingram is going to keep being double-teamed.
Not much good to say from this game except thank God it's over.
The Pelicans play again tonight on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers and will be without every single starter along with their next-off-the-bench players.

Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

Tulane Green Wave Basketball Review

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 18:03:06 GMT

Tulane Green Wave Basketball

Tulane Green Wave- 72

Bethune Cookman- 57

By: Patrick Harkness

The Tulane Green Wave got their fourth win on the year putting their overall record at 4-1. It wasn't always pretty. Each half had their moments of success and downfalls. First half from the start was plagued by turnovers but the Wave managed to settle down and go on a real hot streak from behind the arc led by Mari Jordan going 4 for 5, capping Tulane at 48 to end the half. The start and middle of the second half Tulane couldn't buy a basket and almost let Bethune slowly catch up but Rowen and Caleb Banks had other plans. They both finished the night with over 20 points or more. If Tulane can settle down on the turnovers and become more consistent shooting the ball and less of a streaky team this team has loads of potential. On the night Tulane's FG% was 41.3 (26-63), 3 pt % 32.1 (9-28), 9-11 from the foul line, out rebounded Bethune 47 to 37 and finished with 16 assists, 5 steals, 7 blocks, with 12 total turnovers.

Starting 5

Rowan Brumbaugh - 20 points and 10 assists. You can't ask much more out of your point guard who transferred over from Georgetown. Rowan does a real nice job of driving to the basket and finding the open man but this game he switched it up. He was able to drive clean all night and once he got within 10 feet of the basketball, he would spot up for an easy jumper. He also found success getting the team to foul him as well on the drives leading him to go 7-10 from the free throw line.
Mari Jordan - Once Tulane was able to settle down and stop causing turnovers the offensive surge came out of Mari Jordan behind the 3-point line. Mari went 4-5 from three-point land in the first half to get the wave rolling. He cooled off in the second half but finished the night with 14 points and 8 rebounds.
Kaleb Banks - Was relatively quiet in the first half but came alive in the second to help Tulane secure their fourth victory. Kaleb led the team in rebounds with 10, 5 of them offensively and had 2 blocks as well. Banks has been a very valuable piece to this Tulane squad from beyond the arc, defensively, and rebounding. Something former Tulane teams have missed. He finished as the team's leading scorer with 22 points.
Gregg Glenn - The big man only got 6 minutes of playing time. Was previously banged up before the game and a final call to sit him the rest of this game was made quickly. Had 1 rebound and a steal
Tyler Ringgold - The young freshman struggled this game with 2 turnovers and 4 fouls. It just wasn't his night. You can expect that from younger players for this to happen from time to time but Tyler is a very good all-around ball player he will bounce back from this game. Finished with 12 minutes of play.

Bench

Percy Daniels - Got a lot of playing time with Gregg Glenn being banged up. You’d like to see more aggressiveness from the big man. Too many times, during this game it was just him and no one defending him around the three-point line. I don't mind him taking that shot but I would at least like to see a drive to the basket and finish or find the open man when the defense crashes, preferably Kaleb Banks from the corner. He has loads of potential and just needs some confidence going forward, he did have a good night so hopefully this is a good steppingstone for him. He finished with 8 points, 3 blocks, and 7 rebounds on 21 minutes
Kam Williams - Is going in the right direction for the Green Wave. He looks more relaxed and has some confidence going for him. His 3 ball needs a little more improvement, but he did go 2-6 from beyond the arc. He also was a force from the glass collecting 10 rebounds from the bench. He finished with 8 points and 36 minutes.
Spencer Elliott - Is another big man that needs to play with more physicality and aggression. He almost seems a little timid out there. He is only a freshman and played in his 5th ever college game so with more playing time I'm sure we will start to see the big man progress. He did have a nice drive late in the game that caused a foul. That's good to see from him and hopefully he builds off that. Spencer did get into a little trouble with fouls; he finished with 4 fouls on 9 min
KJ Greene - The highest rated recruit in Tulane history got in on some action as well. Only for 2 minutes of play and caused a turnover early. If KJ can settle down and limit his turnovers, I'm sure as the season progresses, he will get more playing time.
Micheal Eley - Was hurt and did not play
Asher Woods - Got in for 10 minutes and helped out defensively and also got a rebound

Next Game Friday Nov 22 vs UNO

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @rolldatwave and TheKneaux everywhere

LSU vs Florida Week 12 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:16:01 GMT

Let's get into it.

Another week, another Tiger loss.

LSU received the opening kickoff and turned the ball over on downs. The teams trade punts. Florida has a 5 play 80 yard drive that was capped off by an Elijah Badger 23 yard receiving TD. Florida 7-0. LSU has a 13 play 41 yard drive, but Damian Ramos missed a 51 yard field goal. Florida punts back to LSU. LSU puts together an impressive 14 play 84 yard drive that was capped off by an Aaron Anderson 28 yard receiving TD. Tied 7-7. Florida has a 9 play 44 yard drive that was capped off by a Trey Smack 49 yard field goal. Florida 10-7. LSU has a 12 play 47 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 50 yard field goal. Tied 10-10. Florida kneels out the 1st half. Florida opens the 2nd half with a punt. LSU has a 15 play 62 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 45 yard field goal. LSU 13-10. Florida has an 8 play 38 yard drive that was capped off by a Trey Smack 55 yard field goal. Tied 13-13. On the 3rd play of LSU's next drive Garrett Nussmeier was strip sacked by T.J. Searcy, Emery Jones Jr. recovered the ball, Jones Jr. fumbles and Caleb Banks recovered. Florida ball. The teams trade 3 and out possessions. Florida has a 3 play 45 yard drive that was capped off by a Ja'Kobi Jackson 1 yard rushing TD. Florida 20-13. LSU has a 15 play 54 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 38 yard field goal. Florida 20-16. Florida has a 3 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Jadan Baugh 55 yard rushing TD. Florida 27-16. LSU turns it over on downs. Florida kneels out the clock. Florida 27 LSU 16.

TAKEAWAYS

- The LSU redzone offense is horrible right now. You cannot trade 3's for 7's.

- This offensive line is not very good. LSU gave up 7 sacks in this one. The Tigers only gave up 6 sacks the entire season.

- Finally, the Tigers utilized Mason Taylor and Caden Durham. Both of the Tiger playmakers were very involved in this game plan.

- I am tired of seeing Brian Kelly blame others. You make way too much money to not take accountability.

- Slade Roy has the yips. I am a huge fan of Slade, but these snaps are a problem right now. He has to find it.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Aaron Anderson - Big Play AA always shows up when he is needed the most.

- Defensive MVP - Dahvon Keys - The freshman stepped up in this one. Keys led the team in tackles and had a pass breakup.

The Tigers welcome Vanderbilt to Tiger Stadium Saturday night.

Thank you for reading my article.

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Tulane @ Navy Week 12 Review

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 20:09:07 GMT

Tulane Green Wave- 35

Navy Midshipman- 0

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -7.5

Total: 48.5

Put a Goose Egg on the board for the Tulane Green Wave defense. The Green Wave defense only allowed 113 total yards (least amount of yards than any other team they played) against a complicated and explosive navy offense. Sam Howard led the way by collecting 2 turnovers, a fumble and an interception. He now holds the record for most fumble recoveries at Tulane. At the moment Tulane is currently ranked 20th with playoff implications on the line. Let's get into the individual performances.

Offense

Quarterbacks

We finally got to see what Mensah is capable of doing on the ground with 8 carries for 57 yards (7.1 avg) and a long of 22 with a nice 14-yard scamper for a touchdown. Through the air he was 10/14 with 138 yards and 2 touchdowns. That brings his total up to 2,197 yards, 18 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and a QBR rating of 75.6 which is 23rd in the nation. An amazing start to the redshirt freshman's career. The only thing that could use some improvement is his deep ball accuracy but other than that he has exceeded expectations by a mile.

Ty Thompson

Ty got into some late 4th quarter action by getting 5 carries for 20 yards with a long of 9. I think in about 2 weeks against Memphis we may see some new plays installed for him.

Running Backs

It was a team effort on the ground for Tulane with Makhi leading the way with 22 carries for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 5 game over 100 yards rushing streak ended. Arnold Barnes got the ground game going in the second half with 12 carries for 62 yards and the quarterbacks finished with 13 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown for Mensah. That's a total of 48 carries for 220 yards (4.6 avg) and 3 rushing touchdowns.

Receiving Game

This unit was burning the coverage of Navy all game. Mensah missed on two deep passes to wide open guys that would've been scores but Dontae Fleming got the game going through the air early with a 44-yard catch that led to a Tulane touchdown. He later on got hurt but walked off under his own power. He finished the day with 2 catches for 56 yards. Mario Williams led the team in catches with 3 for a total of 56 yards. Shazz Preston filled in nicely for Dontae when he went down and had another week with a long play for 27 yards. Alex Bauman the do it all Tight End got Tulane on the board by a beautiful play action cooked up by Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock on a 3rd and goal on the 1-yard line and Arnold Barnes even helped out in the passing game with a 1-yard touchdown. Alex Bauman has 6 total touchdowns on the year and leads the team.

Offensive Line

Another great day for the offensive line only giving up one sack and a total of 358 yards. The run game struggled early on but after the half the Oline started to wear down the Navy defense allowing Arnold Barnes to get some nice runs and finish the day with a team total of 220 yards. For the most part Mensah had a clean pocket but when things did break down after holding onto the ball for 5 seconds, he was able to capitalize on some good running lanes.

Player of the Game: Darian Mensah 3 TD

Defense

Defensive Line

It was a group effort in this game by the Green Wave defensive line with a total of 11 different defensive lineman ending up on the stat sheet. Mathew Fobbs White is starting to look like Tulane's best pass rusher. He got another sack putting his total up to four now on the year. Gerrod Henderson had a good game finishing with 4 tackles, Parker Peterson and Kam Hamilton had a solid day as well finishing with 3 tackles. Adin Huntington, Pat Jenkins, and Terrel Allen had 2 tackles while Allen was able to get into the backfield for a tackle for loss. The former troy transfer Deshaun Batiste also got a tackle for loss as well.

Linebackers

Sam Howard was the player of the game by collecting a record-breaking 5th fumble recovery of the season and having his first career Tulane interception. He finished the day with 4 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss. On the year he has a total of 37 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Tyler Grubbs led the team in tackles against Navy with 5 tackles, 3 of them solo.

Secondary

Navy couldn't do a whole lot in the passing game once Blake Horvath went down so it was a relatively quiet day for everyone. Navy only attempted 11 passes and only completed 3 for 13 yards. Jack Tcheinchou, the starting Free safety, led the unit with 5 tackles. Caleb Ransaw got into the back field for a sack, he finished his day with 1 tackle and a pass break up. Kevin Adams, the rotational piece with Bailey Despaine also got in the backfield for a tackle for loss as well.

Player of the Game: Sam Howard

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter/Return Game

K- Patrick Durkin was 5/5 from extra point

P-Will Karrol played another nice game punting with 4 punts with a long of 53 and 1 downed inside the 20

Roll Wave!!

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Lakers @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 06:00:19 GMT

Team Stats
(Lakers @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 104-99
Rebounds: 43-50
Assists: 24-24
Blocks: 3-4

Steals: 10-7

Turnovers: 11-17

Stat Leaders
(Lakers/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Anthony Davis, 31; Brandon Ingram, 32
Rebound Leaders: Anthony Davis, 14; Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, 9

Assist Leaders: Austin Reeves, 7; Brandon Ingram, 8

My Player of the Game: Brandon Ingram

Takeaways

This was a sad loss because the Pelicans fought until the very end. They also had the ball to take a three-pointer at the end to tie up the game but they turned the ball over instead.
Brandon Ingram is playing for a max contract and he deserves every penny.
Brandon Boston Jr. has been a huge boost and a great player for the Pels while so many of his teammates are injured.
It was nice to finally see a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis play in Nola. In warm-ups, James did some incredible dunks, which had the entire SKC cheering.
There were too many Lakers fans in the building.
Yves Missi is going to be great.

Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

Saints Vs Browns Week 11 Preview

tmike4689@gmail.com (Travis Himel) — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 17:13:58 GMT

SAINTS WEEK 11 PREVIEW

The losing streak is over! Darren Rizzi stepped up in a big way as the interim coach last week. This team feels like they have life again. If Rizzi’s special teams group was an indicator, he brings the energy every week and it shows in how his group plays. The players have made it obvious how much they enjoy playing for Rizzi. Some of the things he spoke about bringing to this team were a bit alarming to have not had certain procedures in place before he took over. However, we are here now and this team should look very different moving forward.

THIS WEEK’S MATCHUP:

This week the Saints are hosting the Cleveland Browns. This series has a record of 13-6 in favor of the Browns. The Saints have won the last two meeting and look to make that 3 in a row this week. Jameis Winston makes his return to the Dome for the first time since leaving the team. He is the Brown’s starter today so look for him to bring the energy and make this a good game.

YOUR SAINTS:

The Saints handled business last week against the Falcons. The team was outplayed in some categories but still pulled off the victory. The Saints totaled 365 yards last game which is a good total yardage to be at if they can average that from here on out. Only 3 trips to the Redzone and going 1-3 will not translate to many victories. Capitalizing in the Redzone is something this team has struggled with as of late. The defense is still doing what they do best, forcing takeaways. The Brown’s offensive line has given up the most sacks so far this season. Look for the Saints defensive line to be in the backfield often.

Valdez-Scantling had a big game last week. Giving Carr a reliable target who can go up and get the ball should help moving forward. Kamara is on pace for the most touches and most yards of his career so far. Erik McCoy should be back this week so our offensive line should hold up a little longer in protection to have more time to move the ball downfield.

INJURY REPORT:

Lucas Patrick and Jamaal Williams are listed as out. Multiple guys are listed as questionable but the list has gotten significantly shorter in recent weeks!

MY PREDICTION:

I think the Saints will continue to ride the hype of Rizzi as our coach. The energy will be high with Winston back in the building. I predict the Saints to win with a score of 24-17. Geaux Saints!!!

Like what you’re reading?

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Nuggets @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 03:40:03 GMT

Team Stats
(Nuggets @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 94-101
Rebounds: 38-56
Assists: 26-21
Blocks: 1-5

Steals: 10-4

Turnovers: 7-14

Stat Leaders
(Nuggets/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Michael Porter Jr., 24; Brandon Ingram, 29
Rebound Leaders: Dario Saric, 8; Yves Missi, 12

Assist Leaders: Russell Westbrook, 7; Brandon Ingram, 7

My Player of the Game: Brandon Ingram

Takeaways

The Pels finally broke their six-game losing streak!
Brandon Ingram is playing fantastic basketball so far this season -- even with getting double teamed the majority of the game.
Missi is legit. The League better watch out.
The Pelicans are 1-0 in NBA Cup games.

* Trey Murphy had a great game for New Orleans with 17 points and eight boards.

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LSU vs Florida Week 12 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 18:38:09 GMT

Let's get into it.

Date & Time: Saturday, November 16th, 2024, 2:30 PM

Location: Ben Hill Stadium, Gainesville, FL

Spread: LSU -4

O/U: 55

TV: ABC

Saturday afternoon, LSU and Florida will meet for the 71st time on the football field. LSU leads the series 34-33-3. The Tigers had to vacate the 2013-2015 games. The 1st matchup between these 2 schools was in 1937, and the Tigers came away with a 19-0 victory.

Florida, 4-5, 2-4, is coming into its 7th SEC game of the season. The Gator offense is 12th in the SEC in total yards per game (383.3), 10th in the SEC in passing yards per game (232.2), and 10th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (151.1). The Gators have played 3 quarterbacks this season: Graham Mertz, Aidan Warner, and DJ Lagway. Mertz is out for the season, Warner is a redshirt freshman transfer from Yale, and Lagway injured his hamstring, but he may be back for this game. Florida will use multiple running backs. Jadan Baugh (411 rushing yards & 6 TDs), Ja'Kobi Jackson (343 rushing yards & 5 TDs), and Montrell Johnson Jr. (373 rushing yards & 4 TDs). Johnson Jr. is a bit dinged up. The top 2 pass catchers for the Gators are Elijah Badger (560 receiving yards & 2 TDs) and Chimere Dike (523 receiving yards & 2 TDs). The Gator defense is 15th in the SEC in total yards per game given up (401.4), 13th in the SEC in passing yards per game given up (216.6), and 15th in the SEC in rushing yards per game given up (150.8). The defensive line is led by Tyreak Sapp (3.5 sacks & 27 tackles), George Gumbs Jr. (3 sacks & 24 tackles), and T.J. Searcy (2 sacks & 24 tackles). The linebacker room is led by Shemar James (37 tackles), Grayson Howard (37 tackles), and Jaden Robinson (36 tackles). The defensive backfield is led by Trikweze Bridges (45 tackles), Jordan Castell (40 tackles & 5 PBUs), and Jason Marshall Jr. (4 PBUs).

LSU (#22), 6-3, 3-2, is entering its 6th SEC contest of the season. LSU's offense is 5th in the SEC in total yards per game (436.3), 2nd in the SEC in passing yards per game (322.3), and 16th (LAST) in the SEC in rushing yards per game (114). Garrett Nussmeier is the leader of this Tiger offense. Nuss is in the top 12 in the nation in passing yards (2866), completions (235), and passing TDs (21), but he is tied for the 2nd most interceptions thrown in the nation (11). The Tigers will use 2 running backs, Josh Williams (250 rushing yards, 141 receiving yards, & 3 TDs) and Caden Durham (460 rushing yards, 202 receiving yards, 6 rushing TDs, & 2 receiving TDs). The top pass catchers for the Tigers are Kyren Lacy (46 receptions, 697 receiving yards, & 7 TDs), Aaron Anderson (39 receptions, 641 receiving yards, & 4 TDs), and Mason Taylor (43 receptions, 419 receiving yards, & 2 TDs). Lacy, Anderson, and Taylor are all in the top 12 in the SEC in receptions. Lacy and Anderson are in the top 8 in the SEC in receiving yards. Lacy is tied for the most receiving TDs in the SEC. The Tiger defense is 13th in the SEC in total yards per game given up (367.8), 10th in the SEC in passing yards per game given up (216.6), and 14th in the SEC in rushing yards per game given up (150.8). The defensive line is led by edge rushers Bradyn Swinson (8 sacks) and Sai'vion Jones (4.5 sacks). Swinson has the 4th most sacks in the SEC. The leaders in the linebacker room are Whit Weeks (89 tackles) and Greg Penn III (66 tackles). Weeks and GP3 are in the top 10 in the SEC in tackles. The defensive backfield is led by Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander. Stamps has the 4th most PBUs in the SEC, and Alexander has 2 INTs this season.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- Can the Tigers keep their playmakers involved?

- Can you stick with a game plan in this one?

- If DJ Lagway is back, can you contain him? If he sits, this is a perfect matchup for the Tigers.

- This Gator defense is one before last in rushing yards per game given up. You have to get something going on the ground.

Fun Fact: Florida coaches Russ Callaway and Jabbar Juluke have both been on LSU's football staff in the past.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Nets @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:11:42 GMT

Team Stats
(Nets @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 107-105
Rebounds: 46-45
Assists: 24-31
Blocks: 5-4

Steals: 4-13

Turnovers: 16-10

Stat Leaders
(Nets/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Cam Thomas, 17; Brandon Ingram, 24
Rebound Leaders: Nic Claxton, 9; Yves Missi, 11

Assist Leaders: Ben Simmons, 12; Brandon Boston Jr., 10

My Player of the Game: Brandon Ingram

Takeaways

The Pels (3-8) lost a close game to the Brooklyn Nets (5-6).
This team is really fighting hard considering they have one-two starters out there.
Trey Murphy was back in action and he definitely helped out the spacing on the floor so Brandon Ingram wasn't double-teamed the whole game.
Yves Missi and Brandon Boston Jr. are real bright spots on this incredibly-injured team.
The Pelicans play their next two games at home in back-to-back game against the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jose Alvarado is added to the injured list as he is out for six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

LSU vs Alabama Week 11 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:51:08 GMT

Let's get into it!

Alabama beat LSU in every aspect of this game.

Alabama received the ball 1st in this game, and went on an 8 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Jalen Milroe 39 yard rushing TD. Alabama 7-0. LSU has a 6 play 44 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 23 yard field goal. Alabama 7-3. Alabama has a 15 play 75 yard drive, taking nearly 7 minutes off of the clock, this was capped off by a Justice Haynes 1 yard rushing TD. Alabama 14-3. The teams trade punts on the following possessions. LSU has a 7 play 64 yard drive that was capped of by a Damian Ramos 43 yard field goal. Alabama 14-6. Alabama turns the ball over on downs. Jihaad Campbell forces Garrett Nussmeier to fumble on the 1st play of LSU's next drive, Tim Smith recovers, Alabama ball. Alabama took advantage of the turnover by going on a 3 play 32 yard drive that was capped off by a Jalen Milroe 10 yard rushing TD. Alabama 21-6. LSU runs out the 1st half. To open the 2nd half LSU went on a 14 play 75 yard drive, but on the 14 play Garrett Nussmeier throws an interception in the endzone. Alabama took advantage of the interception, and went on an 8 play 80 yard drive that was capped off by a Jalen Milroe 19 yard rushing TD. Alabama 28-6. LSU punts on the next possession. Alabama has a 4 play 85 yard drive that was capped off by a Jalen Milroe 72 yard rushing TD. Alabama 35-6. LSU turns the ball over on downs. Alabama goes 3 and out. Garrett Nussmeier throws an interception on the 4th play of LSU's next possession. Alabama has a 9 play 47 yard drive that was capped off by a Richard Young 8 yard rushing TD. Alabama 42-6. LSU has an 8 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Kyren Lacy 12 yard receiving TD. Alabama 42-13. Alabama kneels out the clock. Alabama wins. Alabama 42 LSU 13.

TAKEAWAYS

- What did LSU work on in the bye week? Jalen Milroe looked like prime Michael Vick.

- This offensive line got punched in the mouth once again and did not bounce back.

- LSU has been outscored 73 to 19 in the last 6 quarters. This team looks lost suddenly.

- Once again, 8-4 is a real possibility.

- You have to involve Caden Durham and Mason Taylor more often.

- LSU was outcoached in this one, and it was obvious.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Kyren Lacy - Kyren plays hard from the opening snap until the final snap.

- Defensive MVP - Whit Weeks - White had 15 total tackles and was involved in a few big stops for the Tigers.

The Tigers travel to Gainesville Saturday afternoon to take on the Florida Gators. Can they snap out of it? We shall see.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Pelicans @ Magic Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 04:38:14 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Magic)

Final Score: 88-115
Rebounds: 31-43
Assists: 18-28
Blocks: 1-8

Steals: 10-9

Turnovers: 15-13

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans/Magic)

Scoring Leaders: Brandon Boston Jr., 26; Franz Wagner, 27
Rebound Leaders: Brandon Boston Jr., 6; Goga Bitadze, 9

Assist Leaders: Brandon Ingram/Jose Alvarado, 5; Franz Wagner, 6

My Player of the Game: Jose' Alvarado

Takeaways

The Pels are 3-7.
This whole "can't wait until the Pelicans are healthy" thing is getting really old.
Is Zion actually hurt or is there something else going on? It seems like something else is going on and that's why Zion has only played a handful of games in 10 games.
Jose' Alvarado and Brandon Ingram have been solid during this stretch.
Also, it's been really great to see these other players like Brandon Boston Jr., Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Jaylen Nowell, and Javonte Green play a ton of minutes and play hard plus show out.

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LSU vs Alabama Week 11 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 20:54:53 GMT

Let's get into it!

Date & Time: Saturday, November 9th, 2024, 6:30 PM

Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA

Spread: Alabama -3

O/U: 58.5

TV: ABC/ESPN+

The Tigers and Crimson Tide will meet on the football field for the 89th time this Saturday. Alabama leads the all time series 56-27-5. LSU won the 1st meeting in 1895 by a score of 12-6. The last time these 2 squared up in Baton Rouge was in 2022, when the Tigers won an overtime thriller. College Gameday will be on campus for this one.

Alabama (#11), 6-2, 3-2, is coming into a 6th SEC contest. The Crimson Tide offense is 6th in the SEC in total yards per game (431.8), 7th in the SEC in passing yards per game (254.1), and 6th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (177.6). The offense is led by quarterback Jalen Milroe. Currently, Milroe has the 12th highest QBR in the nation, 5th most passing yards in the SEC (1937), 6th most passing TDs (13), 3rd most rushing yards by a QB in the SEC (380), and 2nd most rushing TDs in the SEC (12). Running backs Jam Miller and Justice Haynes are the leaders in the backfield. Miller has 450 rushing yards and 7 TDs, and Haynes has 350 rushing yards and 5 TDs as well as 16 receptions. Ryan Williams is the leading pass catcher on this team, along with Germie Bernard. Williams has the 3rd most receiving yards in the SEC (702), and the most receiving TDs in the SEC (7). Bernard has 30 receptions, 463 receiving yards, and 2 TDs. The Alabama defense is 11th in the SEC in total yards per game given up (337.8), 6th in the SEC in passing yards per game given up (193.3), and 14th in the SEC in rushing yards per game given up (144.5). This defense is led by linebackers Deontae Lawson and Jihaad Campbell; both have 66 tackles, on the season which is tied for the 6th most in the SEC. The defensive line is led by LT Overton and Tim Keenan III. Overton has 24 tackles and 2 sacks on the season, and Keenan III has 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the season. The defensive backfield is led by Keon Sabb, Domani Jackson, and Malachi Moore. Sabb has 4 PBUs and 2 INTs, Jackson has 5 PBUs and 2 INTs, and Moore has 5 PBUs and 2 INTs.

LSU (#15), 6-2, 3-1, is coming into a 5th SEC game. This LSU offense is 5th in the SEC in total yards per game (448), 2nd in the SEC in passing yards per game (332.8), and 16th (last) in the SEC in rushing yards per game (115.3). Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is the clear leader on this offense. Nussmeier has the 10th most completions in the nation (208), the 7th most passing yards in the nation (2627), the 8th most passing TDs in the nation (20), and the 11th highest QBR in the nation. Caden Durham and Josh Williams are the leaders in the running back room. Durham has 397 rushing yards and 6 TDs, and Williams has 241 rushing yards and 3 TDs. The leading pass catchers for the Tigers are Kyren Lacy, Aaron Anderson, and Mason Taylor. Anderson has 36 receptions, 614 yards, and 4 TDs on the season. Lacy is tied for the 4th most receptions in the SEC (41), the 7th receiving yards in the SEC (618), and is tied for the 4th most receiving TDs in the SEC (6). Taylor has the 7th most receptions in the SEC (39), 369 yards, and 2 TDs. The Tiger defense is 13th in the SEC in total yards per game given up (360.8), 12th in the SEC in passing yards per game given up (230), and 11th in the SEC in rushing yards per game given up (130.8). The leaders in the linebacker room are Whit Weeks and Greg Penn III. Weeks has the 4th most tackles in the SEC (74), and GP3 has the 10th most tackles in the SEC (59). The leaders on the defensive line are Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones. Swinson has the 3rd most sacks in the SEC (8), and Jones has the 13th most sacks in the SEC (4.5). The leaders in the defensive backfield for the Tigers are Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander. Stamps has the 4th most PBUs in the SEC (7). Alexander is putting together quite the season with only 32 yards allowed, 0 TDs allowed, 2.8 passer rating allowed, and 88.5 coverage grade (per PFF College).

KEYS TO THE GAME

- RUN - With Garrett Dellinger out for this game, can the Tigers get something going on the ground to keep this Alabama defense off balance?

- MIDDLE OF THE FIELD - The Tigers have arguably one of the best tight ends in the nation in Mason Taylor. Will the Tigers utilize Mason and the middle of the field in early down situations?

- GET HOME - Alabama has given up 17 sacks on the season, while the Tigers have gotten 28 sacks so far this season. Can the Tigers get to Milroe?

- DISRUPT - Which defense can force the opposing quarterback to make a mistake?

Fun Fact: LSU DL coach Bo Davis coached at Alabama from 2014-2015.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Temple @ Tulane Week 11 Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 19:24:14 GMT

Temple Owls

Tulane Green Wave

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -26.5

Total: 49.5

The Temple Owls (2-6) are traveling to the Big Easy to square off against The Tulane Green Wave (7-2) in another AAC matchup. Temple is coming into Nola after getting handed a 56-34 loss to ECU last week. They are led by head coach Stan Drayton who is in his 3rd year with the team and an overall record of 8-24. The owls are returning 8 starters from last year, 5 on offense, 2 on defense and their punter. Just like Tulane in the offseason Temple pulled a lot of talent from the transfer portal. Total of 43 newcomers including recruits that shape up this revamped roster. The Temple offense has mostly been running in a pass heavy shotgun/pistol/single back offense ranking 68th in passing (228 avg), 128th in rushing (91 avg), and 117 for scoring at almost 21 points per game. The Owls defensively have been running a 3-4 defense with some very good linebacker play all season. They have been giving up 35 points per game which ranks 124th in the nation. The defensive unit of Temple as a whole have been giving up an average of 394 yards, 180 passing, and 213 rushing. Let's get into positional breakdown of both teams.

Offense

Quarterback

It looks to be another quiet game for the young freshman quarterback. This Temple defense has not been doing very well stopping the run so expect a lot of handoffs but don't be surprised if offensive coordinator Joe Craddock decides to open up his playbook and surprise Temple with some Play action when the defense starts to creep up and stop the run. Tulane definitely has the better skill players on the outside so let's hope the Green Wave gets a little pass happy. Should be able to take advantage of this defense in the screen game as well.

Ty Thompson

Ty should get a little more involved in this game than the previous. Temple has been having trouble stopping the run and the special packages they have been using with Ty should allow him to move the ball efficiently.

Temple QB

Forrest Brock was the original starter to begin the season after a strong spring but fell into some trouble as the season progressed. After throwing for 541 yards with 1 touchdown and 6 interceptions, Temple's head coach benched him and went with Junior Rutger transfer Evan Simon. Evan has had more success and even jump starting this Temple offense amassing 1,271 yards passing with 13 touchdowns and 6 picks. He's more of a game managing QB but he's smart and goes through his reads pretty well. Do not underestimate him. He doesn't seem to panic when pressure gets in his face as well. They're most likely going to try to the ball out quickly.

Running Back

It should be another stellar game by Makhi Hughes. Expect Tulane to utilize Makhi early and often with this lackluster defense of Temple. The owls do have two very good Middle Linebackers in Tyquan King (ECU transfer) and DJ Woodbury. King is leading the owls with 70 tackles, 2 sacks and a forced fumble. DJ is second on the team with 66 tackles and a sack. They are the quarterbacks of this defense and probably the only guys you need to worry about. It'll be essential for our offensive line to get to the next level and stop these two athletes if Tulane wants to have a successful in the ground game. Arnold Barnes and Shadie Clayton continue to battle for that RB2 spot so whoever has the hotter hand expect them to get more handoffs. Clayton came off one of his best game last week. Look for Shadie to be utilized in the screen game could be effective against Temple.

Receiving Game

Is this game the day we finally get to see Dontae Fleming and Shazz Preston lined up on the outside and Mario Williams and Yulkeith Brown in the slots. I sure hope so, there's still a whole entire dimension of this Tulane offense that we haven't seen and is waiting to be unlocked. It may not fully happen with Temple being a lesser opponent but with some tough games down the road be ready for the playbook to be wide-open. As of right now Mario leads the team with 34 catches for 561 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dontae is second with 25 catches for 467 yards and a touchdown. Yulkeith is 3rd with 25 catches for 324 yards and 4 touchdowns while tight end Alex Bauman has 10 catches for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Temple has 3 guys at the corner position who are decent 7th year transfers from UTEP Torey Richardson (1 int) who plays well in man coverage and will probably be lined up against Dontae all game. Jamel Johnson, a guy who can line up in the slot and/or the outside has an interception on the year. Their best corner Jaylen Lewis who leads the group in tackles with 37, an interception, 5 passes deflected, and a forced fumble, is an ascending player and should be watched out for.

Offensive Line

The success of the power run game has all come down to the offensive line play. They have been nothing but impressive week in and week out. They have only allowed 13 sacks on the year and are boasting an average run game of 216 yards a game which is 11th in the nation. They are also allowing the offense to score 40 points a game which ranks 7th in the nation. Look for this unit to keep building these numbers against this poor temple defense. I wouldn't be surprised if all 5 starters get all conference awards at the end of the season.

However, there are some guys who will look to disrupt Tulane on the defensive line of the Owls DT Latrell Jean (big body power rusher), DE Diwun Black (speed threat off the edge), and DE Trae Thomas(smaller edge rusher/bandit) who all have 2 sacks on the year.

X Factor: Run the Ball which Should open Up passing Lanes

Defense

Defensive Line

Temple is only returning one player from last year on the offensive line and he is by far their best player from the unit right guard Wisdom Quarshire. Other than that Tulane's stout defensive line should have a field day. Temple really struggles to run the ball forcing them to pass. The defensive line of Tulane has to attack the quarterback of Temple very quickly because they will be getting the ball out fast to counter this defensive line. On the year Tulane's defensive line Kam Hamilton has 3.5 sacks, Pat Jenkins has 3, Adin Huntington has 2 and so does Mathew Fobbs White.

Linebackers

Sam Howard got carted off the previous game and x rays came back negative and sounded like it was a sprain. Not sure if he'll be back for this one. May save him for Navy or Memphis with a bye before Memphis Thanksgiving night. Dickson Agu and Chris Rodgers have been playing very well as backup/passing down specialists look for both of them to be the next man up and help slow down the passing attack of temple. Tyler Grubbs continues to be the backbone of the defense by leading the team in tackles 39, 2nd in sacks with 3, and tied for first with 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 1 defensive touchdown.

Temple doesn't have much of a running game, but two guys standout Terrez Worthy a speedy back has 51 carries for 280 yards (5.5 avg) and 2 touchdowns while Antwain Littleton a power back has 59 carries for 181 yards (3.1 avg).

Secondary

Micah Robinson has been playing very well as of late and has settled in nicely as Tulane's number one corner. With two picks on the year, he leads this secondary unit. Micah will most likely be lining up against Dante Wright by far their best receiver threat. Dante is a really good route runner and may even see him in the slot where Javion White the freshman spear/nickel corner could line up against him as well. Dante on the year has 42 catches for 517 yards and 4 touchdowns with a long of 91. Rayshawn Pleasant or Javion White will help out against Antonio Jones and 5-9 deep threat (17 catches, 143 yards, 1 TD) and Jonathan Edwards or Caleb Ransaw most likely line up against the big body physical receiver Ashton Allen who has 14 catches, 230 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Jalen Geiger and Jack Tcheinchou will continue to rotate and protect the deep part of the field and Bailey Despaine and Kevin Adams will help out with coverage on Temple's receiving threat at Tight End Landon Morris 15 catches, 240 yards, and 2 touchdowns.

X Factor: Tight Coverage for quick passes

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter/Return Game

K-Jacob Barnes is 24/25 on XP and 7/9 on FG with a long of 47. He's been pretty reliable so far this season

P-Will Karrol is a game changer and helps this team more than people realize. He can really boom the ball but every now and then can lay a doozy.

Roll Wave!!

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

LSU Men's Basketball Season Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:46:08 GMT

Let's get into it!

The 2024-2025 LSU Men's Basketball season tips off Wednesday, November 6th, 2024, against ULM.

The Tigers were chosen to finish 14th in the SEC. LSU has 9 preseason top 25 teams on their schedule.

Head Coach Matt McMahon is returning for his 3rd season at the helm for the Tigers. Coach McMahon improved from 14 to 17 overall wins and from 2 to 9 SEC wins.

The Tigers have 8 returning players.

Mike Williams III - Williams should continue to contribute in a big way.

Jalen Reed - Reed may be a starter on this team. He has been very consistent for the Tigers.

Corey Chest - Chest redshirted last year for the Tigers. He will provide quality depth for this team.

Tyrell Ward - Ward will likely be a starter on this team. He plays with a ton of hustle and is fun to watch.

Adam Benhayoune - Benhayoune will provide quality depth for the Tigers.

Derek Fountain - Fountain will fit right into the rotation for the Tigers. He may even start this season.

Trace Young - Young will provide quality depth for the Tigers.

Daimon Collins - Collins was injured at the beginning of last season. He should fit into the rotation this season for the Tigers.

The Tigers have added 4 transfers.

Jordan Sears - Sears will probably start for the Tigers. The UT Martin is a 2 time All Ohio Valley Conference player. Also, he was a finalist for Collegeinsider.com's National Player of the Year award.

Dji Bailey - Bailey won the Chris Daniels Award last season, the Atlantic 10 Conference's most improved player. The Richmond transfer will be a solid piece for the Tigers.

Cam Carter - Carter, a Louisiana native, attended Oak Hill Academy. He played at Mississippi State and Kansas State. He will probably start for the Tigers.

Noah Boyde - Boyde is transferring in from McCook Community College, where he averaged 11.2 points. Standing at 7' and 245 lbs, Boyde will provide solid depth for the Tigers.

The Tigers have 4 incoming Freshmen.

Robert Miller III - The 4 star power forward stands at 6'10". Miller's father played football at LSU, and his mother played basketball at Tulane.

Curtis Givens III - The 4 star point guard helped Montverde Academy go 33-0 and win a national championship.

Trey'Dez Green - The 6'7" football star will play power forward for the Tigers.

Vyctorius Miller - The 6'5", 4 star shooting guard will fit right in on this Tiger basketball team. Miller is the son of Silkk the Shocker.

The Tigers will look to continue improving this season while making some noise at the same time.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Tulane Green Wave Basketball Review

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 20:17:57 GMT

Tulane Green Wave Basketball

Tulane Green Wave-76

Louisiana Christian-42

By:Patrick Harkness

The Tulane Green Wave kicked off their 2024-2025 season with a Win against Louisiana Christian. With 10 new players it was exciting to see how Ron Hunter and this coaching staff is going to use these athletes as the season progresses. Essentially this was a scrimmage against a far lesser opponent. It wasn't always pretty during the game but with the last 10 minutes of the game you started to see something in this Green Wave team that excites me as the season progresses. The first half they started out strong with Kaleb Banks knocking down 3, 3 pointers. Then things got a little shaky midway through the first half with Tulane struggling to put points on the board. They were able to capitalize on some key mistakes by Louisiana Christian that allowed them to end the first half strong. The first half of play Tulane was 9-14 from the floor with an FG% of 37.5. This is an area that must improve and I'm going to take that as first game jitters and new guys getting a feel for each other on the court. Beyond the arc they were 4-10 shooting 40%. Kaleb Banks was nailing deep corner threes with ease hitting nothing but net. Kaleb really surprised me with his 3-point ability. I knew he had some ability there, but you can tell he has put in a lot of work and could be Tulane's 3-point specialist. At the end of the first half Tulane was up 33 to 21. The second half they seemed to settle in and improve in all areas of the game. Shooting 44.4% (16-36) from the floor and 42.9% (6-14) beyond the arc. The last 7 minutes of the game you actually got to see what this team is all about with Freshman transfer Mari Jordan leading this team into a strong charge to end the game. Final stats for Tulane FG% 25-60 (41.7%), 3PT% 10-24 (41.7), FT% 16-22 (72.7), REB 48, Assists 17, STL 4, 10 blocks and 11 turnovers. Let's get into individual performances.

Starting 5- Small Ball/Fast lineup

Rowan Brumbaugh - Led the team in assists with 7 and finished with 9 points mostly from the free throw line going 4-6. Didn't have the greatest night shooting going 2-10, but he will bounce back. He is a great facilitator and also has great driving ability to the rim letting the defense crash down on him and Rowan has great vision and awareness to find the open man for a shot. I asked Coach Hunter after the game if this could be a focal point for Tulane and Rowan moving forward, he said “Rowan has great ability to drive and kick it out to the open man”. It'll be fun to see him used in the pick and roll game.

Asher Woods - Totaled almost 17 minutes in the game with 3 points and one assist. He didn't have his best game but look for him to rebound “no pun intended”. Asher has a lot of ability that's waiting to be unleashed his true freshman year at VMI before he transferred to Tulane he averaged 14 points a game. Will be a key player for this Green Wave team.

Mari Jordan- Played his first collegiate game. Led the team in points and is expected to be the main guy throughout the season. Mari really led his team down the final stretch of this game by collecting 12 points in the second half. He was 7-12 from the field and 2-3 from beyond the arc while also getting 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 4 rebounds. He's a strong finisher at the rim with multiple moves he can use to get there and has a great 3-point shot. Really excited to watch the Freshman this year.

Kaleb Banks - Junior transfer from Indiana totaled 27 minutes on the floor while leading the team in rebounds with 13 (2 offensive and 11 defensive). Was second on the team with 14 points. Also collected 3 assists, a steal and blocked shot. Kaleb came out firing from the deep corner nailing 3 shots from beyond the arc. He has truly developed a really nice 3-point game and could be Tulane's 3-point specialist going forward. On the night he was 4-6 beyond the arc. He is also a really good rebounder, something Tulane has been needing over the years. Look for him, Gregg Glenn, and Tyler Ringgold to help Tulane improve in this area and defensively.

Gregg Glenn- Totaled 22 minutes and was third on the team in points with 11 while also collecting 4 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Coach Hunter stated that he didn't have his best night but looked for Glenn to bounce back and be a key staple for this team moving forward. He scored 20 points in the previous exhibition game.

Bench- 4 to 6 players

Tyler Ringgold- Should be one of the first players off the bench or even starting in certain matchups but boy was this young freshman exciting to watch. Tyler Started the second half. He showed great driving ability to the rim all night and looks to be a strong finisher. He totaled almost 20 minutes off the bench and was a spark plug that got the team going. Coach Hunter stated that Tyler will be that Swiss army knife and reminds him a lot of Sion and plays that similar role. On the night he finished with 10 points going 3-6 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line. He also tacked on 2 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Look for him to be a defensive staple with his physical play and forcing tough shots for the opponent.

Kam Williams- The true freshman got a lot of action in this game and looks to be a key part off the bench moving forward with some starting ability as the season progresses or certain matchups. He totaled 19 minutes going 2-5 from the court and 2-5 from the foul line putting his total points up to 6 while adding on 3 assists and 2 rebounds. It'll be fun to watch the hometown hero play this year and once he settles in watch his talents explode.

Spencer Elliot - The 6-10 RS Freshman got to play his first collegiate game this year totaling 12 minutes with adding on 4 rebounds and 2 points. Will be a good low block center for Tulane this year and has the ability to shoot from the 3-point line. But defensively is where Tulane will need him the most. He shows good shot blocking and rebounding ability while also being a skilled passer

KJ Greene- The highest rated recruit in Tulane history got in on some action as well. Tallied 5 minutes. Attempted only one shot and missed while causing a couple turnovers. He did a good job coming in for Rowan and giving him a spell. Look for KJ to improve as the season progresses and become more involved down the season stretch. Another young exciting piece to watch with a lot of potential.

Micheal Eley- I was expecting Eley to be a little more involved but only got in for 4 and a half minutes. He transferred over from Siena where he averaged 13 points a game. The guy is super athletic and a good defender and decent rebounder. Maybe we will only see him come in on key defensive opportunities, but the season just started so let's not look too hard into this. He was one of my favorite transfers this offseason.

Percy Daniels - Another guy who I thought would get more of an opportunity but only got in for 3 minutes and got a rebound and a block. The season has just begun so I'm sure his minutes will increase. He was originally committed to Seton Hall before Tulane stole him away, also had an offer from LSU. He got to play in 27 games last year for Tulane. He's a 6-10 Center with ability to score down low and from the perimeter with good defensive skills.

Logan Stephens- Former walk-on at Rutgers before he settled in at Tulane. He got 3 minutes on the night and hit a beautiful 3 pointer.

Stefan Cicic- The true freshman center got in for 2 minutes. With Percy and Spencer in front of him he shouldn't get a whole lot of playing time this year. Should be a key developmental guy in the years to come

Joseph Teich- The Walk-on freshman guard got his first minutes of his career for Tulane with a minute and a half and almost knocked down a shot. Another developmental piece for Tulane down the road

Jake Shapiro- Also got in for a minute and a half for Tulane where he attempted a shot and got a rebound.

Roll Wave!!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @rolldatwave and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Trail Blazers @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:57:48 GMT

Team Stats
(Trail Blazers @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 118-100
Rebounds: 38-34
Assists: 21-24
Blocks: 5-3

Steals: 10-5

Turnovers: 11-12

Stat Leaders
(Trail Blazers/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Anfernee Simons, 24; Brandon Ingram, 27
Rebound Leaders: Deandre Ayton, 13; Yves Missi, 7

Assist Leaders: Scoot Henderson, 5; Jose Alvarado, 6

My Player of the Game: Brandon Ingram

Takeaways

Considering the Pelicans were without four starters, the home team put on a good showing, hanging with the Trail Blazers until the fourth quarter.
Brandon Ingram is having a great start to the season.
Zion Williamson was out for the second game in a row and wasn't even in the building for this game. He was told my his doctors to "stay home" for Monday's game.
The Pelicans have to get healthy soon before they get too far in the hole in the Western Conference. Last season, the difference between fourth place and eighth place was decided by four games so the early stretch right now is important.
Brandon Boston Jr. is playing on a 10-day contract and he's proving himself to be worthy of that with some great minutes lately. In this game, he scored 20 points.

Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

Hawks @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 21:57:29 GMT

Team Stats
(Hawks @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 126-111
Rebounds: 41-43
Assists: 29-22
Blocks: 3-3

Steals: 10-6

Turnovers: 16-18

Stat Leaders
(Hawks/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Jalen Johnson, 29; Brandon Ingram, 32
Rebound Leaders: Jalen Johnson, 9; Brandon Ingram, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, 7

Assist Leaders: Trae Young, 12; Jose Alvarado, 7

My Player of the Game: Brandon Ingram

Takeaways

The Pelicans were without Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy so Brandon Ingram had to bear the weight of the offense on his shoulders, which he did a great job of doing.
The Pelicans struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm, shooting just 43% from the floor compared to the Hawks’ 57%.
New Orleans couldn’t contain Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson, who scored a career-high 29 points.
The Hawks dominated New Orleans 66-32 in the paint, and the Pels had 18 turnovers, which proved costly.
The Pels play next on Monday, Nov. 4 and hopefully Zion will be back in action.

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LSU Women's Basketball Season Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 18:47:21 GMT

Let's get into it!

The LSU Women's Basketball season tips off Monday, November 4th, 2024, against Eastern Kentucky.

The Tigers have been chosen to finish 3rd in the SEC, and they are currently #7 in the top 25. The team has 6 preseason top 25 opponents on the schedule.

Head Coach Kim Mulkey is back for her 4th season at LSU. She has led the Tigers to no less than 26 overall wins and at least 13 SEC wins in each of her 1st 3 seasons. She has led the Tigers to a national championship as well.

LSU is returning 8 players this season.

Amani Barlett - Barlett will provide quality depth for the Tigers.

Flau'jae Johnson - Johnson was selected to the preseason 1st team All-SEC team. The star will look to continue to build off of her impressive career.

Sa'myah Smith - Smith is coming off of a torn ACL. The former SEC All-Freshman team selection will fit right into the rotation for the Tigers.

Last-Tear Poa - Poa has provided quality minutes for the Tigers throughout her career. She will do the same in her senior season.

Izzy Besselman - Besselman will provide quality depth for the Tigers.

Mikaylah Williams - Williams will look to build off of her impressive freshman season. She will likely start for this team.

Aneesah Morrow - Morrow was selected to the preseason 1st team All-SEC team, and she was named the preseason SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. She will be a leader on this team.

The Tigers have 4 transfer additions.

Mjracle Sheppard - The Mississippi State transfer will battle for playing time. She is a bit dinged up right now.

Jersey Wolfenbarger - The 6'5'', Arkansas transfer, will provide solid minutes for the Tigers. She was an All-Freshman SEC selection.

Kailyn Gilbert - Gilbert, an Arizona transfer, should provide minutes for the Tigers at the guard position. She started 19 games for Arizona last season.

Shayeann Day-Wilson - Day-Wilson was the 2022 ACC Freshman of the Year while at Duke. She started 25 games for Miami last season.

LSU has 1 incoming freshman.

Jada Richard - The 4 star top 100 prospect, was named 2024 Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year. Also, Richard was named Miss Basketball by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. She was her school's valedictorian with a 4.08 GPA.

Coach Mulkey and the Tigers will look to make another deep run this season.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Tulane @ Charlotte Week 10 Review

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 17:02:59 GMT

Tulane Green Wave- 34

Charlotte 49ers- 3

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -16.5

Total: 55.5

Tulane came into this game with one thing on their mind. Control the game, limit mistakes, and run at will. They certainly obtained their objective in this AAC matchup with the Charlotte 49ers. Tulane rushed for over 200 yards yet again keeping them ranked in the top 10 in the nation on average yards rushing. With the Green Wave being able to control the game and the line of scrimmage, their time of possession was 42 minutes and Charlotte with almost 18 minutes, it was clear Tulane knew they could out physically play this 49er defense and slowly bury them as the game went on. The first half was a little frustrating to watch but when your offense gets backed up deep in your own territory they wanted to limit any mistakes from a young freshman QB on the road. Trust me I also wanted to see them open up the playbook a little more, but when your best player is top 5 in the nation running the ball, just feed Makhi. The second half you could see Tulane's offensive coordinator open up the playbook more because the green wave had way better field position to deal with unlike the first half. Let's get into the player breakdowns

Offense

Quarterback- Battle of the young QBs

You can see the development week by week from the young QB. His pocket presence and awareness have greatly improved from the week 3 loss to Oklahoma. Mensah has shown great ability to escape the pocket when things start to break down. I just wish he'd tuck it and run a little bit more but he does a good job keeping his eyes down field and trying to find an open receiver. A Lot of young QBs would give up on the pass and just take off. On the night Mensah went 21/29 with 214 yards passing with no touchdowns.

Ty Thompson

Ty didn't get a whole lot of action in this game. Kinda surprising because the team had a strong desire to run the ball. Thompson had 4 carries for 16 yards with a long of 13

Running Back

Makhi Hughes had yet again another stellar performance collecting over 100 yards in 4 straight games. He tacked on 2 more touchdowns in this game bringing his total up to 11 and has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with 1,056 on the year with an average of 5.5. He's currently in the top 5 for rushing yards in the nation.

Shadie Clayton got some good runs in at the end of the game with 6 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown. It was good to see him get back to his old self. Even catching a pass for 10 yards. Would still like to see him utilized more in the passing game.

Arnold Barnes finished the night with 7 carries for 28 yards. He was struggling to find some open lanes Thursday night.

It's good to see Tulane have a different RB2 almost every week step up if one is struggling. Between Shadie, Arnold, Trey, and McClure Tulane has an embarrassment of riches at the running back position.

Receiving Game-

It was good to see Shazz Preston get his first action of the season for Tulane. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to haul in any catches, let's hope that changes against Temple next week. Yulkeith Brown and Mario Williams were the main focal points in the passing attack for Tulane. Mario caught 6 passes for 96 yards and Yulkeith assisted with 7 catches for 53 yards. Alex Bauman tried to get his hands on a couple of passes but was unsuccessful including a touchdown pass that just sailed over his head. Dontae Fleming also recorded 3 catches for 35 yards. Phat Watts got a decent amount of playing time as well in this game. Mensah missed him in the passing game early on, he was wide open for an easy touchdown in the red zone.

Offensive Line

The offensive line was able to wear down the athletic defensive line of Charlotte as the game went on. Tulane's rushing attack surpassed 200 yards yet again. It wasn't the best day for the oline with penalties and giving up 2 sacks but as the game went on the running attack got stronger and stronger. Shadre Hurst and Josh Remetich had some nasty pancakes throughout the game and should be prepared to earn some all-conference recognition at the end of the season. That also could be said for the rest of the oline. Wouldn't be surprised if all 5 players on the line get recognized for all conference first/second/third team. Josh Remetich did get banged up but returned later on.

Player of the Game: Makhi Hughes

Defense

Defensive Line- Sack Lunch

The Dline had an ok game, they weren't the best stopping the run giving up 120 yards 5.5 average, but they certainly stepped-up creating pressure on the young QB of Charlotte which led to a pick six for Micah Robinson. On the night Kam Hamilton and Adin Huntington both had a sack, bringing Hamilton up to 3.5 sacks on the year and Adin with 2. Pat Jenkins returned and finished with 2 tackles on the night and Terrel Allen continued to impress after moving from bandit to DT. He had 1 tackle for loss on the night and was creating a lot of pressure.

Linebackers

Tyler Grubbs had another good game finishing with 4 tackles, a tackle for loss, and almost collected his 3 interceptions on the year but it went right through his hands. Dickson Agu got into the backfield and recorded his first sack of the season. He now has a total of 19 tackles on the year and is a very valuable backup/passing down linebacker, maybe even unlocking some pass rushing ability. Sam Howard finished early with 2 tackles and an injury. He was later carted off from the sidelines. X-rays came back negative, so it seems to be some sort of sprain.

Secondary- Down with the O”Mega

The secondary showed up in Charlotte with Micah Robinson, Rayshawn Pleasant, and Jack Tchienchou leading the way. Micah had a pivotal pick 6 that essentially put the game away. He had a great burst on the receiver's comeback route and read it perfectly to make the catch and record Tulane's 6th defensive touchdown and 5th pick six. Which all lead the nation. Micah now has 2 interceptions and 6 pass break ups on the year. He finished Thursday night's game with 3 tackles. Jack Tchienchou led the team in tackles with 4, while Rayshawn tacked on 3 tackles. Bailey Despaine and Kevin Adams continued to rotate in and out as the game progressed, they each totaled 1 tackle and Despaine had a nice pass break up. The Key to the game was to shut down the speedy receiver of Charlote Omega Blake and they were successful only allowing 3 catches for 52 yards. As a whole the unit only allowed 7 catches for 69 yards. Great day for the secoundary.

Player of the Game: Micah Robinson

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter/Return Game

K-Jacob Barnes went ⅔ on field goals with a long of 34 and 4/4 on XP

P-Will Karrol had one awful punt for 36 yards that went out of bounds, look for him to bounce game against Temple

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Pacers @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 22:29:35 GMT

Team Stats
(Pacers @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 118-125
Rebounds: 39-46
Assists: 35-28
Blocks: 3-4

Steals: 3-8

Turnovers: 14-6

Stat Leaders
(Pacers/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Ben Sheppard, 20; Zion Williamson, 34
Rebound Leaders: Isaiah Jackson, 8; Yves Missi, 10

Assist Leaders: Tyrese Haliburton, 11, 6; Zion Williamson, 10

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Takeaways

Zion Williamson had his best game of the season, scoring 34 points and 10 assists -- the first time he's done that in his career.
Brandon Ingram and Jordan Hawkins were also dominant on the offensive side, pouring in 26 points and 23 points respectively.
Yves Missi had a posturizing dunk on Pacers' Myles Turner. It was AWESOME!
The Pelicans played with a lot of enthusiasm and grit. The defensive energy was high.
One important note is that the Pels only had six turnovers the whole game .
CJ McCollumn and Herb Jones did not play due to injuries and are out 2-3 weeks. Trey Murphy is very close to coming back to action.

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Tulane @ Charlotte Week 10 Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:35:10 GMT

Tulane Green Wave vs Charlotte 49ers

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -16.5

Total: 55.5

Tulane enters week 10 at 6-2 and just out of the top 25. They will square off against The Charlotte 49ers who are currently a very underrated 3-5. They are coached by Biff Poggi who went 3-9 last year. They return 7 total starters, 4 offense and 3 defense. They also got a handful of power 4 transfers. They have been struggling to find a leader at the QB position but seem to have found their guy in Freshman QB Deshawn Purdie. He has breathed new life into this offense by almost upsetting Memphis last week. Charlotte is a very shotgun and pistol heavy offense they currently ranked 77th in passing yards (219) and 103rd in rushing (126). They average about 23 points a game which is ranked 102nd in the nation but don't be fooled by these numbers as Charlotte's young QB could resurrect this offense. Defensively it's very multiple and depending on the opponent Charlotte will have multiple fronts. They are giving up 34 points per game which ranks 119 in the nation while letting teams to pass at 230 yards a game and allowing teams to run for 184 on average, ranks them in the bottom 4 of the AAC. Enough of the numbers let's get into the Preview.

Offense

Quarterback- Battle of the young QBs

Mensah is playing like a top 25 QB this season and that's truly amazing for a young redshirt Freshman who was hardly even recruited in high school. On the year he amassed 1583 yards passing, 14 touchdowns, and only 3 picks. If it wasn't for Makhi Hughes and this stout offensive line, he may have some more gaudy numbers. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Mensah will be going up against a bad Charlotte defense. They may try to confuse him with their multiple fronts, but Mensah has enough time on him where we can almost call him a vet. It should be another quit day for Mensah but don't be surprised if he takes a shot or two on play action when the run game is going.

Charlotte has had three different Quarterbacks play this year Max Brown a former Florida transfer hasn't been playing very well with 6 int on the year and Trexler Ivey also not able to have any success, so install Deshawn Purdie. This kid definitely has some skills with his rocket arm and is the future of this team. Now he isn't perfect by any means, not a threat on the ground and can be inaccurate at times as well. He's 53/93 with 869 yards (57 comp%) with 5 touchdowns and 2 int. Pivotal for Tulane to cause pressure and fluster this youngster because he will make mistakes.

Ty Thompson- Run Ty Run

You just have to love a player like Ty Thompson. Loses the QB1 position but still is a leader/mentor to Mensah while still keeping a head on his shoulders and being a key part of this offense when they need tough hard-fought yards.

Running Back- Open the Flood Gates

Makhi Hughes should have his way again for another week against a very poor run stopping Charlotte defense. On the year Makhi has 939 yards rushing (5.7 avg) and 9 touchdowns. He is the main focal point of the offense and that will definitely not change this week. Arnold Barnes is starting to get hot and has asserted himself and the main backup behind Makhi. He managed to get 78 yards rushing (7.1 avg) against UNT. Look for him to give Makhi a breather of two. Shadie Clayton will continue to come in on passing downs to help the offense of key thirds downs with his speed.

Charlotte has 3 very capable backs at doing some damage. Cartevious Norton, a junior power running back, leads the way for the rushing attack. He has 85 carries for 391 yards (4.6 avg) and 4 td. The next two guys are more elusive/ change of pace backs and can make some guys miss in open space. Hahshaun Wilson who almost had the game winning touchdown against Memphis, has 58 carries for 363 yards (6.3 avg) and 6 td. Wilson is one of the guys on this offense that scares me the most. Terron Kellman is the other back that'll come in and give either one of these guys a spell. He has 204 yards on the ground averaging 5.1.

Receiving Game- Battle of the Dontae's

It was good to see Alex Bauman back in action by hauling in a touchdown last week. Look for him to reassert his redzone presence again this week against a poor Charlotte defense. Dantae Fleming continues to show he is the go-to target on the outside with over 430 yards catching. But he could be in for a battle with Charlotte's best defensive player at cornerback Dontae Balfour he has recorded 28 tackles, 5 pass deflections and 2 interceptions. Dontae is a big corner coming in at 6-2 and can play really good man coverage. This should open up the passing game for either Mario Williams and/or Yulkeith Brown to have some big plays downfield. Another secondary player for Charlotte who will look to slow things down is Strong Safety Al-Ma’hi Ali he has 35 tackles, 6 pass deflections and 2 interceptions. Ali will try to slow down Bauman and any deep shots that come his way.

It sounds like we will finally get to see Shazz Preston play.

Offensive Line- Dominance

I'll say it again this may be one of the best Offensive lines in college football. They’re currently ranked 6th in the nation in rushing yards at 216 and 6th for points per game 41 while only allowing 11 sacks. They should continue to strut their dominance against this Charlotte defensive front but there are some guys to keep an eye on.

Defensive end Demon (yes Demon not Damon) Clowney (brother to NFL DE Jadeveon Clowney) and defensive tackle Dre Butler seem to be their best lineman both having two sacks on the year, but I don't see much of a threat anywhere on this d-line. Tulane should roll right through this group.

X-Factor: Run heavy and use Play Action

Defense

Defensive Line- Sack Lunch

Thoughts and Prayers to Pat Jenkins and his Family.

Mathew Fobbs White has been steadily improving at the bandit position and seems to be catching fire. He had a key strip sack that led to a Tulane touchdown and was my player of the game last week. Mathew now has 2 sacks on the year. Terrel Allen who originally was slated for the bandit position moved over to DT next to Fobbs and seems to be working amazingly. Allen is big and strong enough to take on double teams to free up Fobbs and get pressure on QBs. Adin Huntington is starting to look like his old self after being banged up the majority of the beginning of the season.

Charlotte is only returning 1 player from the offensive line last year. This rebuilt unit has been very lackluster by allowing 25 sacks on the year. The 49ers Head Coach was a former offensive lineman and coach, so he has to be disappointed in this group. The Tulane defensive front should impose their will against this offensive line and have a field day.

Linebackers- Stopping the Run

Tulane's linebackers need to be very sharp in this game with the three headed monster running back room of Charlotte. Tyler Grubbs and Sam Howard will continue to show their dominance in the run stopping game. Tyler now has 34 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions on the year while Howard has 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks with 4 fumble recoveries and 1 going for a touchdown. Dickson Agu and Chris Rodgers will continue to be very solid backups and key passing down specialists.

Secondary- Down with the O”Mega

Micah Robinson and Jonathan Edwards need to step up big this week whenever they are lining up against O’Mega Blake, a former South Carolina transfer wide receiver. On the year O’Mega has 18 catches for 419 yards with 5 touchdowns. He is averaging 23 yards per catch. The 6-2 Junior is a deep threat down the field so Jalen Geiger/Jack Tch or Bailey Despaine/Kevin Adams must be ready to shade over and help either corner. Charlotte QB is not the best with his accuracy but O’Mega has the skills to go up and get it no matter where it is. Caleb Ransaw looks to have a bounce back game. Last week he didn't look the greatest getting burnt a couple of times, one leading to a touchdown and a defensive penalty on 4th down that led to another. But he is a very smart and good player so there should be no cause for concern. I have all the faith in Caleb to lock down the spear/nickel spot.

Charlotte does have some other receiver threats Tulane should be looking out for. Jarius Mack 14 catches for 295 yards another deep threat guy, Sean Brown 22 catches for 242 yards and a touchdown a big body physical receiver standing at 6-4 this is who Caleb Ransaw might be matching up on. They also have two decent tight ends that can help out Colin Weber and Byrce Kennon. Weber has 19 catches for 202 yards and Byrce has 17 catches for 173 yards and 1 touchdown.

X-Factor- Stop Running Game and Shut Down O’Mega

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter/Return Game

K-Jacob Barnes is back hitting a 47-yard field goal in the previous game

P-Will Karrol has been punting the ball very consistently with power

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

LSU vs Texas A&M Week 9 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 16:21:21 GMT

Let's get into it!

This game was truly a game of 2 halves for the Tigers.

The Tigers received the opening kickoff and went 3 and out. The Aggies answered with a punt of their own. The Tigers bounced back with an 11 play 87 yard drive taking more than 5 minutes off of the clock; this was capped off by a Damian Ramos 23 yard field goal. LSU 3-0. On the 3rd play of A&M's next drive, Sage Ryan forced a Le'Veon Moss fumble, and Jardin Gilbert recovered. Tigers ball. LSU has a 4 play 21 yard drive that was capped off by a 2 yard Mason Taylor TD. LSU 10-0. The Aggies answer back with a 9 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a 7 yard Le'Veon Moss rushing TD. LSU 10-7. LSU puts together a 10 play 49 yard drive, but Damian Ramos misses a 48 yard field goal. The Tigers force the Aggies to punt. LSU had a 3 play 90 yard drive that was capped off by an exciting 76 yard Aaron Anderson TD. LSU 17-7. The Aggies go 3 and out. LSU has a 6 play 45 yard drive, but Damian Ramos misses a 49 yard field goal. The Tigers force a turnover on downs and run out the remainder of the 1st half. The two teams trade punts to open the 2nd half. The Aggies punt once more. The Aggies pick off Garrett Nussmeier and set up their offense with great field position. The Aggies take advantage of this, and Marcel Reed scores on an 8 yard rush. LSU 17-14. LSU puts together a 9 play 35 yard drive, but the field goal snap hits the holder in the facemask, and the Aggies take over. The Aggies go on a 7 play 60 yard drive that was capped off by an 8 yard Marcel Reed rushing TD. Aggies 21-17. Garrett Nussmeier gets picked off again on the 2nd play of the Tigers following drive. The Aggies go on a 5 play 26 yard drive that was capped off by a 4 yard Marcel Reed rushing TD. Aggies 28-17. The Tigers answer back with a 9 play 78 yard drive that was capped off by a 1 yard Garrett Nussmeier rushing TD. Tigers miss the 2 point conversion. Aggies 28-23. The Aggies answered with a 4 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a 3 yard Le'Veon Moss. Aggies 35-23. The Aggies pick off Garrett Nussmeie and score on a 26 yard Randy Bond field goal. Aggies 38-23. LSU turns the ball over on downs, and the Aggies kneel out the clock. Aggies 38 Tigers 23.

TAKEAWAYS

- This team failed to prepare for Marcel Reed, and it was obvious. I believe this defense can contain a running quarterback. This bye week is coming at a perfect time.

- I don't know how, but you have to establish more of a running game. You have to help out your quarterback.

- The team has to heal up.

- The Tigers will bounce back. I believe they will be ready for Alabama after the bye.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Aaron Anderson - This guy is having a great season. He provided a spark when LSU needed one in this one.

- Defensive MVP - Bradyn Swinson - Yet again, Bradyn was all over the field. He is very fun to watch.

The Tigers will welcome Alabama to Baton Rouge on November 9th.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Pelicans @ Trail Blazers Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 02:09:11 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Trail Blazers)

Final Score: 103-125
Rebounds: 39-51
Assists: 24-25
Blocks: 8-8

Steals: 9-9

Turnovers: 15-16

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans/Trail Blazers)

Scoring Leaders: CJ McCollum, 27; Jerami Grant, 28
Rebound Leaders: Brandon Ingram, 8; Deandre Ayton, 12

Assist Leaders: Brandon Ingram, 6; Scoot Henderson, 7

My Player of the Game: CJ McCollum

Takeaways

It was not a good offensive night from nearly anyone on the Pelicans team except for CJ McCollum who was the leading scorer for the team.
Zion Williamson has not quite found his rhythm on offense, but there are no doubts that he will get there.
From a defensive standpoint, the team did well, but Scoot Henderson was a menace in the first half against New Orleans.
Having the lack of a true point guard is proving to cause challenges for the Pelicans.
The Pels play two games next week, on the road, against the Golden State Warriors.

Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

Saints Vs Chargers Week 8 Preview

tmike4689@gmail.com (Travis Himel) — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 16:16:33 GMT

WEEK 8 PREVIEW

The Saints have had a very disappointing game stretch after starting the season 2-0. Injuries have plagued this team heavily while the on-field performance has been questionable. The Saints face a Chargers team this week that has been pretty banged up as well. Our Saints look to get back in the win column to give the fans something to cheer about. Let’s dive in and see what’s in store.

THIS WEEK’S MATCHUP:

The Saints will be taking on the Chargers in Los Angeles this week. The two teams have only faced each other 13 times with the Chargers leading the series 7-6. New Orleans is looking to even this series to take advantage of a struggling Chargers team. The Chargers come in at 3-3 and would love to stay above .500 for obvious playoff implications. Can the Saints be the spoilers to that plan?

YOUR SAINTS:

This Saints team has been very underwhelming as of late! The team we saw in Weeks 1 and 2 has not been the same team we’ve seen since. A 5 game losing streak is as bad as it gets. Many players have been out hurt, including key contributors. Paulson Adebo is out for the season so Kool-Aid McKinstry will step up in the secondary. Alontae Taylor has been having a breakout year between forcing incompletions and getting sacks. Can getting some key players back help the rest of the team step up and deliver?

The offense has been struggling heavily. For some reason, we have not seen the same type of game plan from earlier in the season. This team was playing its best by getting a push from the offensive line on run plays to set up the play action. I, for one, am very disappointed with the lack of targets for Chris Olave. Olave is among the league’s top receivers in getting separation from his defender. Separation usually equates to catches, but not in this case. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a new name to the team. He comes in looking to give Spencer Rattler another target to get the ball to. Having Kendre Miller should help take some of the load off of Alvin Kamara to keep him fresh each week. Let’s take a look at injuries going into Sunday.

INJURY REPORT:

Derek Carr is listed as doubtful. Nick Saldiveri and Cedrick Wilson Jr. are listed as out. Cesar Ruiz, Lucas Patrick, Pete Werner, Chris Olave, Khalen Saunders, Taysom Hill, Spencer Rattler, and Marshon Lattimore all had full practices on Friday.

MY PREDICTION:

Call me crazy but I think the Saints break the losing streak this week. The way the Chargers have also had their growing pains, I expect the Saints to be extra hungry to get a win. Having Tayson Hill and Chris Olave back while also getting Marquez Valdes-Scantling should be refreshing for the offense. Klint Kubiak should dial up some bigger plays. I think the Saints improve to 3-5 with a score of 31-27. Geaux Saints!

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Pelicans @ Trail Blazers Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 03:07:28 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Trail Blazers)

Final Score: 105-103
Rebounds: 44-48
Assists: 26-26
Blocks: 8-11

Steals: 12-7

Turnovers: 14-19

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans/Trail Blazers)

Scoring Leaders: Jordan Hawkins, 24; Jerami Grant, 34
Rebound Leaders: Zion Williamson, 11; Deandre Ayton, 14

Assist Leaders: Zion Williamson, 7; Anfernee Simons, 7

My Player of the Game: Jordan Hawkins

Takeaways

Brandon Ingram hit the game-winning shot with 4.9 seconds to go. Having a Pelicans players knock down a clutch shot in the fourth quarter is something that's nice to see after last season's struggles to close games.
On the final defensive possession for the Pelicans, Herb Jones blocked the final shot and then Zion Williamson blocked it again after that. The desire to play tough defense under Willie Green seems to be a growing strength for New Orleans.
Without PG Dejounte Murray, there was a difference in the way the offense was run, but the Pels were still able to get the win.
Jordan Hawkins put in WORK this offseason, and it is paying off this season so far. He looks like he's in even better shape, is more confident on the court, and is KNOCKING DOWN SHOTS.

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LSU vs Texas A&M Week 9 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 21:24:31 GMT

Let's get into it!

Date & Time: Saturday, October 26, 2024, 6:30 PM

Location: Kyle Field College Station, TX

Spread: Texas A&M -1.5

O/U: 54

TV: ABC/ESPN+

LSU and Texas A&M will meet on the fooball field for the 63rd time this Saturday. LSU leads the all time series 32-23-3. LSU has vacated 4 wins. The 1st meeting between these teams was a 52-0 Aggie victory back in 1899. These teams have not lost since opening day, and both teams are undefeated in SEC play.

Texas A&M (#14/#14) 6-1 is playing a 4th straight SEC game and 5th SEC game overall. This Aggie offense is 11th in the SEC in total yards per game (404.7), 2nd in the SEC in rushing yards per game (218.6), and 13th in the SEC in passing yards per game (186.1). This offense is led by quarterback Conner Weigman, who was a bit dinged up early in the season. Do not be surprised if Marcel Reed enters at quarterback if Conner Weigman isn't playing so well. Le'Veon Moss, who is from Walker, LA, is a true workhorse running back on this team. Moss ranks 2nd in the SEC in rushing yards and 5th in the SEC in rushing TDs. Noah Thomas is the leader in the receiving room. The Texas A&M defense is 8th in the SEC in total yards per game (325), 8th in the SEC in passing yards per game (209), and 11th in the SEC in rushing yards per game. Linebacker Taureen York, defensive lineman Nic Scourton, and defensive backs Will Lee III and Marcus Ratcliffe are the leaders on this defense. Will Lee III is tied for 2nd in the SEC with 8 passes defended.

LSU (#8/#7) 6-1 is playing a 3rd straight SEC game and 4th SEC game overall. This LSU offense is 5th in the SEC in total yards per game (450.7), 2nd in the SEC/8th in the nation in passing yards per game (322.4), and 14th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (128.3). This offense is led by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Nuss is 1st in the SEC/11th in the nation in QBR, 2nd in the SEC/6th in the nation in passing yards (2,222), 1st in the SEC/7th in the nation in passing TDs (18). Running backs Caden Durham and Josh Williams are the leaders in this running back room. These guys provide a bit of thunder and lightning for the Tiger offense. Kyren Lacy, Mason Taylor, and Aaron Anderson are the leading pass catchers on this team. Lacy, Taylor, and Anderson are all in the top 10 in the SEC in receptions. Lacy and Anderson are in the top 9 in receiving yards and top 10 in receiving TDs. The Tiger defense is 14th in the SEC in total yards per game (358.6), 15th in the SEC in passing yards per game (243.7), and 9th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (114.9). Whit Weeks is the clear leader on this defense. Weeks is tied for 1st in the SEC/10th in the nation with 68 tackles. Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones are both in the top 10 in the SEC in sacks. Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander are holding it down on the outside for this defense. Stamps is tied for 4th in the SEC in passes defended.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- O-LINE RULES - Texas A&M has only given up 7 sacks this season, and LSU has only given up 2 sacks this season. These are two very talented offensive lines.

- KICK IT - This game features elite kickers. Randy Bond and Damian Ramos have only missed 2 FG's each on the season. Bond has a long field goal of 49 yards, and Ramos has a long field goal of 48 yards. Both kickers are 25/25 on extra points this season.

- BEND BUT DON'T BREAK - Le'Veon Moss is a great running back. It will be very hard to shut him down. Can this Tiger defense slow him down? Can they make Conner Weigman beat them?

- EARLY & OFTEN - Can LSU's offense keep this A&M defense guessing? This defense has not faced an offense like LSU.

Fun Fact: LSU punter Blake Ochsendorf and Texas A&M wide receiver Cyrus Allen were teammates at Louisiana Tech.

Thank you for reading my article.

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Bulls @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 19:30:44 GMT

Team Stats
(Bulls @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 111-123
Rebounds: 47-42
Assists: 26-29
Blocks: 2-10

Steals: 4-15

Turnovers: 21-11

Stat Leaders
(Bulls/Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Zach Lavine, 27; Brandon Ingram, 33
Rebound Leaders: Nikola Vucevic, 11; Dejounte Murray, 8

Assist Leaders: Coby White, 6; Dejounte Murray, 10

My Player of the Game: Brandon Ingram

Takeaways

The Pelicans started off the season with a victory, even though they were without Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson.
Dejounte Murray shined in his Pelican debut, but fans will have to wait several weeks to see him on the court again since he fractured his hand at the end of the game and is now recovering from surgery. He is projected to be out 6-8 weeks. The curse of New Orleans athletes continues.
Yves Missi played outstanding and he is going to be important to this team all season long.
Jordan Hawkins and CJ McCollum were on fire from behind the three-point line -- a beautiful sight to see!
Zion Williamson will be in the starting lineup on Friday against the Toronto Raptors on the road.

Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

LSU vs Arkansas Week 8 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:40:38 GMT

Let's get into it!

The Tigers left no doubt in this one. Let's talk about it!

On the opening drive of the game, the Tigers went on an 8 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Caden Durham 22 yard rushing TD. LSU 7-0. Arkansas had an 8 play 52 yard drive of their own but missed a 42 yard field goal. LSU then goes on a 14 play 60 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 33 yard field goal. LSU 10-0. Arkansas fumbles on the 1st play of their next drive, Major Burns recovery, Tiger ball. LSU has a 6 play drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 48 yard field goal. LSU 13-0. Arkansas goes on a 9 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by an Andrew Armstrong 25 yard receiving TD. LSU 13-7. LSU goes on a 10 play 59 yard drive that was capped off by another Damian Ramos 33 yard field goal. LSU 16-7. Arkansas punts on the following possession, and the Tigers kneel out the 1st half. Arkansas goes on an 11 play 42 yard drive to open the 2nd half that was capped off by a Matthew Shipley 51 yard field goal. LSU 16-10. LSU punts on the following possession. On the opening play of the Razorback's next drive, Whit Weeks makes an unreal interception, setting up the Tigers with great field position. Caden Durham takes it in for a 2 yard rushing TD on the 1st play of the Tiger's drive. LSU 24-10. Arkansas punts on the next possession. LSU goes on an 8 play 50 yard drive that was capped off by a Damian Ramos 47 yard field goal. LSU 27-10. Arkansas goes 3 and out. LSU goes on a 14 play 80 yard drive, taking more than 8 minutes off of the clock. This drive was capped off by a Caden Durham 1 yard rushing TD. LSU 34-10. Arkansas fumbles on the 1st play of the following drive, Dahvon Keys recovers, LSU ball. LSU turns it over on downs, and the clock runs out on Arkansas. Tigers W! LSU 34 Arkansas 10.

TAKEAWAYS

- Whit Weeks is the man! This guy is the piece this football team has been missing.

- Caden Durham and Josh Williams continue to provide very good rushes when needed.

- Nuss is everything Tiger fans could've asked for.

- This team is really coming together at a perfect time.

- Damian Ramos continues to be as good as they come.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Aaron Anderson - This guy continues to provide big catches when you need them.

- Defensive MVP - Whit Weeks - This guy is fun to watch!

The Tigers travel to College Station Saturday night.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

LSU vs Arkansas Week 8 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 19:38:20 GMT

Let's get into it!

Date & Time: Saturday, October 19, 2024 6:00 PM

Location: Reynolds Razorback Stadium

TV: ESPN

Spread: LSU -2.5

O/U: 55.5

The Battle for the Boot is set for this Saturday night in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Each of the last 4 meetings have all been settled by 3 points. This will be the 70th meeting between LSU and Arkansas. LSU leads the series 42-23-2. LSU had 2 victories vacated. The 1st meeting between these schools took place in 1901; LSU was victorious 15-0. LSU has won the previous 2 contests in this series, and Arkansas has not beat LSU in Fayetteville since 2014.

Arkansas (RV) is 4-2 on the season. While the Razorbacks are coming off of a bye week, this will be their 4th straight SEC game. Offensive coordinator, Bobby Petrino, yes that Bobby Petrino, has brought new life to this Arkansas offense. This offense is 4th in the SEC in total yards per game (484.3), 5th in the SEC in passing yards per game (285.3), and 4th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (199). The Arkansas offense is led by quarterback Taylen Green. The Boise State transfer is 4th in the SEC in passing yards with (1502) and the 2nd most rushing yards by a quarterback in the SEC (326). Green is a little dinged up, but he should be up for this one. Running back Ja'Quinden Jackson, a Utah transfer, has the 4th most rushing yards in the SEC (566) and the 3rd most rushing TDs in the SEC (10). Andrew Armstrong is the leader in the receiving room; he currently has the 3rd most receiving yards in the SEC (552). The Arkansas defense is 9th in the SEC in total yards given up (321.5), 11th in the SEC in passing yards per game (215), and 5th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (106.5). This defense is led by linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr. Xavian has 40 tackles on the season, which is the 12th most in the SEC. Defensive linemen Landon Jackson and Eric Gregory are the leaders up front. Jackson, who is a former LSU Tiger, has 2.5 sacks on the season and 22 tackles. Gregory, who is a 6th year senior, has 2.5 sacks on the season and 17 tackles. Defensive back TJ Metcalf has 3 interceptions, and he is 2nd on the team in total tackles with 35.

LSU (#8/#8) is coming off of a massive upset win over rival Ole Miss. This will be the Tigers 2nd consecutive SEC game and their 3rd SEC contest of the season. Joe Sloan has done a great job with this Tiger offense so far this season, and defensive coordinator Blake Baker is everything Tiger fans could have asked for, and then some! This Tiger offense is 5th in the SEC in total yards per game (460.3), 2nd in the SEC in passing yards per game (337), and 15th in the SEC in rushing yards per game (123.3). This offense goes as quarterback Garrett Nussmeier goes. Currently, Nuss has the 13th highest QBR in the nation, 6th most passing yards in the nation (1989), and the 5th most passing TDs in the nation with 18. Pass catchers Kyren Lacy, Aaron Anderson, and Mason Taylor are the leaders in the receiver and tight end rooms. Kyren has the 5th most receiving yards in the SEC (463), and he is tied for the most receiving TDs in the SEC (6). Anderson is tied for the 6th most receiving yards in the SEC (452). Lacy and Anderson are tied for the 8th most receptions in the SEC (30). Mason Taylor has the 4th most receptions in the SEC (33). This Tiger defense stepped up big time in last week's victory over Ole Miss. Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones are the leaders coming off the edge for the Tiger defense. Jones has the 6th most sacks in the SEC (4.5), and Swinson has the 5th most sacks in the nation (7.0). Whit Weeks and Greg Penn III are the leaders at the linebacker position. Weeks has the 10th most tackles in the nation (59). Penn III has the 6th most tackles in the SEC (47). Zy Alexander and Ashton Stamps have really held it down in the defensive backfield for the Tigers. Stamps is tied for the 13th most passes defended in the nation (6), and Alexander has 2 interceptions on the season. Kicker Damian Ramos continues to show up when the Tigers need him.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- Hangover - After an overtime win last week, will the Tigers keep up the intensity in this one?

- Air it out - This Razorback defense is near the bottom of the conference in passing defense. Let's see if the Tigers can continue the air attack.

- Pressure - This Arkansas offensive line has given up the 6th most sacks in the SEC, and LSU's defense has the 2nd most sacks in the SEC. Will the Tigers get after Taylen Green?

- Run Run Run - Can Josh Williams and Caden Durham continue to show up when the Tigers need them? While the stat sheet isn't jam packed with great rushing stats, Williams and Durham have shown up big time for the Tigers.

Fun Fact: Arkansas wide receiver Monte Harrison, #82, played for the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Angels. Harrison was committed to play baseball and football at Nebraska but decided to go the professional route after being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Brewers. Like Wu Tang said cream get the money.

Thank you for reading my article.

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Rice vs Tulane Week 8 Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 13:06:22 GMT

Rice Owls vs. Tulane Green Wave
By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -23
Total: 53.5

The Tulane Green Wave are coming off their first bye of the season after trouncing UAB 71-20 in their last game. This Tulane Green Wave team is firing on all 3 cylinders offensively, defensively, and special teams. Let’s see how they come out after having two weeks of preparation for the Rice Owls. Rice is led by Mike Bloomgren, who is entering his 7th season (24-50). Rice currently sits at 2-4, with its offense averaging 25.5 points a game, 228.7 passing yards, and 123 rushing yards. They return 12 starters, 3 on offense and 7 on defense. Look for Rice to come out in 12 personnel often, with two senior receiving tight ends. Rice also runs a shotgun, pistol-heavy, and loaded-backfield pro-style offense with three different backs. Dean Connors will be the main focal point for Rice. The do-it-all back is a threat on the ground but mostly in the passing game, where he excels in space.

Defensively, Rice runs a 3-3-5 multiple/3-4 scheme. They’ve been decent against the pass (172 yards per game) ranks third in the AAC, but teams have been able to run on them, with Rice giving up 157 rushing yards per game.

It’s always interesting to see how a team performs after a bye week, especially considering how well Tulane has been playing. Let’s hope they can keep the momentum as they play the Rice Owls in a week 8 home conference game.

Offense

Quarterback – The Mensiah Rising After a Bye Week

Mensah has looked great in his first six collegiate games, going 84/127, with a 66% completion rate, 10 touchdowns, and two interceptions. His development has been evident in his decision-making, pocket awareness, and his Jake the snake-like moves to escape sacks. He may face a challenge against Rice’s pass defense, which ranks third in the AAC. Sean Fresch, a 5'9" senior nickel corner, has been standing out for Rice. He leads the team in tackles (31) and passes deflected (5). Rice’s defense has only totaled 3 interceptions, so while Mensah may have a quiet day due to Tulane’s potent running game, a returning Shazz Preston could spice things up. Fingers crossed!

Ty Thompson

Look for Ty to continue being a key part of the offense in the red zone, and perhaps even more involved this week given Rice’s struggles stopping the run. Tulane’s coaching staff has steadily increased his role, and I expect that to continue running and passing.

Running Backs – Running Backs for Days

Makhi Hughes should have a field day against Rice’s defensive front. With a 3-3-5 defense, Hughes should be able to find plenty of running lanes, especially when Tulane’s efficient offensive line gets to the second level. Keep an eye on Rice linebackers Ty Morris, Myron Morrison, Blaise Tita, and Andrew Awe. Morris, the best of the bunch, is second on the team in tackles (30) and has one sack. Morrison, the heart and soul of Rice’s linebacker core last year, has 18 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season. Shadie Clayton will continue to contribute on passing downs with his receiving ability and speed. True freshman Jamauri McClure is someone who's ready to burst onto the college football scene. This young man has untapped potential with speed, power, and elusiveness. a True three down back. He got his first career touchdown two weeks ago along with 84 yards on just 10 carries. Let’s not forget Trey Cornist and Arnold Barnes, both of whom have had solid games at one point this season.

Receiving Game – The Fantastic Four (or Five? Finally?!?)

Will we finally see Tulane’s passing attack at full strength? Alex Bauman might have dodged a serious injury, and Coach Sumrall said he could return in one to two weeks. Alex is a key part of the passing attack in the redzone. If Shazz Preston makes his Tulane debut, expect a whole new dimension to the offense. Spreading the field in 4-5 wide receiver sets could force Rice into one-on-one matchups or require impeccable zone coverage defense. Mario Williams will likely face a tough day lining up against Sean Fresch, Rice’s best secondary player. So, look for Dontae Fleming (17 catches, 304 yards, and 1 TD) or Yulkeith Brown (14 catches, 207 yards, 3 TD) to step up. Rice has solid safety play, with Gabriel Taylor, Daveon Hook (24 tackles), and Tyson Flowers (14 tackles) patrolling the backfield. Gabriel the vet savvy Safety leads the group, with 26 tackles and an interception.

Offensive Line – Dominance

Tulane’s offensive line is playing like one of the best units in the country. Ranked in the top 10 by PFF, they haven’t allowed a sack since the Oklahoma game. They should dominate against a weak Rice front, but there are two standout pass rushers to watch—Josh Pearcy, who leads the team with 3.5 sacks, and senior lineman Micheal Larbie, also with 3.5 sacks. Expect Tulane’s offensive line to control the line of scrimmage, creating running lanes and setting up deep shots for Mensah when Rice tries to cheat forward.

X-Factor: Spread the Field and Run the Ball

Defense

Defensive Line – Slow Down Dean

Adin Huntington has been banged up, but after some rest, he should be ready to go. Mathew Fobbs White has excelled at the bandit role, benefiting from Terrel Allen’s move to defensive tackle, which has forced teams to double or Allen taking on double teams, leaving Fobbs White with one-on-one matchups. Rice returns three of its five offensive linemen with a key transfer in left guard Chad Lindberg from Georgia (Tulane was in the running for him) and has done well, allowing only four sacks and creating space for Dean Connors. This will be a good test for Tulane’s defensive line who has shined in recent weeks and is currently tied for 12th in the nation for sacks (17).

Linebackers – Stop the Two Tight Ends

Rice is more of a passing team, so expect Tyler Grubbs, Dickson Agu, and Chris Rodgers to be busy. Rodgers, a former safety at Troy, has strong pass coverage skills (2 pick sixes for TD), which will be key against Rice’s tight ends and running backs Connors. Rodgers could be in for a huge game, especially if he’s matched up against Dean Connors in the passing game. If Rodgers or someone on this Tulane defense can blanket the All-AAC running back Rices offense will stand no chance keeping up with Tulane.

Rice has three tight ends—Graham Walker, Boden Groen, and Elijah Mojarro—who have combined for 27 catches, 284 yards, and 1 touchdown. They often line up in 12 personnel, so linebacker and safety play will be crucial.

Secondary – Shut Down Matt Sykes

Matt Sykes, a 6'4" route-running specialist who transferred from UCLA, is Rice’s top WR. He has 31 catches for 378 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tulane’s secondary will have their hands full, especially with Sykes lining up both outside and in the slot. Caleb Ransaw will need to step up if Sykes goes to the slot, while Micah Robinson or Jonathan Edwards will cover him on the outside. Rayshawn Pleasant and Lu Tillery will continue to come in rotationally. Look for true freshman Javion White to get some action as well, especially against Kolbie Campbell, a 5'7" deep threat for Rice. Javion recorded his first career interception two weeks ago against UAB and has steadily been playing all season. Bailey Despanie and Jalen Geiger will definitely have to help out the Linebackers to cover the TEs of Rice with their receiving ability and red zone threat. Rice runs a very pass happy pro style of offense so secondary play and shutting down the do it all running back Dean Conners will be key. He is basically another wide receiver. 34 catches for 248 yards and 1 touchdown with a long of 69.

Rice QB Ej Warner, son of Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, has thrown for 1,302 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. In his career he has amassed over 6000 yards and 41 touchdowns. The Tulane secondary must capitalize on his tendency to make mistakes.

X-Factor: Stop Dean Connors and Matt Sykes

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter/Return Game

Kicker-Jacob Barnes should be back after his groin injury.

Punter-Will Karrol has been consistently solid the past three games.

KR-Rayshawn Pleasant—can he score his third touchdown of the season?

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Tiger Stadium 100th Anniversary Limited Edition Football

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 21:45:34 GMT

Let's get into it!

Whether its your first game in Death Valley or your 50th, not many stadiums can make the claim that they’ve woven themselves into the fabric of their respective team quite like Tiger Stadium has in Baton Rouge. The resume for Tiger Stadium speaks for itself, but now you can get a full sized, fully licensed football that encapsulates one of the most impressive centuries college football has ever seen. Our friends over at Nikco Sports ( X/Twitter ) is releasing these limited edition, exclusive footballs commemorating 100 years of Tiger Stadium. Only 2,024 will ever be made, so use our coupon code KNEAUX and get $10 off at Nikco Sports .

Highlights:

• This one-of-a-kind full sized football features all the LSU accolades in Tiger Stadium’s 100 years of existence that any fan would want. Every ball is a testament to LSU’s dominance around the NCAA as one of the most successful programs in college football history.

• Only 2,024 of these footballs will ever exist worldwide, so bring home a piece of history that will be cherished as it is passed down from generation to generation to tell the story of one of the greatest stadiums college football has ever seen.

• Crafted with the finest materials, these footballs are built to withstand the test of time as a tangible representation of Tiger Stadium’s unwavering silhouette.

• Each ball comes with a certificate of authenticity, ensuring its genuine connection to its specific time in history.

Don’t miss out on this chance to own a one-of-a-kind memorabilia piece and elevate (or start) your LSU Tigers memorabilia collection. Order now before they’re gone for good at Nikco Sports and use coupon code KNEAUX for $10 off!

Tiger Stadium is truly one of the most electric atmospheres in all of college football. This was on full display against Ole Miss on Saturday. If you, or anyone in your life, is a Tiger fan, this would make the perfect gift!

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

LSU vs Ole Miss Week 7 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 17:35:40 GMT

Let's get into it!

LSU and Ole Miss met up for another classic! Let's talk about it.

LSU received the opening kickoff, went 3 and out, and punted. Ole Miss did the same on their 1st possession. LSU punted the ball yet again on the next possession. Ole Miss put together an impressive 11 play 65 yard drive, but Caden Davis missed a 32 yard field goal. Garrett Nussmeier threw an interception on LSU's next possession. Ole Miss turned it over on downs. LSU had a 6 play drive that stalled out, and they were forced to punt. Ole Miss put together a 6 play 51 yard drive capped off by an impressive 49 yard field goal by Caden Davis. Ole Miss 3-0. LSU put together a 10 play drive before turning it over on downs on a questionable 4th down play call. Ole Miss has a 4 play 59 yard drive that was capped off by a 50 yard TD run by Ulysses Bentley IV on 4th down. Ole Miss 10-0. The Tigers respond by going on a 6 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Trey'Dez Green 12 yard TD reception. Ole Miss 10-7. Ole Miss goes on an 11 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Tre Harris 15 yard TD reception. Ole Miss 17-7. The Tigers answer back with an 8 play 59 yard drive that was capped off by a 33 yard field goal by Damien Ramos. Ole Miss 17-10. Whit Weeks forces a fumble on the 1st play of the Ole Miss drive, Dominick McKinley recovers, Tiger ball! The Tigers take advantage of the turnover as Damien Ramos kicks a 45 yard field goal. Ole Miss 17-13. Ole Miss kneels out the 1st half. Ole Miss punts on the opening drive of the 2nd half. LSU puts together a promising drive, but Damien Ramos misses a 46 yard field goal. The two teams traded 10 play drives that were capped off by field goals. Ole Miss 20-16. The two teams trade interceptions. The two teams trade punts. Ole Miss kicks a 37 yard field goal. Ole Miss 23-16. The Tigers go on a 13 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by an Aaron Anderson 23 yard TD reception. All tied up at 23. The clock runs out on Ole Miss. 23 all heading into overtime. Ole Miss has a 4 play drive that was capped off by a Caden Davis 57 yard field goal. Ole Miss 26-23. Garrett Nussmeier and Kyren Lacy call ball game on the opening play of the following drive. Kyren Lacy catches a 25 yard TD. Tigers W! LSU 29 Ole Miss 26.

TAKEAWAYS

- This LSU defense is MUCH improved. The Tiger defense kept you in this game. Tip of the cap to Blake Baker.

- Garrett Nussmeier is a gun slinger! This guy lets it fly, and you have got to love it. Nuss is having a great season.

- Whit Weeks is really putting together quite the season. This guy has stepped up in the biggest way while the Tigers needed him most.

- Bradyn Swinson is fun to watch. The guy is always creating chaos in the backfield.

- Kyren Lacy, Aaron Anderson, and Mason Taylor continue to shine. These guys always make plays when you need them most.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Garrett Nussmeier and Kyren Lacy - The connection these 2 have created is a blast to watch.

- Defensive MVP - Whit Weeks - This guy was absolutely flying all over the field. Weeks was making things happen all night.

LSU travels to Arkansas next Saturday night. This will be the 1st of back to back road SEC games for the Tigers.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Saints Week 6 Preview

tmike4689@gmail.com (Travis Himel) — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 15:57:00 GMT

WEEK 6 PREVIEW

Coming off of a big loss to the Chiefs, Saints fans are hopeful going into Week 6. News broke early in the week that Spencer Rattler will be starting at QB in Derek Carr’s absence. The injury report has gotten shorter this week and players are excited for this game. Multiple players have taken to social media in support of the QB decision for this game. Let’s break everything down so we’re all prepared for what’s to come.

THIS WEEK’S MATCHUP:

The Buccaneers are coming to town this week for a divisional matchup. Although this is a divisional game, we can’t call this much of a rivalry like we have with the Falcons. The Saints lead this series 40-25 all time. The Bucs are sitting 1 game ahead of the Saints in the division but a loss this week would move the Saints into 2nd place. The Bucs are averaging 341.6 YPG while the Saints are averaging 328.4 YPG. The Saints are really trying to get back to their level of production from Weeks 1 and 2.

YOUR SAINTS:

The injury bug has really been affecting this team the last few weeks. While some key players are still out hurt, others are returning from injury. During last week’s game, Derek Carr went down in the 4th Quarter with an oblique injury. In his absence, Spencer Rattler will be the starting QB. We’ve heard from coaches and players who are all excited for this opportunity the rookie has been presented. Klint Kubiak said the offense won’t be “dumbed down” for Rattler. What can we expect from Spencer in his NFL debut? We can expect a QB who’s aware of when the pocket is breaking down, along with a QB that’s able to climb, or even escape, the pocket when necessary. He will be looking to get the ball down field. During the preseason Rattler spoke about making an emphasis to get the ball to Chris Olave. Olave, who’s down statistically so far this year, should be excited for that news. Shaheed will be ready to go for Sunday so the rookie will have both receivers to throw to. I expect a rejuvenated scheme with a lot more RPO and Play Action early and often.

The defense is getting a few players back this week, which should only boost our performance on that side of the ball. The defense has been less productive the past few weeks, but that’s to be expected when the offense can’t stay on the field. The key matchup in this game, to me, is always Marshon Lattimore against Mike Evans. Lattimore has only been targeted 9 times during the first 5 games of the season. Having Khalen Saunders in the trenches really seals up our run support. Bijan Robinson will look to have a big game but Saunders and Chase Young look to keep his production down. This should be a very exciting game!

INJURY REPORT:

Taysom Hill, Cesar Ruiz, Derek Carr, Will Harris, and Pete Werner are all out this week. Payton Turner, Lucas Patrick, and Kendre Miller are listed as questionable.

MY PREDICTION:

Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe I’m over excited for Rattler’s debut. I think the Saints will look fresh this week and surprise a lot of folks. I think the offense will control the tempo and give the defense chances to stay off the field. I have the Saints beating the Bucs with a score of 27-20. If the Saints can get back to .500 at 3-3, the future’s looking bright! Who Dat!!!

Like what you’re reading?

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LSU vs Ole Miss Week 7 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 16:06:37 GMT

Let's get into it!

Spread: Ole Miss -3.5

O/U: 61.5

Saturday, October 12th, 2024, 6:30 PM Baton Rouge, LA

Saturday, Ole Miss and LSU will meet for the 113th time on the football field. LSU leads the series 63-42-4.

Ole Miss (#9/#8) is 5-1 on the season. Ole Miss will be playing a 3rd consecutive SEC game. Ole Miss has split the two conference contests so far. Ole Miss' offense is #2 in the nation in total yards per game, averaging 576.8 total yards per game. This offense is led by a 3 headed monster: quarterback Jaxton Dart, running back Henry Parrish Jr., and wide receiver Tre Harris. Jaxton Dart has the 2nd most passing yards in the nation with 2100 as well as 13 passing TDs on the season. Henry Parrish Jr. has the 3rd most rushing yards and rushing TDs in the SEC with 570 and 9 rushing TDs. Tre Harris is having a great season; he is ranked #1 in the nation with 52 receptions and receiving yards with 885. Harris is a little dinged up coming into this contest. The Ole Miss defense is #4 in the SEC in yards per game given up, 1st in the SEC in rushing yards per game given up, and 8th in the SEC in passing yards per game given up. This defense is led by defensive ends Jaden Ivey, 5 sacks on the season, and Prince Umanmielen, 3.5 sacks on the season; linebacker Suntarine Perkins, 4.5 sacks on the season, and defensive back Trey Amos, 25 tackles, 2 INTs, and 6 PBUs on the season. Kicker Caden Davis is 9/11 with a long of 44 this season. 2008 was the last time Ole Miss won in Baton Rouge; this team would love to change that.

LSU (#13/#10) is 4-1 on the season. LSU is coming off of a bye week heading into this contest. The Tigers are 1-0 in the SEC this season. LSU's offense is #16 in the nation in total yards per game, averaging 468.2 total yards per game. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is the life of this offense; as he goes, it goes. Nuss has the 7th most passing yards in the country with 1652, tied for the 5th most passing TDs with 15, and 12th in the country in QBR. Freshman running back Caden Durham is on a heater right now for the Tiger offense; he is a big play waiting to happen. Wide receivers Kyren Lacy and Aaron Anderson have provided a great 1-2 punch on the outside for this offense. Kyren is currently 3rd in the SEC with 5 receiving TDs. The LSU defense is led by Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones coming off of the edge. Both are in the top 16 in the country in sacks. Whit Weeks and Greg Penn III are really putting together solid seasons for the Tigers at the linebacker position. Whit Weeks has stepped up big time. Ashton Stamps is the leader in the defensive backfield for the Tigers. Kicker Damien Ramos is 5/6 on the season for LSU. A win Saturday would silence the doubters for the Tigers.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- DON'T DO IT - Lane Kiffin is known for his great offenses. You do not want to play chess with Lane. It will be tough, but you cannot get in an offensive duel here.

- LET IT FLY - The Ole Miss defensive backfield has committed a lot of penalties this season. This is one way you can pick up some hidden yardage in this contest.

- STEP UP - Can this defensive step up when the Tigers need a stop or a takeaway?

- RUMBLE YOUNG MAN RUMBLE - This offense needs everything Caden Durham can provide in this one. Get him in space, and the rest will take care of itself.

Fun fact: Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding is from Louisiana.

Thank you for reading my article.

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Tulane Green Wave Basketball Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 04:20:27 GMT

Tulane Green Wave Basketball

Season Preview

The Tulane Green Wave men's basketball team enters the 2024-2025 season with some optimism. After following a disappointing 2023-2024 campaign 14-17 and 5-13 in conference play. Head coach Ron Hunter, now in his sixth year at the helm (70-74), has gradually transformed Tulane into a team that should contend, but for some reason his teams seem to underperform. A Lot theories have been made to the underperformance of either the small ball style of play, lack of height, or the lackluster defense and rebounding on both ends of the court. No doubt Ron Hunter knows how to get his team to score quickly and effectively; it's the other end of the court that worries everyone. In his sixth year as head coach, he has a mountain of a challenge in front of him with losing 90 percent of his roster including all five starters and key bench players. But I believe there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Coach Hunter for sure knows how to recruit and hit the Transfer Portal (Fear the Wave Collective plays a big part in this remember to donate). He was able to bring in three highly touted freshmen that rank first, second, and twenty third in Tulane recruiting history and on top of that he managed to pull in another six transfers to help bolster this lineup. The player's Coach Hunter was able to pull in this year, recruiting and transfer portal, you can tell there was a massive desire on improving the defense and rebounding. It'll be very interesting to see how Coach Hunter manages a team full of youth and vets alike to gel and find their style of ball while finding the correct lineups. I believe this team will come out a little slow to begin the season with so much transition and youth but by conference play we should start to see what they got. Defense and rebounding will be key for this team in order for them to succeed. They definitely have some fire power beyond the arc but controlling the paint, boxing out, and playing solid D is where we will have to see how this team does. In my season preview of the Tulane Green Wave, I'll go over key departures, additions, 3 key players to success, projected lineups, positional breakdown scouting reports on new commits/transfers/returning players, plus we will take a look at the future of Tulane recruiting.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach

Ron Hunter 6th season 70-74 at Tulane

Associate Head Coach

Assistant Coach

Assistant Coach

Assistant Coach

Support Staff

Director of Basketball Operations

Nate Summers

Athletic Trainer

Quinton Nease

Strength Conditioning Coach

Dan Rickaby

Student Athlete Development and Video Operations

Ben Miner

Last Years AAC Standings

Conf OVR

South Florida Bulls 16-2 25-8

Florida Atlantic Owls 14-4 25-9

Charlotte 49ers 13-5 19-12

UAB Blazers 12-6 23-12

Memphis Tigers 11-7 22-10

SMU Mustangs 11-7 20-13

North Texas Mean Green 10-8 19-15

East Carolina Pirates 7-11 15-18

Tulsa Golden Hurricane 7-11 16-15

Tulane Green Wave 5-13 14-17

Temple Owls 5-13 16-20

Wichita State Shockers 5-13 15-19

UTSA Roadrunners 5-13 11-21

Rice Owls 5-13 11-21

Roster

# Name Position H/W Class

0 Tyler Ringgold F 6-8/215 R-FR

1 Kaleb Banks F 6-8/210 JR

2 Gregg Glenn III F 6-7/230 JR

3 Kam Williams G/F 6-8/190 FR

4 Spencer Elliot C 6-10/215 R-FR

5 Mari Jordan G/F 6-5/190 R-FR

6 Logan Stephens G 6-1/200 R-JR

7 Rowan Brumbaugh G 6-4/190 R-SO

8 Michael Eley G 6-4/180 JR

9 KJ Greene G 6-3/170 FR

11 Luke Rasmussen G/F 6-8/210 SO

13 Joseph Teich G 5-10/155 FR

14 Stefan Cicic C 7-0/260 FR

22 Asher Woods G 6-3/190 JR

23 Percy Daniels C 6-10/220 JR

34 Jake Shapiro G 6-1/190 R-SO

Bold- Returning

Italicized- Transfer

Underline- New Recruit

Key Departures

Sion James - 36 min,14 pts, 5.4 reb, 2.7ast, 1.6 stl, 51.4 FG%, 38.1 3pt%. Transferred to Duke, Sion was the only player last year who played defense for Tulane and one of my favorites. He was the most athletic player on the court, and it showed at times when he out muscled bigger players to the rim. Wasn't always Mr. Consistent but damn did he hustle. Is projected to be a late 2nd round pick in this year's NBA draft.

Jaylen Forbes - 33.9 min, 14 pts, 3.8 reb, 1.8 ast, 1.4 stl, 38.2 FG%, 35.2 3PT%. Jaylen was a good ball player for the Green Wave. Jayen had one of the better shots on the team from beyond the arc and I watched him hit five straight jumpers, 3 of them for threes to bring Tulane back and almost beat ranked 23 FAU

Kevin Cross - 36.1 min, 17.5pts, 7.3 reb, 4.6 ast, 1.3 stl, 51.3 FG%, 42.3 3PT%. Cross was Tulane's heart a sole last year leading in almost every single major category last year. Kevin could single handle take over a game when trailing and lead Tulane back to striking distance. Cross was the do it all type of player you love to see. He is currently playing overseas right now.

Collin Holloway - Transferred to Samford- 29.2 min, 12.8 pts, 4.3 reb, 1.4 ast, 50.4 FG%, 33.9 3PT% This guy was electric when he had the ball in his hand. He could drive to the rim with ease to make buckets, wasn't the best beyond the arc but had a nice mid-range jumper

Tre Williams - Graduated- 25.7 min, 8.7 pts, 3 reb, 1.5 ast, 1 stl, 43.3 FG%, 32.9 3PT%. A very reliable bench piece that later started over Kolby King but missed a hand full of games due to injury

Kolby King - Transferred to Butler- 27.4 min, 10.4 pts, 3.6 reb, 1.8 ast, 1.4 stl, 47.6 FG%, 37.9 3PT%. I was really excited when I found out Ron Hunter was able to get Kolby King last season, but for some reason as the season went on Ron wasn't starting Kolby. Not sure what happened but Coach Hunter lost a valuable piece.

Mier Panoam - Transferred to North Dakota- Only played in 9 games. Former 3-star Guard 88 composite rating and top 10 Tulane recruit history. His vertical was insane. Coach Hunter doesn't like to play freshmen, and it showed by Mier only getting in 9 games averaging 4 minutes, but when the season started to fall apart, he should've given the kid a shot off the bench more. Another piece wasted.

Key Transfer Additions

Tyler Ringgold -SF/PF- Texas A&M- Former 3-star 84 composite rating. Did not get any playing time last season. In Highschool Tyler shown the ability to score inside and outside the 3-point line. Good driving ability to the rim and has showed he can play defensively by forcing tough shots and getting blocks.

Kaleb Banks -PF- Indiana- 21 games, 10.7 min, 2.6 pts. Former 4-star 92 rating. Should be a threat from beyond the arc if he develops. Banks is a very fast/athletic slashing type of player. Should do well in the rebounding game and descent catch and shoot player but can be turnover prone.

Mari Jordan -G/SF- Georgia- ESPN Rating 4-star. 84 overall in class and 21 Small Forward. Averaged 11.5 pts, 60 FG%, 37.5 3PT% during Georgias tour of Italy. Injured most of last year allowing him to redshirt. Jordan has the prototype combination of size, length and athleticism. He’s finishes strong at the rim, has a variety moves he can use to score off the dribble, and has the ability to make it from three-point range.

Rowan Brumbaugh -PG-Georgetown- 4-star 90 rating. 31 games played 22.3 min, 8.3 pts, 2.6 ast, 0.9 stl, 40.7 FG%, 37 3PT%. Brumbaugh has a really good feel for the game with great ball skills and passing. Thats someone you'd love to have at the PG position. Has a decent jumper, good 3pt shot, and can play average defense.

Michael Eley -SG-Siena- 3-star 87 rating. 19 games 27 min, 13.3 pts, 1.5 ast, 5.5 reb, 0.7 stl, 38.1 FG%, 26.7 3PT%. Was a key bench player for Siena last year. Eley is an athletic shooting guard who can impact a game on both ends of the court. Solid rebounder and good defender. Great finisher at the rim. Just all-around great play.

Luke Rasmussen -G/F-Lafayette Leopards- Depth piece with potential. 24 games, 14.5 min, 2.5 pts, 1.6 reb, 32.2 FG%, 31.8 3PT%

Key Recruit Additions

Kam Williams -G/SF-3-star 87 rating 2nd on Tulane's highest recruits. Averaged a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds to go with five assists as a junior. He’s a hometown hero with great upside as a talented scorer and can play/guard multiple positions. Ron Hunter has stated that Kam Williams has really surprised him during camp so we may see the young freshmen get some playing time as a backup early on.

KJ Greene -PG-4-star Greene ranked as the No. 105 overall prospect in the 2024 class. KJ collected 1,000 points and 500 assists in his prep career. KJ Greene is a true point guard. Greene plays with a great pace and is a good shooter with a very nice release. Greene is also a well-rounded passer with a nice pull-up, and an assortment of floaters.

Stefan Cicic -Center- 3-star 85 rating. Cicic is a true big man coming in at 7 foot and 245 pounds, it's nice to see Tulane get some help in the low post. Averaged 19 points on 66.7 percent shooting, 13 rebounds, and two blocks per game as a senior and 1,313 points in 2 years of playing high school ball. With his strong build, Cicic is a true force in the paint. He has a great ability to overpower any opponent with his size and strength. Stefan is a legitimate back to the basket scorer who not only has good touch inside but can also spot up from the perimeter to knock down shots. For a player his size, he is a very agile post.

Joseph Teich - Guard-His senior year in high school played in 29 games averaging 7.3 pts.

Returning Players

Greg Glenn III-PF/SF- Key bench piece last season looking for an increased role. Transferred from Michigan. Played in 30 games 9.7 min, 3.6 pts, 2.6 reb, 0.6 blk. Greg Glenn has the ability to catch in the high post and attacks the rim with a few decisive dribbles. He's descent finisher on the interior and a well-rounded passer. In addition to his passing, Glenn is a good positional rebounder, Tulane will need that this year from the big man. He does have the strength to hold his own defensively and is a solid athlete with a very good frame. Let's hope he can make a big leap this year from the former 4-star recruit.

Spencer Elliot -Center- Didn't see any action last year but sounds like he's making good strides into his redshirt freshman year. In high school he was a skilled low block scorer. Can make 3's and defend the perimeter. Very good passer that controls the paint with shot-blocking and rebounding.

Logan Stephens -PG- Originally a walk-on at Rutgers that eventually transferred to Tulane. Played in limited action last year 6 games and averaged 1.8 min and 1.3 pts. A streaky shooter who looks to climb into the bench and carve out a role for Tulane.

Asher Woods - Another key bench player for the Green Wave by seeing action in 20 games averaging 6.5 min and 2.4 pts. Asher transferred from VMI where he played a lot and was a key player for them his freshman year before deciding to transfer to Tulane. For VMI he played in 32 games averaging 35.2 min, 14.2 pts, 2.3 ast, 4.4 reb, 38.7 FG%, 31.6 3PT%. Look for Asher to play a key role on this team and be the first one of the bench.

Percy Daniels -PF/C- Former 3-star 84 rating. Originally committed to Seton Hall and also had an offer from LSU before landing at Tulane Percy got to play in 27 games last year but was used very sparingly by averaging 6.5 minutes. In my opinion he should've played a lot more, at times being a spark off the bench and being the only big man on the team that could play right away. He averaged 1.9 pts, 0.8 reb, 0.6 blk. Look for Percy to find a major increased role and minutes this season possibly even starting in certain matchups or in general. Percy has the ability to score down low while also being a perimeter threat from the three-point line and be a key defensive player in the post. Daniels also has descent ball handling skills.

Jake Shapiro -PG- Jake didn't see any action last year which allowed him to redshirt but in the 2022-2023 campaign he played in 8 games totaling 8 minutes and made a bucket.

Key Players This Season

Mari Jordan - The offensive fire power should flow through Mari Jordan with his ability to attack the rim and shoot the ball from beyond the arc. He has been making tremendous strides this offseason and is poised to have a big year with the Green Wave.

2. Rowan Brumbaugh - How well the offense produces this year is all going to come down to Rowan. He did a great job at Georgetown last year being the Quarterback of the team. His ability to lead the offense should come easy to him with his ball handling skills, great passing and command of the court.

3. Michael Eley- Micheal will be pivotal in how much the green wave will be successful this year, truly their best defensive player. He was the first one off the bench last year for Siena and a major spark, so Eley making a leap will be vital for Tulane. He's super athletic and a great finisher I can't wait to watch him work.

4. The development of the Young Freshman - Kam Williams has been surprising Coach Hunter all offseason and that's all you can ask for from a true freshman. Coach Hunter doesn't need to start him, but he defiantly needs to play the young man. Tulane may have something special in the local product so hopefully he doesn't get wasted on the bench. His development will be pivotal for the team and years to come. Same thing for KJ Greene, he is the highest rated recruit ever in Tulane basketball history. Greene has so much potential, and Tulane needs to play their freshman and start getting them developed now. Sure, there will be some growing pains, but you will live and learn and move on.

Break Out Player

Percy Daniels - You could see a spark last year whenever he was on the court providing an energy when the team was down. Look for a massive jump in productivity for the big man this year. Percy could end up being one of Tulane's key players this season.

Projected Lineups

Ron Hunter loves to implement the small ball fast paced shoot at will style of game

Small Ball Lineup

Rowen Brumbaugh
Micheal Eley
Mari Jordan
Kaleb Banks/Gregg Glenn
Gregg Glenn/Percy Daniels

Backups

KJ Greene
Asher Woods
Kam Williams
Tyler Ringgold
Percy Daniels/Spencer Elliot

Big ball/Defensive Lineup

Rowen Brumbaugh or Micheal Eley
Micheal Eley or Mari Jordan
Mari Jordan or Gregg Glenn
Percy Daniels
Spencer Elliot

Backups

KJ Greene
Asher Woods
Kam Williams
Tyler Ringgold
Spencer Elliot/Stefan Cicic

Perimeter Shooting Lineup

Rowen Brumbaugh
Kam Williams/Mari Jordan
Mari Jordan/Kam Williams
Tyler Ringgold
Percy Daniels

Backups

Micheal Eley/KJ Greene
Asher Woods/Micheal Eley
Kam Williams
Gregg Glenn
Spencer Elliot

Recruiting

Class of 2025

Offered-Byrson Tiller- 4-star 97 rating Power Foward 6-9 230lbs
Offered-Tylis Jordan- 4-star 94 rating Power Forward 6-9 210lbs committed to Ole Miss
Offered-Braylon Mullins-4-star 94 rating Shooting Guard 6-5 180lbs
Offered-Demarris Winters- 3-star 84 rating Shooting Guard 6-3 165lbs
Offered-Eric Chatfield-No rating Point Guard 5-11 160lbs
Offered-Zac Foster- 4-star 92 rating 6-3 165lbs Combo Guard Committed to Clemson
Offered-Arness Lawson-Point Guard
Offered-Zach Bleshoy-6-4 Point Guard
Offered-Deke Cooper-6-6 Wing
Offered-Kruz McClure- 4-star 90 rating 6-5 Shooting Guard Committed to DePaul
Offered-Calvin Russel- 6-5 2 sport Athlete
Interested-Dylan Rowe-No rating Point Guard 6-3 160lbs

Class of 2026

Offered-Joseph Hartman-3-star 88 rating 6-5 175lbs Point Guard
Offered- Collin Ross- 6-10 Forward
Interested-Julian Washington- No rating 6-4 Combo Guard from Margaretta High School (My former High School) Castalia, Ohio

Key Matchups

UNO-Home- Nov 22-The Battle of NOLA!
George Mason-Away- Dec 7- Big first test
Southern Miss-Home- Dec 10- Rivals
Florida State-Neutral- Dec 14- Can they hang
Charlotte-Away- Dec 23- Finished 3rd AAC
UAB-Away- Jan 7 -Won conference Tourney last year
USF-Home- Jan 11 -Went 25-8 last year
FAU-Home- Jan 15- Revenge Game from last year's 1 point loss
Temple-Away- Jan 19- Surprised everyone and finished runner up in conference tourney
Memphis-Home- Jan 30- Alot of transition this year
Charlotte-Home- Feb 26- 2nd matchup of the season but at home
UAB-Home -Mar 9- Finish Strong leading into tourney time
AAC Tourney- Fort Worth, Texas (Dickies Areana) Mar 12- March Madness Begins!

Schedule

Oct 25 (Fri) 6:30 p.m. Home Spring Hill College (Ala.)

Nov 4 (Mon) 6:30 p.m. Home Louisiana Christian University

Nov 8 (Fri) 6:30 p.m. Home ULM

Nov 11 (Mon) 6:30 p.m. Home Alcorn State

Nov 15 (Fri) 6 p.m. Away Furman

Nov 19 (Tue) 6:30 p.m. Home Bethune-Cookman

Nov 22 (Fri) 6:30 p.m. Home UNO

Nov 26 (Tue) 5 p.m. Neutral Wyoming Cancun, Mexico

Nov 27 (Wed) TBD Neutral Belmont or LMU Cancun, Mexico

Dec 2 (Mon) 6:30 p.m. Home Southeastern Louisiana

Dec 7 (Sat) 1 p.m. Away George Mason

Dec 10 (Tue) TBD Home Southern Miss

Dec 14 (Sat) TBD Neutral Florida State Sunrise, FL (Amerant Bank Arena)

Dec 20 (Fri) TBD Home Dillard University (La.)

Dec 31 (Tue) TBD Away Charlotte

Jan 4 (Sat) TBD Home UTSA

Jan 7 (Tue) TBD Away UAB

Jan 11 (Sat) TBD Home South Florida

Jan 15 (Wed) TBD Home Florida Atlantic

Jan 19 (Sun) TBD Away Temple

Jan 25 (Sat) TBD Away Rice

Jan 30 (Thu) TBD Home Memphis

Feb 2 (Sun) TBD Home Tulsa

Feb 5 (Wed) TBD Away UTSA

Feb 8 (Sat) TBD Away North Texas

Feb 15 (Sat) TBD Home Rice University

Feb 19 (Wed) TBD Home East Carolina

Feb 23 (Sun) TBD Away Wichita State

Feb 26 (Wed) TBD Home Charlotte

Mar 1 (Sat) TBD Away Tulsa

Mar 6 (Thu) TBD Away East Carolina

Mar 9 (Sun) TBD Home UAB

Mar 12 (Wed) TBD Neutral American Athletic Conference Fort Worth, TX (Dickies Arena)

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Saints Week 5 Preview

tmike4689@gmail.com (Travis Himel) — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:00:00 GMT

WEEK 5 PREVIEW

Saints fans are searching for hope coming into Week 5. Last week’s game was a brutal loss. The defense gave up no offensive touchdowns to the Falcons but the Saints couldn’t get the job done. Going into the Monday Night Football matchup against the Chiefs, the Saints injuries have piled up. Things aren’t looking good for our Saints but let’s take a look at what the team needs to do to pull off a big win.

This Week’s Matchup:

The Saints travel to Kansas City this week to take on the Chiefs. These 2 teams haven’t faced off often. Kansas City leads this series 7-5. Arrowhead Stadium is no easy place to play. Chiefs fans pride themselves on making their stadium a tough place to play. The Saints should be used to the noise as we play in a loud environment ourselves. The Chiefs come into this game fairly healthy and look to grab a crucial win against a beat up Saints team.

YOUR SAINTS:

It’s no secret, the Saints injury report is a long list! This is especially bad news after the loss we witnessed last week. Saints fans are scrambling to figure out how we can win this game. The offensive line will look very different this week so it’s Klint Kubiak’s job to disguise that weakness. What kind of scheme will we see to get the ball out quick and get down the field? A key player to watch is Chief’s DL Chris Jones. He’ll be working hard in the trenches to make Derek Carr’a night tough.

Despite the Saints injuries, I expect the defense to pick up right where they’ve left off each week so far. This defense is statistically in the top 10 out of the whole NFL. The ball absolutely has to find Chris Olave this week. He has created the most separation from his defender out of all Wide Receivers in the league. For some reason Carr hasn’t been looking to feed him the ball. This dates back to late last season as well. After watching some film from last week’s game, I find that Derek Carr predetermines his reads sometimes. Not necessarily a good sign from your QB when his predetermined read isn’t his #1 receiver! Kubiak has to find a way to get others the ball because Alvin Kamara’s workload has been too big to sustain, especially with his current injury situation. Let’s take a look at who’s out for this game.

INJURY REPORT:

Taysom Hill, Willie Gay, Cesar Ruiz, Shame Lemieux, and Payton Turner are all officially out this week. Players listed as questionable are Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis, Taliese Fuaga, Blake Grupe, Juwan Johnson, Bryan Bresee, Kendre Miller, Chris Olave, and Cedrick Wilson. Things aren’t looking in New Orleans right now.

MY PREDICTION:

I don’t see much hope for a win this week. With the amount of injuries the team has, we’re very short handed to have proper chemistry and make a big impact. I think the environment will also play a difference in this game. I think the Saints will fall to 2-3 this season as the Chiefs win this game with a score of 34-16.

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Tulane Vs UAB Week 6 Review

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Sun, 06 Oct 2024 20:04:49 GMT

Tulane GreenWave- 71

UAB- 20

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -15.5

Total: 55.5

HOLY TULANE!

Tulane absolutely crushed the UAB Blazers on all three levels of the game. Two passing touchdowns, six rushing touchdowns, an interception, and a kickoff return all went for scores. This team is firing on all cylinders —Mensah looked like a seasoned vet in the pocket, Makhi entered beast mode, the O-line gave up zero sacks in the last three games, and the defensive line racked up 9 sacks in the last two games (17 total). On top of that, the defense tallied 3 interceptions this game brings the total up to 7 interceptions, with 4 going for touchdowns, and Reyshawn Pleasant got his second kickoff return for a touchdown. Two freshmen stepped up and made the most of their opportunities as well. Tulane has a bye next week, so let's hope this hot streak continues! Now, let's dive into the UAB review.

Offense

Quarterback – Seasoned Vet

It was a relatively quiet day for Mensah, who went 12/15 for 134 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t need to do much with UAB’s run defense being one of the worst in the nation. Mensah impressed with his pocket mobility and awareness, evading at least three sacks after holding the ball for over five seconds. He’s looking more comfortable and poised for some big games ahead. Mensah’s season totals are now 84/127 (66.1% completion), 10 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He also has 24 rushing attempts for 40 yards with a long of 15.

Ty Thompson – Stepping Up

Ty Thompson continues to be one of my favorite players—he’s a straight-up baller. He went 2/3 for 46 yards, including a dart to Yulkeith Brown for a sideline touchdown. Thompson also added another rushing touchdown, bringing his season total to 4. His current stats: 6/9 passing for 74 yards and two touchdowns, plus 22 rushing attempts for 104 yards (4.7 avg) and 4 touchdowns.

Running Back – You Get a Touchdown, You Get a Touchdown!

UABs defense was giving up on an average of almost 208 yards a game when entering the contest and it defiantly showed this past game. Tulane as a team accumulated 307 yards rushing of 50 attempts for an average of 6.3 while tacking on 6 touchdowns from 4 different players. Makhi was definitely the player of the game by having 119 yards for 2 touchdowns and a long of 51. On that 51-yard touchdown was all pure will by breaking at least 2 tackles and racing down the sideline. We have a FRESHMAN ALERT!!!!! Jamauri McClure has only seen action in one game this season against SLU week 1. In my review of that game, I stated that this kid could be the future of this running back room and boy did he not disappoint. McClure tallied 84 yards (8.4 avg) with a very impressive touchdown by spinning out of a tackle and retaining his balance. Head coach Jon Sumrall stated in his press conference after the UAB game that he may have lost his redshirt status and will be a part of this offensive game plan moving forward. He may be the most well-rounded player in the running back room by showing patience, speed, power, and elusiveness. Arnold also has one of his best games of his Tulane career, usually known for his power running style but he got to show the whole world his shiftiness by juking out players on two different running plays. After a couple of penalties, he finally punched it into the endzone. Barnes had a total of 82 yards (7.5 avg) and 2 touchdowns bringing his totals up to 181 yards and 3 touchdowns. It was a quiet day for Trey Cornist and Shadie Clayton but they both were effective in the passing game by both getting a catch for a total of 19 yards. Tulane has a total of 5 running backs who can all play and contribute to this offense.

Receiving Game – Yulkeith's Day and Injury Updates

Yulkeith Brown finally had his breakout game! With UAB's top defenders blanketing Dontae and Mario, Brown capitalized, finishing with 4 catches for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns. This will be a great confidence boost heading into the bye week. Bryce Bohanon followed with 2 catches for 31 yards, while Mario and Dontae had one catch each for a total of 20 yards.

Tight end Alex Bauman appeared to suffer a serious knee injury and was carted off the field. Fortunately, he was later seen on the sideline in a boot, indicating a likely ankle sprain. Head coach Jon Sumrall mentioned he could be out for a week or two—great news considering his red zone importance.

Shazz Preston might finally return after the bye week with Rice as the next opponent.

Offensive Line – 0 Sacks in the Last 3 Games

Tulane’s offensive line is playing at an elite level, having surrendered zero sacks in the last three games. Their control at the line of scrimmage allowed for a dominant ground game against UAB, and they’re continuing to reduce pressures on the quarterback. Josh Remetich has been especially impressive, playing at an All-Conference level at right guard. The offensive unit has amassed 1,339 passing yards (12 touchdowns) and 1,283 rushing yards (5.0 avg) for 16 touchdowns—ranking 20th in the nation in rushing yards. Tulane is also averaging 42.5 points per game, 12th in the nation, and has cleaned up penalties, key to sustaining drives.

Players of the Game: Makhi Hughes, Yulkeith Brown

Defense

Defensive Line – The Hype Is Real

I have to admit I was starting to get nervous with this defensive line after the first 3 games. But the hype was real and it's here to stay. It's been a little unconventional at times with players switching positions and other guys stepping up. Pat Jenkins continues to be the staple of the defensive line by getting his third straight sack in three weeks putting his total to three. He is tied for the lead with Tyler Grubbs. Kam Hamilton, who I think is having a breakout season this year, tallied another sack putting his total up to 2.5. He leads the team in pressure, while Mathew Fobbs White who was starting to flash the previous game by getting 4 pressures early in the last game, he got home for his first sack of the season. As a unit the defensive line has recorded 17 total sacks on the year which ranks tied for 18th in the nation. They are also giving up an average of 129.2 yards a game which ranks 4th in the AAC.

Adin Huntington is still banged up hopefully after the bye he will be 100%

Linebackers – Did Their Job

With UAB forced to throw the ball, it was a relatively quiet day for Tulane's linebackers. Redshirt freshman Chris Rodgers stepped up again with his second pick-six of the season, finishing the game with 3 tackles. Sam Howard tallied 3 tackles and a tackle for loss, while Dickson Agu had 2 tackles. Tyler Grubbs, who leads the team with 29 tackles, had just one on the day. Backups Mandel Eugene Jr. and Maki Williams got significant playing time, with Eugene registering 2 tackles and Williams recording a pass deflection.

Secondary – Freshman Impact

Micah Robinson led the team in tackles with 8 against UAB. The former Furman transfer is starting to play very well and will be locking down the cornerback 1 role the rest of the year. We have another FRESHMAN ALERT!!! Javion White has been consistently playing the other spear/nickel role when teams come out in 4 wide sets, and he looks to be seeing the game slower as well. He did a wonderful job shutting down UABs Kam Shanks, their leading receiver. Shanks only had 2 catches for 15 yards. Javion also came up with a very impressive pick early in this game, his first career. Jayden Lewis, the other true freshman and the highest rated recruit in Tulane history got a lot of time as well. He looks a little raw right now but with more time on the field he should start to excel. Rayshawn Pleasant and Lu Tillery continue to be very reliable rotational corner backs with Jonathan Edwards. Lu finished the game with 4 tackles and Pleasant had 3 with a pass break up.

Player of the Game: Javion White, Micah Robinson

Special Teams

Kickoff Return

Reyshawn Pleasant has entered the conversation for best returner in the NCAA after his second kickoff return for a touchdown. He’s showing incredible patience and explosiveness, making him a dangerous weapon in the return game.

Kicker/Punter

Jacob Barnes is expected to return after the bye week, which couldn’t come sooner. Freshman Ethen Head has struggled, missing three extra points this season. Meanwhile

Will Karrol had two punts for 72 yards, with one downed inside the 20.

Tulane heads into the bye week on fire and looks ready to carry this momentum into the Rice game!

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Tulane Vs UAB Week 6 Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 03:51:43 GMT

Tulane GreenWave Vs UAB Blazers

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -15.5

Total: 55.5

Tulane is coming off a dominant win and looks to continue that streak into their second conference game against UAB on the road. UAB is coached by former NFL QB Trent Dilfer. They were 4-8 last year, and now, entering his second year as head coach, they are currently 1-3. This UAB team has struggled this season, showing inconsistency and turning the ball over with a -6 turnover ratio. Trent Dilfer seems to be losing the fan base and possibly the locker room. UAB's offense (shotgun and pistol formations) is down in all categories from last year, amassing nearly 10 penalties a game for an average of 85 yards. Defensively (3-4 defense), they're still trying to find their identity, and this could be the perfect time for Tulane to continue their offensive streak. Look for Mensah and Makhi to lead the team to victory, with the defense showing their true grit. Let’s go!

Offense

Quarterback – Mensah Madness

Mensah is coming off one of his best games for this Green Wave offense. The Cali kid looks to continue his strong play against a shaky UAB defense. UAB's secondary is very transfer-heavy, bringing in nine new players during the offseason. However, they do have a couple of standouts: cornerback Colby Dempsey, who has an interception this year, and Adrian Maddox, a transfer from Alabama State who plays safety and has four pass deflections so far. With UAB still trying to figure things out defensively, look for Mensah to pick apart this secondary with Tulane’s speedy receivers.

Ty Thompson – Unleash the Beast

Ty Thompson will continue to do what he does best. Averaging nearly five yards per play, look for him to come in on short-yardage situations and red-zone opportunities. And if the defense is caught napping, maybe even another TD pass on a play-action rollout.

Running Back – Makhi’s Day

UAB’s defense is giving up an average of almost 208 rushing yards per game, which ranks third-worst in the AAC. UAB’s defensive front seven was supposed to improve from last year, but they seem to be regressing. Look for Makhi to have a huge game, especially with how well Tulane’s offensive line has played over the last two games. Expect Shadie Clayton to come in and spell Makhi—this will be his second game back since his concussion. Arnold Barnes and Trey Cornist both look to build off last week’s performance against USF, where Cornist scored his first collegiate touchdown.

UAB's linebackers have underperformed this season, partly due to inexperience and the injury bug, allowing teams to run all over them. Three players to watch are Michael Moore (22 tackles and 1 INT), Everett Roussaw Jr. (18 tackles), and OC Brothers (16 tackles), the most experienced of the bunch. Sirad Bryant, who leads UAB with 29 tackles, will also try to slow down Tulane’s rushing attack from the safety position.

Receiving Game – Yulkeith’s Day

Dontae Fleming is coming off a breakout game with seven catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. UAB's best corner, Colby Dempsey, will likely try to shut him down. However, after Dontae’s first career Tulane touchdown, look for his confidence to be sky-high. He is currently second on the team with 16 catches for 292 yards. Mario Williams could face a challenge against Adrian Maddox, a standout safety/nickel and former Walter Payton Award finalist for best player in FCS last year. This will be a good test for Mario. Expect him to utilize his speed on deep crossing routes and slants.

Yulkeith Brown and Alex Bauman always seem to fly under the radar. With UAB’s secondary focused on Tulane’s top two guys, Yulkeith, a former Texas A&M commit, could finally have his breakout game. Bauman, a key target for Mensah and a reliable safety valve, will step up in red-zone opportunities, taking advantage of mismatches. Shazz Preston’s status (hamstring) remains to be seen possibly after the bye week.

UAB leads the conference in fewest passing yards allowed passing (533, averaging 133 per game), but that’s mainly because teams can run all over them, reducing the need to pass.

Offensive Line – Rumblin', Bumblin', Stumblin'

Last week, the offensive line gave up zero sacks while allowing 330 passing yards and 198 rushing yards (4.0 avg) with six total touchdowns. This unit is clicking. Tulane is averaging 193 rushing yards and 231 passing yards per game. Look for the Green Wave to take advantage of UAB’s poor run defense and exploit their inexperienced, injury-plagued linebacker core.

UAB has a couple of pass rushers to watch, including Desmond Little, their key edge rusher with two sacks this season, and LD Cox, a 6’4”, 310-pound defensive tackle with a sack on the year.

Key to Victory: Run the ball.

Defense

Defensive Line – Five Sacks Last Game

We’re starting to see life from this defensive front. Matthew Fobs-White has been playing a lot at the bandit position, and he’s making progress, getting early pressure last game even if he didn’t always finish. His continued development is key for this defense. Pat Jenkins now has two sacks on the season and seems to be hitting his stride. Adin Huntington appears banged up, which may explain his lack of production. If he’s not ready to go, Gerrod Henderson is a great replacement, having notched two sacks last game on just 20 snaps. Look for him to get more opportunities this week.

UAB returns all five offensive line starters, plus an experienced rotational piece and two key transfers. They rotate the line often, and some players are starting to gel. UAB averages 204 passing yards and 176 rushing yards per game. Once again, the line of scrimmage will decide this game.

Linebackers – Stop the Run

Tyler Grubbs leads the team with 28 tackles. Grubbs also has a sack, one interception for a touchdown, and a forced fumble. He’s been on fire for this defense and will need to keep that up against UAB. The Blazers have two good running backs in Lee Beebe Jr. (56 carries, 269 yards, 4.8 avg, 3 TDs) and Isaiah Jacobs a physical runner (41 carries, 162 yards, 4.0 avg). Lee Beebe can also come out of the backfield and catch the ball (10 catches for 97 yards). QB Jacob Zeno isn’t known for his speed, but he can run if needed. Expect to see a lot of Sam Howard (22 tackles, 1.5 sacks) to support Grubbs, and Dickson Agu on passing downs.

Secondary – Capitalize on QB Errors

Micah Robinson has settled into his CB1 role and will face UAB’s best receiver, Amare Thomas (14 catches for 122 yards and two TDs). Jonathan Edwards, Rayshaun Pleasant (14 tackles, pick-six, fumble recovery), and Lu Tillery will rotate in and out. Caleb Ransaw will have another challenge this week against freshman WR Kam Shanks, UAB’s leading receiver (19 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown). UAB also has a big-play tight end in Terrel McDonald (6 catches for 120 yards). Expect Bailey Despaine to help the secondary shut down McDonald.

UAB’s QB Jacob Zeno has had a disappointing season, with 819 passing yards, 69.7% completion, 6 TDs, 5 INTs, and 10 sacks trying to extend plays. While he led the AAC in completion percentage last year, Zeno often forces throws, leading to turnovers. If Tulane’s defense can pressure him, the secondary should be able to capitalize on his mistakes.

Keys to Victory: Stop the run and pressure the QB.

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter

Ethan Head is looking like a solid pickup for Tulane, going 3/4 on extra points and 3/4 on field goals. He’s a true freshman, so let’s see how he performs on the road.

Will Karrol has settled in as a reliable punter for the Green Wave. Flipping the field will be crucial if Tulane stalls deep in their own territory.

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

LSU vs South Alabama Week 5 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 20:20:12 GMT

Let's get into it!

The Tigers had a confidence boosting win Saturday. Let's talk about it.

The Tigers received the opening kickoff in this one, and on the 1st play from scrimmage, Caden Durham took a 71 yard catch to the house. LSU 7-0. South Alabama punts on their opening possession. On the Tigers next possession, Caden Durham breaks off an 86 yard run, and Garrett Nussmeier took it in from 1 yard out on the next play. LSU 14-0. South Alabama has a 3 and out. LSU goes on an excellent 11 play 79 yard drive that was capped off by a Caden Durham 8 yard rush. LSU 21-0. South Alabama puts together a 10 play 44 yard drive that was capped off by a 49 yard field goal. LSU 21-3. LSU goes on a 5 play 60 yard drive; Garrett Nussmeier takes it in from 5 yards out for a score. LSU 28-3. Both teams punt on their next possession. South Alabama punts again. LSU goes on a 4 play 69 yard drive, and Nussmeier finds Aaron Anderson for a 23 yard touchdown reception. LSU 35-3. South Alabama punts, LSU throws an interception, and the clock runs out on South Alabama to end the 1st half. South Alabama puts together a 9 play 75 yard drive to open the 2nd half that was capped off by an Anthony Eager 27 yard touchdown reception. LSU 35-10. LSU was putting together a nice drive to open the 2nd half before Garrett Nussmeier was intercepted by Jaden Voisin. South Alabama puts together a very good drive, but LSU has a goal line stand. LSU puts together a great 12 play 99 yard drive that was capped off by a Josh Williams 10 yard touchdown run. LSU 42-10. The teams trade punts on their following possessions. South Alabama turns it over on downs. The clock runs out on LSU's next possession. Tigers W! LSU 42 - South Alabama 10.

TAKEAWAYS

- This defense really played an impressive game. These guys looked motivated and ready to rock and roll out there. It was refreshing to see this.

- Garrett Nussmeier is having an excellent season. Nuss is currently 4th in the nation in passing yards, 2nd in QBR, and 3rd in TD passes.

- Caden Durham will be fun to watch for the next few years. This guy is a true playmaker. It was great to see his number get called time after time in this game.

- Wide receivers Aaron Anderson and Kyren Lacy are having solid seasons. Both of these guys are in the top 45 in the country in receiving yards.

- Bradyn Swinson and Saiv'ion Jones are still in the top 10 in the nation in sacks this season.

- This was a perfect game to take the Tigers into the bye week.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Caden Durham - 217 yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs as a true freshman is awesome!

- Defensive MVP - Greg Penn III - 14 total tackles on the night. After so many questions surrounded this linebacker room, it was great to see!

LSU is heading into the bye week on a high note.

Thank you for reading my article.

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USF Vs Tulane Week 5 Review

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 17:29:50 GMT

USF 10 vs Tulane 45

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -6

Total: 64.5

Tulane showcased what this team can do. They finally played all 4 quarters and dominated all aspects of the game. Mensah and this passing attack is down right SCARY. The offensive line is firing on all cylinders. The defense finally stopped the run and the pass rush arrived but from some unsung heroes .

Let's get into the Review

Offense

Quarterback – Mensah Madness

Mensah showed everyone in Nola why Jon Sumrall chose him to be QB1. The redshirt freshman was 18/22 with 326 yards and 3 touchdowns. This was his breakout game and great to see cause his confidence will sky rocket now. He was great in the pocket all game and what I loved to see was when the pressure got to him he was able to evade and roll out especially on a 15 yard touchdown pass to Dante Fleming. Great touch! His improvising will be amazing to see for this Tulane team rolling forward. Some of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL now have some sort of improvising skill. It was great to see this young man play all 4 quarters.

Ty Thompson – Ty the Typhoon

Ty Thompson continues to be one of my favorite players on this team. His package is averaging around 5 yards a play and 4 touchdowns, 1 by air and 3 on the ground. Teams are struggling to contain this athlete because the Ty-phoon package is very similar to the wildcat by allowing Ty Thompson to be that extra man to attack the defense. He added to his stats today with 7 carries for 39 yards

Running Back – Team effort

Makhi Hughes had a decent day on the ground with 17 carries for 61 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was nice to see this offense not have to rely on Makhi for a game. The passing attack and pass blocking were so dominant Makhi didn't have to put Tulane on his back. Instead it was more of a team effort as the game went on and Tulane kept pulling away. Arnold Barnes looked like he was getting back to his old self with 7 carries for 36 yards (5.6 avg). Shadie Clayton came back from a concussion last week with 5 carries for 31 yards (6.2). And rounding out the running back room, Trey Cornist finished the game with 7 carries for 26 yards and a score.

Receiving Game – Dontae's Peak Performance

Dontae Fleming, have yourself a game! 7 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. It's finally great to see the offseason award winner of the Trident award put on a show for us fans at Yulman stadium. You can see all the effort he has put in the offseason by Dontae having his breakout game. Mario Williams almost got to 100 yards as well but fell short with 94 with 4 catches and 2 touchdowns. His speed was on full display this game by burning the coverage for two easy touchdowns. Yulkeith Brown continues to be a very reliable receiver catching the ball and running out of the back field. 3 catches for 55 yards Let's hope this coaching staff keeps playing with his role because he has so much untapped potential to dominate a game. Alex Bauman only had 2 catches for 34 yards today but he set the tone early on with the very first pass of the game for a long 34 yards.

Offensive Line – Well Oiled Machine

330 yards passing with ZERO sacks, 198 yards rushing (4.0 avg) and six total touchdowns, Also if I recall only one penalty. This offensive line has learned from their previous mistakes and is starting to show the College football world what they're all about. It's great to see this line starting to jell and keeping an open pocket for a young QB and opening up holes for Makhi. Remember this is one of the most experienced Olines in college football and theyre only going to get better.

Players of the Game- Darian Mensah and the OLINE

Defense- 3 Forced Fumbles

Defensive Line – Have they Arrived?

The defensive line is starting to click but it's from players you wouldn't expect it from. Mathew Fobbs White is still learning the bandit role but he was creating a lot of pressure early on in this game. Got a nice pass deflection and a tackle for loss. Look for him to build off this game with Tulane still needing something from that position. Gerrod Henderson may need to get some snaps after a 2 sack game with Parker Peterson having a sack as well. Patrick Jenkins got his 2nd sack of the season, Elijah Champaigne and Kam Hamilton also got into the action with a half a sack for both. That's a total of 5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss and only 26 yards rushing by this defensive line on the day. They're still not fully there YET but you're starting to see what they got: Pass rush and run stopping.

Linebackers

Tyler Grubbs draft stock just keeps climbing after each game. He led the team again in tackles with 6 and added a sack. He now has 22 tackles, 2 sacks, and an interception for a touchdown on the year.

Secondary – Shutdown City

Caleb Ransaw showed the college world why he is one of the best nickel corners in the game. Sean Atkins, slot wide receiver for USF is a very very good player and Caleb Ransaw stepped up and shut him down. Only allowing 3 catches for 20 yards and Sean Atkins fumbled the ball. It's hard for Caleb to show up on the stat line because teams are afraid to throw to him and he showcased that today. He finished the day with 4 tackles. The secondary as a unit was going to get challenged when Tulane started to pull away early in the game and they did not disappoint by only allowing 16 catches for 175 yards. Micah Robinson continues to get better each week but did get burnt early on, Brown was not able to connect. He finished the day with 2 tackles and a pass deflection. Youngster Jayden Lewis, Tulanes highest rated commit ever got in on some action today with 2 tackles.

Player of the Game: Caleb Ransaw

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter

Ethen Head had a decent day by going 1/1 on a 35 yard field goal and knocking down all his extra points. With each game his confidence will build

Will Karrol had to punts for 77 yards with a long of 45. He started the season a little shaky but seems to be settling in as a reliable punter

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Saints vs Falcons Week 4 Preview

tmike4689@gmail.com (Travis Himel) — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 03:13:24 GMT

SAINTS WEEK 4 PREVIEW

Last week’s game vs the Eagles was brutal! It was a rough, ground and pound game from the start until the end. The Saints offense couldn’t get much going and ultimately gave the Eagles too many chances to win. The Saints look to bounce back this week and get back on track despite a very bruised up roster. The injuries piled up after last week’s game. Let’s take a look at what the Saints have in store this week.

THIS WEEK’S MATCHUP:

The Saints are going to Atlanta to face the Falcons this week. This is our rivalry week! The series is tied 55-55 all time between these two teams. The Saints look to break that tie and take control of the series after having a high win percentage against the Falcons as of late. No game against the Falcons can be taken lightly because you never know what could take place.

YOUR SAINTS:

The Saints are a little banged up this week but HC Dennis Allen was confident in his team after this week’s practices. Injured or not, the team still must take the field and it’s “next man up” mentality this week. The ground game is what the Saints heavily rely on and we simply lost the fight in the trenches last week. We were tested last week and our weaknesses were taken advantage of. I don’t expect the team to stay down long and we should expect a big bounce back game against a team that hasn’t found their stride yet this season. We need to take some of the load off of Alvin Kamara to avoid major injury or burn out. Chris Olave hasn’t quite gotten it going with QB Derek Carr yet this season. Hopefully those two can find the connection because Chris Olave is constantly getting separation from his defender. The passing game was extremely lackluster with only 130 passing yards last week. The offensive line couldn’t hold blocks as well. Derek Carr had no protection and no running lanes were opened up. The defense did their job until the very end where the Eagles wore them out and the defense had one broken coverage play that ended our chances. The two sides need to have a complimentary game if we want any chances to keep winning this season. Key players always seem to step up in this series so I like our chances this week.

INJURY REPORT:

Demario Davis, Cesar Ruiz, and A.T Perry are ruled out in this one. Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Cedrick Wilson Jr. are all listed as questionable. Defensive lineman Khalen Saunders has been upgraded from questionable to unspecified. Taysom Hill is also unspecified.

PREDICTION:

My prediction this week is the Saints will come out strong despite the injuries to this squad. I expect our defense to lead the way again. Tyrann Mathieu is on fire this year with at least one takeaway in each game. This will be a physical matchup that the Saints will take advantage of. If Alvin Kamara plays, he will have a big game on the ground. Your Saints improve with a record of 3-1 with a win against the Falcons with a score of 24-13. Geaux Saints!!!

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LSU vs South Alabama Week 5 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 18:42:11 GMT

Let's get into it!

Spread: LSU -21.5

O/U: 65

Time: 6:30 PM

TV: SEC Network

For the 1st time ever, LSU and South Alabama will be meeting on the football field.

Despite an 0-2 start to the season, South Alabama has outscored their last 2 opponents 135-24. No matter who you are playing, that is impressive. This South Alabama offense is 13th in the nation in total yards per game (504.5). This defense is more middle of the road, giving up 394 total yards per game. This offense is led by quarterback Gio Lopez, who has yet to throw an interception this season. Running back Fluff Bothwell has rushed for 6 touchdowns this season, which is tied for the 11th most in the nation. Wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett (Preseason 2nd Team All-Sun Belt) is the clear leading pass catcher on this team. Pritchett is a really homerun threat in the return game as well. The Jaguar defense is led by linebacker Blayne Myrick, who is tied for the 32nd most total tackles in the nation with 34. Defensive backs Jordan Scruggs and Jaden Voisin are the leaders in the defensive backfield, each having an interception and 21 total tackles on the season. Defensive linemen Wy'Kevious Thomas (Preseason 2nd Team All-Sun Belt) and Jordan Norman are the leaders in the trenches; both have 14 total tackles, and Norman has a sack. On special teams, punters Jack Martin and Aleksi Pulkkinen appear to be splitting time; Pulkkinen has pinned opponents 5 times within the 20. Kicker Laith Marjan is 5-6 on the season. This team would love nothing more than to prove themselves on a big stage.

LSU (3-1, #14/#13) shook back in a big way in the 2nd half of last week's victory against UCLA. The Tiger defense shut out the Bruin offense in the 2nd half. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has had a white hot start to the season. Mason Taylor is on the brink of becoming the most decorated tight end in LSU history. Wide receiver Kyren Lacy is among the leaders in the nation in touchdown receptions. Aaron Anderson is always coming up big for the Tigers when a big catch is needed. Running back Josh Williams appeared to find something in the running game last week. Freshman playmakers Ju'Juan Johnson and Caden Durham have stepped up big time in the Tiger backfield. This Tiger defense suffered another massive blow with Harold Perkins Jr. suffering a season ending knee injury last week. Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones have stepped up in a massive way for this defense; each of the Tiger defenders is in the top 15 in sacks in the nation. Ashton Stamps has really held it down in the defensive backfield for this Tiger defense. Jordan Allen, PJ Woodland, Jardin Gilbert, and Major Burns are beginning to step up in this defensive backfield. Whit Weeks, Wes Weeks, and Greg Penn III are having solid seasons at the linebacker position. Kicker Damien Ramos is as good as they come in college football, in my opinion. Punters Peyton Todd and Blake Ochsendorf split time, with Todd being more of the bigger leg, while Ochsendorf can pin you. Punt/kick returner Zaivion Thomas is a real threat in the return game, while really coming into his own on offense, can flip a field in a hurry.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- BROKEN RECORD - I know I may sound like a broken record, but this South Alabama run defense is among the bottom 20 in the nation in rushing yards given up per game. This is a great spot to get the running game going.

- OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE - Can the linebackers step up to replace Harold Perkins Jr.? Coach Kelly mentioned some shuffling in the linebacker room, with Xavier Atkins being the next one up.

- KEEP IT UP - Can this Tiger passing game continue to shine? Nussmeier and his pass catchers are off to a great start.

- COVERAGE - This Tiger return coverage team has been pretty good these last few weeks. Can they contain Jamaal Pritchett in this one?

Fun fact: South Alabama head coach, Major Applewhite, who is from Baton Rouge, is mentioned in the Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda, and Short Dawg song Break Up.

Thank you for reading my article.

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USF Vs Tulane Week 5 Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 12:41:46 GMT

South Florida Vs Tulane Green Wave

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -6.5

Total: 64.5

Tulane is coming off a 41-33 win over the Ragin' Cajuns in a sweltering, no-defense type of game . Next up for the Green Wave in Yulman Stadium at 11am is USF (2-2), led by Coach Alex Golesh, who guided the team to a 7-6 season last year. They're coming off a 50-14 loss to 8th-ranked Miami. USF returns 19 starters—9 on offense and 8 on defense. The offense is led by dual-threat QB Byrum Brown, more of a runner than a passer, but don’t underestimate his ability to throw the ball. USF plays a very fast up-tempo offense, spread-option offense, while their defense runs a blitz-heavy 3-3-5, led by cornerback Aamaris Brown and linebacker Jhalyn Shuler.

Tulane's defensive line is becoming a concern in the run game, but the pass rush may be coming. Things may be starting to click. They'll be tested, as USF returns four out of five offensive linemen. Penalties remain an issue as well, with Tulane drawing 8 for 91 yards last game. Let's get into the week 5 Preview.

Offense

Quarterback – Read and React
Mensah didn’t look great in the first half against Louisiana. He seemed to have some happy feet, but after halftime, he settled down and made some clutch throws that helped lead this team to a victory. Mensah will need to stay cool under pressure in this game, as USF defensive coordinator Todd Orlando loves to blitz. Expect Tulane to employ a lot of quick passes to help him get the ball out faster and build some confidence. He’ll also need to be ready to tuck and run when the pocket breaks down. But with a blitz heavy team this will allow for the passing lanes to become open, with more men coming after the quarterback means there is less in coverage.

USF's secondary has two key transfers on defense, like DeShawn Rucker (2nd on the team in tackles) and D'Marco Augustin (with an interception this season). Jalen Stokes leads the unit playing Free Safety and returning corners Aamaris Brown and Brent Austin (4 pass deflections) round out a very solid core.

Ty Thompson – Surf the Wave
Ty Thompson is simply a weapon. He's a versatile piece in short-yardage situations and the red zone, where he confounds defenses with his ability to read and react to both the run and pass. Expect RPOs, play-action, and maybe even some speed options as the playbook opens up for him.

Running Back – Feed Makhi
Makhi Hughes had a stellar performance against Louisiana, racking up 23 carries for 169 yards and a touchdown, with a long of 36. The run game seems to be hitting its stride just in time for conference play. But Makhi may have some issues with a blitz heavy team. Shadie Clayton was out last game with a concussion, so we'll see if he returns, but Trey Cornist looked solid as the backup with 4 carries for 39 yards. If Shadie is back, he should get involved in the passing game and take some carries to spell Makhi. If not, let's see what Trey can do. Arnold Barnes has struggled, so it might be time to give Trey more opportunities.

USF's linebackers are a solid group, led by Mac Harris (24 tackles, 1 sack) and Jamie Pettway (22 tackles), along with former Tulane commit Rodney Hill (11 tackles). Jhalyn Shuler, with 97 tackles last year, rounds out the crew. This is a very fast and physical unit.

Receiving Game – The Fantastic Four (or Five? Finally?......)

Shazz Preston may finally see his first action. This couldn't come at a better time with this style of USF defense. With a blitz heavy team that will lead to a receiver or two being open down field most of the time. Mario Williams and Yulkeith Brown are going to play a huge part for this team on Saturday. Quick passes will be key with blitzes coming at a quarterback. Look for them to get the ball quickly and try to get in space and utilize their speed. If USF takes away our speedy receivers this is where Shazz, Dante Fleming or Alex Bauman will shine. Bauman, a key redzone contributor will be very helpful in this game by being a good scapegoat for Mensah if things get hairy in the pocket and look for Shazz and Dante to stretch the field on some deep passes down the sideline. Look for Tulane early to capitalize with their speed with screens/bubbles and quick slants to out routes. If Mensah can get some confidence early, then look for this passing attack to open up with some deep throws.

Offensive Line – Blitz Pickup
The offensive line continues to build off its solid 272-yard rushing performance and they seem to finally be gelling by cleaning up the penalties. Josh Remetich got banged up but is expected to play. They'll need to be sharp against USF's blitzes, which will come from all over the field. The O-line will have to pick them up quickly and efficiently to keep the passing attack going. Establishing the run might be tough, so expect Tulane to pivot to a quick passing game. Don’t be surprised if we see 12 personnel to try and force the ball down the middle or outside with Makhi.

USF has 9 sacks on the year, with 8 different players contributing, including 5 from the D-line, 2 from linebackers, and 3 from the secondary. This defense will blitz from anywhere, so the O-line has to be ready.

X-Factor: Picking Up the Blitz and Finding Open Receivers

Defense

Defensive Line – Liability?
The defensive line continues to struggle but there was some light at the end of the tunnel. The 4th quarter of the last game you started to see something possible click with this Tulane pass rush. You could tell Louisiana's QB did not look comfortable in the pocket. Let's hope they can build off of that. And they must find an answer for stopping the run this week because USF’s offensive line returns 4 of 5 starters, and Byrum Brown, their dual-threat QB, is a problem. He's rushed 60 times for 281 yards and 2 touchdowns, and though his passing numbers (702 yards, 2 TDs, 57.9% completion) are still developing, he's a threat. If Tulane can get ahead early and force USF to throw, it will play into their hands. The D-line must step up and contain the spread-option offense, especially Brown. Look for Tulane to load the box to help out this unit.

Linebackers
Tyler Grubbs, Sam Howard, Dickson Agu, and Chris Rodgers will need to help out the D-line against this spread-option attack. Grubbs and Howard are key in stopping the run, while Rodgers could play a critical role spying Brown on passing downs.

USF’s backfield features three capable runners—Kelley Joiner (251 yards, 4 TDs), Nay’Quan Wright (199 yards, 2 TDs), and receiving threat Taron Keith (5 catches for 73 yards). Containing the run will be crucial.

Secondary – Stay on Target
While USF’s passing attack isn’t elite, Tulane's defense needs to improve after last week’s struggles and clean up the penalties. USF spreads the field with 4-wide sets, so Tulane’s corners—Micah Robinson, Jonathan Edwards, Reyshawn Pleasant, and Lu Tillery—must stay disciplined and avoid biting on the option game. Sean Atkins, USF’s top receiver, is a route-running specialist with 24 catches for 289 yards. If or when he lines up in the slot look for Caleb Ransaw to shut him down. Purdue transfer Abdur-Raheem Yaseen is a deep threat at 6-2, with 12 catches for 139 yards.

Tulane's safety room is an interesting one with all 4 guys who can make plays. Jalen Geiger coming off his first career pick for Tulane. He will lock down the free safety spot and keep the receiving game honest by not letting anyone get behind him. But Jack Tchiunchou may have something to say about that. Jack had a clutch pick six that helped this team overcome Louisiana and even came down and gave a nasty hit on a running back. He flashed during the spring game for this green wave defense and we’re now starting to see his potential. STUD ALERT!!! Look for him to get more snaps. Bailey Despaine is a tackling machine, and he must be for this one. Look for Bailey to be playing a lot in the box to help slow down this run option offense with his sure-fire tackling. He may be the key in stopping Byrum Brown running the ball. Kevin Adams, another young reliable backup strong safety will look to come in and help out when Bailey needs a breather, or they may both be in with Kevin playing the deep safety and Bailey in the box.

X-Factor: Stopping the Option Run Game

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter-Do your Job
Jacob Barnes’ injury status is still unknown, but Ethan Head filled in admirably last week until his final kick. He’s a true freshman with a powerful leg and has potential to be a very good kicker for Tulane.

Will Karrol only had one punt for 37 yards last week, but field position will be key against USF, so consistency and flipping the field in punting will be crucial.

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Week 3 Fantasy Football Starts of the Week

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 14:32:48 GMT

Let's get into it!

Baker Mayfield - Baker is off to a great start this season. I like for him to keep it going against Denver this week.

Jared Goff - Goff is off to a shaky start so far this season, but this is a perfect opportunity. This Cardinals defense gives up the 3rd most points to QBs this season, and this is the highest over/under of the week.

Derek Carr - Derek Carr is playing some unreal football this season. This is the second highest over/under of the week. I think we will see some points in the Dome.

Brock Purdy - Purdy isn't off to the best start this season, but this Rams team is struggling right now. The Rams defense gives up the 4th most points to quarterbacks this season.

Zamar White - Zamar is not having the season we thought he would have so far, but this Panthers defense is bad. This is a perfect game for Zamar.

Tony Pollard - Pollard is seeing a healthy workload, and is off to a great start. The Packers give up the 7th most points to running backs this season.

Zach Charbonnet - With Kenneth Walker missing another game, Zach should see nearly all of the backfield work.

Derrick Henry - This Cowboys run defense is not very good so far this season. We may see vintage Derrick Henry.

DK Metcalf - Look for DK to build off of his huge game last week. The Seahawks may have to ball a lot in this one.

Marvin Harrison Jr. - Hopefully we can see some production outside of the 1st quarter in this one. This will turn into a track meet quick.

Rashid Shaheed - The Eagles have given up the 3rd most points to wide receivers this season. If he could get behind the defense once, that may be all we need for a big performance.

Jameson Williams - #sickostartoftheweek - The Cardinals are struggling on defense so far this season. Jameson has seen his snap share increase. I think we see some big plays in this one.

Juwan Johnson - With Taysom Hill likely out of this contest, look for increased opportunities for Juwan.

Zach Ertz - Ertz caught a few balls last week. I think his involvement continues in this offense.

Colby Parkinson - The Rams have a lot of pass catchers that are out. Someone has to catch passes .. right? The 49ers are giving up the 4th most points to the tight end position this season.

Jonnu Smith - Smith had a solid game last week, with a backup quarterback coming in, we may see an increased workload for Smith.

Cairo Santos - Santos is having a great season so far. The Colts are giving up the 4th most points to kickers, and this one is in a dome.

Daniel Carlson - The Panthers have given up 73 points this season. Carlson should have a lot of opportunities in this one.

Jake Bates - This game has the highest over/under of the week. Jake should have a lot of opportunity here.

Chase McLaughlin - Chase has had several opportunities this season. I think that continues against Denver.

DST

Raiders - This Panthers team is struggling.

Browns - They are playing against Daniel Jones. That is all.

Packers - Will Levis has been mistake prone this season.

Seahawks - Look for Seattle to have a decent game against a backup QB.

Thank you for reading my article.

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LSU vs UCLA Week 4 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 13:50:52 GMT

Let's get into it!

UCLA played football for the 1st time in the state of Louisiana on Saturday. Let's talk about the game.

LSU received the opening kickoff and marched down the field on a 6 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a 5 yard Zavion Thomas touchdown reception. LSU 7-0. UCLA goes on an 8 play 75 yard drive, even converting on 4th down before Ethan Garbers hits Jack Pederson for a 20 yard touchdown reception. Tied 7-7. LSU then turns the ball over on downs. UCLA hits a 47 yard field goal. UCLA 10-7. LSU has a 4 play 75 yard drive; this is where the play of the game comes in. With a DB all over Kyle Parker, Garrett Nussmeier throws a perfect pass. Parker takes it into the endzone (see picture above). LSU 14-10. The two teams trade punts on their next possessions. UCLA's following possession was looking to be a promising one before Bradyn Swinson sacked Ethan Garbers, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Sai'vion Jones. The Tigers kick a 22 yard field goal. LSU 17-10. UCLA then goes on an 11 play 75 yard drive, and Ethan Garbers finds Logan Loya for an 11 yard touchdown. Tied 17-17. LSU kneels out the half. UCLA punts on the opening possession of the 2nd half. The Tigers are pinned on their own 4 yard line, but the Tiger offense put together a 13 play 96 yard drive, taking more than 6 minutes off of the clock. Josh Williams ran it into the endzone from 2 yards out. LSU 24-17. UCLA punts again, pinning the Tigers deep in their own territory. LSU puts together an 11 play 92 yard drive, and Caden Durham takes a pass 35 yards into the endzone. LSU 31-17. UCLA throws an interception to Jardin Gilbert on the following drive. Tiger kicker Damien Ramos hits a 32 yard field goal. LSU 34-17. UCLA punts again. LSU runs out the clock on the final drive. Tigers win! LSU 34 UCLA 17.

TAKEAWAYS

- Garrett Nussmeier is the real deal. Nuss threw for 352 yards, 3 TDs, and hit 9 different pass catchers.

- Mason Taylor will be a great NFL tight end. Appreciate him while you have him on your team, Tiger fans!

- Bradyn Swinson steps up again! This guy is piecing together a great season.

- Sai'vion Jones is really coming into his own right now. It is great to see someone stepping up.

- Aaron Anderson is quietly having a solid season for the Tigers. He is always open when the Tigers need a big catch.

- The Tiger defense pitched a shutout in the 2nd half. The adjustments that were made at half were great to see.

- This UCLA team has some grit. Ethan Garbers took some hard hits in this contest. Respect.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Garrett Nussmeier - What a game. This guy is playing some great ball right now.

- Defensive MVP - Bradyn Swinson - 5 total tackles, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. Awesome game.

LSU welcomes South Alabama to Death Valley next Saturday night at 6:30.

Thank you for reading my article.

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Saints Week 3 Preview

tmike4689@gmail.com (Travis Himel) — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 07:36:33 GMT

Saints Week 3 Preview

Here we go Saints fans!!! This Saints team is pretty exciting through two weeks. We have the highest points differential in the entire NFL so far. The fans are feeling it and bringing the energy after a huge win on the road against Dallas. We should expect a full Dome on Sunday that is rocking. Let’s take a deep dive into what’s happening this week:

This Week’s Matchup:

In Week 3 the Saints will be facing the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are 1-1 to start the season after a disappointing loss against the Falcons on Monday night. They look to get back on track this week as they come into town. The Eagles acquired Saquon Barkley in the offseason so you should expect them to use him in a similar way we use Alvin Kamara. The 2 have had very productive starts to the season. The Saints need to make it a point to contain Jalen Hurts as we have a history of giving up rushing yards to mobile quarterbacks.

Series History:

The Eagles currently lead the series 19 wins to the Saints 16, including the Playoffs. The Saints were able to win the previous matchup 20-10 last season. Fireworks tend to happen when these two teams take the field together.

Your Saints:

This team looks really good! Klint Kubiak has this offense flowing and making big plays. One thing is still imminent, Klint Kubiak will run the ball. Other teams know the run is coming and can’t do anything to stop it so far. Carr and Shaheed continue to connect on deep balls each game. I find it crazy that the Saints have been putting up the points and stats they have without Chris Olave really being a big factor yet. I look for him to get going against the Eagles. I think they’ll key in on Shaheed which will open things up for the Saints other speedy receiver. Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams are enjoying life in this new system. The ball is in their hands early and often to make plays. I for one am genuinely shocked with the performance of the O-line. We came into the season believing they’d be our biggest weakness but they have more than held their own creating running lanes and giving Carr all the time necessary to make accurate throws. Derek Carr is leading the league in multiple QB statistical categories and is in the early season MVP race. The Saints defense is phenomenal. They are bringing the pressure, the big hits, and the swagger as the cherry on top. They picked up right where they left off last season with creating turnovers and getting opposing offenses off the field. The Eagles will be a big test with a mobile quarterback. If we can contain the two playmakers in the backfield then I believe we’re in for another convincing victory. Someone I don’t think has been talked about at all is Blake Grupe. Grupe has been consistent so far this season with 5-5 on his field goals and 10-11 from XP distance. If the Dome is rocking like I expect, I think the Eagles are in for another rough game.

Injury Report:

Khalen Saunders is still out as he continues his recovery. Taysom Hill, Will Harris, A.T Perry, and Landon Young are all listed as questionable for this game. Taysom Hill was recently downgraded to doubtful but his designation for the game is still unknown.

Prediction:

My prediction this week is that the Saints start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2013. I was a bit skeptical of the offense after the Week 1 win, but after last week I have bought into what this offense is capable of. I think we will see a physical game this week from both teams. If the Saints offense keeps pounding the ball and the defense stays fresh and off the field, the Saints could pull away in the 2nd half. I think we will see a closer game this week as the Saints win with a score of 31-24!

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LSU vs UCLA Week 4 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 22:50:41 GMT

Let's get into it!

This Saturday will be the 2nd matchup between LSU and UCLA on the football field. The Bruins were victorious in that 2021 matchup, 38-27. One of the Tigers' recent 1st game slip ups.

Spread: LSU -24.0

O/U: 56.5

TV: ABC

Location: Tiger Stadium

Time: 2:30 PM

UCLA (1-1) is coming off of a loss to the red hot Indiana Hoosiers. The Bruin offense is led by quarterback Ethan Garbers, running back T.J. Harden, wide receiver Rico Flores Jr., and tight end Moliki Matavao. This offense ranks last in the Big Ten Conference and in the bottom 20 in the nation in total offense. The Bruin defense is led by linebacker Kain Medrano, defensive back K.J. Wallace, and defensive lineman Siale Taupaki. This defense ranks 2nd to last in the Big Ten Conference in total defense. UCLA is in a bit of a transition period, having to replace a head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator.

LSU (2-1, #16/#16) is coming off of a stunning victory over SEC foe South Carolina. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is off to a great start this season, ranking 15th in passing yards, 3rd in touchdown passes, and 14th in QBR in the country. Wide receiver Kyren Lacy is off to a tremendous start to the season, ranking T-2nd in the country in touchdown receptions. Aaron Anderson is finding his spot in this Tiger offense, as he seems to always step up when a big catch is needed. Tight end Mason Taylor, who passed Richard Dickson for the most receptions by a tight end in LSU history against South Carolina, continues to be a great outlet for his quarterback. The Tiger running game was a bit of a mystery up until last week when freshman running back Caden Durham exploded onto the scene, scoring 2 rushing touchdowns against South Carolina. This Tiger defense has improved from last season. While the big plays are still being given up, they are on the ground rather than in the air. Ashton Stamps continues to play great in the defensive backfield. Zy Alexander made his presence felt against South Carolina with a big interception in the endzone. Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones are both in the top 10 in the country in sacks.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- EARLY AND OFTEN - With this UCLA team struggling to find an identity, this is a perfect opportunity for the Tigers to hop on this team and put them away early. Beat reports for UCLA are out on this team, let's see if this team can eat their prey and not play with it.

- RUMBLE YOUNG MAN RUMBLE - While I do realize this team will have a running back by committee approach, I would like to see Coach Kelly roll with the hot hand in this one. IF that just so happens to be Ju'Juan Johnson or Caden Durham, then so be it. Send a message.

- FINISH THE JOB - This LSU redzone offense has to improve. You have to get more points in the redzone. This is a great spot for this team to gain some confidence.

- SEEK AND DESTROY - This defense has a great opportunity to be dominant in this game. This UCLA offense is not very good. They do have a few playmakers. Can this defense "get up" for this one?

Fun fact: UCLA coaches Eric Bieniemy and Ted White were both born in Louisiana.

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Tulane Vs Louisiana Week 4 Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 17:12:51 GMT

Tulane Green Wave Vs Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Preview

By: Patrick Harkness

Spread: Tulane -3.5

Total: 54.5

Tulane travels to Lafayette this week to face the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, an in-state battle. Louisiana is coming off a 6-7 season, with their seventh loss coming in an overtime thriller against Jacksonville State, 31-34, in the New Orleans Bowl. Despite being a formidable team, Louisiana has struggled to close out key games, losing five by a touchdown or less. Head coach Michael Desormeaux returns for his third year with a 15-14 record after replacing Billy Napier (now Florida Gators HC).

Louisiana’s offense returns six starters, including four on the offensive line and two wide receivers. They are known for their strong running game, powered by two solid running backs and an experienced O-line. Expect them to establish a physical, run-heavy game and try to control the clock.

Defensively, Louisiana lost some talent to the transfer portal but returns much of their core. This season, they’ve switched to a 4-2-5 scheme, featuring a hybrid "star" linebacker/safety position, filled by Jaden Dugger. While last year’s defense struggled, the combination of a new scheme and experienced players could lead to major improvements.

After a hard-fought but tough loss, Tulane looks to bounce back, though this game has the potential to be a trap, especially on the road. Louisiana is a better team than their recent records suggest, so Tulane can’t afford to take them lightly. Can Mensah have a bounce-back game? Will we see more of Ty Thompson in the Tsunami package? Can the O-line maintain discipline and play all 4 quarters? Will the defensive line show up? Injuries? Key questions loom for both the offense and defense.

Offense

Quarterback – Another Road Test

Look for Darian Mensah to continue improving. He’s played well against two ranked opponents, though last game’s first half was rough due to poor O-line protection, leaving him running for his life. After halftime, both Mensah and the line settled down and moved the ball better. Though the

result wasn’t what we wanted, he’s young, and there’s a lot of football ahead. Expect him to get better each game. I’d like to see him use his legs more when the play breaks down—processing defenses faster will come with experience. This week, he'll need to keep an eye on Louisiana’s star linebacker, KC Ossai, who led the team last year with 95 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and a sack.

Ty Thompson – The Tsunami Has Arrived

Ty Thompson will likely continue to be a weapon in the red zone. His athleticism gives defenses fits, especially when they’re backed up. He can hand off to Makhi, keep it himself and run, or use play-action to either pass or run. I love how they’ve used him in the offense, even lining him up at wide receiver and motioning him into the backfield. There’s a lot of potential for creative play-calling with him. I'm really excited to see where this goes.

Running Back – Run the Ball

Makhi Hughes is having another stellar year. The coaching staff needs to lean on him more in short-yardage situations—he’s clearly the best option for tough yards. He could be in for a big game with some outside runs if Tulane’s tackles can hold the edges. Louisiana’s defensive ends are speedy but underweight. Defensive end Jordan Lawson, who had 6 sacks last year, will test the tackles, while the inside running game could be tough with defensive tackles Antoine Bayliss and Mason Narcisse being their run-stoppers. I would like to see Shadie Clayton be more involved in both the run and passing game. Arnold Barnes is a solid power back(caught a swing pass last week), but Shadie’s speed and versatility would add another dimension, especially in the passing game.

Receiving Game – The Fantastic Four (or Five?)

Can Shazz Preston make his Tulane debut? If so, the offense becomes even more explosive. We’re talking five-wide, empty sets, spreading out the defense and finding open targets. Another dimension this offense could use. Alex Bauman has been a key target for Mensah, though he injured his wrist last game, leading to Reggie Brown getting more snaps, including a touchdown catch from Thompson. Hopefully, Bauman’s injury isn’t serious, as he’s a critical red-zone weapon and great at high pointing the football.

The receivers had a quieter game last week. Dante Fleming stood out with 4 catches for 59 yards. If the run game gets going, Tulane could use play-action to hit him on deep/go routes. He is their true deep threat receiver. Mensah missed him last week on what should have been a 70 plus touchdown bomb. Mario Williams and Yulkeith Brown are great in space, and I’d like to see more quick passes—slants, screens, and bubbles—to utilize their speed. They have the ability to make people miss in space and create yards after the catch. Louisiana’s defense, like Kansas State’s, features three safeties, with Jaden Dugger playing the star role. Safety Tyrone Lewis Jr., their top secondary player, registered 74 tackles and 3 interceptions last year, he will be a key player to watch.

Offensive Line – Four Quarters of Discipline

Once again, the game will be won in the trenches. Louisiana’s defensive front is experienced but hasn’t been tested, facing only Grambling and Kennesaw State so far. Tulane’s tackles should handle the lighter defensive ends, opening up outside runs for Makhi. Inside runs will be tougher against their stout nose tackle and defensive tackles. But none of this matters without discipline—Tulane is averaging almost nine penalties a game, and that’s a killer. If the offensive line can stay disciplined and play all four quarters, the run game should open up, allowing Mensah to take control through the air.

X-Factor: Discipline and Coaching

Defense

Defensive Line – Who Will Step Up?

This defensive front has me baffled—they should be generating more pressure and sacks. Adin Huntington and Pat Jenkins are getting double-teamed and held on almost every play, but this should free up others to attack the quarterback. Both had solid performances last game, with Huntington batting down passes and Jenkins recording a sack. Hopefully this is a get right game and get this defensive front on the right track. Great news for tulane is that their Defensive line is deep with depth. 6 different guys can play the defensive tackle positions. Continue to see Tulane to use a rotation on the defensive line until they establish a good formidable front. Louisiana’s offensive line returns four starters and excels in a bruising run game. Tulane’s defensive line must control the trenches and stop the run if they want to have success.

Linebackers

Tyler Grubbs continues to shine, notching a pick-six last game along with 6 tackles and a sack. Sam Howard had 10 tackles and is a key player in run defense. Both will need to be sharp against Louisiana’s strong running game. Dre’lyn Washington and Zylan Perry, along with freshman Elijah Davis, make up a deep running back committee. The strength of Louisiana’s offense in 2023 was the rushing game, which posted a league-best 4.9 yards per carry. Returning running backs Dre’lyn Washington and Zylan Perry combined for 728 yards last season. And Freshman Elijah Davis has been getting a steady work load as well getting 17 carries for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns. Look for Dickson Agu to rotate in with Howard on passing downs. Tulane's linebacking core should be in store for a long and busy day in Lafayette.

Secondary – Injuries and Opportunity

Bailey Despaine was ejected for targeting but still managed 9 tackles before his exit. He’ll need to be sharp again with Louisiana’s run game. Jalen Geiger went down with an injury, giving young safeties Jack Tchienchou and Kevin Adams more playing time. Adams impressed with 9 tackles and a TFL. Adams was flying all over the field. The cornerback rotation of Micah Robinson, Lu Tillery, Jonathan Edwards, and Reshawn Pleasant is still sorting itself out. All four can play, it's just a matter of stepping up and rising to the occasion. I believe Caleb Ransaw got banged up again. Hopefully he's ready to go this week.

Louisiana has a solid Quarterback in Ben Wooldridge 40 for 52 with 497 yards passing with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. He's returning from an injury that knocked him out most of last year. They are also returning wide receivers in Harvey Broussard and Robert Williams, combining for 55 catches and 702 yards.The top four receivers are a little untested and they seem to be trying to figure things out, so look for the secondary to step up in the passing game. Senior Jacob Bernard leads the team with 8 catches for 112 yards, Broussard 5 catches 82 yards and a touchdown, Williams 6 catches 83 yards and a touchdown, Tavion Smith 4 catches 74 yards and a touchdown, and last but not least their tight end Terrance Carter has 6 catches for 52 yards and a touchdown

This is a chance for Tulane’s secondary to step up.

X-Factor: Defensive Front

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter

Jacob Barnes left the last game with a groin injury. If he’s out, true freshman Ethan Head will take over. He’s got a strong leg, but we’ll see if the pressure gets to him.

Will Karrol had a mixed performance last week with two bad punts, but he boomed one for 78 yards. Must be more consistent with 3 bad punts on the year so far.

Final Thoughts

This game comes down to controlling the line of scrimmage and staying disciplined. If Tulane can avoid penalties, establish the run, and let Mensah work, they have a strong chance to come away with a win. Stopping Louisiana’s run game will be key, but they can't overlook Wooldridge's ability to pass. It’s shaping up to be another exciting road test for Tulane.

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

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This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

LSU vs South Carolina Week 3 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 17:32:19 GMT

Let's get into it!

The cardiac cats were out in full force Saturday.

LSU won the toss and deferred. Coach Kelly typically does not defer. On the opening drive of the game, South Carolina marched 75 yards down the field and scored on a LaNorris Sellers 4 yard run. SC 7-0. LSU goes 3 and out. South Carolina was putting together a promising drive before Zy Alexander picked off LaNorris Sellers in the endzone. LSU punts on the next possession. South Carolina puts together a 13 play 65 yard drive that was capped off by a 28 yard field goal by Alex Herrera. SC 10-0. South Carolina blocks LSU's punts on the next possession. South Carolina scores on the 1st play on a Raheim Sanders 10 yard run. SC 17-0. LSU puts together an 8 play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a Caden Durham 26 yard run. SC 17-7. Sage Ryan sacks LaNorris Sellers, forcing a fumble that is scooped up by Harold Perkins Jr. LSU has a 4 play drive that is capped off by a Damien Ramos field goal. SC 17-10. LaNorris Sellers goes on a 75 yard touchdown run on the opening play of the following drive. Sound familiar, Tiger fans? SC 24-10. LSU goes on a 75 yard drive that is capped off by a 12 Kyren Lacy TD reception. SC 24-16. The 1st half ends on South Carolina's following drive. LSU puts together a great 9 play 74 yard drive to open the 2nd half, but the Tigers cannot punch it in from the 1 yard line. Turnover on downs. South Carolina has a 3 and out. LSU goes on a 5 play 45 yard drive that is capped off by a 9 yard Caden Durham TD run. SC 24-22. South Carolina has a 3 and out. LSU puts together a 10 play 80 yard drive that is capped off by a 2 yard Mason Taylor TD reception. LSU 29-24. South Carolina has a 3 play 75 yard drive that is capped off by a Raheim Sanders 66 yard TD run. SC 30-29. LSU has a miscommunication between DJ Chester and Garrett Nussmeier, causing a mistimed snap. Dylan Stewart jumps on the ball. South Carolina ball. South Carolina has a 4 play drive capped off by an Alex Herrera 42 yard field goal. SC 33-29. LSU has a 3 and out. Robby Ashford fumbles while being sacked by Bradyn Swinson. Major Burns jumps on the ball. LSU ball. Garrett Nussmeier is picked off by Nick Emmanwori. South Carolina ball. South Carolina has a 3 and out. LSU goes on a clutch 8 play 55 yard drive that is capped off by a 2 yard Josh Williams TD run. LSU 36-33. South Carolina has a 7 play 44 yard drive, setting up Alex Herrera for a 49 yard game tying field goal. Herrera misses. Ball game, LSU 36 - South Carolina 33.

TAKEAWAYS

- While this team showed a tremendous amount of heart in this comeback effort, you cannot do this with these better SEC teams. Alabama and Ole Miss will keep the petal down.

- Garrett Nussmeier is putting together quite the season. Through 3 games, the Tiger QB is 3rd in the nation in completions and TD passes. He is 15th in yards as well.

- Ashton Stamps and Zy Alexander are your best two defensive backs. These two guys are in great position when the ball comes their way.

- Good things happen when you blitz #7. Simply let Harold Perkins Jr spin!

- Kyren Lacy is tied for 2nd most TD receptions in the nation with Travis Hunter. Lacy is having a strong start to the season.

- Aaron Anderson is clutch. He is always there when you need a big play. Tip of the cap to you, AA.

- Caden Durham is for real. He will be the next Tiger running back that has "it." The young freshman introduced himself to the college football world Saturday.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Caden Durham - In a game that looked lost, the freshman came in and showed something Tiger fans have yet to see all season, a slippery, hard running RB.

- Defensive MVP - Bradyn Swinson - Swinson had a great game. 5 tackles and 3 sacks in some massive moments for the Tigers.

LSU faces UCLA at 2:30 Saturday, September 21st, in Baton Rouge.

Thank you for reading my article.

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Saints Week 2 Preview

tmike4689@gmail.com (Travis Himel) — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 14:21:11 GMT

WEEK 2 SAINTS AT COWBOYS

Saints fans are riding high after last week’s victory against the Panthers. This week will start a stretch of games that will put this team to the test! Will we see the same team from last week or was that 47 point performance a bit of a fluke?

This Week’s Matchup:

This Cowboys team will be a big test for a Saints team trying to get back to the top of the NFC. This Cowboys defense is hungry! The defense got home on 6 sacks last week along with 17 QB hits. The Saints O-line will certainly be tested this week. Micah Parsons is a player you have to gameplan against. Both teams come in at 1-0 so the fight to stay undefeated is alive for both teams.

Series History:

The Cowboys lead this head to head series 18-13. Anytime the Cowboys and Saints get together there will surely be fireworks. The two teams have split the last six contests at 3 wins each.

Your Saints:

This Saints team gave fans a reason to be excited. We had expectations for this team and they delivered last week. 47 points is a great performance no matter who your opponent was. Derek Carr looked rejuvenated in a new offense that featured a lot of play action and pre-snap movements. I was pleased to see that Dennis Allen gave Klint full reign of the offense. One obvious takeaway from last week is that Klint Kubiak wants to establish a run game. The O-line did their job to create running lanes which led to a big day out of the backfield. This week will be a different story. The O-line will have their work cut out with the defensive front that the Cowboys present. People are on notice after last week’s game.

This offense needs to show up again week in and week out. If the offense does their job, the defense will feast. This game will get out of hand if our defense is on the field for too long. We have a previous issue of mobile quarterbacks. What will the game plan be to contain Dak Prescott and make him uncomfortable? If we can step up and keep the Cowboys offense off the field then I believe we have a good chance of winning this game. The injury bug is starting to hit this Saints team. Let’s see what the injury report looks like.

Injury Report:

Bryan Bresee, Isaiah Foskey, Marshon Lattimore, and Taliese Fuaga are all listed as questionable. Khalen Saunders is still listed as out as he works his way back. A lot of these guys are gametime decisions so we’ have to wait and see who is able to play.

Prediction:

I predict this game to be closer than many expect. I think the Saints will put up a fight but fall short at the end. I think this will be a defensive game on both sides. This game will tell us where we truly are as a team. I think Olave will be targeted more and Kamara will have a big day. Alvin Kamara has a good history against the Cowboys and specifically Linebacker Eric Kendricks. Both teams have a good special teams group so I expect that to be a factor in this contest. I think the Cowboys will sneak away with a 20-17 victory while the Saints fall to 1-1 to start the season.

WEEK 2 FANTASY FOOTBALL STARTS OF THE WEEK

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 12:52:26 GMT

Let's get into it!

QBs

- Jared Goff - Tampa's defensive backfield is very beat up. This game can turn into a track meet quick.

- Baker Mayfield - The last time Baker played in Detriot, he put up 349 passing yards and 3 TDs. This will be a fun game to watch. Baker is coming off of a strong week 1 performance.

- Matthew Stafford - This Arizona defense is not very good. Stafford will have lots of opportunity to put up points in this one.

- Justin Fields - This is a weak Denver defense. Fields has strong rushing upside. He will look to build off of his week 1 performance.

RBs

- Rhamondre Stevenson - He received a ton of work in week 1. "If it ain't broke don't fix it." This Seattle defense is weak against the run.

- Josh Jacobs - With Jordan Love being injured, Jacobs may get a little more involved in this week's gameplan. This Indianapolis run defense has some holes.

- Jordan Mason - It looks like CMC may miss this week. Mason will look to continue what he started in week 1.

- J.K. Dobbins - Dobbins broke some long runs in week 1. Coach Harbaugh wants to run the ball. This Carolina defense spends a lot of time on the field.

WRs

- Cooper Kupp - With Nucua dinged up, Kupp received a ton of work in week 1. Look for that trend to continue.

- Deebo Samuel Jr. - Deebo looks to already be in midseason form along with the rest of this 49ers defense. He will always be involved in a big way.

- George Pickens - With Justin Fields starting in week 1, Pickens was peppered with targets. This shouldn't change this week.

- Jameson Williams - #sickostartoftheweek - This Tampa Bay defensive backfield is beat up. Jameson is a real speedster. After his strong week 1 performance, I like him to do more of the same this week.

TEs

- Kyle Pitts - Pitts caught a TD in week 1, and this Philly defense is not too good against TEs.

- Pat Friermuth - Friermuth had a 74% snap count in week 1. He is always on the field. This Denver defense is weak against TEs.

- Brock Bowers - Bowers had a solid week 1 performance. I will park him here until I am proved otherwise.

- Isaiah Likely - Likely had one of the more exciting week 1 performances. Baltimore may ride the hot hand with this one. Mark Andrews was blocking a lot in week 1.

D/STs

- Steelers - The Steelers had a strong week 1 performance. Look for them to build off of this against a rookie QB.

- Patriots - This game has a low over/under. This unit looked good in week 1.

- Chargers - With this Panthers offense, you can plug and play their oppenents D/ST each week.

- Commanders - Daniel Jones is a turnover machine. The Commanders will get you points.

Kickers

- Jake Bates - The highest over/under of the week. This game should have a ton of points

- Chase McLaughlin - ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

- Joshua Karty - Karty had a strong week 1, and this game has a high over/under.

- Jake Moody - Moody had a massive workload in week 1. This 49ers offense is clicking

Thank you for reading my article.

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LSU vs South Carolina Week 3 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 13:26:01 GMT

Let's get into it!

Spread: LSU -7

O/U: 50

For the 1st time since September 27, 2014. College Gameday is returning to Columbia, SC. LSU leads the all time series 19-2-1. The 1st meeting between these teams was back in 1930, with South Carolina winning a 7-6 battle.

South Carolina (RV/RV) is 2-0 with wins against Old Dominion and a dominating road victory over Kentucky. This South Carolina offense is led by Raheim "Rocket" Sanders. Sound familiar, Tiger fans? Sanders spent his 3 seasons at Arkansas before transferring to South Carolina this season. Sanders is extremely experienced, currently 10th in the SEC in rushing yards, and he was named Preseason 2nd Team All-SEC. Under center, the Gamecocks have a bit of a two-headed monster. LaNorris Sanders will likely be the "starter," with Robby Ashford spelling him at times. LaNorris and Robby can scoot, but you have to respect their arms as well. Mazeo Bennet Jr. is a true freshman who appears to be the real deal on the outside. This defense is led by a 4-headed monster upfront. At defensive tackle, TJ Sanders and Tonka Hemingway are problems up the middle. Off the edge, Dylan Stewart and Kyle Kennard are among the leaders in sacks in the SEC. At linebacker, Debo Williams (Preseason 2nd Team All-SEC) is a ball hawk. In the defensive backfield, Nick Emmanwori (Preseason 3rd Team All-SEC) is all over the field, and Jalon Kilgore is off to a great start this season. On special teams, punter Kai Kroeger can pin you at any time, and kicker Alex Herrera is as steady as they come. This South Carolina team will be playing fired up in this one.

LSU (#16/#17) is 1-1 with mixed reviews so far this season. LSU has shown a lot of good, some bad, and some ugly. LSU has to keep Kyren Lacy involved in the game plan. He is clearly your most electric playmaker on his offense. Keep creating opportunities for him, and good things will happen. Garrett Nussmeier is off to a great start, but you cannot leave it all up to his arm. With your best run defender hurt, Jacobian Guillory (out for the season), who steps up in his absence? Look for Ahmad Breaux and Dylan Carpenter to play a lot in this one. Zy Alexander's return is huge for this defense. His veteran presence alone will help this team out. Zy is a playmaker.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- STRENGTH ON STRENGTH - Can this Tiger offensive line handle this South Carolina defensive line? This matchup will be fun to watch.

- ARE YOU READY?! - Williams-Brice Stadium is already a hectic environment for visiting teams, but with College Gameday being there. This stadium will be loud. Is this team ready for that challenge?

- ...RUN - Can this LSU offense get SOMETHING, ANYTHING going on the ground in this one? This South Carolina defense is a high flying unit, you have to make them respect the ground game.

Fun Fact: College Gameday Appearance records: South Carolina 3-6 & LSU 21-12

Thank you for reading my article.

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Tulane Vs Oklahoma Week 3 Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 01:17:42 GMT

Tulane Green Wave Vs Oklahoma Sooners Preview

Tulane to Face 15th-Ranked Oklahoma in Norman
By Patrick Harkness

Spread: -13.5

Total: 50.5

Tulane travels to Norman this week to take on the 15th-ranked Sooners after a controversial 34-27 loss to Kansas State. Meanwhile, the Sooners barely escaped with a 16-12 win over former Tulane head coach Willie Fritz and the Houston Cougars. Let’s dive into how this Tulane team might pull off a victory against an Oklahoma squad still trying to find its identity. Can Mensah handle his first big road test, and will Tulane's defense rise to the challenge?

Offense

Quarterback – Mensah’s First Road Challenge

Darian Mensah has looked impressive in his first two collegiate starts, throwing for 547 yards with a 70.7% completion rate, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. You really can't ask for much more from a redshirt freshman Quarterback. Mensah and the Tulane offense will be up against a new defensive coordinator tandem at Oklahoma, with Jay Valai and former Clemson aide Zac Alley. Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, a defensive mastermind, will likely throw multiple formations and stunts at the young QB and Tulane's offensive line, aiming to confuse them.

Mensah needs to keep an eye on Oklahoma’s free safety Billy Bowman, who had six interceptions last year, including three pick-sixes. Though Oklahoma's defense has struggled over the past few seasons, they appear to be improving. However, they're still working out the kinks, and Tulane might be able to capitalize. Look for this passing attack to challenge Oklahoma's experienced but inconsistent corner back room.

Ty Thompson was irrelevant in the last matchup. Still think Tulane may have some fun packages up their sleeves especially against this Oklahoma Defense. I'm still hoping for Ty to get more involved especially in the redzone with RPOs and Play action rollouts and just let the kid use his athleticism.

Running Back – Makhi Hughes Must Cook

Makhi Hughes is coming off a fantastic performance, rushing for over 120 yards and a touchdown. He’ll be a key factor in this matchup. Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman, a 6'4" senior and likely NFL draft pick, had 15 tackles against Houston and will look to shut down Tulane's run game. If Tulane struggles on the ground, Shadie Clayton could step in to assist in the passing attack, especially after his impressive work in kickoff returns. Arnold Barnes will need to bounce back from his early fumble last week if he wants to see more action.

Receiving Game – The Fantastic Four

Tulane’s “Fantastic Four” receiving core—Mario Williams, Dontae Fleming, Yulkeith Brown, and Alex Bauman—could play a pivotal role. Oklahoma’s corners, led by Woodi Washington and Gentry Williams, along with impact transfer Dez Malone from San Diego State, have talent but can be inconsistent at times. Mario Williams is coming off another 100-yard game but still hasn’t found the end zone. Fleming rebounded nicely last week with 92 yards receiving, and if Oklahoma's defense focuses too much on Williams and Fleming, Brown might be poised for a big game with his speed and playmaking ability. Bauman, meanwhile, has become a reliable target for Mensah, notching two touchdowns last week and three on the season. We can expect this Tulane offense to spread it out and challenge the Oklahoma secondary and capitalize in the redzone with Bauman.

Offensive Line – Clean It Up

Penalties, penalties, penalties. They’re drive-killers. Tulane’s experienced offensive line must clean up the false starts and holding calls if they want to stand a chance on the road. Oklahoma’s defensive front features some heavy hitters in defensive end Ethan Downs (Second Team All-Big 12), Tennessee transfer Da’Jon Terry, and 5-star recruit David Stone. These players will look to disrupt Tulane's offense with multiple formations, stunts and disguised linebacker blitzes, but if the O-line can maintain discipline and read the defense, they have the talent to get the job done.

X-Factor: Offensive Line

Offensive Review – Efficiency is Key

Tulane's offense can move the ball effectively and quickly if they avoid penalties. A well-balanced attack early in the game, finding their vulnerabilities and exploiting them will be key, run game or passing game.

Defense

Defensive Line – Time to Shine

Tulane’s defensive line hasn’t lived up to expectations YET. Initially considered a team strength, both the pass rush and run stopping have been subpar. However, this week's matchup presents a golden opportunity. Oklahoma does not return a single starting player on the offensive line and Oklahoma’s offense is in transition with a new offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and quarterback. The Sophomore QB Jackson Arnold is more of a pocket passer, but he has mobility when needed, rushing for 62 yards on 22 carries. If Tulane’s front can pressure Arnold, they might force him into costly mistakes. On the season Arnold is still trying to get his feet underneath him with 315 yards passing (63.2% comp rate) but has a respectable 6 passing touchdowns. This Boomer Sooner offense seems to have a running back by committee and is a bit unsettled, with Gavin Sawchuk (RB1), Taylor Tatum (former top running back recruit), and Javonte Barnes all likely to see carries. Stopping them will be crucial.

Linebackers

Tyler Grubbs, second on the team with nine tackles, will need another strong showing. Sam Howard and Dickson Agu are rotating based on game down/type situations. The Sooners' offense is well-balanced, 61 pass attempts and 65 rush attempts, meaning Tulane’s linebackers will be tested, especially by Oklahoma’s tight ends, Bauer Sharp and Jake Roberts, who have combined for 12 catches. Chris Rodgers might also see more snaps, given Oklahoma’s tendency to pass more than Kansas State.

Secondary – Injuries Loom Large

Micah Robinson and Jonathan Edwards both went down with injuries last week. While Edwards is expected to return, Robinson’s status is unclear. Rayshawn Pleasant, who started last game, seems to be gaining confidence and locking down the cornerback one position. This Tulane coaching staff still seems to be trying to figure things out on the back end with Jack Tch and Kevin Adams getting a lot of playing time last game. Look for Jalen Geiger and Bailey Despaine to get the starts at the safety positions. Oklahoma has four receivers who could all be threats. Nic Anderson (that'll be weird to hear), Deion Burkes (transfer from Purdue), and Brennan Thompson all averaged over 20 yards a catch last season. Deion Burkes is "THE GUY" in the offense and leads the team in receptions (15). Burkes is a speedster and has already caught 3 touchdowns which also leads the team. Jalil Farooq is another wideout to keep an eye on, an injury had him out last game. He has big play ability with one catch for 47 yards in week 1. Tulane’s secondary will need to step up, especially if Robinson is out. It'll be their first true test.

X-Factor: Pass Rush/Secondary

Defensive Review – Get After the QB

Getting pressure on QB Jackson Arnold will be critical. If Tulane’s defense can disrupt Oklahoma’s rhythm, especially in the passing game, they have a chance to control the game. Improved tackling will also be key after last week's struggles.

Special Teams

Kicker/Punter

Jacob Barnes has been perfect this season, going 3-for-3 on field goals with a long of 41, and has made all 10 extra points.

Will Karrol had a solid game last week, flipping field position effectively, and Tulane will need more of the same against Oklahoma.

Stay Tuned for Tulane vs Oklahoma Review later

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

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This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

Tulane Vs Kansas State Week 2 Review

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:49:00 GMT

Tulane Green Wave Vs Kansas State Wildcats Review

Tulane Week 2 Review: Kansas State vs. Tulane Green Wave

Kansas State – 34

vs
Tulane – 27

By Patrick Harkness

Spread: KSU -9.5
Total: 49.5

Tulane and Kansas State faced off in a classic gridiron battle, filled with ups and downs. From a fumble returned for a touchdown to an almost game-tying play and the controversy that followed, there’s a lot to unpack. Let’s dive into Tulane’s performance, Makhi Hughes' big game, Mensah's mindset, areas of concern, and key injuries in the secondary,

Offense

Quarterback – Mensah is IT

Darian Mensah’s second career start was a rollercoaster. He went 19/29 for 342 yards and two touchdowns, with more highs than lows against this Kansas State defense. However, the few lows were costly, including a fumble in the 4th quarter that Kansas State returned for the eventual game-winning touchdown.

As a young quarterback, you expect some mistakes, but he needs to learn to take the sack instead of trying to make everything happen with his feet. I wanted to see mentally how he would respond after the big defensive touchdown. The first possession after the fumble ended in a punt, but Tulane got the ball back with just over three minutes left thanks to a key stop deep in Kansas State territory.

Mensah didn't disappoint. He hit Makhi Hughes on a checkdown for a big gain, showing great pocket presence by stepping up in the pocket to evade a sack. The next play was incomplete to Mario, but a pass interference call on Kansas State moved the chains. Later Mensah used his legs to convert on key downs, including a 4th and 6 where a defensive holding call gave Tulane another chance.

Here’s where the controversy comes in. With 1st and goal on the two-yard line, I personally would have run the ball (though I'm just a fan, not a coach). Tulane had Wide receiver Yulkeith Brown motioning towards the line; after the snap he broke into the flats, made the catch, and barely got into the end zone. But a flag flew, calling Donte Fleming for offensive pass interference. It looked like Fleming was just trying to run his route, but the corner jammed him up a couple yards into the endzone. It was not the best call. I hate blaming refs or saying you lost a game by officiating, but let the kids play ball! You hate to see officiating dictate a game, especially one so crucial for Tulane and their playoff implications.

You live, you learn, you move on.

Ty Thompson wasn't a factor in this game, which surprised me. Hopefully, the coaching staff continues to experiment with him. Maybe the Oklahoma game is when he gets his chance.

Running Back – The Makhi Hughes Show

Makhi Hughes had a huge game, carrying the team with 21 rushes for 128 yards and a touchdown. He also contributed to the passing game, catching two passes on the first possession of the game and adding a long reception late in the 4th that put Tulane in great field position. He finished with five receptions for 37 yards, averaging 7.4 per catch. It’s great to see the coaching staff getting their star running back involved in the passing attack.

Arnold Barnes continues to struggle with fumbling issues, the same problem he had last year. After his fumble, he didn’t touch the field again, finishing with just five carries for 18 yards. Look for him to work hard on his ball security this week. Shadie Clayton wasn’t very involved in the offense, but he had a decent day on kickoff returns, collecting 152 yards on six returns, averaging 25.3 with a long of 44.

Receiving Game – Super Mario

Super Mario Williams was unstoppable. Bowser wouldn’t stand a chance against this guy. He hauled in six catches for 128 yards, including a long of 47. Mario is everything you could ask for from a big-time transfer portal addition.

Tulane may have found their one-two punch in Mario Williams and Dontae Fleming. Fleming had a bounce-back game, including a 53-yard catch that set up Tulane’s first touchdown early in the first. He finished with four catches for 97 yards. Alex Bauman might be Tulane's knockout punch, with two more touchdowns this game, bringing his season total to three. Yulkeith Brown also chipped in with two catches for 31 yards with a long of 28. Bryce Bohanon saw a lot of action in this game as well but failed to receive a catch.

Offensive Line – Pass Protection and Run Game

Penalties, penalties, penalties—they’re drive killers. False starts and holding calls killed Tulane’s momentum multiple times. Kansas State racked up five sacks, but the number is a bit misleading. Only two of those sacks were for more than five yards, with the key one being the fumble returned for a touchdown. The other sacks came when Mensah had time but tried to escape the pocket or step up. Still, five sacks are five sacks. Mensah’s ability to decide when to tuck and run quicker should improve as the season progresses.

The offensive line did a solid job in the run game, helping Hughes rush for 128 yards on 21 carries (6.1 average). Tulane's offensive line should look to improve and build off of their last two games as they prepare for Oklahoma.

Offensive Review

Tulane came out firing, putting up 20 points in the first half against a tough Kansas State defense. However, the second half was a different story, with only seven more points and a costly fumble that led to the game-winning touchdown. The offensive line played well, despite the penalties and sacks. The receiving core continues to impress, but cleaning up the penalties will be key for this unit to thrive. Moving forward, the coaching staff needs to focus on eliminating mistakes, especially with Oklahoma on the horizon.

Defense

Defensive Line – Containing Avery

The pass rush was lackluster, but the defensive ends spent most of the game playing contain to keep Kansas State’s dual-threat QB Avery Johnson from running wild. Johnson finished with 40 yards on eight carries. The interior defensive line couldn’t generate any sacks and missed on several opportunities in the backfield. Kam Hamilton continues to impress by consistently getting pressure on the QB. Kansas State rushed for 215 yards, with big gains of 51, 27, and 18 yards. This defensive line, considered a team strength, needs to step up in both pass rushing and run stopping. Look for the leaders of this unit to use this game as motivation moving forward.

Linebackers

Tyler Grubbs led the linebacking corps with six total tackles and one tackle for loss. Dickson Agu and Sam Howard rotated throughout the game, combining for four tackles. Sam Howard mostly out there for key running downs and Agu subbing in for passing situations. Against a run-heavy team like Kansas State, we expected more from this group especially in this game. But it's not all on them this team needs to play as a unit and the defensive line needs to hold their blockers longer to free up the linebackers, allowing them to stop the run and make key plays.

Secondary – Deep Rotation

Injuries hit the secondary hard, with Micah Robinson and Jonathan Edwards both going down. Robinson stayed out and Edwards returned, finishing with five tackles. Rayshawn Pleasant led the team in tackles with 7, but it’s never a good sign when your secondary is leading in that category. Pleasant got burned on a couple of big plays, but overall, the secondary held Kansas State to just 181 passing yards and two touchdowns. Not bad against a Heisman hopeful QB, though he’s more known for his legs than his arm. Redshirt Freshman Jack Tchienchou even got a heavy dose of playing time still not sure what happened to Jalen Geiger.

Defensive Review – Work to Be Done

It all starts with the defensive line. The pass rush wasn’t aggressive enough, and the run defense struggled, allowing 215 yards on the ground. Missed tackles are killing this unit. Tulane had opportunities to wrap up for sacks but couldn’t finish. Must limit the big plays. Despite the loss, Tulane outplayed Kansas State in many areas and should have at least forced overtime or straight up won. After halftime it almost looked like a completely different team.

Special Teams – Correcting the Kickoff Coverage

Just kick it into the end zone, Ethan Head! This might suggest there’s still an issue with kickoff coverage, or maybe the team didn’t want to risk it against Kansas State’s strong return game. Either way, it was a smart move.

Kicker/Punter

Jacob Barnes went 2/2 on field goals, with a long of 41 yards, and nailed all three of his extra points. He looks like a great transfer pickup for Tulane.

Punter Will Karrol had four punts for 173 yards, with a long of 61 and one downed inside the 20. He had a much better game this week, helping to flip field position for the defense.

Stay Tuned for Tulane vs Oklahoma Preview

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

RollWave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

LSU vs Nicholls Week 2 Review

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:09:50 GMT

Let's get into it!

On Saturday night, the Nicholls Colonels and the LSU Tigers met on the gridiron for the first time.

For the 2nd consecutive week, LSU's opening drive got off to a promising start as Garrett Nussmeier connected with CJ Daniels for an 18 yard gain, but after a penalty and 3 incompletions, the Tigers were forced to punt. Nicholls went 3 and out, and after a bad snap to the punter, the Tigers were awarded a safety after the Colonel punter kicked the ball out of the endzone. LSU 2-0. Zavion Thomas took the kickoff 51 yards, setting up the Tigers with great field position. The Tigers put together a 7 play 27 yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass to Trey'Dez Green. LSU 9-0. Nicholls put together a 13 play 87 yard drive taking over 7 minutes off the clock. Collin Guggenheim punched it in from 2 yards out. LSU 9-7. LSU goes on an 8 play 73 yard drive, which was capped off by a 32 yard touchdown pass to Kyren Lacy. LSU 16-7. Nicholls puts together another impressive drive, that went 75 yards on 13 plays, capped off by a wide receiver pass, Quincy Brown hit Lee Negrotto for an 18 yard touchdown. LSU 16-14. LSU then goes on a 5 play 75 yard touchdown drive, with completions over 20 yards and 30 yards, capped off by a 4 yard touchdown pass to Ju'Juan Johnson. LSU 23-14. Nicholls has a 3 and out. LSU gets the ball back with 57 seconds left, gets into field goal range, and Damien Ramos misses a 39 yard field goal to close out the half. Nicholls receives the second half opening kickoff and has a 2 play 75 yard drive capped off by a great 67 yard Collin Guggenheim touchdown run. LSU 23-21. LSU has an 11 play 72 yard drive capped off by a 6 yard touchdown pass to Kyren Lacy. LSU 30-21. Nicholls then fumbles on the 1st play of the drive, LSU ball. LSU takes advantage of the mistake and goes on a 5 play 41 yard drive capped off by a 7 yard touchdown catch by Kyren Lacy. LSU 37-21. Nicholls has a 3 and out. LSU goes a 7 play 45 yard drive capped off by a Zavion Thomas 4 yard touchdown snag. LSU 44-21. The teams trade 3 and outs on their next 2 drives. Nicholls turns over the ball on downs. LSU has a 3 and out. Nicholls kneels it out. LSU 44-21.

TAKEAWAYS

- This LSU rushing offense is a problem. You have to establish the running game. 64 yards total, with your leading rusher gaining only 19 is unacceptable.

- Nussmeier is impressive through two games. He seems to be getting more and more comfortable as time goes by. His 610 passing yards is the 15th most in the nation.

- Kyren Lacy is WR 1. It is impressive to see the ways Kyren got better this offseason. He has had a solid 2 games.

- Ju'Juan Johnson, tell your friends, your family, and your neighbors. This guy will be great in purple and gold. He is a true playmaker.

- Collin Guggenheim is a talented football player. This guy lined up all over the offense for Nicholls. He is fun to watch.

- Nicholls is a very good football team. It will be interesting to see how far the Colonels can take it this season.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Garrett Nussmeier - 6 TD passes and 10 incompletions. That deserves to be rewarded.

- Defensive MVP - Greg Penn III - 9 total tackles on the night

LSU travels to South Carolina next week. College Gameday will be there. Can the Tigers step up? We shall see.

Thank you for checking out my article.

Follow me on Twitter (the artist formerly known as X) @eazytro

Saints Week 1 Preview

tmike4689@gmail.com (Travis Himel) — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 17:09:36 GMT

Week 1 Saints vs Panthers

Saints fans… The 2024-25 season is officially underway! Fans seem to be split on expectations this year. Some believe we could go far as underdogs while others can’t seem to find hope. Nonetheless, Saints fans will always agree on one thing. We want to bring home a Lombardi trophy! How likely is that this year? We can only wait and see. Here’s what you can expect from the Black & Gold:

This Week’s Matchup:

In Week 1 this year we have a home opener against our division opponent, the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers finished last season with an underwhelming 2-15 record. They also finished their season on a 3 game losing streak. Last year the Panthers went 0-9 on the road. However, the Panthers brought in a new head coach to hopefully fix many of their offensive issues from last year. Three Offensive Linemen will get their debut start for the Panthers this Sunday. Alongside them will be two new Wide Receivers, Rookie Xavier Legette and new acquisition Diontae Johnson. QB Bryce Young is looking to have a much better campaign this year after a disappointing rookie season.

Series History:

In the last 10 seasons, the Saints are 12-8 against the Carolina Panthers. A slightly closer series than I would like to see. The Panthers were swept by the Saints last year after sweeping the series the previous season. Each team is looking to get off to a hot start for the 2024-25 season.

Your Saints:

The Saints are coming off of a fairly good preseason as far as player development and installing a new system under new Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiac. I expect a bigger year from QB Derek Carr and RB Alvin Kamara. Expect Chris Olave to rack up another 1,000 yard season while Rashid Shaheed looks to get over the 1,000 receiving yard threshold. This Saints defense has me excited! This could statistically be one of the best Saints defenses we’ve ever seen.

When healthy, the Saints defensive front can make a big impact in the run game while defensive Captain Demario Davis looks to build upon a Hall of Fame worthy career. The defensive back group is one of the best in the NFL on paper. Rookie Kool-Aid Mckinstry looks to learn from the veterans and step right in to fill his role in this defense after the Saints traded up in the 2nd round to draft him. The Saints could have a successful season as long as the offense can get down the field and score when called upon. If the offense and defense can feed off of each other, we could end with a very good record. The NFC South is up for grabs along with hosting a playoff game. We all know there’s no louder stadium than a playoff game in the Dome!

Injuries:

The Saints expect to start the season very healthy with very few players hurt. A.T Perry, Willie Gay, and Nick Saldiveri are questionable while Khalen Saunders is listed as out for this game.

Prediction:

I predict the Saints to get off to a good start with the defense picking up where they left off last year. The Panthers will have little time to run their offense and will have trouble getting downfield. I predict the Saints to start the season 1-0 with a score of 24-9!

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Now you Kneaux!

LSU vs Nicholls State Week 2 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 19:11:46 GMT

Let's get into it!

Despite being John L. Guidry Stadium and Tiger Stadium 1 hour and 21 minutes away from each other. This is the first time these two schools will be meeting on the football field.

Nicholls (0-1, #22/#25) dropped its week 1 contest against Louisiana Tech. This ain't ya daddy's Nicholls. Coach Tim Rebowe has completely revamped this program and deserves every ounce of recognition he receives and then some. Nicholls, who is coming off of a Southland Conference title, was selected to win the conference yet again. This Colonel offense is led by quarterback Pat McQuaide (Preseason 2nd Team All-SLC), running backs Collin Guggenheim and Jaylon Spears (both Preseason 1st Team All-SLC), tight end/h-back Lee Negrotto (Preseason 1st Team All-SLC), and offensive linemen Evan Roussel (Preseason 1st Team All-SLC) and Reed Lambert (Preseason 2nd Team All-SLC). The Colonel defense is led by defensive linemen Rasheed Lovelace, Kershawn Fisher, and Joe Mason (all Preseason 1st Team All-SLC), linebackers Hayden Shaheen (Preseason 1st Team All-SLC) and Eli Ennis (Preseason 2nd Team All-SLC), who was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week in week 1, and defensive backs Tyler Morton and Kendarius Smith (both Preseason 1st Team All-SLC). Nicholls' punter, Kylan Dupre (Preseason 1st Team All-SLC), is a field flipper; he is an extremely talented punter. This Nicholls team will be hungry and will be playing with nothing to lose.

LSU (0-1, #18/#19) dropped an absolute heartbreaker against USC in week 1 in front of the entire college football world. LSU cannot come out with any sort of week 1 "hangover." Can you create opportunities for your playmakers? Coach Kelly spoke about getting guys like Kyren Lacy the ball, you have got to create opportunities for your differencemakers. Can you shut down this Nicholls' running game? LSU's run defense was quite impressive last week, but can you continue that in this one?

KEYS TO THE GAME

- EARLY & OFTEN - This LSU offensive line got punched in the mouth and did not recover last week. You have to establish this running attack early in this contest.

- FINISH THE JOB - This LSU redzone offense has got to improve. You have got to come away with more points in the redzone. Later in the season, you can't trade 7's for 3's.

- YOU GOT TO LIVE & LEARN - Can you learn from your mistakes? 10 penalties for 99 yards is unacceptable. These silly unsportsmanlike flags have got to go.

- MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT - This LSU team has to keep their foot on the accelerator. You have go to put your opponent away when you have the chance. Can this team deliver the knockout blow early? LSU fans will have to see a blowout to get back on board.

Fun Fact: LSU running back coach Frank Wilson ended his college playing career and started his coaching career at Nicholls.

Thank you for reading my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Week 1 Fantasy Football Starts of the Week

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 16:36:28 GMT

Let's get into it!

WEEK 1 FANTASY FOOTBALL STARTS OF THE WEEK!

QBs

Jared Goff - This game has the highest o/u of the week. This will be a fun game to watch. Goff is simply different at home.

Kyler Murray - This game has the 5th highest o/u of the week. Murray has dual threat ability. The Cardinals defense is not great, so Murray will have a ton of opportunity.

Jordan Love - This game has the 4th highest o/u of the week. Love had an extremely strong finish last season. He has a ton of pass catchers.

Matthew Stafford - This game has the highest o/u of the week. Stafford will have lots of opportunity to feed his pass catchers while trying to match Goff's performance this week. He said he is "ready" to hear the angry Lions fans.

Kenneth Walker III - The Broncos gave up the 2nd most points to the rb position last year. With the passing game Seattle has, Walker should run wild.

James Cook - The Cardinals gave up the most points to the rb position last year. Cook will have a full workload.

Javonte Williams - The Seahawks gave up the 3rd most points to the rb position last year. Williams does not have much competition for touches in the backfield.

Chuba Hubbard - While the Saints defense will be stout, Hubbard will be very involved in the offensive game plan. He has big pass catching upside.

WRs

Malik Nabers - Nabers is truly alone in the Giants offense. He will be peppered with targets. The Vikings gave up the 6th most points to the WR position.

Keon Coleman - Josh Allen is a top 2/3 fantasy QB, I cannot understand why Coleman is ranked so low. Coleman has big play potential.

Courtland Sutton - Seattle gave up the 12th most points to WRs last season. Bo Nix will have to throw the ball to someone. Sutton is the top pass catcher in this offense.

Drake London - London is in a great spot for fantasy owners, with Kyle Pitts dinged up going into this one. Kirk Cousins will spread the ball around, but London has top target potential.

TEs

Brock Bowers - Outside of Davonte Adams in this offense, the Raiders do not have a lot of targets. Bowers has the potential to be a real PPR threat.

Pat Friermuth - Friermuth is the number 2 in this offense. It will be interesting to see how Russell Wilson utilizes Friermuth.

Zach Ertz - #sickostartoftheweek - Ertz has the potential to be a true outlet for rookie Jayden Daniels to lean on. Rookie QBs always throw to their TEs.

Taysom Hill - Hill may very well see playing time at QB, RB, WR, and TE. He is a true redzone threat. He can possibly become a cheat code.

Jake Bates - TRIFECTA - Highest o/u, at home, and in a dome

Joshua Karty - Perfect combo - Highest o/u and in a dome

Cairo Santos - Santos may have a lot of opportunity here.

Matt Gay - 2nd highest o/u - This may turn into a shootout in a hurry.

DST

Bengals - This Patriots offense may struggle.

Saints - This Saints defense has the potential to feast this weekend.

Seahawks - Rookie Bo Nix may make a few mistakes in this one. A big chance for turnovers.

Vikings - Daniel Jones has been known to turn the ball over.

Malik Nabers' New Jersey Number

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 21:34:46 GMT

Lets get into it!

In 1935, the New York Giants made football history by retiring Ray Flaherty's number 1 jersey. On August 28, 2024, after gaining permission from the Flaherty family, the number came out of retirement and will be worn by Malik Nabers. Let's take a deeper dive into this.

Ray Flaherty

Flaherty grew up in Spokane, Washington, where he attended Gonzaga High School. The same Gonzaga High School as New Orleans Saints legend Steve Gleason, basketball hall of famer John Stockton, and famous entertainer Bing Crosby. He would originally attend Washington State College, now Washington State University, before transferring to Gonzaga University to finish out his college years. While at Gonzaga, he would participate in track & field, baseball, basketball, and football. His professional career began with the Los Angeles Wildcats, a team that would only last for the 1926 season. He would then spend the following two seasons with the New York Yankees (a football team). In 1929, he would sign with the New York Giants, where he would play the 1929, 1931-1935 seasons. Flaherty would take the 1930 season to return to Gonzaga University to coach the football team. Upon returning in 1931, Flaherty would have great seasons: third-team All-Pro in 1931, NFL leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 1932, and he would help the Giants win the NFL Championship in 1934. After Flaherty retired in 1935, the Giants retired his number 1 jersey. Flaherty would go on to have a great 14-year NFL coaching career as he would win two more NFL Championships. In 1976, Flaherty would enter football immortality when he would be inducted into the Football Hall of Fame. It is said Flaherty is the creator of the screen pass. He is a member of the Washington Commander Greatest 90.

After some discussion, the Flaherty family decided to allow Malik to wear Ray's number as it may "bring Malik some luck" and "it would allow the new generation to be introduced to Ray Flaherty's legacy."

Malik Nabers

Malik grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana. He would attend Ovey Comeaux High School for his freshman - junior years. He would elect to transfer to Southside High School, but after his transfer waiver was denied, Malik would have to sit out his senior season. Malik would attend several camps and still obtain a 4-star rating from all major recruiting services. Nabers was committed to Mississippi State University before flipping his commitment late to Louisiana State University. Malik would become arguably the best Tiger receiver of all time. Malik ranks 1st all time in career receiving yards, 1st in career receptions, and 7th in receiving touchdowns in LSU history. He would become the 6th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Giants organization has said they will place the number back into retirement after Malik's playing days are done. The Giants hope Malik has a career that lasts "many years."

Thank you for reading my article.

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Tulane Vs Kansas State Week 2 Preview

phark40@gmail.com (Patrick Harkness) — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 14:55:50 GMT

Tulane Green Wave Vs Kansas State Wildcats Preview

By Patrick Harkness

Spread: KSU -9.5

Total: 49.5

The Tulane Green Wave faces off against Kansas State in a high-stakes matchup, with both teams eager to assert dominance early in the season. Tulane is coming off a 52-0 shutout win against Southeastern Louisiana, while Kansas State also defeated their FCS opponent, UT-Martin, 41-6. The last time these two teams squared off, it was Tulane who got the win with a gutsy 4th-down call by former coach Willie Fritz at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. This time, Tulane has the home-field advantage and is ready for a rocking Yulman Stadium on September 7 at 11 AM.

Offense

Quarterback – Mensah Must Rise

The Cali Cool Kid is coming off his first collegiate start and did not disappoint. He showcased his mobility in and out of the pocket and demonstrated his arm talent with some nice deep passes, showing real poise for a young freshman. However, Mensah may have his hands full against this Kansas State defensive front, which is young and plays fast. Kansas State’s defense is known for its discipline and ability to pressure the quarterback, a tradition dating back to the Bill Snyder era. Mensah must be quick with his reads and get the ball out fast. Kansas State's front seven will bring pressure and try to force the young freshman into making mistakes. It all comes down to mistake-free football for Mensah and the offense against this Kansas State defense. The key will be for Mensah to know when to hit his target or tuck and run.

Ty Thompson – It’s Ty’s Time to Shine

Ty Thompson might be the unsung hero of this game. Mensah is QB1 but look for the coaching staff to utilize Ty more in this game. He showed what he can do with his feet by running in two scores on a couple read option plays, and now let’s see how creative this staff can get with him. Expect more Tim Tebowish run plays, but I’d love to see Tulane install some play-action rollouts, giving Ty the option to use his athleticism to run downfield if no one is open. RPOs (Run-Pass Options) would also be a fun addition to the offense with Ty in specific situations. Giving him the opportunity to read the defense and decide to hand the ball off to the running back, keep himself and run or throw the ball to an open receiver. I’m excited to see how they use him going forward in these sub-packages as the season progresses.

Running Back – Running Back by Committee?

Makhi Hughes is the guy, and we all know that. He should receive a high dosage of handoffs early in this game until Mensah gets into a rhythm in the passing game. Kansas State has a very good defense, the strength of their team. Their front seven is deep, and we could see multiple formations like the 3-3-5, 4-3(4 defensive lineman and 3 linebackers), and 3-4(3 defensive lineman and 4 linebackers) . They mostly lined up in the 3-3-5 with 3 linemen, 3 linebackers, and 5 in the secondary against their FCS opponent last week. With our style of play, I could see Kansas State loading the box more to try and slow down Tulane's running game. This is where Shadie Clayton could excel. He’s a different style back than Hughes—more of a change-of-pace, speedy, shifty guy. We could see Tulane utilize him with some swing passes out of the backfield to get him into open space or some screen passes. He’s not just about speed; you can tell he’s put in work in the weight room by breaking some tackles last game, whereas last year, he usually went down on first contact. Arnold Barnes will do his thing, subbing in for Makhi when he needs a breather. Barnes got a touchdown on an old-school fullback dive last game. Keep an eye on Trey Cornist and true freshman Jamauri McClure to possibly get some late touches, McClure looked really good running the ball in limited touches. It’s early, and he only had a few carries, but from what I saw in the previous game, I’m buying stock in this kid. Head coach Jon Sumrall has even mentioned him late in camp about his abilities.

Wide Receivers

It’s the Super Mario Williams show in uptown New Orleans. He’s coming off a great game with four catches for 124 yards, including a long of 68. Look for Tulane to capitalize on his impressive debut at Yulman last week. Mario has great breakaway speed and can make people miss. Tulane may use him more in the running game with some jet sweeps to keep the defense honest. Dante Fleming is looking for a rebound game after recording zero catches and dropping a touchdown pass last week. Tulane needs more from their outside receiver if they want to have a chance in this game. Fleming has great speed and impressed the coaching staff all spring, even winning the Trident Award from strength and conditioning coach Rusty Whitt. Yulkeith Brown, a former transfer from Texas A&M, is a versatile piece in the offense who could make big plays if Kansas State’s defense focuses on Mario and Dante. And let’s not forget Bryce Bohanon, the shifty speedster who’s only one move away from taking it to the house. He’s great to have on third downs. Shazz Preston has been dealing with an injury, so let’s see if he dresses for this game. If he does, watch out, Yulman Stadium—Tulane will have five guys who can all take it to the house. Four- or five-wide receiver sets could spread out this young Kansas State defense, adding another wrinkle to Tulane’s offense that Kansas State may not be ready for.

Tight Ends

We could see a lot of 12 personnel (two tight ends and one running back) early in this game while Tulane tries to get the running game going. Alex Bauman and Reggie Brown should lead the way with the majority of snaps and helping with the run blocking. Kansas State could be focused on shutting down the speedy receivers and stopping our run game, which could allow Bauman to get open in the receiving game, especially in play-action scenarios or even a tight end screen. Third-down situations are where Alex could thrive in this game.

Offensive Line – Pass Pros

This experienced offensive line could have its hands full with this Kansas State defensive front, which accumulated four sacks and 11 tackles for loss last week. Tobi Osunsanmi, a sophomore defensive end looks to be their pass-rushing specialist, and junior linebacker Desmond Purnell could very well be their best player, racking up seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. However, based on last week’s performance, pass protection could be the strength of this Tulane offense, as they didn’t allow a single sack and kept a clean pocket all game. The key here is how well Tulane can establish the run game. If they can control the line of scrimmage, it will allow them to use play-action and open up passing lanes when Kansas State's defense starts to cheat forward.

Offensive Review – Creativity and an Efficient Run Game

Mistake-free and smart football is what it comes down to for this Tulane offense. Mensah must know when to throw the football and when to tuck and run. He has great mobility and a good arm, but turnovers will kill Tulane's chances against this young and fast Kansas State defense. Creativity with Ty Thompson and establishing the run game with Makhi Hughes will go a long way toward driving down the field and scoring points. But the offensive line must show up in the run game for all this to work and for Tulane to open up the playbook. If Tulane struggles to establish the run, expect Mensah to have a busy day throwing downfield. Pass protection was phenomenal last game, and the offensive line looks to build on that, though they’ll be facing a tougher opponent. Tulane's receiving corps is more than capable of handling a heavy workload if the coaching staff needs to adjust mid-game.

X Factor: Running Game-Quarterbacks and Running Backs

Defense

Defensive Line – SACK city?

Pass rush and run defense will be key if Tulane wants to walk away victorious. Adin Huntington and Patrick Jenkins must lead the way for this Green Wave defense. These two great players need to create havoc in the backfield and pressure Kansas State's young quarterback. Look for either one to get double-teamed, freeing up Kam Hamilton or Terrel Allen to pressure the Quarterback. Erick Hicks and Adonis Friloux, the big nose tackles, need to clog the running lanes. Kansas State with a power running back in DJ Giddens and a shifty back in former Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards, Hicks or Friloux must control the line of scrimmage. Kansas State has three new starters on the offensive line, with their new left tackle Easton Kilty transferring from North Dakota as the fifth-best tackle transfer. The center Hadley Panzer is their best returning player on the offensive line. Kansas State is a very strong running team, and look for their sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson, who some consider a Heisman hopeful, to use his legs a lot this game. Getting him out of rhythm and applying pressure to force turnovers will be crucial.

Linebackers

Sam Howard and Tyler Grubbs look to build momentum from their first game. Howard recorded a fumble recovery, and both he and Grubbs should have busy days for this Tulane defense, with Kansas State boasting two capable running backs and a dual-threat quarterback. Howard, more of a run-stopping linebacker, should be in on early running downs and short-yardage situations, while Chris Rodgers could come in on key third-down passing situations, lining up on the tight end, spying the quarterback, or dropping back into coverage. Dickson Agu and Maki Williams can step up if needed; both have impressed the coaching staff over the spring.

Secondary – Deep Rotation

Kansas State's Wide Receiver room has some unproven guys. Dante Cephas, the former Penn State transfer, should be their go-to guy, but he didn't even show up against an FCS secondary, recording zero catches. Keagan Johnson should be a guy to watch, but had an injury-riddled season last year and Jayce Brown rounds out their receiver core. Their tight end could have a big game, drawing comparisons to former K State tight end and NFL draft pick Ben Sinnot. Look for a heavy rotation in our Cornerback room with Micah Robinson, Jonathan Edwards, Rayshawn Pleasant and Jahiem Johnson, who are all very capable of lining up and shutting down this passing attack. It'll be interesting to see if Rayshawn Pleasant gets the start after his 100 yard interception for a Touchdown. Caleb Ransaw (spear/nickel) was banged up from the previous match so let's see if he is back in time. If not true freshman Jayden Lewis will be the next man up. He played well in his last game but let's see how he matches up against a stronger opponent. Strong Safety Bailey Despaine had a big game last week recording 8 tackles. Look for more of the same this week with Kansas State's one two punch at running back and the elusive Quarterback Avery Johnson. Jalen Geiger will keep everything in check on the backend of the defense. The Free Safety has great vocal leadership and is a good player to have at the deep part of the field. Josh Moore also got a lot of playing time in the safety room last week recording 4 tackles. Let's see how he is utilized going forward.

Defensive Review- Bend don't Break

Kansas State's offense was very basic in their first match up against FCS UT-Martin. They struggled in the first half and finally got the ball rolling after the half. Containing the QB will be crucial for this Tulane defense, not allowing the dual threat QB Avery Johnson to get in a rhythm. Stopping the run will be just as important with KState featuring two very good running backs in DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards. Our secondary should be able to stop this passing attack but keep an eye on their Tight End to rack up some yards.

X Factor- Defensive Line/ QB contain and stopping run

Special Teams- Correcting the Kickoff Coverage

Special Teams could be a huge part in this game with our Kickoff coverage looking a little shaky last game. This coaching staff made a point that it will be corrected for this week's matchup. Kansas State Special teams' unit has always been one of the best and already looks to be in midseason form by blocking a punt for a touchdown. They also have three very good returners in running back Dylan Edwards, Kegan Johnson their starting Wideout and Jayce Brown.

Kicker/Punter

Jacob Barnes Tulane's transfer kicker from LA Tech looks to be a very reliable kicker. He could be in store for a big game if Tulane can drive down the field and not punch it into the endzone. He's a very accurate kicker from 40 yards and closer going 42 for 46 but struggles as you go further out. He's 12 for 20 kicking from the 40 to 49 range and 1 for 2 in the 50 plus with a career long of 51.

Punter Will Karrol's first and only punt to open up the 2024 season was not a good one. Look for him to have a bounce back game. Flipping the field and giving Kansas State some bad field position could determine a win or a loss.

Stay Tuned for Kansas State vs Tulane review after the game

For more Tulane Football news, check out Wave Watch on YouTube at The Kneaux!

Roll Wave!!

This is Patrick Harkness and you can follow me on X @RollDatWave, Facebook, Instagram, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere.

LSU vs USC Week 1 Review

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 20:57:23 GMT

Let's get into it!

It has been 1828 days since the LSU Football team has won a season opener. It has been 5 seasons. I'll leave that there. Now let's talk about the game.

The 1st drive of the game was great for the Tigers. They march right down the field, over 7 minutes, 74 yards. LSU elects to go for it on 4th & Goal, and they come away empty handed after a miscommunication between Garrett Nussmeier and CJ Daniels. The teams trade punts on the next two drives of the game. USC then goes on an 87 yard touchdown drive, Woody Marks capped it off with a 2 yard TD run. USC 7-0. LSU has a 9 play 75 yard drive with Nussmeier hitting Kyren Lacy on a very nice 19 yard touchdown pass; it was a really nice pass. The teams then trade field goals. 10-10 going into halftime. Coming out of halftime LSU and USC trade 3 and outs. USC kicks a field. USC 13-10. LSU goes a very nice 7 play 75 yard drive capped off by Aaron Anderson catching a 13 yard touchdown pass. LSU 17-13. The two teams then trade 3 and outs. LSU then stops USC on a 4th down attempt. Momentum swings to the Tigers, who have a 3 play -7 yard drive, USC now has the ball and the momentum with 6:57 left in the game. They then have a 3 play 64 yard touchdown drive, and Miller Moss hits Ja'Kobi Lane on a 41 yard touchdown. USC 20-17. LSU puts together a very nice drive to tie up the game. The score is 20-20 with 1:47 left in the game. USC puts together an excellent 75 yard, two minute drill drive to score the game winning touchdown with 8 seconds left. Woody Marks walked into the endzone. USC 27-20. Mason Cobb picks off Garrett Nussmeier. USC enters victory formation. Ball game: Trojans 27 - Tigers 20.

TAKEAWAYS

- You have a great kicker with Damian Ramos; he has a massive leg, and no moment is too big for him. USE HIM WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHANCE! While I appreciate Coach Kelly's aggressive nature, you have to "take your points" in a game like this.

- LSU's running game has to improve. Jayden Daniels running ability helped out the entire offense. Garrett Nussmeier can run, but he is more of a pocket passer; you have to get better on the ground.

- This defense did improve. Sai'vion Jones had an excellent game. While you did lose the game, I was really impressed with Blake Baker's turnaround. This defense has some promise.

- Why did Kyren Lacy only have 1, yes, 1 target in the 2nd half? This guy was having himself a game! You have got to create opportunities for your playmakers.

- Mason Taylor is a baller!

- Ashton Stamps looks the part.

- This team truly did not play badly. Yes, you do have things to clean up, but this team did not play a bad game at all.

- 8-4 is a real possibility. I am not saying that they will, but after seeing how this game was coached, this is real.

- USC is better than we thought. This is a physical defense who has some solid receivers.

- Zachariah Branch is electric.

- How many yards are on a football field? 100. How many yards did LSU give up in penalties? 99. What happens when you enter the end zone or kick a field goal? You score. I hope Kyren Lacy and Major Burns learn from their mistakes yesterday. Two veterans having silly penalties is truly unacceptable. These changed the game yesterday.

- I DO NOT CARE IF YOU HAVE TO CALL BOBBY BOUCHER AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA MUD DOGS NEXT YEAR. PLAY A "WEEK ZERO" GAME. We are no longer in the BCS era; you have a 12 team playoff beginning this season; stop putting your team behind the 8 ball going into week 2. If you continue to schedule these big openers, schedule a "tune up game" before you play these big teams.

- I have zero faith in LSU in Week 1 games for the remainder of Coach Kelly's tenure. I don't know where the disconnect is, but we have been hearing all offseason about LSU's running game, and you struggled to establish it in week 1.

AWARDS

- Offensive MVP - Mason Taylor - This guy played a great game.

- Defensive MVP - Sai'vion Jones - Sai'vion absolutely balled out last night. He made a big impact, and was the only Tiger with a sack.

Will LSU clean up their problems before LSU's before next Saturday? We shall see.

Thank you for reading my article. Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

2024 LSU Week 1 Preview

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 14:59:30 GMT

Let's get into it!

When: Sunday September 1st, 2024 6:30 CST

Where: Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, NV

Channel: ABC

Spread: LSU -4

O/U: 64

The 2024 LSU Football season kicks off Sunday against the USC Trojans in Las Vegas. The college football world will be watching this contest. This is only the 3rd time these two teams have squared off; in 1979 the Trojans were victorious, and in 1984 the Tigers were victorious.

Fast forward 40 years later, and you have two teams who have so many similarities. Both have third year head coaches, both have new defensive coordinators, both have lost Heisman winning quarterbacks, and both have first year starting quarterbacks.

USC Trojans

USC's Miller Moss is entering his first season as the starting quarterback for the Trojans. Miller Moss had an impressive bowl game performance this past season where he connected with 10 different receivers. The Trojans landed transfer running back Woody Marks who is a passing catching specialist out of the backfield. Any Lincoln Riley offense will be high powered. Tight end Lake McRee will be a threat over the middle of the field for this offense. Wide receiver Zachariah Branch is an explosive playmaker who has to be accounted for at all times. Branch is a real threat in the kick and punt return game as well. The offensive line is anchored down by center Jonah Monheim and guard Emmanuel Pregnon. On the defensive side of the ball, USC has a new coordinator, D'Anton Lynn. Lynn comes over from UCLA. The UCLA defense made great strides under Lynn. The defensive line is led by tackles Bear Alexander and Elijah Hughes and edge rusher Jamil Muhammad. The Trojans have a new kicker this season in Michael Lantz, who showed a lot of promise at Georgia Southern.

LSU Tigers

LSU officially is entering the Garrett Nussmeier era. The first year signal caller is protected by one of the top offensive lines in the nation. The offensive line is led by bookend tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr., both of whom may go in the top 10 of next year's NFL draft. LSU has not had a first round offensive lineman since Alan Faneca in 1998. LSU has a three headed monster at running back led by 6th year senior Josh Williams, who was recently awarded number 18. John Emery Jr. provides change of pace ability out of the backfield. Kaleb Jackson can do it all, he can run through you or run by you. Mason Taylor is the leader in the tight end room for the Tigers, and he will be relied upon quite a bit in this offense. Behind him are playmakers and true red zone threats in Ka'Morreun Pimpton and Trey'Dez Green. On the outside, the Tigers are led by Kyren Lacy, CJ Daniels, and Chris Hilton Jr. Hilton Jr. appears to be a little banged up, so Kyle Parker is the next man up in the receiver room. On the defensive side of the football, the Tigers have a new coordinator in Blake Baker. It is said he and defensive line coach Bo Davis have brought a different energy to the defensive side of the football.

Keys to the Game

- Both return specialists for these teams, Zachariah Branch and Zavion Thomas, have the ability to flip a field in a hurry. These punters and coverage unit have to be on their A game because this could truly be a game changer. LSU's punter rotation will be something to watch here.

- Who can win in the trenches? LSU's offensive line is massive, but USC's defensive line is full of playmakers. On the other side, LSU's defensive line has a ton of depth, while the USC offensive line has two studs at center and left guard. Can these defensive line produce pressure?

- Who can create a turnover? Both defensive coordinators thrive on confusing the quarterback with different looks. Who can force the opposing quarterback to make a mistake? If either of these teams are able to steal a possession or get a big stop, that can be what wins you the game.

This will be an interesting game to watch. I would take the over in this one. Like T.O. and Ochocinco once said, "Getcha popcorn ready!"

Thank you for checking out my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

LSU 2024 Season Primer

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 20:13:42 GMT

Let's get into it!

The LSU 2024 Football Season is upon us! Let's meet the Tigers!

Quarterbacks

#13 Garrett Nussmeier - It is his time to shine. This is his 4th season with the Tigers, but his first time entering the season as a starter. Nussmeier has made 18 appearances for the Tigers. He is a tough quarterback who will let it fly. He is surrounded by weapons, and if he can build off of his ReliaQuest bowl game performance, the Tiger offense is in good hands. 11th best Heisman odds (DraftKings), Maxwell Award Watch List, and Unitas Golden Arm Watch List.

#15 AJ Swann - The Vanderbilt transfer has over 20 TDs with over 2700 passing yards. He is an quality backup with SEC experience.

#10 Rickie Collins - The former 4-star had an excellent offseason and turned a lot of heads at camp.

#16 Colin Hurley - Colin walked on to LSU's campus as a 16 year old. He made his varsity high school debut in 8th grade. He gained praise from Coach Kelly in fall camp.

Running Backs - Experience, Depth, Quality

#18 Josh Williams - A 6th year senior who carries everything you want in someone wearing number 18. He has over 1000 career rushing yards. He will play a lot of big downs for the Tigers.

#22 John Emery Jr. - Another 6th year senior who made real contributions on the 2019 national championship team. It is hard not to be a fan of this guy. He has battled lots of adversity. He opted to stay with the Tigers after briefly committing to UCLA. He had positive camp reviews from Coach Kelly and Coach Frank Wilson. He provides big play ability.

#28 Kaleb Jackson - I am really looking forward to seeing Kaleb play this season. He is an old school running back who can run through the defender or can shake you out of your shoes. He packed on some muscle in the offseason. He is an every down threat.

#29 Caden Durham - The former 4-star is a really exciting prospect with a bright future.

Tight Ends - LSU's new tight end coach, Slade Nagle has a truly stacked room.

#86 Mason Taylor - Mason was named to the Preseason 3rd-team All-SEC team. He will play a massive role in this offense. Coming off to back to back 30+ catch seasons, the third year starter is a top tight end in the nation. Named to the Mackey Award watch list.

#88 Ka'Morreum Pimpton - The true sophomore will play a big role as a red zone/down the seam threat. It will be interesting to see how they utilitize the 6'6" tight end.

#14 Trey'Dez Green - The 6'7" freshman turned heads in camp this year with his big play ability. It will be tough to keep him off of the field.

#45 GiVanni Peterson - The former walk on will get some playing time this season.

Offensive Line - This is an exciting group with four returning starters. This group averages 6'5 1/2" and 321.4 lbs.

#66/#7 Will Campbell - Will was named to the Preseason 1st Team All-SEC team. The 6'6'' junior was named to the Lombardi Award watch list, the Wuerffel Trophy watch list, and the Outland Trophy watch list. Campbell will more than likely be a top 10 selection in the next NFL draft.

#50 Emery Jones Jr. - Emery was named to the Preseason 2nd Team All-SEC team. The 6'6'' tackle has true top 10 draft pick potential. He was named to the Outland Trophy watch list and the Lombardi Award watch list.

#72 Garrett Dellinger - The versatile senior can start anywhere on the offensive line. He played a whopping 797 snaps last season.

#70 Miles Frazier - The former Freshman All-American has played a ton of football in his college career. This is a three year starter on the Tiger offensive line.

#79 DJ Chester - The lone first year starter on the Tiger offensive line. He did see some meaningful action last season in SEC play. The 6'6'' Redshirt Freshman has made quite the impression on the coaching staff.

Wide Receivers - In my opinion, this is the most exciting position group on this team. This is an extremely deep room full of PLAYMAKERS!

#2 Kyren Lacy - The 5th year senior was named to the Preseason 3rd Team All-SEC Team. This season is massive for Kyren. He had a great offseason. He made a lot of big plays at camp. He is on the Maxwell Award watch list.

#3 Chris Hilton Jr. - The redshirt junior can absolutely fly! He has big play ability. He had a great fall camp. He is a little dinged up coming into the season.

#4 CJ Daniels - The explosive transfer was named 2nd Team All-Conference USA in 2023. He is on the Biletnikoff Award watch list. CJ can take the top off of the defense.

#12 Kyle Parker - The 5'11'' redshirt freshman is the next man up in the receiving room. He will play big snaps for the Tigers this season.

#1 Aaron Anderson - He can take one to the house from anywhere on the field.

#0 Zavion Thomas - The Mississippi State transfer had some big games last season for the Bulldogs. He provides big playmaking ability.

#6 Shelton Sampson Jr., #17 Jelani Watkins, #82 Kylan Billiot - These are all younger guys who will provide excellent depth for the receiver room, but don't let that fool you; these guys have big play ability.

Defense - I'll always say one of the biggest what ifs in LSU history is what if the 2023 LSU was "middle of the road." New defensive coordinator Blake Baker has quite the job on his hands, but he is the right guy for the job. This guy wears cleats to practice and is very hands on. He seems to have made a big impression on players so far.

Defensive Line - New defensive line coach Bo Davis will be a key to LSU's success for years to come.

Interior Defensive Line

#90 Jacobian Guillory - Guillory is one of the most experienced Tigers on the roster. He has a chip on his shoulder coming into the season. It is his time to shine.

#99 Gio Paez - The Wisconsin transfer flew up the depth chart for the Tigers. He is extremely experienced.

#93 Jalen Lee - The former Florida Gator will be providing quality depth and may even start on the interior of the defensive line.

#56 Kimo Makane'ole - The redshirt junior made the switch from the offensive line to the defensive line over the offseason. It was said he made some serious progress in camp.

#96 Dominick McKinley - At 6'6'' 315 the freshman will be hard to keep off of the field this season. He had positive camp reports.

#95 Shone Washington - The former Georgia Bulldog comes to LSU from the JUCO ranks. He will provide quality depth along the defensive line.

#31 Jay'Vair Suggs - Suggs is someone I am very interested in watching because of one comment Coach Kelly made. Coach Kelly said he is a "natural pass rusher." The Grand Valley State transfer has a lot of experience. He is a perfect example of the saying, "If you are talented, they will find you."

#93 Ahmad Breaux - Coach Kelly has said Breaux has earned snaps in the opener. Over the offseason, it was said Breaux was one of a handful of Tigers who opted to stay on campus working out rather than return home. This is huge for the freshman!

Defensive End/JACK

#35 Sai'vion Jones - The 6'6'' senior is very experienced. It is his time to shine. Jones had a great fall camp. He is one Tiger I am excited to watch.

#13 Bradyn Swinson - The former Oregon Duck is entering his second season with the Tigers. Swinson has a ton of potential to become a force coming off the edge.

#0 Paris "Agent 0" Shand - Paris is in for a big season. Although he may not start, he will provide excellent depth for the Tigers this season.

#15 Da'Shawn Womack - Womack is stepping into a big role this season. He had a great fall camp. When asked about Womack, Coach Kelly said, "I think Da'Shawn Womack is going to have a big year for us."

#19 Gabriel Reiford - Reiford had an excellent fall camp. He will fit squarely into the rotation at defensive end.

#97 Dylan Carpenter - The 6'4'' redshirt freshman will provide depth at the defensive end position.

Linebackers

#18 Greg Penn III - Penn is stepping into a massive role on this team. The newest member of the #18 club is ready for the challenge, as he said, "This whole team has a chip on its shoulder."

#33 West Weeks - The older Weeks brother is a ballhawk. He is a true playmaker who is always in the action. He is in for a big season.

#40 Whit Weeks - The younger Weeks brother had a huge fall camp. He didn't miss a step from his freshman season. I am excited to watch this guy play.

#7 Harold Perkins Jr. - The newest member of the #7 club has a massive season loading. He was named to the Preseason 1st Team All-SEC Team. Perkins was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list, Walter Camp Award watch list, Bednarik Award watch list, and the Lombardi Award watch list. The defense will go as Harold Perkins Jr. goes.

STAR Position - The STAR position is a safety/linebacker hybrid in Blake Baker's defense.

#8 Major Burns - Burns was named to the Preseason 2nd Team All-SEC Team. Stepping into the STAR position allows new opportunities for Burns. He made a lot of plays in camp.

#23 Kylin Jackson - It will be impossible to keep this guy off the field. He will see time at safety as well. He made a ton of plays during fall camp. He is a playmaker!

#24 Ju'Juan Johnson - The true freshman mixed in with the 2nd team defense at the STAR position over fall camp. He will be a big part of this defense for years.

Cornerback

#1 Ashton Stamps - Stamps put on some muscle over the offseason. He had a massive camp. I am excited to watch him perform.

#12 JK Johnson - After missing the 2023 season from an injury, JK will play a massive role at the cornerback position. The former Ohio State Buckeye has a ton of potential.

#11 PJ Woodland - Coach Kelly said PJ has "earned" snaps in the opener. The freshman had a huge camp. He has an eye for the football.

#14 Zy Alexander - Although Zy is coming off of a late season ending knee injury, he is not on the injury report. It will be interesting to see how much he plays. He had an impressive camp.

#17 Jyaire Brown - The Ohio State transfer mixed in with the first and second team defense, and you will see him all around the defensive backfield.

#25 Javien Toviano - Toviano will play a big rotational role in this defense. He showed a lot of promise last season.

#3 Sage Ryan - Sage is one of the most versatile and experienced Tigers on the roster. Sage may move around the entire defensive backfield. I am excited to see Sage this season.

Safety

#6 Jordan Allen - The redshirt sophomore will burst onto the scene this season. Allen has a ton of potential. He had an excellent camp.

#10 Dashawn Spears - The freshman is a true playmaker. It will be hard to keep him off the field. He turned a lot of heads in fall camp. Coach Kelly mentioned his name when speaking about freshman who have "earned" snaps against USC.

#2 Jardin Gilbert - The Texas A&M transfer will more than likely start opposite of Jordan Allen. This playmaking safety will play a massive role on this defense.

Special Teams - This has been Coach Kelly's weakness during his time at LSU. It is crazy to me why LSU does not have a special teams coordinator.

Kickoff Specialist

#31 Nathan Dibert - Dibert tore his ACL late in the season, but he did participate in fall camp. It would be nice to get him back so quickly.

Kicker

#34 Damian Ramos - Damian is about as steady as they come. I am not worried at all about the kicker position. Ramos made several 50+ yard field goals during fall camp.

Punter - Here are where my worries lie.

#38 Peyton Tood - This was Todd's position, but he cannot find the consistency Coach Kelly would like to see. If you need a booming punt, Peyton is your guy.

#99 Blake Ochsendorf - The Louisiana Tech transfer was 1st Team All Conference USA last season. Coach Kelly has commented about his lack of consistency as well. If you need to pin someone, Blake is your guy. Coach Kelly said the Tigers will use both punters.

Long/Deep Snapper

#44 Slade Roy - Roy was named to the Preseason 3rd Team All-SEC Team. Roy was named to the Patrick Mannelly Award watch list as well. He is one of the top players at his position in the nation. He has made some big tackles in his LSU career.

Return Specialist

#0 Zavion Thomas - Thomas was named to the Preseason 3rd Team All-SEC Team. The Mississippi State transfer was a Freshman All-American punt returner in 2022. Zavion can flip the field in a hurry. He is a true "X-Factor" in my opinion. If he can provide you with good field position periodically, that is a massive leg up.

GEAUX TIGERS!

Thank you for checking out my article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Tulane vs Southeastern Week 1 Preview

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 16:26:06 GMT

Tulane Week 1 Preview: Southeastern Louisiana vs. Tulane Green Wave

Spread: Tulane -27

Total: 53.5

Football is back, baby! Tulane kicks off the season opener this Thursday night at 7 PM in Yulman Stadium. There are a lot of questions on my mind that will hopefully be answered, such as: How are our three quarterbacks looking, and how will they perform under pressure? Will we be a run-heavy team with an experienced offensive line? Which receivers will step up and solidify themselves as the top options? How does our new defensive front look, and how many sacks will the defensive line rack up? Can Sam Howard and company step up in place of the injured Jesus Machado? And last but not least, who will emerge from this intriguing, transfer-driven secondary to claim the DB1 and DB2 spots?

Offensive Preview

Quarterback (QB)

Who is QB1? This might be a two-quarterback system until someone steps up and takes control. Mensah, a redshirt freshman with wheels, is the shiny new toy everyone's excited about, but we haven't seen him in action yet. Expect some early mistakes, but what I really want to see is how he handles those mistakes. Can he stay calm, cool, and collected, ready to move on if he fumbles or throws a pick? Let's see if Mensah can stay poised in the pocket, and if nothing’s there, use his legs to make a play without forcing anything into coverage. It’s going to be a handoff-heavy day, but I’d love to see him utilized in some rollout play-action plays. If nothing’s open, tuck it and run. Overall, Mensah has tremendous promise, possessing that 'it' factor, as Jon Sumrall himself has stated.

Next up is Ty Thompson. This guy has a cannon, and I’ve heard he’s been improving week by week. His accuracy has always been a question mark, but I’m eager to see how he operates this offense. The question is can he step up in the huddle, get the guys going, and be a leader? There’s no doubt he has all the potential in the world; he just needs to show it.

Running Back

What should we expect from this running back room? MAKHI, MAKHI, MAKHI! This guy is a baller and looks ready to pick up right where he left off last season. His running style is reminiscent of Maurice Clarett from Ohio State back in 2002—only faster. Expect a lot of ground-and-pound football in this game. We have three very capable backups: Shadie Clayton-Johnson, who will be the first off the bench and primarily serve as a third-down back/change of pace guy. Look for him to be a receiving threat out of the backfield, especially in the screen game. Arnold Barnes, who had an impressive spring and looks poised to take a significant step forward this year. He's definitely a between-the-tackles, lower-your-shoulder type of runner, perfect for grinding out those tough short yards. Expect him to give Makhi a breather every so often. And last but not least, Trey Cornist, my fellow Ohioan who’s made great strides during the offseason. He’s a bruising type of runner, and while it may be tough for him to see the field, when he does, you can be sure to see him pull a few truck sticks.

Wide Receiver

We’ve got three guys battling for the outside receiver spot: Dante Fleming, Shazz Preston, and Yulkeith Brown—all former transfers. Dante has had a great offseason, and I expect him to line up outside. But don’t blink; this guy has some serious takeoff speed. Hopefully, we’ll see some nice touch passes down the sideline for six from both QBs. Yulkeith Brown is another speedster with great return ability. He stepped up last year when Tulane’s receivers went down with injuries. We need to get the ball in his hands with some space and let him work. Shazz Preston, the former Alabama wideout, has been injured these past few weeks, and it’s unclear if he’ll play, but he’s another exciting piece in this WR room.

The slot position could be the most exciting one this year. Mario Williams, a former USC transfer, has all the potential in the world. Look for quick passes, screens, or maybe even some jet sweeps out of the backfield. Let the man cook. Multiple players could be backing up Mario or lining up as the fourth slot: Yulkeith, Shazz when he gets healthy, Bryce Bohanon, or Phatt Watts. Bryce is the type of receiver you’d love to see on third downs—great hands and an innate sense of where the sticks are.

Tight End

This is Alex Bauman’s room for the next two years, but keep an eye out for 12 personnel this year while our QB room is still sorting itself out. Reggie Brown has impressed this year and looks to snag some catches away from Bauman. With a young QB, the tight end can quickly become a favorite target, racking up yards and catches. Don’t be surprised if Bauman has some big games early on. Blake Gunter and Josh Goines could also become significant receiving threats if our starters get any bumps or bruises.

Offensive Line

Tulane comes in with one of the most experienced offensive lines in college football this year, featuring Derrick Graham (left tackle), Shadre Hurst (left guard), Vincent Murphy (center), Josh Remetich (right guard), and Rashad Green (right tackle). What should we expect in this first game? Dominance. All five of these guys are more than capable of handling their own in both the run and pass game against this FCS opponent. The true test comes against KState and Oklahoma.

Offensive Review

Expect a lot of ground-and-pound early and often. We shouldn’t have to rely too much on the QBs in this game, but hopefully, we’ll get to see what these guys can do. The offensive playbook may be pretty conservative in this first game, with Kansas State and Oklahoma up next, but down the road, I’d love to see this offense spread out in a lot of 4-5 WR sets when Shazz returns, utilizing these speedy receivers. A heavy dose of ground-and-pound football with play-action should open the field up for the Tulane Green Wave offense.

Defensive Preview

3-3-5 Defense

Bandit/Pass-Rushing Defensive End:

These guys are lined up on the defensive line edge, standing up with no hand in the dirt. Terrel Allen, last year’s FCS sack leader, will likely get the bulk of the snaps. Expect to see him in the QB’s face a lot this game. I’m looking forward to seeing him match up against FBS-level offensive linemen later in the season. Matthew Fobbs-White will also see some snaps as a rotational piece—a reliable depth player if something happens to Allen.

Defensive End

Adin Huntington is a beast. If you haven’t seen him, you should Google him. Freak of nature—this dude would eat glass. He transferred from ULM and was in the top 5 in college football for pressures on QBs. Expect more of the same this year. He’s rumored to be dealing with an injury, so we’ll see if he suits up. If not, Angelo Anderson, one of Willie Fritz’s best recruits from five years ago and a native New Orleanian, is a very good depth piece who could come in and start if needed. Desahun Batiste, the former Troy DE, has a lot of potential and will be fun to watch down the road, but he probably won’t see a lot of play this season.

Defensive Line - 3-Tech/Rushing Defensive Tackle

Pat Jenkins, the star from the Cotton Bowl, and Kam Hamilton will be key pass-rushers in this game. Jenkins will be playing no matter what, but keep an eye on Hamilton to take a leap this year after recording 4 sacks in limited action last season.

Defensive Line - Nose Tackle/Run-Stuffers

Eric Hicks and Adonis Friloux are the big boys clogging up the middle to stop the run. Adonis is looking to bounce back after an injury last year, and Hicks filled in very well in his absence.

Defensive Line Backups: Elijah Champaigne and Parker Peterson.

Defensive Line Summary

I know it’s an FCS opponent, but what we all want to see is how this new defensive scheme and front looks. Can they get pressure? Can they get to the QB and either make the sack or force mistakes? The answer should simply be yes. With so much star power and potential on this D-line, expect the QB and RB to be running for their lives.

Linebackers

Sam Howard is one of my favorite transfers. Look for him to step up into a defensive leadership role, given the injuries to Jesus Machado and Tyler Grubbs. Howard is used to playing FCS-level football, so let’s see how he does as the season progresses, but I expect him to thrive in this defense and step up this year. Tyler Grubbs, another local New Orleanian, will be holding down the Will LB spot—basically the outside linebacker. Look for these two guys to rack up tackles this game and all season long. Howard’s backups will likely consist of Makai Williams and Dickson Agu, both of whom could come in and provide quality minutes and have made great strides this offseason. As for Grubbs’s backup, install Chris Rodgers, a former Troy transfer who played safety at Troy, so look for him to excel in pass coverage situations.

Cornerbacks

Where do we begin? This secondary room got a massive overhaul. Three transfers—Micah Robinson, Jonathan Edwards, and Lu Tillery—will be battling for the CB1 and CB2 spots. But don’t count out the returning players from last year, Rayshawn Pleasant and Jahiem Johnson. Coach has been speaking highly of both of them. Ultimately, it all comes down to who can play mistake-free, smart football at this position. Expect all of these guys to see the field, but Micah and Jonathan should get the bulk of the snaps. Also, keep an eye out for Lu Tillery coming up in the box and rushing—he has that ability and reminds me of Mike Hilton, the current Bengals nickel corner.

Spear/Nickel

Caleb Ransaw, the other Troy transfer, is expected to shut down those shifty slot receivers and come up in the box—this guy can hit. He’s already on the NFL’s draft radar and should be a top nickel corner taken. Behind him, we’ve got two true freshmen: Jayden Lewis, the best recruit in Tulane history, and Javion White, who has been getting good reviews from the staff. Let’s see how they do getting some playing time this week and for Jayden more as the season goes on.

Free Safety

Jalen Geiger is a coach’s dream in the centerfield spot. He’s a leader, smart, and just an all-around great person. He came over from Kentucky, so he’s got some SEC blood in him. We only have him for a year, but he’s going to be a great teacher to Josh Moore and Jack Tchienchou. Jack flashed in the spring game and is a great depth piece—look for him to be a key part of the defense next year.

Strong Safety

Bailey Despaine, Mr. Reliable, will be holding down this spot. He's a solid defender at the back end of the defense, capable of coming down to fill a gap when needed if a running back slips through. Tulane is fortunate to have two young freshmen backing up both safety positions. Kevin Adams, another young guy, is poised to take the mantle in a couple of years.

Defensive Review

It’s going to be very exciting to see how this defense performs this year. On the D-line, who’s lined up where, and how much pressure can we generate? How will this FCS transfer-driven secondary hold up? Only some of these questions will be answered in the season opener, but we won’t know much until those K-State and Oklahoma matchups!

Roll Wave! Follow me at @RollDatWave on X, and @BeInTheKneaux everywhere!

New Orleans Saints 2024 Roster

meyersethen@gmail.com (Ethen Meyers) — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 23:45:27 GMT

Today marked the "start" of the regular season for some as teams made moves necessary to get down to the 53 roster limit. While technically the preseason extends into practice squad and signing from other teams roster cuts, it is the first day we have a much clearer idea of what teams will look like. The Saints went with some new faces where battles existed, and some folks were sure locks. Over the next day practice squads and waiver wire pick ups will happen, but this is just a recap of current roster cuts and who remains in position groups (in no order) for the New Orleans Saints

Terminated:
Andrew Dowell

Equanimeous St. Brown

James Robinson

Jesse Davis

Joejuan Williams

Johnathan Abram

Khaleke Hudson

Roderic Teamer

Shane Lemieux

Stanley Morgan Jr.

Tremayne Anchrum Jr.

Ugo Amadi

Waived:
Charlie Smyth

Isaiah Stalbird

Jack Heflin

Jacob Kibodi

Josiah Ezirim

Kyle Hergel

Lawrence Johnson

Lou Hedley

Mac McCain

Mark Evans II

Mason Fairchild

Michael Jacobson

Mike Rose

Millard Bradford

Monty Rice

Niko Lalos

Samson Nacua

Shaq Davis

Shemar Jean-Charles

Injured Reserve/PUP:
Camron Peterson

Kendre Miller

Kevin Rader

Nephi Sewell

Rejzohn Wright

Tanoh Kpassagnon

Offense

Quarterbacks:

Derek Carr

Taysom Hill

Spencer Rattler

Jake Haener

Offensive Line:

Cesar Ruiz

Erik McCoy

Taliese Fuaga

Trevor Penning

Landon Young

Olisaemeka Udoh

Nick Saldiveri

Lucas Patrick

Running Backs:

Alvin Kamara

Jamaal Williams

Jordan Mims

Adam Prentice

Wide Receivers:

Chris Olave

Rashid Shaheed

Cedrick Wilson Jr.

A.T. Perry

Bub Means

Mason Tipton

Tight Ends:

Juwan Johnson

Dallin Holker

Foster Moreau

Defense

Linebackers:

Demario Davis

Pete Werner

Jaylan Ford

Willie Gay

D'Marco Jackson

Anfernee Orji

Defensive Line:

Cameron Jordan

Chase Young

Isaiah Foskey

Carl Granderson

Payton Turner

Khristian Boyd

Bryan Bresee

Khalen Saunders

Nathan Shepherd

Kendal Vickers

Defensive Backs:

Marshon Lattimore

Tyrann Mathieu

Paulson Adebo

Kool-Aid McKinstry

Alontae Taylor

Rico Payton

J.T. Gray

Will Harris

Jordan Howden

Special Teams

Kicker:

Blake Grupe

Punter:

Matthew Hayball

Longsnapper:

Zach Wood

Stay up to date with all things New Orleans Saints and follow us everywhere @BeInTheKneaux

LSU Fantasy Football Draft

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 14:30:46 GMT

Lets get into it!

With the LSU Football season kicking off this week, and being we are in the middle of the fantasy football draft season. Let's draft a fantasy football team of only LSU players.

QBs

Y.A. Tittle - 3 1st Team All Pro selections, 7 Pro Bowl appearances, NFL Record 7 Passing Touchdowns in 1 game, 49ers Hall of Fame, New York Giants Ring of Honor

Joe Burrow - 1 Pro Bowl appearance, NFL completion percentage leader (2021), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2021)

Jayden Daniels - I believe the Heisman winner has a big rookie season loading.

RBs

Steve Van Buren - 5 1st Team All Pro selections, 2x NFL Champion, NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, 4× NFL rushing yards leader, 4× NFL rushing touchdowns leader

Dalton Hilliard - 1 Pro Bowl appearance, New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame

Joseph Addai - 1 Pro Bowl appearance, Super Bowl champion

Kevin Faulk - 3× Super Bowl champion, New England Patriots All-2000s Team, New England Patriots 50th Anniversary Team, New England Patriots All-Dynasty Team, New England Patriots Hall of Fame

WRs

Ja'Marr Chase - 3 Pro Bowl appearances, PFWA All-Rookie Team, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

Justin Jefferson - 1 1st Team All Pro selection, 3 Pro Bowl appearances, NFL receptions leader (2022), NFL receiving yards leader (2022), PFWA All-Rookie Team, NFL Offensive Player of the Year

Charley Hennigan - 3 1st Team All Pro selections, 5 Pro Bowl appearances, 2x AFL champion, 2× AFL receiving yards leader (1961, 1964), AFL receptions leader (1964), American Football League All-Time Team

Jarvis Landry - 5 Pro Bowl appearances, NFL receptions leader (2017), PFWA All-Rookie Team

TEs

Billy Cannon - Played fullback, running back, and tight end in the pros. 2 Pro Bowl appearances, 2 1st Team All Pro selections, 3× AFL champion, 2× AFL Championship MVP, AFL rushing yards leader (1961)

Brian Kinchen - Played tight end and long snapper in the NFL. Super Bowl champion

Flex

Odell Beckham Jr. - 3 Pro Bowl appearances, PFWA All-Rookie Team, Super Bowl champion, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

Leonard Fournette - Super Bowl champion

Kicker

Tommy Davis - Played punter and kicker in the NFL. 2 Pro Bowl appearances

D/ST

DBs

Patrick Peterson - 3 1st Team All Pro selections, 8 Pro Bowl appearances, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, NFL punt return yards leader, PFWA All-Rookie Team

Johnny Robinson - 6 1st Team All Pro selections, 7 Pro Bowl appearances, AFL interceptions leader (1966), AFL All-Time Team, Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame, NFL interceptions leader (1970), AFL champion, Super Bowl champion

Jamal Adams - 1 1st Team All Pro selection, 3 Pro Bowl appearances, PFWA All-Rookie Team

Tyrann Mathieu - 3 1st Team All Pro selections, 3 Pro Bowl appearances, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, PFWA All-Rookie Team, Super Bowl champion

LBs

Michael Brooks - 1 Pro Bowl appearance

AJ Duhe - NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, PFWA All-Rookie Team, Dolphins Walk of Fame

Devin White - 1 Pro Bowl appearance, PFWA All-Rookie Team, Super Bowl champion

DTs

Henry Thomas - 2 Pro Bowl appearances, NFL forced fumbles co-leader (1988), 50 Greatest Vikings

Kyle Williams - 6 Pro Bowl appearances

DEs

Danielle Hunter - 4 Pro Bowl appearances, PFWA All-Rookie Team

Leonard Marshall - 2 Pro Bowl appearances, New York Giants Ring of Honor, Super Bowl champion

Kick Returner

Skyler Green - Took one kick off to the house with the New Orleans Voodoo. Skyler would flourish in today's NFL game.

Punt Returner

Trindon Holliday - Took two punts to the house in his NFL career. Trindon truly took track speed to the football field.

Thank you for checking on this article.

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

GEAUX TIGERS!

Pelicans Shaking Up West With Big Move

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:44:27 GMT

There's a lot of reasons sports fans from New Orleans hate on all-things Atlanta, but this week, we've finally got a reason to smile.

The New Orleans Pelicans made a trade with the Atlanta Hawks to acquire Dejounte Murray in exchange for Pelicans C Larry Nance, SG Dyson Daniels, a 2025 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick, per ESPN. This is a BIG WIN for the Pelicans as all the fans expected Brandon Ingram to have to be part of a trade like this. So knowing that we still have Ingram to use in a trade to get a starting center, is great news.

Murray had a very good season with the Hawks last year. He shot 46 percent from the field, and 36 percent from behind the arc. Also, he's an 80 percent free-throw shooter thank God because we all know how much the Pels struggled from the charity stripe this year. He averaged 22.5 points per game, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals all last season. If he does the same numbers this year, he will be a HUGE help to New Orleans in the upcoming season.

So what does this mean for Ingram? Well, we all thought he would be the first to be traded so it does appear that David Griffin knows more than all of us fans, which is really surprising since some fans seem to think they already know it all about this organization.

With that being said, the Pelicans currently don't have a legit center on the team. Jonas Valanciunas is a free agent, and with Nance being traded, all that leaves is Zion Williamson (who is not a 5), the recently drafted rookie Yves Missi, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Realistically, Missi won't be ready to be a starter this season, and while we all love Robinson-Earl, he is a third-string player and not the type of center we need.

So what do the Pelicans do? There are many possibilities, but it does look like Ingram will be part of whatever package the Pelicans put together to hopefully get the missing piece this team is needing to finally make a deep run into the playoffs.

If Ingram leaves, he will be missed as he's been an important part of New Orleans Pelicans basketball. We will also miss Nance and Dyson as they have been more than just role players for this team, but key parts in last season's success.

The NBA free agency is just heating up so stayed tuned for more insights on the Pelicans as they continue to make moves to strengthen their team.

(Follow me on X at @SportsChrissy)

Interview with Former LSU Tiger and current Pro Hooper Keith Hornsby

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Fri, 10 May 2024 13:55:11 GMT

Lets get into it!

I was able to talk with former LSU Tiger and current Professional Hooper Keith Hornsby.

Take us back to Hampton Roads Academy and THE Oak Hill Academy. Talk to us about your high school career and your recruitment.

Keith: My high school career started off fairly slow. I was very late to grow, so even after repeating 8th grade, (for reasons other than sports that justify it, not just for sport), I still looked young for my current grade despite being older. Hampton Roads Academy had a solid high school program in the East Virginia Tidewater area. Nothing special, but the league produced Division 1 talent every year. I started to finally grow my Sophomore year and my luck started to change. Despite a slow start, I caught an amazing stride the last half of the season and ended up earning First Team All-Conference. This also earned me my first tattoo haha from me winning a bet with my dad before that season that I'd make All-Conference. He didn't really think I could do it, but I did, so he was true to his word. I received my first D1 offer at the end of that year from ...... UNC Asheville!!!!

I went in the spring to try out at Oak Hill. I certainly wasn't a prospect they'd outwardly recruit, but I'd been going to their summer camps my whole life and they were aware I had some talent.

That particular try out, I just happened to play on another level. I had an incredible day, which resulted in me being offered a spot on the team for the next two years. That was one of the best days of my life!!! I'll never forget it! I was in disbelief for the oncoming months, and of course, I accepted! The only problem, was that once word got out that I was going to THE Oak Hill, there was a thought in the air that my famous Dad paid for me to be on the team. Looking back at how I really looked then (despite having a fresh shoulder tattoo), I can't say I blame them. Oak Hill was something different entirely. I was a fringe D1 prospect at the time. People didn't understand that I wouldn't be one of their scholarship guys... as I would pay full tuition, but still... I was recruited there to play and get better!

There is no simple way to sum up my Oak Hill Academy experience. It was absolutely iconic for me. I'll always rep Oak Hill with tremendous pride. Even now while the landscape has undoubtedly changed, I still think there is no program like the Hill.

You got to UNC-Asheville, you see major minutes right away, and average 15 PPG & 92.5% from the free throw line in your Sophomore year. Tell us about your time as a Bulldog.

Keith: I committed to Asheville shortly after my junior season at Oak Hill. You see... there is a problem with being at Oak Hill if you're not a high major talent. Mostly just the Kansas, Duke, Kentuckys, LSUs, and other high level programs come to recruit. I wasn't at that level then, I wasn't supposed to be. I still looked like a baby faced kid. Upon entry, I failed the "look test" from any of these programs, and that's how it is.

I had a strong Senior season at Oak Hill. I started almost every game and ended up second all-time in 3 pt % for a single season at 50.4%. Quinn Cook was my point guard that year, and he made my life easy many times.

....but my arrival at Asheville... I learned quite a lot. I struggled my Freshman year. I averaged 4 PPG, but it was okay because I was on an incredible team with some serious upper class talent. We won the Big South my Freshman year and ended up controversially losing to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament. We should've been the first 16 seed to beat a 1.

I was a tad delusional coming in. I thought because I was at Oak Hill, I'd come in to this low major Division 1 and dominate! That theory was squashed quickly, and I realize that Division 1 college ball is just different. Especially at the guard level, there is talent everywhere.

My Sophomore year was different. Most of the seniors left and I got more of a chance. I worked relentlessly over the summer to come in as a different player.

I had some big games against high major schools (23 vs. NC State, 26 vs. Ohio State) and established myself as one of the better guards in the Big South league that season. The future was looking bright at Asheville. I never had plans to transfer even after my coach resigned about a month after the season. There was no real portal then lol at least no of the same style.

Asheville was a wonderful town. It has a nice bohemian vibe. You can describe it as sort of artistic oasis in Western NC. I liked playing there, but when you have some of the big dogs sniffing around for you, you start to do some new dreaming yourself. I finally figured I had what it took at this point to compete at the high major NCAA level, especially with a sit out redshirt year to grow physically and gather comfort within the systems of the program. We would see soon enough.

In late 2013 you transfer over to LSU, talk to us about your transfer experience, and why LSU? In 2014-2015 you hit the ground running for the Tigers, averaging double digit points. Talk to us about your time with the Tigers.

Keith: After having sat out an entire season, that was difficult. There are times during portions of the season when you're not involved in practices at all because you're not eligible and it makes sense but still it's tough to stay motivated. But I didn't let it deter me. I worked incredibly hard that year and also I established myself in the practices as a serious player especially on scout team. I would normally play the opposing team's best guard, and that year I would be playing Marshall Henderson from Ole Miss or a player like that and have fun. But then when I started my Junior year, I didn't start off playing that well, I was nervous, it was different suiting up for LSU in the PMac the stakes were higher, I'm not going to lie it took me a little while to get comfortable. Also, having sat out a year, you lose a certain comfort and sharpeness for playing official games. That year was probably my best overall year, just because my Senior year was marred with injury, it just has that particular stain on it just from how we finished. My Junior year was like my establishing year where I established myself as a serious player who could probably play professionally as well, and that instantly became my goal that Junior season. Before at Asheville, I never had the privilege of looking too far ahead like a lot of big time prospects do who are somewhat guaranteed a basketball career, but I wasn't I was just trying to succeed at the level I was currently at, and that carried over to my pro life.

The last thing I'll say about LSU or playing for LSU is that because it was such an amazing experience for me, I was just incredibly thankful for the staff and the school, for being part of such a brand like LSU. I had tremendous pride representing it, and I am not even from Louisiana. I can't imagine what it would be like if I grew up in Louisiana. Still, I was never recruited like that in high school. The fact that I played my first two years of college at a smaller Division 1, I really appreciated everything LSU had to offer. Everyone always looks back at my playing time at LSU and comments on my effort, how hard I played, and that was really not even a question for me, I felt like I would be doing myself and the school a disservice if I didn't give it anything but my 100% because every time I wore that uniform I just had such pride. I wanted to fight for the school, I cared about the school so much.

Now let's move onto your professional career. Talk to us about your time in the G League.

Keith: I had a crazy experience in the G League, some highs and definitely some lows. Some doses of reality I had in the G League. I started off my pro career with the Mavericks in training camp, so that alone was one of the best experiences of my life. Those two months were unreal. Being in a locker room with Dirk Nowitzki, practicing everyday, going against NBA players, living in that NBA environment. But it was delusional for me, it gave me a false sense of place for where I was really at as a player and how the G League would be for me. My first year was disastrous. I witnessed the business side of the NBA/G League first hand. Coming from college, now I'm competing with real pros 28, 29, 30 year old guys who are fringe NBA guys or have had huge success overseas on the cusp of making it to The League, them or, some of the best college prospects who aren't quite in The League. Talent wise it is the second best league in the world for sure. My first year was eye opening for me. I also changed my shot, everyone remembers my shot at LSU for being a little wonky. If I was going to shoot the three ball consistently on the NBA line, I had to simply my shot. That first year was kind of an adjustment period. I was kind of tabbed as a non shooter. In typical fashion I worked and worked and worked and worked. My second season was definitely better even though I had a shoulder injury that kept me out some time. To be honest, I didn't want to play in the G League that long, every summer I wanted to go to Europe because I was sick of the politics of the G League, it has some pros being in the states. I figure my market was overseas, and that is where my game belonged. Going into my third season, after another failed summer of European recruitment, it was going to be my last season playing because it was nightmarish for me going back to the Legends for a third season, but it just so happens that year happened to be my best year. My shot had clicked at that point, and I led the entire G League in 3 point percentage that year at 49%. I had the best year of my career, and I'm like okay well I'm done with the G League for sure, but now its time to go overseas. I had made an agency switch, which is very necessary. Then it was tough for me to go to Europe even after that. Europe does not respect the G League, especially if you have not been to Europe before. First of all, you are not going to get paid much your first year, unless you are some high prospect with some NBA time. It is rare that you get a great European job your first year.

In 2019 you make a transition into overseas basketball, what was that transition like? What is the main difference between basketball in the States and overseas, if any?

Keith: After another terrible summer of just kind of getting looked over, just hoping for a chance at an appropriate level that I did think I deserved, I landed in Poland. The first two weeks there were very eye opening. I came alone, my wife came a little bit later. You basically fly there, jet lagged, you get dropped off, the team greets you, and they give an apartment, they give you your car and say " Good luck, practice is at 6.". Then you are on your own. I was in this town called Toruń, which ended up being a great town that we ended up enjoying, but I'm having to go to the grocery store where everything is completely foreign. I didn't even know how to cook at the time. The first few nights I was like what the heck have I done. But as I learned, the more time you spend somewhere, gradually it becomes comfortable. Basketball wise, I made an instant impact on the European scene. I was lucky enough that my team qualified for the Basketball Champions League, which is a European wide league, which is great proving grounds for a first year player like myself. I had a big time year. I thank the G League experience for that because I played against such high level players the last three years. For one of the first time, I was given a major role. Despite some learning curve, I was an instant hit. Every year the contracts kept getting better, I kept getting better, my game kept developing, and I became an overseas player very quickly. I went to different countries, went to Germany next, went to Paris the next two years for different teams, I played for the Metropolitans, the same team Victor Wembanyama played for. That is where I had my first child. My wife, it was still Covid times, giving birth alone basically in a place with not much English. It was unheard of. She has been incredible! This year, I went to great team in Lithuania, Rytas. It didn't exactly work out. European basketball in it's entirety is more similar to college than it is NBA. I really enjoy the spirit of it.

You signed with Surne Bilbao Basket of Liga ACB this season, how is your current season going?

Keith: I end up in the best league in Europe, ACB, just a dream. Now I am finishing my season in Spain, year 8. I had always wanted to play in Spain. The league of ACB it is the best country league in Europe, I am playing against Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Its a different level, and the German league and the French league that I played in are also high on the totem pole in Europe, but ACB is no doubt the best. It is extremely hard to get to, to play on an ACB team because they only accept two Americans per team. The fact that this team, Bilbao Basket its a middle level team in the league, took a chance on me, I am tremendously thankful. It is almost like I would have the sense of pride that I had at LSU again. Playing in the ACB is similar, not since I have left LSU have felt like I've played in an environment sometime that rivaled the SEC, and here in the ACB that is the closest I have felt to that. Don't get me wrong, the French league I was in it is a great league too, just the venues are a bit smaller. My arena here is a 10,000 seater, and we average 8.5 thousand a night, which in Europe is big. I am very thankful to have this opportunity. It is the first time I switch teams in the middle of a season, I've always played for the same team my entire career. That was for the best, and hopefully I have a great last two games.

What is it like having a Grammy Award winner as a Dad?

Keith: The question that I was always get, my Dad. For most of my childhood I didn't even realize that he was famous. He was just my Dad. My life was all I knew, me and my twin brother's. It was normal, and you know you live and you learn. Once I got to my teens I could start to grasp the gravity/magnitude of his career. I was lucky and blessed to do some really cool things throughout my childhood from his contacts that he had, some amazing sport amazing sport experience, and just in general, taking some amazing trips. Looking back now I am completely thankful! Even then I don't think I really took it for granted, but I knew it was cool stuff, but they say youth is wasted on the young, you are just kind of going through the motions, living. My Dad is still working, he is actually flying out to Bilbao where I'm at now in Spain. He will arrive tomorrow to see the last games of my season. It is pretty cool that he is still playing, still working. He has always been a motivator for me because I have always seen first hand his own work ethic, and the joy he gets out of working on his craft, and witnessing the strides that are made from his work. He has been a huge figure in my life for basketball as well, just based off of that base work ethic and other advice as well.

Including yourself, pick 4 other players to fill out your dream starting 5 to play with.

Keith: My All Star Five lol

PG: Braydon Hobbs

SG: Keith Hornsby

SF: Lebron James

PF: Miralem Halilovic

C: Nikola Jokic

Hobbs and Halilovic were some of my favorite teammates over here.

Plug your social media handles, tell everyone where they can follow you!

IG: khornz04

Twitter: KHornsby4

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter): @eazytro

Interview with New Orleans Saints Running Back Jacob Kibodi

Eriktrosclair92@yahoo.com (Erik Trosclair) — Wed, 01 May 2024 12:56:27 GMT

Lets get into it!

I was able to catch up with former Ragin Cajun and current New Orleans Saints running back Jacob Kibodi.

Talk to us about your recruitment process, you had some pretty big offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Purdue, and Texas A&M

Jacob: Yea man I had like 20+ offers out of high school and ultimately chose to go to Texas A&M because I was the only running back in the class and also it wasn't too far from home.

Talk to us about your time at Texas A&M, you spend 3 years there, you see some action and even get into the end zone a few times.

Jacob: I enjoyed my time at A&M, I had some great moments there and by being there I elevated as a player.

Talk us through the transfer portal process, how was that for you?

Jacob: The transfer portal was not the best experience for me. The NCAA didn't have the immediate eligibility rules in place, so I had power 5 schools hitting me up but because I didn't graduate at the time I had to transfer down to be eligible to play.

Talk to us about your time at UL, you bet on yourself and you decide to walk on then you end up receiving a full scholarship.

Jacob: My time at UL was amazing, looking back at everything that I overcame I'm able to see how God was using that situation to make me better. It was a humbling experience going from a guy who had 20+ offers out of high school to then taking out loans to pay my way through school. Walking on is definitely one of the hardest challenges I've faced. Anybody who walks on I have the upmost respect for because I know the struggle, there was plenty of nights I felt like my stomach was surviving off nothing but ramen noodles and to come out on the other side and earn a scholarship is definitely a blessing.

Now talk to us about this past season, you gain over 800 yards from scrimmage and find the end zone 8 times.

Jacob: This past season was fun, I was able to perform and make plays and just enjoy my last college season with my teammates. I think I had a solid season but I'm not satisfied. I feel like there is so much more that I feel like I can do on the field.

Tell us what it was like preparing for the NFL. You play in the East West Shrine Game, just talk to us about this process.

Jacob: Preparing for the NFL has been great, training comes with its ups and downs but when you learn to love the process you realize that the down moments are necessary, and it makes the high moments 100 times better. The shrine bowl was amazing, I was able to get in and have a good showing in the game. I'm thankful that Erik Galko allowed me to be apart of such a prestigious bowl. The process was fun, just competing with other guys who are in the same position as you and being around like minded dudes definitely made things a great experience.

You're from Louisiana, what was it like getting the call from the New Orleans Saints?

Jacob: Gettin the call from the Saints was a dream come true! This is my favorite team. Reggie Bush is my favorite running back and being from Baton Rouge man, I was able to go to a couple games as a kid and that's still one of my favorite childhood memories.

Who was your favorite running back growing up?

Jacob: Reggie Bush

Plug your social media accounts tell everyone where they can find you.

Instagram and Twitter - Jacobkibodi

Thank you for doing this Jacob!

Jacob: Man I appreciate y'all this was fun!

Follow me on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) @eazytro

Thunder @ Pelicans Playoff Game 4 Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 03:26:24 GMT

Team Stats
(Thunder at Pelicans)

Final Score: 97-89
Rebounds: 44-50
Assists: 17-22
Blocks: 7-8

Steals: 10-10

Turnovers: 14-19

Stat Leaders
(Thunder @ Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander/Jalen Williams, 24; CJ McCollum, 20

Rebound Leaders: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 10; Jonas Valanciusas, 13

Assist Leaders: Chet Holmgren, 5; Brandon Ingram, 6

My Player of the Game: Jonas Valanciunas

Takeaways

Well, the Pelicans got swept in the first-round of the NBA playoffs.
The Pelicans' offense struggled this whole series, and although it didn't seem like the OKC defense was anything special, they held the Pelicans to well under 100 points per game.
Turnovers were a huge issue for the Pelicans this entire playoff series.
OKC's Dort shut down Brandon Ingram every game -- and it was hurtful to the Pelicans that Ingram was never able to take over or hit some of his open shots. He went 2-of-14 from the field in tonight's game.
When Jordan Hawkins was put in the game, the Pelicans went on a run in the first half but then he did not play in the second half.
Not sure where Jonas ends up next year, but he had a good game for the Pelicans tonight.
Many times the NBA championship teams come down to who can stay healthy, and unfortunately for the Pelicans, Zion and BI got hurt at the worst time of the season.
Regardless, the Pelicans won 49 games this season, we got to witness a healthy Zion for the entire regular season, we saw Herb Jones improve tremendously, and we saw Dyson Daniels and Jordan Hawkins kick off their great, young careers.
There will be moves in the offseason because the Pelicans have a generational talent in Zion.
For now, I appreciate everyone who has gone along on the ride with me this season. I truly believe that next year we will be back better than ever. As always, Go Pelicans!

Follow The Kneaux on X , and follow me there too @SportsChrissy.

Covington Grad Gets Drafted by Packers

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 15:43:37 GMT

Covington High School graduate Edgerrin Cooper was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. Cooper, who was a junior linebacker at Texas A&M, was drafted as the 45th overall pick. He was an All-American in 2023.

As a senior at Covington High, Cooper notched 118 tackles with 22 being for a loss, two sacks, and five touchdowns on offense.

The 6-2, 230-pound player had his breakout season in 2021 58 tackles with 5.5 going for a loss, half a sack, a pass deflection, and an interception. For his performance on the 2021 season, he was named to the SEC All Freshman Team. In the Aggies 2022 season finale, Cooper forced a fumble, as he helped Texas A&M end their season with a win, beating. He finished the 2022 season with 61 tackles with eight being for a loss, five pass deflections, an interception, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble. Cooper returned to the Aggies for the 2023 season as one of their top defenders, notching his best performance against Alabama where he had 11 tackles with three going for a loss, and three sacks.

Thunder @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 01:11:29 GMT

Team Stats
(Thunder at Pelicans)

Final Score: 106-85
Rebounds: 47-45
Assists: 27-18
Blocks: 5-2

Steals: 13-14

Turnovers: 16-20

Stat Leaders
(Thunder @ Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 24; Brandon Ingram, 19

Rebound Leaders: Jalen Williams, 9; Larry Nance, Jr., 13

Assist Leaders: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 8; CJ McCollum, 7

My Player of the Game: Jonas Valanciunas

Takeaways

There is one word to describe this loss: Embarrassing
The Pelicans are down 3-0 in this series after this loss, and it was a bad loss. No one looked aggressive or hungry for a win.
New Orleans had more than enough wide-open shots to win this game, but they couldn't hit a bucket for anything. In fact, the Pelicans shot 28% from behind the arc.
It also didn't help that OKC shot 48% from the three-point line.
Were the referees bad? You already know the answer to that.
The Pels did not have one player score over 20 points.
There really were no highlights to this game.
Pelicans need to win the next four games to make it to the next round of the playoffs.

Game 4 will be played on Monday, April 29 at 8:30 pm at home.

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Pelicans @ Thunder Playoff Game 2

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 04:07:29 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans at Thunder)

Final Score: 92-124
Rebounds: 34-35
Assists: 15-25
Blocks: 2-2

Steals: 4-5

Turnovers: 17-8

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans @ Thunder)

Scoring Leaders: Jonas Valanciunas, 19; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 33

Rebound Leaders: Jonas Valanciunas, 7; Chet Holmgren, 7

Assist Leaders: CJ McCollum, 4; Jalen Williams, 7

My Player of the Game: Jonas Valanciunas

Takeaways

The difference in this game was turnovers and wide open missed three-point shots.
The New Orleans Pelicans scored their first 11 points from Jonas Valanciunas, and then it all went downhill from there.
The Pels had NINE offensive fouls, which was excessive as the referees were calling against the Pelicans more, but the Pels shot under 30% from the three-point line.
Brandon Ingram doesn't look ready to be in the spotlight as he scored 18 points -- the same number Herb Jones made.
OKC scored 96 points in Game 1 but 124 in Game 2.
Pelicans needs Zion ASAP.
New Orleans plays next on Saturday at HOME at 2:30 pm.

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Mandeville Grad Wins National Title

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 19:58:31 GMT

Mandeville High School graduate Sierra Ballard just won a national championship with the LSU Gymnastics team. Ballard is a junior at LSU and competes in the vault, balance beam and floor exercise.

At the national competition, Ballard hit her career best of 9.95 on the beam.

St. Tammany's parish President Mike Cooper posted on Facebook congratulating the Mandeville star, and Ballard's local gym North Shore Gymnastics also gave her a shout out on their Facebook page.

This is the first national championship for the LSU team.

Pelicans @ OKC Playoffs Game 1 Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 04:38:49 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans at Thunder)

Final Score: 94-92
Rebounds: 52-44
Assists: 22-21
Blocks: 4-8

Steals: 9-9

Turnovers: 15-15

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans @ Thunder)

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 21; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 28

Rebound Leaders: Jonas Valanciunas, 20; Chet Holmgren, 11

Assist Leaders: CJ McCollum, 6; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander/Jalen Williams, 4

My Player of the Game: Jonan Valanciunas

Takeaways

Pels lost by 2 to the #1 seed, and that's a win in my book.
The New Orleans Pelicans are 0-24 when they are trailing into the 4th quarter and tonight was no different.
Not sure what's going on, but BI looked off and even Herb Jones didn't look right.
Pels just needed someone to step up and get hot and no one ever did.
New Orleans plays next on Wednesday on TNT at 8:30 pm.

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Kings @ Pelicans Play-In Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 19:22:22 GMT

Team Stats
(Kings @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 98-105
Rebounds: 40-45
Assists: 21-29
Blocks: 4-8

Steals: 9-9

Turnovers: 15-15

Stat Leaders
(Kings @ Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: D'Aaron Fox, 35; Brandon Ingram, 24

Rebound Leaders: Domantas Sabonis, 14; Jonas Valanciunas, 12

Assist Leaders: Domantas Sabonis, 7; Brandon Ingram/Trey Murphy III, 6

My Player of the Game: Brandon Ingram

Takeaways

The New Orleans Pelicans are in the playoffs!!
Brandon Ingram stepped up and scored 24 points to lead the way for Nola.
Jonas Valanciunas played an overall game. He was the leading rebounder with 12.
Turnovers were a big problem early in the game for the Pelicans, but they did better in the second half, which made a huge difference.
Now the Pels will go on the road ;) to play the OKC Thunder.
Game 1 is Sunday, April 21 at 8:30 pm CST on TNT.

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Lakers @ Pelicans Play-In Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:06:06 GMT

Team Stats
(Lakers @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 110-106
Rebounds: 41-50
Assists: 24-30
Blocks: 7-2

Steals: 8-4

Turnovers: 8-12

Stat Leaders
(Lakers @ Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: D'Angelo Russell, 21; Zion Williamson, 40

Rebound Leaders: Anthony Davis, 15; Zion Williamson, 11

Assist Leaders: LeBron James, 9; Jose Alvarado, 7

My Player of the Game: Zion Williamson

Takeaways

This was a statement game from Zion as he played unbelievably well scoring 40 points with 11 rebounds and hard-nosed defense. Unfortunately, he got hurt in the fourth quarter with what is being reported as a possibly left hamstring injury.
The Pelicans came out with a much better plan and a fight in them that kept this game close until the end.
Jose Alvarado was big-time with seven assists and his pestering defense.
CJ's three-point shooting magic seems to have disappeared since Brandon Ingram has come back.
The Pelicans will play an elimination game on Friday, April 19 at 8:30 pm at home against the Sacramento Kings, who the Pelicans have beaten five times this year.
The winner of this game will move on to the first round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs, and the loser will go home.

Lakers @ Pelicans Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 01:25:37 GMT

Team Stats
(Lakers @ Pelicans)

Final Score: 124-108
Rebounds: 39-39
Assists: 32-26
Blocks: 3-1

Steals: 12-8

Turnovers: 14-19

Stat Leaders
(Lakers @ Pelicans)

Scoring Leaders: Anthony Davis, 30; CJ McCollum, 25

Rebound Leaders: Anthony Davis/LeBron James, 11; Zion Williamson, 8

Assist Leaders: LeBron James, 17; Zion Williamson, 8

My Player of the Game: CJ McCollum

Takeaways

Well, after this humiliating loss, the Pelicans have to play the Lakers in the first round of the Play-In tournament.
The Pelicans finished the season with 49 wins, and you don't do that with a bad team or coach so remember that.
New Orleans did not have an answer for Anthony Davis or LeBron James.
Jonas Valanciunas played seven minutes.
Brandon Ingram had not played since March 21, but he started this game.
Here's what's ahead for the Pelicans:

The Pelicans play at HOME on Tuesday at 6:30 pm against the Lakers.

If they win, they are in the Playoffs at the #7 seed and will play their next game on April 20.

If they lose, they will play at HOME on Friday against either the Golden State Warriors or the Sacramento Kings.

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Pelicans @ Warriors Takeaway

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 04:46:16 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Warriors)

Final Score: 114-109
Rebounds: 37-53
Assists: 23-27
Blocks: 5-5

Steals: 11-6

Turnovers: 8-16

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans @ Warriors)

Scoring Leaders: CJ McCollum, 28; Stephen Curry, 33

Rebound Leaders: Trey Murphy III/Dyson Daniels, 8; Draymond Green, 12

Assist Leaders: Dyson Daniels, 7; Draymond Green, 11

My Player of the Game: CJ McCollum

Takeaways

With this win, if the Pelicans win on Sunday vs. the Lakers, they will clinch a playoff spot.
Christian James McCollum made seven three pointers after making nine three pointers the night before.
CJ also became the single-season record holder for made 3s. McCollum passed Peja Stojaković at 232 tonight.
CJ had an outstanding game, but so did Trey Murphy III, Dyson Daniels, and Zion Williamson.
Dyson lead the team in boards and assists.
Zion had an incredible second half to help the team.
Jonas Valanciunas was vital in the win. Every time Willie Green tried to go small and the Warriors punished the Pelicans, Jonas came right in and turned things around.

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Pelicans @ Kings Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 04:48:01 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Kings)

Final Score: 135-123
Rebounds: 40-32
Assists: 35-26
Blocks: 2-0

Steals: 7-7

Turnovers: 13-14

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans @ Kings)

Scoring Leaders: CJ McCollum/Zion Williamson, 31; De'Aaron Fox, 33

Rebound Leaders: Jonas Valanciunas, 10; Domantas Sabonis, 10

Assist Leaders: CJ McCollum, 7; De'Aaron Fox, 8

My Player of the Game: CJ McCollum

Takeaways

Hi. Christian James McCollum made nine three pointers. NINE!
Zion Williamson missed part of the game due to a hurt wrist, yet still managed to have 31 points and kill the Kings in the paint.
Trey Murphy's CLUTCH three-point shooting has been huge against the Kings and Suns.
Jose Alvarado has been vital in tonight's win.
The Pelicans have the #1 and #6 three-point shooters in the league, a first-team all-defensive player, and a freak athlete and we’re in sixth place., which is confusing.
If the Pelicans win their last two games of the season, they will clinch the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

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Pelicans @ Trail Blazers Takeaways

chrissysmithpri@gmail.com (Chrissy Smith) — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 19:52:18 GMT

Team Stats
(Pelicans @ Trail Blazers)

Final Score: 110-100
Rebounds: 45-47
Assists: 25-28
Blocks: 2-3

Steals: 13-3

Turnovers: 9-21

Stat Leaders
(Pelicans @ Trail Blazers)

Scoring Leaders: Trey Murphy III, 31; Deandre Ayton, 30

Rebound Leaders: Trey Murphy III/Jonas Valanciunas, 8; Deandre Ayton, 13

Assist Leaders: Dyson Daniels/Jonas Valanciunas, 5; Scoot Henderson, 15

My Player of the Game: Trey Murphy III

Takeaways

This was such a well-rounded game by SO MANY of the Pelicans! Huge win!
CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Jonas, Dyson and Herb -- outstanding performances in a game the Pelicans had to win.
McCollum scored 29 points with three assists for the Pelicans. He shot 10 of 19 from the field and connected on 5 of 10 three-point attempts.
The Pelicans (47-32) took over sole possession of sixth place in the West thanks to the LA Clippers winning 105-92 at the Suns (46-33).

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