My recent effort to provide some perspective for supporters of football teams off to subpar starts was well received, generally.

Lots of people commented on Facebook, e-mailed, texted, or told me 1) they enjoyed it; 2) they appreciated it (these were mostly family and friends of coaches or players, even parents or grandparents of kids in the band/pep squad/training or equipment staff/cheerleaders); 3) they were coaches, who definitely appreciated it.

Those who had no reaction were mostly Saints fans. They are, as one, considering an offensively challenged 1-2 start as exactly what they expected in the post-Brees/Payton apocalypse.

Since, I’ve done research. Fact: 50 percent of the teams that play each week, lose.

Take this weekend, for example. Humble pie was served to the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners and Arkansas Razorbacks. Pig, fooey. Anybody who called two of those outcomes in advance is qualified to make a guest appearance on Quantum Leap.

Now, let’s deal with the present, and unhappy LSU fans.

Not unhappy about three straight wins, the latest a submission over New Mexico. LSU’s defense gave up two first downs. TWO.

Tiger Nation is severely steaming about El-ess-yew drawing an 11 a.m. kickoff for the next home game, against No. 8 Tennessee in two weeks.

Brunch is fine tailgate fare in all but a few venues around college football.  In the stone ages, my Journal colleague Teddy Allen and I covered an 11 a.m. LSU-Tennessee game at Neyland Stadium in 1988. First and only time I ate quiche in a press box. First time I ate quiche, period. Not the last.

The 1988 Tigers had no issues with that morning start. The LSU fans there did not either, not before, during or especially after the 34-9 romp, the first SEC win in a surprising conference championship season.

Surprising, not only because LSU won the SEC. Because Teddy, Scooter, Heity, Guilbeau and I met the Ohio Pork Queen in the press box at Ohio Stadium after watching Jack Nicklaus, I believe, dot the I, and before the not-the-best-Buckeyes team rode the pure energy of 90,000 relentless fans and scored 16 points in the last two minutes for a 36-33 stunner over the No. 8 visitors.

Because the night before the game (also a morning kick, BTW), Teddy, Guilbeau and I were in a cab that caught fire as we rolled toward this fancy new restaurant, The Olive Garden, in Columbus. I kid you not. FLAMES. Stomped out by Glenn’s big feet, as I recall. And so it went . . .

We weren’t even into October. Neither is this season.

But unranked LSU, in what is undeniably a rebuilding year, has to kick off at 11 in Tiger Stadium? Why? Can we get a congressional hearing?

Well, there’s that Saban vs. Jimbo meeting that night, in prime time. And sorry, but No. 1 Georgia against Auburn brings the huge Atlanta TV market, and the not-tiny Jacksonville TV audience, to qualify as an obvious pick by CBS for its 2:30 window.

Yes, Georgia will dominate – but based on what we’ve seen so far, any reason to believe Tennessee won’t? BTW, when it comes to TV markets, Nashville and Baton Rouge/New Orleans < ATL, by a lot.

All that TV money that allows the network to set kick times has built flashy facilities in Baton Rouge, while funding contract buyouts and high-dollar deals to lure gold-standard coaches Brian Kelly, Jay Johnson and Queen Kim Mulkey to Tiger territory.

Here’s the yang to that yin, LSU friends. A buzz-kill 11 a.m. kick must be endured. As J.J. Marshall called it, a “dew sweeper.”

Sometimes you just grin and bear it. I did, 15 years old, as a freshman shortstop at Jonesboro-Hodge High School, not nearly good enough to dislodge a senior, Kerry Spangler. Wasn’t gonna happen. However, there was space in right field, and I could connect stick to spheroid. So, coach Andy Malone sent me to play a spot I had never played before.

My safety net: Alden Reeves’ younger brother, Ted. I never played next to Willie Mays, but that spring, it felt like I did. Tedder made more plays in right than I did. By a lot.

Ted might not have been the spectacular athlete Alden was, but he was good enough to go on to lead the Northwestern State Demons in hitting. And before then, in 1975, he was good enough to become the only player in LHSAA history to make All-District center field and All-District right field in the same season. (Warning, possible exaggeration – I said he was “good enough”).

It’s not stretching it to say for many more reasons, all true, Ted is very deserving of joining his big brother, the legendary Captain Shreve coach, in the Jackson Parish Sports Hall of Fame this Saturday. I’m proud to have played a small role. I got the heck out of his way.

Not what I had in mind when practice started, but it worked out just fine. Just like your team’s season may. Just remember what Cowboys fans were thinking after Dak got hurt. Since then . . .

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Sports

Dave Rodman’s first day at his new job did not start well.

Not well at all.

“The first race I called, I called the wrong winner,” the now-veteran track announcer remembered.

“But they gave me the job anyway.”

That was back in 1981. Rodman — then in his very early 20’s — was replacing Jefferson Downs’ previous track announcer.

“I was just so nervous, I believe I flipped the horses,” Rodman explained. “But it didn’t matter because they needed an announcer, and they liked my voice and they liked my style.”

Rodman survived that first day, and has built a 40-plus year career. A New Orleans native, Rodman is in his 32^nd year calling races at Pimlico Race Course — home of the Preakness Stakes — and Laurel Park.

But in-between the now-defunct Jefferson Downs in Kenner, Louisiana, and the Maryland circuit, there was a five-year layover at Louisiana Downs. From 1985-1990, Rodman was the golden voice during some of the Downs’ golden years.

“It was a fun time,” Rodman said. “All of the employees at the track were really caught up in the momentum of the meet.”

Rodman was the Downs’ third track announcer, following Bob Kinney and Tony Bentley.

“It was a dream come true, because it was what I wanted to do for a living,” Rodman said. “To be able to call (races) when the big trainers came to town. We would take them around and do radio shows and interviews with them. To be on that level, I never thought I would get there, coming from a bread-and- butter track.”

Rodman is forever grateful that Tom Sweeney, then the track’s general manager, gave Rodman the opportunity to live his “dream.” In fact, Rodman enjoyed a measure of notoriety while at the Downs.

Most every race day, local television stations would show the stretch run of a featured race. “Here’s track announcer Dave Rodman with the call,” the sports anchor would say. But it wasn’t Rodman’s race calling that one night endeared him to diners at a Bossier City restaurant.

“I distinctly remember doing a seminar, and I gave out some ridiculous trifecta … (After the races), a bunch of us walked into Ralph and Kacoo’s. A group of people at a table, who were at the seminar, recognized me and got up and started applauding. They paid for dinner. I’ll never forget that. Instead of, ‘Great job calling the races’, it was, ‘Thanks for the trifecta!’”

After five years on Highway 80, Rodman had a chance to move on up to the East Side. Pimlico and Laurel — which combined offered Rodman year-round work — were looking for a new announcer.

“It was a bigger circuit,” Rodman said. “More national exposure, and obviously calling a Triple Crown race — I had to jump at that opportunity.”

That “opportunity” led to his calling the Preakness each of the past 32 years.

“At LAD, on the weekends, there would be 15 — sometimes 20 thousand (people),” Rodman said. “My first Preakness, I was completely in awe. I looked out in the infield and saw three times that number of people. Calling the Preakness, saying, ‘They’re off!,’ and hearing the crowd through the window—I can tell you the binoculars were shaking, that’s for sure. I’m just glad Hansel (the winner) drew off by many lengths, and it wasn’t like a three-horse photo.”

Rodman’s love of racing was born during his childhood years.

“It’s all my father,” Rodman said. “He was a weekend horse player. He would bring me to the racetrack in New Orleans … He would sneak me into Jefferson Downs, because there was an age limit. I would sit in the corner, be quiet, and watch the races.”

As Rodman grew older, he found another passion.

“In high school, I was very interested in getting into radio. I said, ‘This is cool. I can talk and play records for a living.’ So, my next love was wanting to become a DJ … I had my own set-up in my room with a turntable, and I would practice introducing records.”

As a race caller, Rodman thinks of himself as being “on-air.”

“In a way, it is like being on the radio,” Rodman said. “I try to make my calls mimic what’s going on at the track, as if you were listening to the radio, so you’ll know what’s going on without actually seeing the picture. It helped me immensely. The merger between radio and race calling was like the perfect Roux, as they say in Louisiana.”

And that “Roux” has been the foundation for what has become a long, successful career.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a time when I’ve awakened in the morning and said, ‘You know what, I don’t feel like going into work today.’ If that happens, it’s probably time to hang up the binoculars.”

But that time hasn’t come. At age 63, Rodman doesn’t feel like he’s nearing the finish line.

“As long as my memory will let me do it. My memory and my health.”

Louisiana Downs wraps up its racing season today. Post time is 12:45.

Contact Tony at SBJTonyT@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

Willis-Knighton Health System has a rich history of support for Caddo Parish Public Schools through grants, programs and resources. 

That commitment has increased over the last 15 years as Willis-Knighton became the primary sports medicine provider for several district schools. On Monday, Caddo Parish Superintendent Dr. T. Lamar Goree announced the district reached a historic agreement with Willis-Knighton. The agreement makes Willis-Knighton the exclusive sports medicine provider for the next 10 years at all Caddo high schools. 

In addition, the healthcare system has pledged up to $3 million to fund much-needed upgrades to Lee Hedges Stadium including restrooms, locker rooms, medical exam rooms and other accommodations.

The facility hosts football, soccer and track competition for local schools and is a home venue for the two largest schools, Captain Shreve and Byrd, while hosting other Caddo Parish schools for games.

“Willis-Knighton has a lengthy history with Caddo Schools in working with our system to provide for the needs of our students, staff and families,” Dr. Goree said. “This partnership builds on the successes we have seen over the years and unites Willis-Knighton and Caddo Schools together in a powerful way that ensures quality and continuity in medical services for our students and facility improvements that quite frankly would be difficult to otherwise realize without the generosity of Willis-Knighton.”

Willis-Knighton will not only continue its high-quality care of athletes but plans to increase services including athletic trainers and physical therapists to provide comprehensive care.

The healthcare giant also agreed to provide updated, state-of-the-art defibrillators for all high schools. 

“Willis-Knighton is proud to support all the student athletes in Caddo Parish, helping keep them healthy, manage injuries and speed recovery. This partnership with Caddo Parish is consistent with our commitment to improve the health and well-being of our community,” said Jaf Fielder, president and CEO of Willis-Knighton Health System.

With all Caddo high schools having access to these advanced sports medicine professionals, Fielder said Willis-Knighton’s partnership keeps students at schools without the need for athletes to leave campus to receive medical attention. 

Over the last 15 years, Willis-Knighton has developed a strong relationship with several Caddo Parish schools providing sports medicine coverage to their student athletes. The athletic training services come at no cost to schools or athletes. Athletic trainers provide care to student athletes year-round based on the needs of the students and the school. Additionally, Willis-Knighton provides pre-season physicals at no cost to schools or athletes, even at campuses with no previous partnership with the healthcare system. 

Above and beyond serving the needs of students, renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Callanan, medical director of the sports medicine program, also offers student athletes a free injury clinic on Saturdays during football season.  Dr. Callanan spoke praises of the milestone agreement and what it means for students moving forward.

“This is a landmark contract which embodies the dedication that Willis Knighton has to the healthcare of this community. This will ensure continued medical access and care to a large number of student athletes in the greater Shreveport/Bossier area. Our sports medicine team of trainers, therapists and physicians are honored to be able to continue serving this community and providing the highest quality of care.”

JOURNAL STAFF

Our Week 4 winner of the $250 in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal High School Football Pick ‘Em Contest was Thomas Bush.

There were 12 contestants who hit all 10 games. For the fourth straight week the contest tiebreaker came into play. Bush’s total points prediction was closer to the mark than the other finalists, earning him the $250.

Now there’s another $250 prize on the line. You have until Friday afternoon at 4 to enter this week’s contest. Anyone has the chance to win the $250 prize as the week’s top predictor of local prep football games.

Participation is very simple for anyone able to access this link:

https://tinyurl.com/SBJPickem

The Pick ‘Em portal opens to a menu of game-by-game matchups, with an easy click to pick winning teams for each contest. Two local games will be used as tiebreakers, with participants predicting the total points scored in those games.

You can finish faster than the time it takes you to read this story start to finish!

Entries are open now to predict local games this week.

Every participant will receive a FREE Journal subscription if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail.

This flavor style is much more my fall vibe.  Give me something with browned butter, and it’s hard for me to not say OH YES.  Swirl that batter with some warm Nutella and you’ve really got something special.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup Nutella

Directions 

Make the brown butter:  In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter.  Stir continuously.  Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the butter is foamy and turns medium golden brown. (This actually took me longer than 10 minutes, but I kept the heat very low.  When the butter browns it will separate and become foamy).  Keep a close eye on the butter as it will burn easily.  Remove from heat and transfer to a medium bowl and let it cool to room temperature.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 8×8 pan.  When the butter is room temperature mix the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until combined.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Whip until light and fluffy.  

Mix in flour and salt just until the flour disappears.  Do not over mix.  Spread mixture into 8×8 pan.  Top with dollops of Nutella and swirl with a butter knife or toothpick.  Bake 25 minutes.  

Cool before slicing.

Ashley Madden Rowton is a wife, mom, and contributor to Webster Parish, Natchitoches Parish, and Shreveport-Bossier journals, as well as a published cookbook author.

By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

With the game on the line, it’s hardly a matter of if Parkway head coach Coy Brotherton would let Aeron Burrell try a field goal of 50 yards or more, but when.

Last week, with the Brotherton Bowl and the District 1-5A opener at stake, Coy Brotherton sent his kicker onto the field in the waning seconds of a tie game against Haughton (coached by his brother, Jason Brotherton). Burrell nailed the 50-yard attempt, with plenty of distance to spare, to lift his Panthers to victory.

“Aeron is a huge weapon for us,” Coy Brotherton said. “Before the drive started he said he could get a 65-yarder there. I told (offensive coordinator, Matthew) Sewell before the drive started, ‘If we get to the 45-yard line, we will attempt it.’

“I’ve seen him make it from 65 in practice, with no pads or rush.  I’d love to get him the opportunity to attempt one that long this year.”

Friday was Burrell’s second field goal of 50-plus this season – he set the Bossier Parish record with a 52-yarder at Red River in Week 2.

The other Shreveport-Bossier Journal 5-Star Performers of the Week in local high school football:

Lake Lambert, Byrd

Lambert helped the Yellow Jackets beat rival Captain Shreve again. In his final appearance in the rivalry (at least in the regular season), Lambert proved he, and his offense, are multi-dimensional.

The quarterback piled up 142 yards on 24 carries and added a 44-yard touchdown strike to Jackson Dufrene to help move Byrd to 4-0.

“(Byrd-Shreve) is an awesome atmosphere,” Lambert told the Journal. “I’m going to miss it a lot.”

Ben Taylor, Airline

It’s impossible to choose between Taylor and teammate Daxton Chavez, but we featured Chavez in Sunday’s edition, so it’s Taylor’s turn. The Vikings quarterback posted a school record of 412 passing yards and was responsible for eight touchdowns (seven passing, one rushing) during one of the most eye-opening games in the state in Week 4.

Omarion Miller, North Caddo

Teams that lose don’t have individuals appear on this list often, but Titans’ do-it-all Omarion Miller is a must. The 6-foot-2, 196-pound senior had seven catches for 243 yards and three touchdowns against Neville. One was made on his back between two defenders, who had yanked him down in the end zone before the ball arrived.

Oh, and he added a 98-yard kickoff return for another score against the Class 4A powerhouse Tigers.

Rowan Guthikonda, Loyola

Blocked field goals can often get buried in the box score. However, when your team emerges with a 9-7 victory, it was oh-so-crucial. Guthikonda’s Flyers topped Red River by a pair of points, thanks in part to his blocked kick in the first quarter.

The junior cornerback also had a pass break-up and 10 tackles as Loyola gave up only one touchdown on the road to an explosive Bulldogs’ offense.

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

On the PGA Tour, most weeks void of victories don’t lead to … well, a victory.

That wasn’t the case for Shreveport’s Sam Burns in Charlotte, N.C.

The United States Presidents Cup squad routed the Internationals from the get-go at Quail Hollow. The Americans raced to an 8-2 lead following Friday’s play and secured a 17.5-12.5 victory Sunday.

Burns (0-3-2) was the only player on his team to play all five sessions and not collect a victory, but that simply becomes a footnote to a dominant showing for the Red, White and Blue.

“There were some guys that were mad Saturday night and felt like they weren’t contributing,” USA captain Davis Love III said. “So I asked stat guys for some information.

“Scottie (Scheffler) and Sam had incredible numbers. It was like mathematically or karma impossible they played the best team that day over and over.”

For the first three sessions, Burns and Scheffler, ranked No. 1 in the world, were paired.

On the paper, the duo seemed unstoppable and betting lines showed they were prohibitive favorites. 

However, the Burns-Scheffler team was the only U.S. twosome to lose on Thursday, falling to Si Woo Kim and Cam Davis after 16 holes. In Friday’s best-ball format, Burns made three birdies and an eagle to help build a 2-up lead on the back nine before halving the match with Sebastian Munoz and Sungjae Im. 

Saturday morning, Burns and Scheffler played together for the final time, and lost 2-and-1 to K.H. Lee and Tom Kim.

Love switched things up in the afternoon. He benched Scheffler (who was winless in four sessions) and sent Burns out with Billy Horschel – the duo proven to be yearly contenders at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans – the only team event on the official PGA Tour schedule. 

That didn’t work either.

Adam Scott and Cam Davis erased a one-hole deficit with victories on Nos. 16 and 17.

Sunday, Burns was on his own against Hideki Matsuyama. Burns caught fire on the back nine, making three straight birdies to erase a two-hole disadvantage. Matsuyama tied the match with a victory on the 15th hole despite making a bogey. 

The players tied the final three holes and halved the match. 

American Kevin Kisner, who lost Sunday, was winless (0-2-1) in three attempts this week.

Nevertheless, Burns’ first foray into international team competition as a professional resulted in victory.

“We all had fun, we all got to play and we all got what we wanted in the end,” Love said.

“Some guys who didn’t have the best records told me this was still one of the best weeks of their lives.

“We will realize it tonight, and next week, and next season.”

Burns will be in action in Jackson, Miss., this week for an attempt to defend his Sanderson Farms Championship title.

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

CHARLOTTE, N.C.  – The New Orleans Saints got a head start on next weekend’s game in London, heading out on a flight over the Atlantic following their 22-14 loss Sunday at Carolina.

It was the first time they’ve started early this season.

Carolina blanked New Orleans (1-2) in the first half and frustrated the Saints throughout. The Jameis Winston-led offense has posted only 10 first-half points in its three games. Their best chance in the first two periods Sunday was a 30-year field goal, blocked by the Panthers.

A bright spot: early in the fourth quarter, New Orleans finally extended its NFL-best streak of consecutive games without being shut out to 324. But the Saints were not able to seriously threaten the Panthers (1-2), who beat New Orleans for only the fourth time in the last 15 tries.

Carolina pushed out to a 13-0 halftime advantage and did not falter. After Will Lutz missed a 48-yard field goal in the third period, New Orleans closed to 13-7 on a 5-yard Mark Ingram TD early in the fourth quarter, cashing in a 10-play, 89-yard drive with 12:31 left.

A half-minute later the Panthers expanded the spread on a 67-yard Laviska Shenault Jr. reception from Baker Mayfield, with two Saints missing tackles to spring Shenault.

A field goal four minutes later padded the spread to 22-7. New Orleans stayed alive with 2:22 remaining when Winston hit Marquez Calloway on a 4-yard toss after completions of 38 and 48 yards on the previous two snaps.

But Carolina chewed up all but the last few seconds and won for the first time in 10 games.

Saints coach Dennis Allen, who turned 50 on Thursday, acknowledged frustration with his team’s performance.

“The turnover (Carolina’s first score, a 44-yard Marques Haynes fumble return) was a big play in the game. Obviously, the two missed field goals were big plays in the game. That is 13 points. We get back into the game and give up the explosive pass, missed tackle and the game was kind of out of hand at that point in time,” said Allen.

“We’re going to have to regroup and we’re going to have to get better,” said the first-year head coach. ”We’re beating ourselves with penalties, and we’re beating ourselves with turnovers.”

Allen declined to criticize Winston or Lutz, saying he had faith in both veterans.

Winston threw for 353 yards on 25 of 41 aim, getting intercepted twice, once on a Hail Mary at the end of the game.

The Saints were flagged seven times for 58 yards and did not force a Panthers’ turnover. New Orleans lost despite outgaining Carolina 426-293.

The Saints absorbed some injuries at the receiver position during the afternoon, and had only two healthy wideouts at the end of the game. That situation will have to be addressed before next Sunday’s contest in London against Minnesota.

File photo by PETER FOREST, Journal Sports

By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

The Dallas Cowboys (31.2 points per game) led the NFL in scoring offense last season. However, they let No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper go in the offseason and lost Dak Prescott to a hand injury in this year’s season opener.

Tonight, Dallas will play on the road, and in the division, for the first time this season as they face the New York Giants (ESPN, 7:15; ManningCast on ESPN2, 7:15).

The Cowboys (1-1) didn’t score more than 20 points in either of their first two games – Prescott played more of the opener and Cooper Rush played the second game. The oddsmakers aren’t expecting a shootout as the over-under for Monday’s game was at 39.5 – the lowest since the Cowboys-Giants game total was listed at 38 on Dec. 30, 2018. The Cowboys won, 36-35.

After two games, Dallas (11.5 points per game) ranks 31^st of the NFL’s 32 teams in scoring.

If the Cowboys are looking for Rush to air it out to be successful against the Giants (2-0), they aren’t saying so.

“It will start with us running and stopping the run,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said.

Dallas would like to get Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard going.

Through two weeks, Elliott has 105 yards on the ground, while Pollard has picked up 51.

It’s possible the Cowboys could get some help on offense in the form of wide receiver Michael Gallup.

Gallup, who practiced in full all week, has been out since he tore his ACL in Week 17 last season.

“We’ve incorporated him in a bunch more competitive (practice) periods,” fellow wide receiver CeeDee Lamb told the media. “It’s good to see him out there competing again. He’s been wanting to be back out there … Just having him back in the offense, it feels right. It feels normal and I’m happy for him.”

The Cowboys need a victory to avoid falling two games behind both the Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) and the Giants. Dallas has won four of its past five meetings with the Giants.

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

BATON ROUGE — It’s a sobering reminder that two of Brian Kelly’s three wins at LSU have come against Southern and New Mexico.

There was a Southeastern Conference victory against Mississippi State sandwiched in between, an impressive come-from-behind win that should make any coach feel good about his team’s resiliency.

Sure, the other W’s weren’t quite the same accomplishment, but every minute of football under a new head coach is a narrative in itself.

There’s a special teams problem that’s cropped up almost every game except Week 2. Heading into Saturday night’s matchup with New Mexico, Jack Bech was named the third punt returner in four weeks, after taking reps at the spot Tuesday.

Nathan Dibert replaced Damian Ramos on kickoffs Saturday night after Ramos sailed one out of bounds. Ramos almost missed a 38-yard field goal in the first half of the 38-0 domination of the Lobos.

It’s time to face the music: Special teams will be a problem this year. As a redshirt freshman, Ramos isn’t the standard of kicker LSU’s enjoyed this century. Other options on the roster are either underclassmen or Trey Finison, a reserve kickoff specialist and Northwestern Wildcats transfer who’s never attempted a field goal in his career.

Kelly and special teams coach Brian Polian are going to have to make do with the cards they were dealt. So far, Kelly’s done a great job of playing those hands to the best of his ability.

Take for instance, his running back room. There’s no clear-cut starter, no sure-fire first-round pick such as Leonard Fournette or Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Instead, there’s a stable of plug-and-play rushers, all of them more than capable of averaging 4 yards per carry, as shown in the game against New Mexico. When Armoni Goodwin went out with a hamstring, Noah Cain took his opportunity to shine. Even then, Cain ceded passing down work to pass block specialist Josh Williams (who’s also becoming more involved as a pass catcher as well) and John Emery, Jr.; each averaged at least 4.0 yards per rush Saturday.

Then there was the decision to turn the keys over to Garrett Nussmeier while holding a 17-0 lead that could’ve evaporated, no matter how well the first half went and how dominant the Tigers’ defense had been.

It’s a reasonable decision, certainly: quarterback Jayden Daniels took a hard hit and suffered a lower back strain. It was something he could’ve played through, said Kelly. There was little sense in risking LSU’s pivotal offensive player in a low-stakes game, but after seeing Nussmeier throw two interceptions against Southern, it was conceivable that if he struggled again, a three-score lead could’ve disappeared in the second half.

It didn’t.

In fact, Nussmeier looked nothing short of fantastic, completing 9-of-10 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. His incompletion was aimed for Malik Nabers on a deep route that would’ve surely gone for another touchdown had Nussmeier not overthrown him by a step.

There likely won’t be any calls for Nussmeier to take over the starting gig from Daniels after his subpar performance against Southern, but the redshirt freshman gave LSU fans a glimpse into their future, maybe: A full-tilt pro-style gunslinger unafraid to uncork a deep ball to keep defenses honest. That’s something that Kelly’s offense has lacked with Daniels, who’s kept his passes short and precise and relies more on his mobility than Nussmeier does.

Above all else, Kelly’s been extremely smart with his personnel changes. He saw no reason to keep Daniels in the game, though Daniels was prepared to do so. He sat BJ Ojulari, who’s been dealing with a “cranky” patella injury that was acting up Saturday. He told reporters afterwards that the JACK position that Ojulari fills was stuck shadowing the quarterback in a game that featured handoff after handoff from an offense that struggled to find any semblance of a rhythm.

That move gave Harold Perkins, one of LSU’s brightest freshmen, a full game at the JACK position that Ojulari will inevitably leave vacant after this season, when he enters the NFL Draft.

Kelly has done the same in the secondary, piecing together transfers to fit a puzzle that’s become one of the Tigers’ steadier units, after entering the season as a question mark. He utilized Bech both in the passing game and the return game, to positive results for both.

Kelly’s kept the ship afloat after getting torpedoed by Florida State in Week 1, and he’s done that through trial and error. After years of watching Les Miles and Ed Orgeron hesitate to make changes to both personnel and schemes, Kelly’s shown that every week is a “win now” week.

And winning is exactly what Kelly’s here to do.

Contact Ryne at rgberthelot@gmail.com

By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

Shreveport Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell doesn’t typically lose his top. Normally level-headed, Campbell has a different style than many high-strung coaches. However, just moments after a shootout loss to Amarillo on Saturday, the barn doors guarding Shreveport’s locker room on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum were closed and Campbell’s voice reverberated through the concourse.

“I’m just pissed off,” Campbell told the Journal after his team fell 4-1 and 2-1 to the Wranglers over the weekend. “Our guys played hard, they played physical, they did a lot of things right, but the freaking details cost us again. It’s really frustrating to me as a coach, and I’m sure it’s frustrating to the players, but they have to figure it out. Like, now.”

Campbell was furious with the difficulty the Mudbugs had simply gaining and sustaining play on Amarillo’s half of the ice.

“You can’t be toe-dragging at center ice, you can’t be just throwing muffins out there,” Campbell said. “You have to make sure everything is firm and you’re getting the red line, you’re getting (the puck) deep. We got away from our game and we’re lucky they didn’t capitalize in the third period on us.

“If you keep turning pucks over at their D-zone blue line, their (defensemen) aren’t turning, their forwards aren’t having to come back — they are getting in transition right away and playing with speed – and then you’re just chasing the game and that’s a big issue right now.”

Shreveport (1-4-1) is tied for last in the South Division, now nine points behind the Wranglers.

With “details” being a major issue, what will practice look like at The George this week?

“Maybe we just have to get to the red line and deposit 1,000 pucks,” Campbell said. 

Amarillo is now 6-0 and thoroughly enjoyed their trip to Shreveport.

“There is a lot of cockiness on the other side, but they beat us twice in our building,” Campbell said. “We will let them be cocky and hopefully we will figure out our game and get the last laugh.”

Last week’s 3 Stars

1. Tommy Aitken, one of the bright spots was solid between the pipes once again.

2. Jake Mack, took the team lead with his third goal of the season.

3. Local cheer/dance squads, on a weekend that made it tough to find stars, the youngsters from the area put on impressive intermission performances on both nights. 

NAHL South Division standings

Amarillo (6-0-0), 12 points

El Paso (5-1-0), 10

New Mexico (5-1-0), 10

Oklahoma (4-1-0), 8

Lone Star (4-1-0), 8

Shreveport (1-4-1), 3

Odessa (1-4-1), 3

Corpus Christi (1-4-1), 4

*top four make the playoffs

Team leaders

Goals: Jake Mack, 3

Assists: Jaden Goldie, Logan Heroux, 3

Points: Mack, Niklas Miller, Goldie, Heroux, 3

Penalty Minutes: Garrett Steele, Logan Gotinsky, 17

Game-winning goals: Miller, 1

Goals-against average: Tommy Aitken, 1.78

Save percentage: Aitken, .922

Up next

The Mudbugs play the middle two games of a six-game homestand when Oklahoma Warriors visit on Friday and Saturday (7:11 p.m.).

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

Photo by CHRISTI LANG, Journal Sports

JOURNAL STAFF

The first week of district games didn’t disappoint as there were games that were supposed to go down to the wire and they did. Meanwhile, in Benton, we were treated to a contest where it didn’t seem either team was going to stop scoring. 

Byrd held off a second-half charge from Captain Shreve to edge the Gators 25-20, Parkway rallied in the fourth quarter and used a 50-yard field goal with three seconds left for a 17-14 win at Haughton.  Airline outscored Benton 75-59 in the highest-scoring game in northwest Louisiana.

In District 1-4A Huntington also used a fourth-quarter rally to surprise Northwood 28-20. North DeSoto remained undefeated by beating Minden 40-12 and Woodlawn got its first win, beating Booker T. Washington 38-8.

District 1-1A had the only overtime game as previously winless Ringgold  rallied and used the extra period to down winless Plain Dealing 36-34. Defending state champion Homer took care of outmatched Magnolia. In what was maybe the most surprising result, two undefeated teams, Glenbrook and Haynesville went at it with the Apaches overwhelming the visiting Golden Tornado 56-17.

Here is how the standings look after last week’s district openers in 1-5A, 1-4A and 1-1A and all the districts involving Shreveport-Bossier Journal  teams through four weeks of the 2022 season. Also provided, the schedule for Week 5.

SBJ Week 5 Schedule

Thursday’s game

District 1-4A

Northwood at Bossier

Friday’s games

District 1-5A

Natchitoches Central at Airline

Byrd at Benton

Captain Shreve at Parkway

Southwood at Haughton

District 1-4A

BTW at North DeSoto

Evangel vs. Woodlawn, Lee Hedges Stadium

Minden vs. Huntington, Independence Stadium

District 1-1A

Haynesville at Plain Dealing

Non-District

Green Oaks at Alexandria

North Caddo at West Ouachita

Mansfield at Calvary

Magnolia at Westgate

Photo by KEVIN PICKENS, Journal Sports

JOURNAL SPORTS

Byrd will move up in the Louisiana Sports Writers Class 5A poll from its No. 9 spot after defeating No. 7 Captain Shreve Thursday night 25-20.

St. Augustine of New Orleans, who was ranked between Shreve and Byrd at No. 8, was the only other team in Class 5A to lose and the loss was to No. 1 Karr on Saturday. Karr, who took over the top spot in the poll last week, is listed with three losses after having to forfeit its first three wins.

In Class 4A, sixth-ranked Northwood fell 28-20 to Huntington, who was receiving votes. Two teams ranked in the top five fell to ranked teams in 5A. Second-ranked Lafayette Christian lost to 5A’s No. 6 Ruston and St. Thomas More, ranked third, fell to 5A No. 3 Catholic-Baton Rouge.

North Caddo, the fifth-ranked team in 2A, dropped a 50-24 decision to Neville, who was ranked fourth in 4A. Calvary, ranked No. 8 in 2A, defeated Wossman 52-20 and could climb as four of the top five in 2A’s Top 10 lost, albeit to strong or higher-classification teams.

Here is how the all the ranked teams in each classification across the state did this past weekend.

CLASS 5A 

1. Karr (1-3) beat St. Aug 49-7

2. Destrehan (4-0) beat Hahnville, 41-3

3. Catholic-Baton Rouge (3-1) beat St. Thomas More, 49-28

4. Zachary (2-1) did not play

5. Acadiana (3-1) beat Lafayette, 55-6

6. Ruston (3-1) beat Lafayette Christian, 35-20

7. Captain Shreve (3-1) lost to Byrd, 25-20

8. St. Augustine (3-1) lost to Karr 49-7

9. Byrd (4-0) beat Captain Shreve, 25-20

10. Brother Martin (3-1) beat Ouachita Parish, 38-20

Others receiving votes: Archbishop Rummel (4-0) beat Holy Cross 14-7, John Curtis (3-1) beat Jesuit, 28-10, Parkway (4-0) beat Haughton, 17-14, Jesuit (1-3) lost to John Curtis, 28-10, West Monroe (3-1) beat Scotlandville, 31-28, Carencro (3-1) beat Sulphur, 43-0, Southside (3-1) beat New Iberia, 37-7.

CLASS 4A

1. Westgate (4-0) beat St. Martinville, 55-20

2. Lafayette Christian (3-1) lost to Ruston, 35-20

3. St. Thomas More (3-1) lost to Catholic-Baton Rouge, 49-28

4. Neville (3-1) beat North Caddo, 50-24

5. Warren Easton (3-1) beat B.T. Washington-NO, 56-22

6. Northwood-Shreveport (2-2) lost to Huntington, 28-20

7. De La Salle (4-0) beat St. Charles, 27-14

8. Lutcher (3-1) beat Vandebilt Catholic, 42-7

9. Leesville (4-0) beat Catholic-New Iberia, 26-0

10. Belle Chasse (4-0) beat Salmen, 35-30

(tie) North DeSoto (4-0) beat Minden, 40-12

Others receiving votes: Teurlings Catholic (4-0) beat Notre Dame, 38-14, West Feliciana (4-0) beat Tara, 42-6, Huntington (2-2) beat Northwood-Shreveport, 28-20, Cecilia (3-1) beat Crowley, 57-27.

CLASS 3A

1. E.D. White (3-1) lost to Woodlawn-Baton Rouge, 29-26

2. Union Parish (3-1) beat Bastrop, 62-12

3. University (2-2) beat Mentorship, 62-0

4. Church Point (4-0) beat Pine Prairie, 58-13

5. Sterlington (1-3) lost to Carroll, 34-20

6. Amite (3-1) beat Country Day, 26-24

7. Madison Prep (2-2) beat Parkview Baptist, 26-7

8. Abbeville (3-1) beat Beau Chene, 41-2

9. St. James (3-1) beat Assumption, 33-7

10. Lake Charles (2-2) Prep beat South Beauregard, 51-0

Others receiving votes: John F. Kennedy (3-1) lost to Helen Cox, 25-24, Parkview Baptist (3-1) lost to Madison Prep, 26-7, Iowa (3-1) beat Jennings, 36-22, St. Martinville (1-4) lost to Westgate, 55-20, Bogalusa (3-1) beat Ehret 26-12.

CLASS 2A

1. Many (4-0) beat Newman, 25-17

2. Newman (3-1) lost to Many, 25-17

3. Notre Dame (3-1) lost to Teurlings Catholic, 38-14

4. St. Charles Catholic (2-2) lost to De La Salle, 27-14

5. North Caddo (3-1) lost to Neville, 50-24

6. Oak Grove (3-1) beat Rayville, 61-26

7. Dunham (3-1) beat Ascension Catholic, 20-19

8. Calvary Baptist (2-2) beat Wossman, 52-20

9. Mangham (3-1) beat General Trass, 60-26

10. Avoyelles (3-1) beat Bunkie, 70-16

Others receiving votes: Episcopal-BR (4-0) beat Port Allen, 38-14, Rosepine (3-1) beat Vinton, 43-6, General Trass (2-2) lost to Mangham, 60-26, Welsh (3-0) beat Pickering, 73-14, Loreauville (2-2) lost to North Vermilion, 35-21, Grand Lake (4-0) beat Oakdale, 26-20 (OT).

CLASS 1A

1. Ouachita Christian (4-0) beat Tensas, 52-0

2. Homer (3-1) beat Magnolia School of Excellence, 47-0

3. Southern Lab (2-1) beat Opelousas Catholic, 34-20

4. Kentwood (4-0) beat Walker, 20-19

5. Logansport (3-1) beat Mansfield, 52-8

6. Vermilion Catholic (4-0) beat Erath, 34-0

7. Haynesville (3-1) lost to Glenbrook, 56-17

8. Ascension Catholic (3-1) lost to Dunham, 20-19

9. St. Frederick (3-1) beat Delhi Charter, 40-16

10. Riverside Academy (3-1) beat Houma Christian, 61-0

Others receiving votes: Glenbrook Academy (4-0) beat Haynesville, 56-17, Catholic-Pointe Coupee (4-0) beat Wilkinson County, Miss., 58-16, Opelousas Catholic (1-3) lost to Southern Lab, 34-20, Central Catholic-Morgan City (3-1) beat Covenant Christian, 48-12, St. Martin’s (4-0) beat Abramson, 47-6.

Photo by PETER FOREST, Journal Sports

By Royal Alexander/Opinion

A civil case has been brought in federal court by Attorney General of Louisiana Jeff Landry and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt regarding the relationship between the federal government and Big Tech—here, Facebook.

The question regarding freedom of speech has always been how these enormous social media sites choose to “moderate”—in fact, censor—the content of speech and whether, either by their own doing or as a result of pressure from the federal government, or both, the tech giants are suppressing certain speech which is virtually always conservative speech.

U.S. District Judge, Terry Doughty, of the Western District of Louisiana, recently ruled that full discovery requires the disclosure of additional email and other communication between Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and several of the public affairs staff at the Department of Health and Human Services.

What led Judge Doughty to require the additional disclosure?

Well, while there are a number of email communications discovered thus far that would otherwise seem benign—if they didn’t involve active coordination between the largest social media company in the world and U.S. government officials—there are several additional emails that are more concerning—and may represent only the tip of the iceberg of improper collusion. These emails involve high-ranking White House officials.

In one example, after Pres. Biden claimed that social media sites and “Covid misinformation” were resulting in “killing people,” a senior staffer at Meta (a Facebook spinoff) sent an email to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, which stated “it’s not great to be accused of killing people” but Meta was committed to finding “a way to deescalate and work together collaboratively.”

A week later that same Meta official sent another email to Murthy stating that “I wanted to make sure you saw the steps we took just this past week to adjust policies on what we are removing with respect to misinformation.” The email concludes “…you (Surgeon General) have identified 4 specific recommendations for improvement and we want to make sure to keep you informed of our work on each.”

This is all much too cozy.

This incestuous relationship between the federal government and Facebook and Big Tech creates a toxic coordination between government and huge social media sites to suppress critical information millions of people need to know to make good, well-informed personal decisions. That’s irrefutable censorship of free speech.

Facebook’s presence in American society is so widespread and prevalent as to bear all the trappings of a government entity—a public utility. These emails clearly establish that Facebook is functioning as an arm of the government, a “state actor” in legal parlance, and as the functional equivalent of the Thought Police of the State. Therefore, it should be held to the same prohibitions on censorship as the Government.

Facebook pretends that it is a neutral arbiter operating an information exchange platform. In fact, in March of 2020, Mark Zuckerberg stated that “I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online … Private companies probably shouldn’t be, especially these platform companies, shouldn’t be in the position of doing that.”

However, when you fast forward to today, we see that Zuckerberg and Facebook have become captives of the Thought Police at Facebook and do regularly make editorial content decisions in the composition of its news feed through its algorithms, and those decisions are often not objective and fair to all points of view.

I note that while our 1st Amendment prohibits the suppression of speech by local, state, and federal governments, government censorship is not the only kind. Private sector suppression of speech is just as threatening, chilling, and destructive. This is particularly true where Big Tech platforms become news editors and make common cause with the Deep State and the National Democrat Party.

In truth, social media has become our modern-day public forum. It’s also true that the greatest virtue of free thought and free speech is that all kinds of ideas are thrust into the rough and tumble of the marketplace of ideas where the best idea prevails. It is this collision of, this testing of, speech and thought in a free and open exchange that produces the best results—and leads the nation to wise and popular policy results on challenging national issues.

I’m looking forward to seeing what new email or other communications are recovered by turning over more rocks in this lawsuit.

Bossier Parish has seen its share of good fortune in receiving state and federal money to help fund parish projects, and Parish Administrator Butch Ford told members of the police jury that the parish hopefully will have success in funding requests to the state’s capital outlay program.

“We’ve given the list of our requests for capital outlay funding to our legislators and hopefully we’ll be hearing positive things from those requests,” Ford said. “We have received some money from the state Department of the Treasury, and this year we received $500,000 for the LA Hwy. 3 at I-220 project.”

A pair of parish parks have already received notice of approval for Treasury grants including $75,000 for additional athletic fields at South Bossier Park and $25,000 for a future park at Kingston Rd.

Also received in 2022 was $300,000 for water and sewer service to the new Teal Jones sawmill project.

A $700,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Land Water Conservation Fund will be used for improvements and additional facilities at Parish Camp on Lake Bistineau.

Ford said most requests for capital outlay funds are targeting infrastructure needs of the parish that will help facilitate growth and alleviate traffic problems.  Financial assistance from the state is being sought for projects including:

• Bossier Parish east/west corridor from Benton Rd. to Airline Dr.; cost estimate $8.2 million.
• Improvements to LA Hwy. 3 (Benton Rd.) would add additional lanes from Brownlee Rd. through the I-220 interchange to Viking Dr.; cost estimate approximately $15 million; police jury received $500,000 for the project in 2022 from capital outlay.
• Improvements to LA Hwy. 157, LA Hwy. 3227 to U.S. Hwy. 80 in Haughton; cost estimate $16.4 million.
• Construction of new pavilions at South Bossier Park; cost estimate $192,960.
• Expansion of the north collection system of Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District #1; cost estimate $18.8 million.

“We’ve heard nothing from capital outlay about these projects,” Ford told jury members. “We’re trying to find any pot of money we can before we have to go out and borrow money to get these done.”

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, police jury members:

• Tabled adoption of the Haughton Metropolitan Planning Commission Zoning Map until Oct. 19.
• Approved the Minor Plat for Catherine Vanwinterswyk, located in Section 5, Township 18 North, Range 12 West, Bossier Parish; located off Stockwell Road.
• Tabled a proposed plat and site plan for Robella Office Park subdivision, located in Section 33, Township 19 North, Range 13 West, Bossier Parish; located on the corner of Wemple Road and Old Brownlee Road.
• Approved the plat of the proposed development of Willow Creek at Benton subdivision, Unit No. 2A, being a resubdivision of Lots 19, 20, and 2000, Willow Creek at Benton subdivision, located in Section 24, Township 20 North, Range 14 West, Bossier Parish; located off Old Plain Dealing Road.
• Scheduled a public hearing on October 19 to consider approval of the plat of the proposed development of Belmere subdivision, Unit No. 7, located in Section 4, Township 19 North, Range 13 West, Bossier Parish; located off Aaron Lane.
• Scheduled a public hearing on October 19 to consider approval of the plat of the proposed development of Providence Classical Academy subdivision, being a resubdivision of Tracts 1 and 2, Minor Plat for Bonomo Investment Company, LLC, located in Sections 4 and 5, Township 18 North, Range 13 West, Bossier Parish; located off Old Brownlee Road.
• Scheduled a public hearing on October 19 to consider approval of the Minor Plat for Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission, located in Sections 27 and 34, Township 22 North, Range 13 West, Plain Dealing; located on the corner of LA Highway 3 and Rocky Mount Road.
• Scheduled a public hearing on October 19 to consider approval of the site plan for Teal Jones saw mill, located in Sections 27 and 34, Township 22 North, Range 13 West, Plain Dealing; located on the corner of LA Highway 3 and Rocky Mount Road.
• Accepted reports from meetings of the Policy and Procedures Committee and the Road/Subdivision Regulations Committee; adopted change policy manual for concerning employee sick leave.
• Adopted a resolution designating the Parish Administrator to act on behalf of the Bossier Parish Police Jury in all matters pertaining to Bossier Parish capital outlay project – improvements to LA Highway 3 (Benton Road) and I-220 interchange, planning and construction, FP&C project No. 50-J08-22-01.
• Adopted a citizen participation plan/citizen complaint procedure, and approve the appointment of the Parish Administrator as citizen complaint officer in connection with the FY 2023 Louisiana Community Development Block Grant Program.
• Approved the recommendation of the Bossier Parish Industrial Tax Exemption Program review committee, in the matter of the ITEP application of Sierra Frac Sand, 350 Ballard Road, Plain Dealing.
• Approved applications for renewal of Bossier Parish beer/liquor licenses for 2023, subject to approval by the health department.
• Adopted an ordinance, as previously approved on November 17, 2021, authorizing the Parish Administrator or Parish President to execute a cooperative endeavor agreement pursuant to La. R.S. 48:2037 between Tim James, Inc., and the parish of Bossier authorizing Tim James, Inc., to construct, maintain and operate, at its expense, a toll bridge and necessary feeder roadways across privately owned lands.
• Approved a service and usage agreement between the Bossier Parish Police Jury and the Town of Plain Dealing in connection with Carstarphen Heights subdivision.
• Approved a service and usage agreement between the Bossier Parish Police Jury and the Town of Plain Dealing in connection with Demoss Hill subdivision.
• Approved certificate of substantial completion for Project No. 2021-109, Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District No. 1 expansion of wastewater collection system – Airline Drive.
• Approved change order No. 4 for Project No. 2021-109, Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District No. 1 expansion of wastewater collection system – Airline Drive.
• Approved supplement No. 1 to the proposal of Beast Engineering, LLC, for resident engineer inspection services (Disaster Relief), RFP 2020-112, DR 4263 PW 910 Paved Roads, Task Order No. 6.

By RYNE BERTHELOT, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – In the final tune-up before the bulk of the SEC schedule arrives, LSU pitched a 38-0 shutout against New Mexico Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly spent most of the week preaching the consistency he wanted to see in his team before the Tigers (3-1) see the likes of Tennessee, Florida and Alabama.

In some aspects, he found that consistency Saturday night. In others, the search goes on.

The Tigers’ offense racked up 633 yards, including 414 yards passing between two quarterbacks, both of whom performed admirably against the Lobos (2-2).

The defense didn’t allow a score,  and gave up only two first downs, although missing two of its most dynamic players in BJ Ojulari and Major Burns. Burns, Kelly said, will miss three to six weeks with a neck injury.

The Tigers got on the board five minutes into the first quarter when Armoni Goodwin rolled up the middle for a 5-yard touchdown run. LSU responded with Damian Ramos’ 31-yard field goal after their second drive stalled, but after the Tigers had a Kole Taylor touchdown catch called back due to pass interference, Ramos shanked an ensuing 38-yard try wide right to waste the Tigers’ third drive of the night.

Taylor’s would-be touchdown wasn’t the only one LSU lost in the first half, either: Jack Bech — appearing in  his first game as LSU’s punt returner — found a seam in the return coverage and took it back 76 yards but the play was called back due an illegal blindside block, a ruling that Kelly protested.  Coupled with the missed 38-yard field goal attempt and a kickoff out of bounds by Ramos, the special teams unit still left something to be desired after coming under scrutiny in the early part of the season.

LSU was without Ojulari and Burns on defense, but the product on the field suffered only slightly. The Tigers managed four sacks and despite coming up with no turnovers, didn’t allow a point. They racked up eight tackles for loss against a New Mexico team that attempted just seven passes by senior quarterback Miles Kendrick, who completed five of them for 47 yards. The Lobos totaled just 88 yards of total offense and made only two first downs.

It was far from Kelly’s first shutout, but it sure was something to revel in.

“I’ve been coaching 32 years, so I’ve had some of those games,” Kelly said. “I think in most of them, you know that you’re in a dominating performance and you just wish you had more points on the board at that time. It was pretty clear that they were going to have difficult time moving the football on us. I thought our plan was excellent and we felt pretty good going into halftime, even though it was 17-0.”

Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels exited the game after converting a fourth-and-four midway through the third quarter. Redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier quickly took the Tigers’ offense the final 22 yards before running back Noah Cain punched in a 1-yard touchdown with 5:27 left for a 24-0 lead.

Daniels was 24-29 passing for 279 yards and no touchdowns. He added 37 yards rushing on nine carries. Kelly said after the game that Daniels suffered a lower back strain and could’ve returned, but LSU erred on the side of caution with his starting quarterback.

“I think he’s getting more familiar with the offensive structure, the concepts, and we were really, I think, firm on fast feet and slowing down the thought process,” Kelly said about Daniels. “We felt like when his feet are slow, it puts his mind moving too fast, and it feels like the opposite occurs. So we got into a really good coaching point with fast feet, slow decision making.”

Cain and Nussmeier took over LSU’s offense in the second half, as Cain scored on a 49-yard run on the following drive with 1:45 left in the third quarter, before Nussmeier hit Brian Thomas, Jr. in stride for a 57-yard touchdown with 13:14 remaining. Nussmeier completed 9-of-10 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown.

Kelly was impressed with the poise Nussmeier showed in his performance, especially after a shaky showing in the blowout win over Southern two weeks ago.

“[Nussmeier was] decisive, and made obviously some really high level throws,” Kelly said. “He’s a talented football player. He’s just making good decisions, take what they give you, be disciplined, and you’re going to have a really fine quarterback.”

Three in a row makes a winning streak, and Kelly had words of wisdom for his players.

“I told our guys one time’s an accident, second time’s a coincidence, third time’s a habit,” Kelly said. “They’ve won three in a row, they’re building good habits and we look to continue to build on that heading into SEC play.”

Contact Ryne at rgberthelot@gmail.com

Photo by PETER FOREST, Journal Sports

JOURNAL STAFF

LSU dominated New Mexico in piling up 633 total yards to the Lobos’ 88. It was the second biggest difference in yardage in Tiger history.

Score by quarters

New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – 0

LSU | 10 | 7 | 14 | 7 | – 38

Scoring summary

LSU – Armoni Goodwin 5 run (Damian Ramos kick), 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:49

LSU – Ramos 31 field goal, 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:11

LSU – Goodwin 1 run (Ramos kick), 15 plays, 88 yards, 5:44

LSU – Noah Cain 1 run (Ramos kick), 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:44

LSU – Cain 49 run (Ramos kick), 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:26

LSU – Brian Thomas 57 pass from Garrett Nussmeier (Ramos kick), 4 plays, 73 yards, 1:33

Individual statistics

RUSHING

NM, Nate Jones 8-33, Christian Washington 2-13, Sherod White 3-9, Jaden Hullaby 2-8, Geordon Porter 2-7, Luke Wysong 3-minus-1, Team 1-minus-7, Miles Kendrick 5-minus-21.

LSU, N. Cain 11-94, John Emery Jr. 9-45, Jayden Daniels 9-37, A. Goodwin 8-24, Josh Williams 4-19.

PASSING

NM, M. Kendrick 5-7-0, 47 yards.

LSU, Daniels 24-29-0, 279 yards; Nussmeier 9-10-0, 135 yards, 1 TD.

RECEIVING

NM, Wysong 2-0, Hullaby 1-38, Porter 1-6, Jones 1-3.

LSU, Malik Nabors 6-65, Jack Bech 6-43, Jaray Jenkins 5-57, Kyren Lacy 4-41, Mason Taylor 4-34, B. Thomas 3-76 1 TD; J. Williams 2-31, Chris Hilton 1-51, Kole Taylor 1-11, Goodwin 1-5.

Photo by PETER FOREST, Journal Sports

By JASON PUGH, Special to the Journal

NATCHITOCHES – A goalline stand by Northwestern State’s defense unleashed a torrent of big plays for its offense Saturday afternoon in the Demons’ Southland Conference opener against Lamar.

Buoyed by those big plays, NSU built a three-score lead and held off the visiting Cardinals, 35-27, at Turpin Stadium, securing the Demons’ first win in a conference opener since 2018, and their first victory after three lopsided losses this season, all on the road.

“We have a lot to play for,” said senior defensive lineman Isaiah Longino, whose fourth-down tackle for loss sealed the pivotal second-quarter goalline stand. “We understand our problems. We knew we were missing tackles. We weren’t being physical. We had to flip the switch this week.”

Lamar (0-4, 0-1) sprinted to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, scoring on its opening drive after going 3-for-3 on third downs, including Nick Yockey’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Dummett to open the scoring.

That was Lamar’s lone touchdown until the fourth quarter, thanks in large part to Longino and the Purple Swarm’s defensive line.

Trailing by 10, the Demons (1-3, 1-0) stood tall after Kristian Pugh returned an interception to the NSU 7 on the penultimate play of the first quarter.

The Purple Swarm bowed its collective back, stopping Lamar three times inside the 1-yard line, including one that was negated by an offside call.

Longino and Ronnie Caldwell combined for the final stop, dropping RJ Carver for a 1-yard loss on the second fourth-and-goal.

“Coach always tells us when we come of the field, ‘Bow up. You’ve got to bow up,’” defensive tackle Maurice Campbell II said. “It’s a sudden change. We’ve got to get the offense the ball back. That’s what we did. They didn’t score.”

From there, the Demon offense ignited, scoring touchdowns on three straight drives before running out the final 58 seconds of the half.

Following the goal-line stand, the Demons followed new starting quarterback Zachary Clement on a nine-play, 98-yard scoring drive that Javon Antonio culminated with a 49-yard, catch-and-run score after Clement scrambled wide right and found Antonio free near the Lamar sideline.

Clement went 28-for-49 for 366 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdown passes. He added 51 rushing yards, including a 35-yard touchdown run that capped NSU’s 21-point run in the second quarter.

Clement was 3-for-3 passing on third down for 83 yards and a touchdown on the drive.

“You saw some big plays on third down not only with his arm but also with his legs,” fifth-year head coach Brad Laird said. “That prompted us to get some rhythm and momentum late in the first half to lead us to victory.”

Clement established a career high in passing yards for the second straight week after throwing for 214 in three quarters of work at Southern Miss on Sept. 17. His 366 yards are the sixth-most in school single-game history and the second-most by a Demon quarterback in a game at Turpin Stadium.

His 49-yard pass to Antonio opened the floodgates for chunk-play touchdowns. Northwestern averaged 46.4 yards on its five scoring plays Saturday.

The shortest of the Demons’ scores was a 13-yard pass from Clement to Antonio over the middle with 6:41 to play in the second quarter, giving NSU a 17-10 lead it never relinquished.

Playing his first home game since April 1, 2021, Antonio caught a season-best nine passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. It was the fourth 100-yard receiving game of his Demon career, which covers nine games.

“The coaches were telling us, ‘It’s coming. It’s coming. It’s going to get there,’” Antonio said. “I was looking at the O-line, and they were looking at me. I said somebody’s gotta step up and make a play. I was that guy today. Props to the O-line for holding up the line of scrimmage.”

As the Purple Swarm built on its second-quarter stop, the Demon offense went into big-play mode again in the third quarter.

First, Clement found Scooter Adams all alone in the middle of the field for an 80-yard touchdown pass before Kennieth Lacy ended the third quarter with a career-long, 55-yard scoring run.

Buoyed by Lacy’s career-best 83 yards on the ground, the Demons rushed for 179 yards on just 20 carries, averaging nearly 9 yards per tote. Those numbers came despite starting the game with 27 consecutive passing plays.

NSU’s first rush came on third-and-15 from its 32, trailing 10-7. Clement scrambled for 15 yards to keep alive a drive that ended with his second scoring connection with Antonio.

“Seeing them stop those guys, especially after a turnover like that, it really gave us confidence,” Clement said. “We’ve been telling each other all week, ‘We’re going to pick each other up.’ We’re going to pick up the defense when we need to, and they’re going to pick us up.

“I’ve never been part of (27 straight passes to open a game). We threw it a lot today, but it worked for us.”

While the Demons dominated the middle part of the game, Lamar closed to within a score on a 16-yard pass from Michael Chandler to Major Bowden with 1:52 to play.

However, NSU recovered the ensuing onside kick and punter Scotty Roblow pinned Lamar deep after a three-and-out to secure the Demons’ first home-opening victory since a 34-7 blasting of Grambling in 2018.

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

Photo by CHRIS REICH, Northwestern State

By KYLE ROBERTS, Lincoln Parish Journal

MOBILE, Ala. – Turnovers and a tough third quarter again proved too much for visiting Louisiana Tech to overcome in a 38-14 Saturday night loss to the South Alabama Jaguars in the Bulldogs’ last non-conference outing of 2022 – but the game’s start left a lot to be desired, too.

The tone was set right away as the Jaguars (3-1) returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, before being called for a penalty. However, South Alabama marched nearly effortlessly down the field on the opening drive using six plays to cover 80 yards and get on the scoreboard.

A Bulldog punt ending the next series was returned for a 56-yard TD less than four minutes into the game. South Alabama’s 14-0 lead established a spread the Jaguars maintained and expanded.

“We did not give our team a chance to win the game,” Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie said. “We turned the ball over five times. That’s 24 points on our turnovers. They scored 38, and we’ve got to find a way on offense to move the football without putting it at risk. You have to credit South Alabama. They played very physical, and they created those takeaways. It was an embarrassing performance on offense by me, as a coach. And I put it on us to be better in practice and to make us more aware of those things in practice. That’s where you start; in practice. And just going back and seeing where we can practice better; not just with energy but with execution and having attention on what we do.”

“I wanted to give him a chance to catch his breath, for things to slow down a little bit for him, to see the game from the sidelines and see things differently,” Cumbie said of his starting quarterback. “It starts with me. We’ve got to take care of the football better at that position. We’ve got to give our football team a chance because when you turn the ball over five times, you have absolutely no chance of winning.”

South Alabama outrushed the Bulldogs 175 yards to 57, as Louisiana Tech’s run game woes continued on the road.

Tech’s only other score was a four-yard touchdown pass to Griffin Hebert in the fourth quarter to cap an 80-yard drive.

Senior Greg Garner led Tech rushers with 51 yards on seven carries.

“South Alabama is a good team, and we’re going to have our hands full against UTEP. (But) every game in conference is a game we can win,” Cumbie said. “When you turn the ball over five times and you don’t show up on special teams, it’s going to be very difficult.”

Tech will head into a bye week to recoup before hosting conference foe UTEP at Joe Aillet Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 8.

“You’ve got two weeks to sit,” Cumbie said. “I hope it motivates our guys to practice, motivates us as coaches. You have two weeks to sit around and feeling sorry for yourself or you can find a way to get better.”

Photo by MURPHY BAVINGA, Louisiana Tech Athletics