By MALCOLM BUTLER, Lincoln Parish Journal

RALEIGH, N.C. — Louisiana Tech had an 11-point lead and the momentum heading into the halftime locker room Saturday afternoon at Carter Finley Stadium.

Buck Buchanan’s program record-tying 57-yard field goal with just 13 seconds left in the first half capped a 17-point outburst over the final three minutes of the second quarter, giving Tech (1-1) a 17-6 halftime advantage.

However, the momentum was short-lived.

NC State (2-1) used a 33-yard interception return for a TD by DK Kaufman on just the third play from scrimmage in the third quarter to put life back into the Wolfpack faithful and outscored Tech 24-3 over the final two quarters to defeat the Bulldogs 30-20.

“NC State is known for creating takeaways,” said Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie on the pick six. “We did not pick up the protection and Jack Turner was hit as he went to throw. That was the one thing we did not want to have happen.”

For the second straight game, the Bulldog defense played well, holding the Wolfpack in check for the vast majority of the game and knocking NC State starting quarterback Grayson McCall out of the game late in the second quarter.

However, the Bulldogs defensive unit was on the field for almost 37 of the 60-minute contest and began to wear down over the final 15 minutes with the game on the line.

“I thought our defense played well,” said Cumbie. “It was a long time for our defense to be out there. We had too many three and outs by the offense, and I think that weighed on them toward the end of the game.”

Part of the Bulldogs issues’ Saturday was the lack of a run game as Tech managed just 43 yards on 19 carries, thus putting pressure on Turner and the passing game.

Turner had a number of bright spots, completing 19-of-36 passes for 281 yards and one score with one interception. Tech’s O-line held up in pass protection, allowing Turner to find a number of chunk plays throughout the game.

With the Bulldogs trailing 6-0 late in the second quarter, Turner picked up a first down with a 10-yard scamper and then found Tru Edwards for a 41-yard gain down to the Wolfpack five-yard line. Donerio Davenport gave Tech its first lead on a 5-yard scamper one play later as the Bulldogs led 7-6.

Following a three-and-out by NC State, Edwards recorded the play of the game for Tech, snaring a slant pass, breaking two tackles and outracing the Wolfpack defenders 71 yards for a TD and a 14-6 lead. Edwards finished the game with four catches for a career-high 148 yards.

Wolfpack freshman quarterback CJ Bailey, thrust into action with the injury to McCall, was intercepted by Kolbe Fields on NC State’s next possession. It turned into three more points as Buchanan’s record-tying kick gave the Bulldogs an 11-point halftime lead.

“I was very proud of their effort,” said Cumbie. “They played with a physical style of football. We spent the first quarter on offense not executing. We answered the bell and executed plays though in the second quarter.

“Then the defense and special teams fed off each other. We did what we could not do on our first drive and that is give up six points. We did not execute at the level we needed to in the second half to win.”

After NC State took a 20-17 lead in the third quarter, Tech marched down the field thanks to a pair of connections between Turner and Jay Wilkerson. The Bulldogs had a second down and goal from the 1-yard line but a negative running play and an incomplete pass forced a second Buchanan field goal, tying the game at 20-20.

NC State outscored the Bulldogs 10-0 over the next eight minutes and held on for the win.

CJ Harris led Tech with 10 tackles, including three tackles for loss, while Zach Zimos and Demarcus Griffin-Taylor each added nine stops.

Tech will host Tulsa Saturday at 6 p.m. at Joe Aillet Stadium.

Contact Malcolm at lpjnewsla@gmail.com

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By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

COMMERCE, Texas — Grambling State saved its best for last Saturday as the Tigers rallied late to push the game into overtime before taking a 35-28 win at Texas A&M-Commerce.

The outcome marks the first time in seven years — since 2017 — that the Tigers have started the season at 2-1.

In a contest that stayed tight from start to finish, the Tigers had to storm back late in regulation to even have a chance at a win over their Southland Conference opponent, now 0-3.

But GSU wide receiver Nicholas Howard’s 27-yard scoring strike from quarterback Myles Crawley tied the contest at 28-28 with 1:18 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Grambling took the first offensive possession of overtime and faced a third-and-seven at the TAMC 23 when Crawley lofted a pass to running back Ke’Travion “Bull” Hargrove, a former Ruston High School standout, who hauled in the over-the-shoulder catch to give the Tigers a first-and-goal at the Lions’ 5-yard line.

The Tigers turned to Tre Bradford, who ran for two yards before powering his way three yards to the end zone to put Grambling on top.

The Lions’ OT possession only lasted one play. Quarterback Ron Peace was intercepted by GSU’s Patrick Marshall, sending the G-Men into celebration mode and giving new head coach Mickey Joseph his first road win as the Tigers’ coach.

Scoring began with a 35-yard fumble return by Blake Davis that left Grambling on top 6-0 at the 6:43 mark of the first quarter after Ryan Harradine’s point after kick was blocked.

TAM-CC took the lead less than a minute later when BK Jackson broke free on a 69-yard scoring scamper and Luke Jackson’s PAT put the Lions on top 7-6 with 6:02 remaining in the opening stanza.

Grambling regained the lead at the 12:56 mark of the second quarter as Crawley connected with Jacoby Ballazar on a 10-yard touchdown before those two connected again for a two-point conversion that put the Tigers on top 14–7.

But Jackson was back at it two and a half minutes later as he hit paydirt on a nine-yard run to tie the contest at 14-14 with 7:27 left in the first half, and the Lions moved in front by a touchdown at the 4:41 mark of the second quarter as JaiSean McMillian scored on a five-yard scamper.

Grambling sent the teams into the locker rooms at halftime tied at 21-21 after Bradford broke loose for a 41-yard touchdown run with 4:17 left.

The Lions battled back in front midway through the third quarter on a three-yard run by Braxton Garmon to move on top 28-21. 

Grambling had a solid opportunity to tie the game again early in the fourth quarter, driving to the TAMC six-yard line before Hargrove fumbled.

Grambling started its late fourth quarter scoring drive at its own 25-yard line with 3:41 remaining, with a 12-yard reception by Javon Robinson, a 13-yard run by Crawley, and a 22-yard pass from Crawley to Bradford setting up Howard’s late scoring catch.

Crawley completed 14-of-30 pass attempts for 126 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.  Bradford topped the Tigers with 69 rushing yards and his two scores on 14 carries.

Turnovers played a big role for the Tigers as they finished with six takeaways (four interceptions and two fumbles) compared to three for the Lions. Penalties were once again at least somewhat of an issue for the Tigers, who were flagged 10 times for 66 yards.

Next up for Grambling will be a 6 p.m. home contest next Saturday against Jackson State, which stands at 2-1 after defeating Southern 33-15 on Saturday.

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

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By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director

SEGUIN, Texas — The young Centenary football team fell 31-8 in its Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference opener Saturday evening against the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs at Bulldog Stadium.

The Gents (0-2) were back in action after their season-opening loss at home to Hendrix College in their first varsity football game since the late 1940s. Centenary’s outing in Texas was its first league game as an NCAA Division III program.

Texas Lutheran (2-0) remained undefeated after a season-opening upset win over nationally-ranked Trinity.

TLU took an early 3-0 lead as Joaquin Rodriguez connected on a 34-yard field goal with 10:50 on the clock in the first quarter to cap a six-play, 26-yard drive started after a blocked punt. Following another three-and-out possession by the Gents, the Bulldogs went up 10-0 when Caden Bosanko hit Henry Lavonta on a 50-yard pass with 8:18 showing.

Bosanko’s 31-yard TD run less than four minutes later made it 17-0. A scoreless second quarter followed as the Gents’ defense stepped up and forced a pair of punts and sophomore defensive back Bryan Washington had an interception.

Centenary couldn’t convert a pair of field goals before the Bulldogs took their 17-0 lead into the locker room.

TLU went on a seven-play, 70-yard drive to open the second half and cashed in as Bosanko scored on an eight-yard run to lead 24-0.

The Gents got on the board on their ensuing possession as junior Josh Ware, a Southwood product, found the end zone from four yards out and Centenary made a two-point conversion on a Bobby Shanklin Jr. reception.

The next two possessions resulted in turnovers by each team as freshman defensive back Delarrious Marshall from Green Oaks High recovered Bosanko’s fumble forced by sophomore lineman Kris Mesloh of Parkway, but Centenary suffered an interception.

Three possessions later, Mesloh blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt. Early in the fourth quarter, TLU scored its final TD of the game on a 28-yard run.

The Bulldogs ran for 287 yards and threw for 142. The Gents had 43 rushing yards and 169 through the air.

Mississippi Valley State transfer Kobe Chambers led Centenary with 5 catches for 67 yards.

Demetrus Gladney Jr. from Haughton High was the Gents’ top defender, posting 7 solo tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a QB hurry.

The Gents play the second of three straight road games next Saturday at Austin College. 

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

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By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

COLUMBIA, S.C. – A week ago, LSU didn’t think it would be stepping into a snake pit here when the 16th-ranked Tigers open their SEC schedule vs. South Carolina here Saturday.

The Gamecocks struggled to beat Old Dominion 23-19 in their Aug. 31 opener, projecting an image LSU had a stretch of four soft opponents it could dominate after losing its Sept. 1 season-opener 27-20 vs. USC in Las Vegas.

Then, last Saturday happened.

South Carolina, a 9-½ point road underdog, began SEC play with a resounding 31-8 at Kentucky. LSU, a 48½-point home favorite, struggled for 2½ quarters against overmatched FCS foe Nicholls State before scoring the last 21 points in a 44-21 win.

Finally, ESPN GameDay decided Sunday to host the live Saturday morning show here just hours before the 11 a.m. CT kickoff between the Tigers and Gamecocks in Williams-Brice Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.

“There are a lot of guys who have played on the road who understand what it takes to win on the road, whether it was Mississippi State last year or Missouri at Homecoming,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said of his team. “It just requires a focus, an understanding that you’re in every single play with an incredible sense of urgency.”

Opposing defenses are crowding the line of scrimmage plus LSU’s non-existent run blocking has placed the burden of the Tigers’ offense on junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

The first-year starter averages 311.5 passing yards per game and has thrown for all 8 TDs. LSU’s rushing attack averages 90.5 yards, the worst in the 16-team SEC and 117th nationally.

But Saturday is Nussmeier’s first LSU start in a true road game. He has played as a backup QB for 57 snaps in six road games in his Tigers’ career, completing 16 of 33 passes for 177 yards and 1 TD.

“He (Nussmeier) has been in big environments, but this will be their quarterback’s first true road start,” South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer said. “We need to make life difficult for him and I’m confident our fans will.”

It’s tantamount LSU needing major contributions from running backs Kaleb Jackson, Josh Williams, Caden Durham and Ju’Juan Johnson, who was moved last week to offense from defense after sixth-year senior John Emery Jr. sustained a season-ending torn ACL injury.

“Every guy in that (offensive line) room knows what the problem is,” Tigers’ starting right tackle Emery Jones Jr. said. “We’re addressing it day by day. We’re going into it ready to fight and claw to go get those rushing yards.”

This game matches the strengths of LSU’s pass protection (the Tigers are one of two SEC teams that haven’t allowed a sack) vs. South Carolina’s rush (first in sacks in the SEC, tied for third nationally).

Two games into the season with an all-new defensive coach staff led by defensive coordinator Blake Baker, LSU’s defense is in flux.

Jacobian Guillory, its most veteran defensive lineman, sustained a season-ending torn Achilles vs. Nichols, so the Tigers spent this past week in practice figuring out how to fill such a large void.

Baker’s defenses in his previous job at Missouri were known for making disruptive plays. In Mizzou’s wins the last two seasons over South Carolina, it had a combined 18 tackles for loss including nine sacks and forced three fumbles and broke up three passes.

“We’ve had way too many negative plays the first two games, and this week we’re playing a defensive coordinator who was at Missouri who frankly embarrassed us,” Beamer said.

South Carolina’s offense is led by freshman redshirt quarterback LaNorris Sellers, a 6-3, 245-pound load who has completed 20 of 37 passes for 280 yards, two TDs and an interception, and rushed for 57 yards and a TD on 30 carries.

GO FIGURE

1: Turnover gained by LSU in its first two games

5: Freshmen (1 true, 4 redshirts) have started for LSU in the first two games

6: Turnovers gained by South Carolina in its first two games

7: Consecutive wins by LSU over South Carolina

21-13: LSU’s record when ESPN College GameDay broadcasts from the Tigers’ game site.

110: Career starts for LSU’s offensive line

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS

RALEIGH, N.C. – Having an open date after the opening game is uncommon.

Louisiana Tech did that last week, and it turned out to be well-timed considering starting quarterback Jack Turner was able to recuperate from a knee injury suffered in the Aug. 31 home-opening 25-17 victory over Nicholls.

Turner figures to start Saturday morning as the Bulldogs (1-0) visit North Carolina State’s Wolfpack (1-1), which is limping after absorbing a 51-7 thrashing last week at Tennessee. Like Tech, North Carolina State struggled with an FCS foe in its opener, before putting away Western Carolina 38-21.

Kickoff is 11 a.m. CDT with the television coverage on the ACC Network and ESPN+.

The Bulldogs began with a 25-17 victory over Nicholls in a rain-soaked contest, marking the program’s 11th consecutive home-opening win. The victory also represented head coach Sonny Cumbie’s second consecutive season-opening win.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Blake Baker made his collegiate debut when he was thrust into action in the first quarter after starter Jack Turner exited the game due to injury following just three drives. The Texas native made the most of his first collegiate action, completing 50 percent of his passes for 207 yards and one passing touchdown, while also adding 22 yards on the ground.

Despite the rain in the Bulldogs’ opener, Tech’s defense, led by newly appointed defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson, shined. Johnson’s defense allowed just 200 total yards (138 passing, 62 rushing) to the Colonels, putting the Bulldogs 11th in the FBS for yards allowed per game. Tech’s front seven pressured the quarterback all night, recording six sacks, the most in a game for the program since 2018. Additionally, Johnson’s defense logged the program’s first safety since 2018 on Nicholls’ first offensive play. Tech is tied for 13th nationally at 62 rushing yards allowed per game.

Transfer linebacker Kolbe Fields had a standout performance in his long-anticipated Bulldog debut against Nicholls. The South Carolina/LSU transfer, who sat out last season, collected 12 tackles.

Nicholls was much more productive last week in Tiger Stadium in a 44-23 loss at LSU. The Colonels, the defending Southland Conference champions, closed within 24-23 in the third quarter but Garrett Nussmeier threw six touchdown passes to lift the Tigers.

Tech last faced NC State three seasons ago on Oct. 2, 2021. State came into the game as the No. 23 team in the country and managed to fend off a late comeback by the Bulldogs. Tech clawed back from 14 down in the fourth quarter and had a chance to tie things up on the last play of regulation, but the pass was intercepted in the end zone, resulting in a narrow 34-27 loss.

Current Bulldogs Cedric Woods, Mykol Clark, Bert Hale and Jerren Gilbert all saw action against the Wolfpack in 2021. Woods (three tackles) and Mykol Clark (three tackles, .5 TFLs) both started on defense while Hale and Gilbert saw time on the offensive line.

Tech is 8-14 all-time against current ACC opponents. Tech has not played an ACC opponent since their visit to Raleigh in 2021. Tech’s most recent win over an ACC opponent was in the team’s 2019 Independence Bowl win over Miami. Before that, their last regular season ACC win was against Virginia in 2012 as Tech won 44-38.

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By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

COMMERCE, Texas – Tigers and Lions battle when Grambling State will meet a football foe for the first time ever this weekend as Texas A&M-Commerce plays host to the Tigers in a matchup of regional FCS non-conference foes.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Saturday at Ernest Hawkins Field, 226 miles from the Grambling campus. Texas A&M-Commerce, formerly East Texas State in its Division II days, is a relatively recent addition to the Southland Conference.

GSU stands at 1-1 after defeating Tuskeegee 37-20 last weekend in the home opener for the Tigers. The Lions (0-2) fell at Cal-Davis, ranked No. 18 in the FCS, by the score of 36-22.

This will be Texas A&M-Commerce’s home opener and first game not in California this season. The Lions began their season with a 45-14 loss at San Diego State.

Grambling quarterback Myles Crawley, the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, is coming off a career-game in which the redshirt senior connected on 16-of-26 pass attempts for 304 yards and four touchdowns in less than three quarters of action.

On the season Crawley has connected on 35-of-54 passes for 407 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. 

Redshirt senior running back Tre Bradford leads Grambling with 78 yards on 20 carries while Ke’Travion “Bull” Hargrove has added 72 yards and the Tigers’ lone rushing touchdown this season on 17 carries.

As a team, Grambling is averaging only 68.5 rushing yards per game this season, leaving coach Mickey Joseph looking for more output from his rushing corps heading into the Texas A&M-Commerce contest.

“We have to establish the line of scrimmage,” Joseph said. “We did not establish the line of scrimmage on the offensive side of the ball (last week) and I was disappointed in that because I thought we were going to be able to run the ball.”

Sophomore wideout Javon Robinson leads GSU receivers with six catches for 178 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively the Tigers are led by redshirt junior linebacker Andrew Jones, who has 14 tackles and half a sack on the season.

Joseph will be pushing his Tigers to clean up penalty problems against the Lions. Grambling has been penalized 191 yards on 22 flags to start the season.

“We have to clean that up,” Joseph said. “You can’t do that and expect to be a good football team.”

After missing all of last season and the final 2 ½ games of the 2022 season due to injury, Texas A&M-Commerce quarterback Eric Rodriguez is back this season and was the starting quarterback in the Lions’ season opener, when he went 14-of-20 passing with a touchdown and an interception.

Rodriguez, who is expected to start against Grambling,  threw 16 touchdowns in 2022, leading the Lions to a record of 4-3 in their first season of Division I competition.

While Rodriguez missed last week’s game with an injury, backup Ron Peace played a solid game behind center, connecting on 29-of-56 pass attempts for 457 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.

The Lions’ 457 passing yards against Cal-Davis were the sixth-most in a game in program history.

Texas A&M-Commerce is averaging 287 passing yards per game so far this season, tying the Lions for ninth in the FCS.

Defensively, Texas A&M-Commerce is led by redshirt senior defensive back Max Epps, a 2023 All-American and 2024 Preseason All-American who finished the last season tied for 10th in the country with four interceptions, while ranking second in the nation with 150 interception return yards.

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

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By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director

SEGUIN, Texas – The Centenary football team takes another important step in its historic official return to the sport as the Gents open Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play Saturday evening at 6 against the Texas Lutheran University Bulldogs at Bulldog Stadium.

The Gents (0-1) fell 43-20 to the Hendrix College Warriors in their season opener at home last Saturday night in front of an overflow crowd at Atkins Field on the Centenary campus. TLU (1-0) upset nationally-ranked Trinity 35-20 in San Antonio last weekend.

“We are putting in a lot of effort as we prepare to face a strong TLU team,” said head coach Byron Dawson. They are well-coached and have plenty of talent. We believe that progress comes through a consistent process, so our focus is on the small details and improving each week.

“This will be our first conference game and our first away game of the season. We need to stay fully focused and ready to compete at the highest level on Saturday night.”  

In its first official intercollegiate football game since World War II, Centenary fell behind the visiting Warriors by a score of 36-6 at halftime but outscored them 14-7 in the second half. Centenary wound up with 290 yards of total offense while Hendrix had 401 yards. The Gents, who had 20 first downs, found success through the air, finishing with 299 passing yards but struggled to run the ball as they were held to minus 9 yards on 17 attempts.

The Gents’ individual offensive stat leaders were junior receiver Kobe Chambers (9 catches, 106 yards) and freshman Kody Fuentes at quarterback (30-46 for 299 yards and 1 TD, 1 INT).

Defensively, last year’s quarterback, sophomore linebacker Vance Feuerbacher led the way with 9 solo tackles, 2 for loss, and made a fumble recovery.

Freshman Jacob Wilson, an Evangel Christian graduate, was honored nationally on Tuesday as he was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week. The defensive back had a pair of interceptions. His second pick of the game led to a Centenary TD two plays later. Wilson finished with two solo tackles to go with his two picks.

Centenary will be tested this month as the Gents will play three straight road games. After going to TLU, Centenary plays next Saturday at Austin College in another conference contest, and at East Texas Baptist University on Sept. 28 in Marshall, Texas. 

The October schedule is more favorable as the Gents will play three of their four games at home.

Texas Lutheran earned its first victory over a top 25 opponent since 2019 with its win over No. 13 Trinity last Saturday in San Antonio.

TLU quarterback Caden Bosanko finished 21-of-31 for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bulldogs finished 2-8 overall and 1-5 in SCAC play last season.

Live stats and live video are available for the game at the links below:

STATS: https://tlubulldogs.com/sports/fball/2024-25/boxscores/20240914_yz7b.xml

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/@tluathletics/streams

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

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By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Sports Information

MOBILE, Alabama – For the first time this season, the Northwestern State football team did not score first.

Instead, South Alabama was the team who started quickly inside Hancock Whitney Stadium, and the Jaguars maintained that edge throughout, delivering an 87-10 victory against the Demons in the first meeting between the teams.

“Those games are tough,” first-year head coach Blaine McCorkle said about facing Football Bowl Subdivision teams. “We played two of them in 14 days – two good ones. At the end of the day, I have to take the blame for that. I didn’t have my guys ready to go. Lesson learned on my part. Way back, I agreed – and it was my decision – to play them on a Thursday. It’s probably not the best decision to play an FBS team on a five-day week. Lesson learned by me.

“As our team grows through this thing and our team is growing and learning through it, I have to learn, too. There’s nothing good about tonight except you lose or you learn. Hopefully there are more things we’ve learned about our staff and our program and how our players are going to learn from adversity.”

The Jaguars’ 87 points set a Sun Belt Conference record and were the most allowed by the Demons in program history.

Northwestern (0-3) went three and out on its first possession, snapping a two-game streak of scoring with a 70-yard-plus play on an opening drive. Jamaal Pritchett returned the ensuing punt 66 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone for the Jaguars (1-2).

After the Demons strung together a pair of first downs on their next drive, an interception gave the Jaguars the ball at the Demon 39-yard line. Again, it took one play for South Alabama one play to find the end zone as Gio Lopez found Jeremiah Webb at the goal line for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Although the Demons failed to extend their streak of first-drive scores, they did keep alive a run of big-play touchdowns.

Down 24-3 with 3 seconds to play in the first quarter, the Demons reignited as JT Fayard found a streaking Myles Kitt-Denton free up the seam for a 75-yard, catch-and-run touchdown.

It marked the second straight week for the pair to connect on a touchdown of at least 70 yards, following a 71-yard, first-play score against Prairie View A&M last week. The score was the Demons’ third offensive touchdown of at least 70 yards this season and fourth overall, joining Kennieth Lacy’s 75-yard run and Antonio Hall’s 74-yard blocked field goal return at Tulsa on Aug. 29.

“Myles is doing great,” McCorkle said. “Early in the game, there were a few flashes where we started to get some things going offensively. Our defense really struggled tonight, and when you see that, you have to be able to play complementary football. We changed the way we called the game in order to try to do that.”

From there, the Jaguars – Northwestern’s second FBS opponent in the first three games – opened things up with consecutive 28-point second and third quarters.

The Demons, who had won the turnover battle in each of their first two games, lost the battle 4-0 Thursday night. The Jaguars turned those four turnovers into 28 points.

The Demons return to action in nine days when they host Weber State. Kickoff is set for 6:02 p.m. Sept. 21 in Turpin Stadium.

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

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By RON “MAD DOG” HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE — The voice came from my back porch.

“Really? A hurricane? This is all I need.”

I walked outside where Skippy the Wonder Bichon was staring at the gathering dark clouds, talking to himself.

“You OK, Skip?” I asked.

“No, I’m not,” he said. “Not one bit.”

“What do you have to be unhappy about?” I said. “You were 7-3 last week in our picks and I was 8-2. I’m 15-5 after the first two weeks and you’re 14-6. That’s pretty good.”

“I know, but all this rain is screwing me up,” the Skipster said.

“How?” I replied.

“Have you noticed me on our walks after it has rained?” he said. “The rain makes every single scent come alive. I don’t know where to lift a leg. I look like I’m running around sniffing hopped up on crack.”

“I don’t know if I’m smelling the scent of that cute dachshund Doris just around the corner, or that stinky beagle Billy two blocks away who never takes a bath.”

“Man, it’s like Three 6 Mafia’s song in the 2005 movie Hustle and Flow. It’s hard out here for a pup.”

“Skipperoo, the song is `It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp,’ not a pup,” I said.

“Whatever Dad Dude,” Skippy said. “Hey, check the front door to see if my Amazon package arrived. I ordered a rechargeable electric belly scratcher with four rotating heads for just $19.99.”

On to Week 3:

No. 16 LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC) at South Carolina (2-0 1-0 SEC), Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, Saturday, 11 a.m. (ABC) 

Betting line: LSU favored by 7 

The skinny: The Tigers should win this game by two touchdowns based on sheer talent based on their recruiting classes. LSU is far from a finished product with key injuries starting to pile up. It would behoove Brian Kelly’s guys to play a complete game on both sides of the ball. 

Mad Dog’s pick: Kelly’s Heroes 37, Cock a Doodles 17 

Skippy’s pick: LSU 

No. 4 Alabama (2-0) at Wisconsin (2-0), Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Saturday, 11 a.m. (FOX) 

Betting line: Alabama favored by 15½ 

The skinny: This is just the fourth time in the past 35 years Alabama has played a road game at a Power 4 Conference school. The Crimson Tide are the first SEC team to play in Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium since LSU won there 38-28 in 1971. 

Mad Dog’s pick: Fightin’ Gumps 45, Cheeseheads 20 

Skippy’s pick: Wisconsin 

No. 1 Georgia (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC), Kroger Field, Lexington, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (ABC) 

Betting line: Georgia favored by 24 

The skinny: It still amazes me that Texas A&M wanted to hire UK head coach Mark Stoops. Somebody in College Station figured out Stoops wasn’t exactly a splash hire. Meanwhile, Georgia is a cyborg destroyer that has won 64 of its last 70 games (including 44 of 46) since 2019. 

Mad Dog’s pick: Kirby’s Terminators 45, Stoopsies Oopsies 10 

Skippy’s pick: Georgia 

Texas A&M (1-1, 0-0 SEC) at Florida (1-1, 0-0 SEC), Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. (ABC) 

Betting line: Texas A&M favored by 4½ points 

The skinny: After true freshman QB DJ Lagway replaced concussed Florida starter Graham Mertz last weekend and then threw for 456 yards (the most by a UF freshman in his starting debut) and three TDs, Florida coach Billy Napier announced Monday he’s starting Mertz vs, the Aggies. Billy must want to get fired. 

Mad Dog’s pick: Milkmen of College Station 31, Napalm Napier’s All-Stars 21 

Skippy’s pick: Florida 

Tulane (1-1) at No. 15 Oklahoma (2-0), Memorial Stadium, Norman, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) 

Betting line: Oklahoma favored by 13½ 

The skinny: The Sooners struggled to beat Houston and first-year head coach Willie Fritz last Saturday. Now, they get a shot at the team Fritz left behind. 

Mad Dog’s pick: Okie Dokey 42, The Green Men 14 

Skippy’s pick: Tulane

In other games: 

No. 5 Ole Miss (2-0) at Wake Forest (1-1), Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, Winston-Salem, Saturday, 5:30 p.m. (CW Network) 

Betting line: Ole Miss is favored by 23½ 

Mad Dog’s pick: Johnny Rebs 48, Defeatist Deacons 14 

Skippy’s pick: Ole Miss 

Memphis at Florida State, Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Saturday, 11 a.m. (ESPN) 

Betting line: Florida State is favored by 6½ 

Mad Dog’s pick: Mike Norvell’s current team 34, Mike Norvell’s previous team 24 

Skippy’s pick: Florida State 

Indiana at UCLA, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (NBC) 

Betting line: Indiana is favored by 3 

Mad Dog’s pick: Indy 27, Super Cali Fragilistic Expialidocious 24 

Skippy’s pick: UCLA 

Louisiana Tech at North Carolina State, Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, Saturday, 11 a.m. (ACC Network) 

Betting line: North Carolina State is favored by 21½ 

Mad Dog’s pick: Werewolves of Raleigh 34, Teddy Allllen Spoatriter from Munroe All-Stars 20 

Skippy’s pick: Louisiana Tech 

No. 18 Notre Dame at Purdue, Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. (CBS) 

Betting line: Notre Dame is favored by 10 

Mad Dog’s pick: Northern Illinois Whipping Boys 45, Purdon’t 14 

Skippy’s pick: Notre Dame

Contact “Mad Dog” at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Sports Information Director

MOBILE, Alabama – The Northwestern State football team never has played South Alabama in its history, but that does not mean the Demons are totally unfamiliar with their Thursday-night opponent.

When Northwestern (0-2) squares off with the Jaguars (0-2) at 6:30 p.m. inside Hancock Whitney Stadium on ESPN+, it does so with a cadre of players and coaches who have ties to the school and to the Mobile area in general.

Two players – senior tight end Chance Newman and junior linebacker Landry Huddleston – hail from the Mobile metropolitan area with Huddleston calling Mobile his hometown. First-year head coach Blaine McCorkle went to high school in Pensacola, Florida, and then made the drive west on I-10 to attend and play at LSU. Offensive line coach Cade Camp was a graduate assistant at South Alabama for two seasons, and offensive coordinator Norman Joseph spent two seasons as the head football coach at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in the city.

All told, there will be plenty of emotions when the Demons arrive for their first matchup with the Jaguars.

“This will be my first time playing in Mobile in front of my family, and a lot of people I went to school with are going to end up being there,” said Huddleston, who transferred to Northwestern from Belhaven in December. “I have previous teammates, guys I played with and against at South Alabama, so I’m looking forward to it.”

The same can be said for Newman, who grew up in Daphne, Alabama, which lies approximately 30 miles east of the South Alabama campus and Hancock Whitney Stadium.

That distance did not stop Newman from attending several Jaguars’ games while growing up in the area. Like Huddleston, Newman expects to see plenty of familiar faces in the stands – even as the Demons play their second road game of the season, both of which have taken place more than 350 miles from campus.

“I’ve got a bunch of people coming,” he said. “There will be a big Newman crew in the stands this Thursday, so I’m pretty juiced up about that. Being that close to home, it will feel like a home-field advantage for me. I went to a lot of South Alabama games growing up, so I got to experience that environment before. They’ve got a great environment with the new stadium.”

Although the matchup with the Jaguars marks the second Thursday-night game of the season for Northwestern, which fell to Tulsa in its Thursday-night season opener, it does mark a slight change for the Demons.

With Tulsa serving as the season opener, it gave Northwestern a much longer ramp-up time for the game. The trip to South Alabama comes five days after a 37-31 loss to Prairie View A&M in which Northwestern quarterback JT Fayard was ruled to not have crossed the goal line, marked a foot short on an untimed down that ended the game.

That turnaround reinforced the Demons’ ability to quickly shift focus onto the Jaguars.

“Sometimes your best bet is to just go play football again,” McCorkle said. “It is a quick turnaround, and that creates a lot of planning and organizational challenges. You have to be detailed and know what you’re doing or the week will sneak up on you in a hurry. I think our staff’s done a good job of putting a plan in place, moving our days ahead and being prepared. We’ll be ready to go Thursday and excited to play again.”

Family reunions and a larger-than-normal road crowd will be benefits for the Demons, but Northwestern is focused on the business portion of the trip.

South Alabama has dropped its first two games of the season, but the Jaguars feature an offense that ranks 13^th nationally in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yardage (329 per game) and 40^th in total offense (458.5 yards per game).

“(Major Applewhite) is a heck of a football coach, and he has a great resume,” McCorkle said. “He’s been a lot of places and had a lot of success. I’m excited to match up with him and go one on one. He’s from Baton Rouge and was there the same time I was in college, so it will be good to shake his hand and see him.”

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

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By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director  

Lots of fall sports competition is underway for Centenary but there’s no doubt the positive vibes are still being felt from last Saturday’s official return to football competition.

Although the Gents didn’t prevail, good things continue to spin out of that opener. 

FOOTBALL:  Freshman defensive back Jacob Wilson was honored nationally on Tuesday as he was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week after he had a pair of interceptions on Saturday night in the Gents’ season-opening loss at home to Hendrix. His second pick of the game led to a Centenary TD two plays later.

Wilson, a former Evangel Christian Academy Eagle, finished with two solo tackles to go with his two picks.

In their official return to NCAA college football, the Gents fell 43-20 to the Hendrix College Warriors in front of an overflow crowd at Atkins Field but the final score could not deter the excitement and buzz that was evident the entire day leading up to the game and throughout the contest itself.

The Gents will hit the road as they open Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play Saturday against the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs in Seguin, Texas. 

CROSS COUNTRY:  The Centenary men’s and women’s teams opened their seasons last Friday evening as the Ladies and Gents competed in The Opener at Mississippi College at Choctaw Trails.

In the men’s 5k race, Centenary’s times:  Phillip Hughes, 19:53.1; Joseph Coleman, 23:04.2; Evan Halbert, 23:43.0; Clayton Hancock, 24:18.0;  Herman Pride, 26:30.4; Richard Ross, 30:41.6. 

In the women’s 5k, the Ladies’ times: Amiyah Barrow, 25:52.9; Julissa Cabrera, 25:55.3; Brooklyn Cooper, 30:04.8; Bethany Leach, 35:29.7. 

The Ladies and Gents return to action in the Nicholls XC Invitational in Thibodaux on Sept. 28. 

MEN’S SOCCER: The Gents earned a 1-1 tie against the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets last Friday in a non-conference contest and the Gents’ home opener at Atkins Field.

The Gents (1-1-1) and Yellow Jackets (0-1-2) each scored their goals in the first half and a scoreless second half followed. Centenary now leads the all-time series 3-0-1.

Howard Payne struck first as Ian Bryant scored with the assist going to Taylor Hefner in the 11^th minute. Senior Hunter Booth tied the score in the 39^th minute, notching his second goal of the season.

Booth, following a corner kick, headed the ball into the next for the tying score after a pass from junior Eoin Hamill who was credited with the assist. Freshman goalkeeper Sebastian Lutin started for the third match in a row for the Gents and played all 90 minutes, making three saves.

Centenary remains at home and will play a pair of home matches this weekend as the Maroon and White will square off with Mississippi University for Women on Friday before Ouachita Baptist, a Division II program, comes to town on Sunday.

VOLLEYBALL: The Ladies will play three matches this weekend in the Millsaps Invitational in Jackson, Miss. Against Huntingdon College, LeTourneau, and the host Majors. 

WOMEN’S SOCCER: The Ladies are on the road this weekend for a pair of non-conference contests as they face LaGrange College on Saturday and Huntingdon College on Sunday.

GOLF:  Centenary’s men’s and women’s golf teams tee off their seasons on Sunday at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Preview in Whitney, Texas. The tournament runs through Tuesday.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

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By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – A priority position where 16^th-ranked LSU can’t afford to lose a player because of an injury is defensive tackle, especially their most experienced.

Which is exactly what happened in the Tigers’ 44-21 victory over Nicholls Saturday night in Tiger Stadium when senior starter Jacobian Guillory suffered a season-ending torn Achilles. As a result, Evangel product Gabe Reliford seems likely to get a battlefield promotion.

“Jacobian was a very technically sound, physically strong football player,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said during his weekly Monday in-season press conference previewing the Tigers’ (1-1, 0-0 SEC) upcoming SEC opener at South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday. “He’ll be the first to tell you he wasn’t a very dynamic pass rusher. We know what he was and what he wasn’t, so now you’ve got to look who can make up for that.

“Anytime you lose a good player, you don’t necessarily make up for what he did. You try to do some other things differently that complement the guys you have.”

Guillory played in 41 LSU games, starting 5. The remaining defensive tackles next in line to replace Guillory are mostly young, talented, and inexperienced.

Sophomore Shone Washington, a 6-4, 298-pound sophomore transfer from East Mississippi Community College, had 3 tackles vs. Nicholls when he took over Guillory’s vacancy. Dominick McKinley, a 6-5, 273-pound Lafayette Acadiana High standout who was rated the state’s best high school player last season, may also be thrown into the fire.

“There’s also some guys that maybe we can move inside from defensive end to give us some more snaps,” Kelly said. “We’re talking 15 to 20 more reps inside.”

The likely D-end candidates who might slip into the tackle rotation are senior Paris Shand (6-5, 275) and true freshman Gabe Reliford (6-2, 270) of Shreveport and Evangel Christian Academy.

Reliford, credited for 4 tackles in the win over Nicholls, turned heads throughout preseason practice.

Kelly also addressed LSU’s rushing attack, which ranks 116th of 133 nationally and last in the 16-team SEC averaging 88.5 yards per game.

He said quarterback Garrett Nussmeier checked four run plays to passes vs. Nicholls when Nussmeier noticed the Colonels had one extra player in the box that would have gone unblocked.

“This has to do with how teams have wanted to defend us,” Kelly said. “They don’t want us to run the football.

“I told (offensive coordinator) Joe Sloan that we don’t have to run it and show everybody we’re big and bad. If we have an offensive line that protects like they have, I’ll get Garrett Nussmeier to throw against Cover 1 (man-to-man defense.).”

Nussmeier has completed 57 of 76 passes for 610 yards and all 8 of LSU’s touchdowns.

KNOW THE ENEMY

No. 16 LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC) at South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC), Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, Saturday, 11 a.m. CT (ABC)

Last game for Gamecocks: Won SEC opener at Kentucky 31-9. QB LaNorris Sellers threw two touchdown passes and Nick Emmanwori returned one of South Carolina’s two interceptions for another score. Raheim “Rocket” Sanders rushed for a 6-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to help break the game open.

Series record and last meeting: LSU leads 19-2-1. LSU won 52-24 in 2020 in Baton Rouge when Tigers QB TJ Finley threw for 285 yards and 2 TDs and WR Terrance Marshall had 6 catches for 88 yards and 2 TDs.

South Carolina head coach: Shane Beamer (22-18 in four seasons overall and at South Carolina)

THIS AND THAT

Early betting line: LSU by 7

Number of Louisiana natives on South Carolina roster: 1

Number of South Carolina natives on LSU roster: 0

Number of transfers on South Carolina roster from 4-year schools: 19 players from 18 schools including 10 players from 9 Power 4 Conference schools

SOUTH CAROLINA PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB LaNorris Sellers (20 of 37 for 280 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception, 57 yards rushing and 1 TD on 30 carries), RB Rocket Sanders (142 yards rushing and 2 TDs on 37 carries), WR Mazeo Bennett Jr. (5 catches for 81 yards, 1 TD), DE Dylan Stewart (6 tackles, 2 ½ sacks, 2 QB hurries, 2 forced fumbles), DE Kyle Kennard (5 tackles, 3½ sacks, 2 forced fumbles), PK Alex Herrera 4 of 5 field goals, 6 of 6 extra points), P Kal Kroger (46.4 ypp, 3 fair catches, 3 inside the 20, 4 50-yard plus punts).

THREE AND OUT

1. What football movie was filmed in Williams-Brice Stadium?

A. The Waterboy

B. The Program

C. Remember the Titans

D. All the Right Moves

2. Who’s the only South Carolina player to win the Heisman Trophy?

A. Roy Riegels

B. Roy Rogers

C. George Rogers

D. Fred Rogers

3. Who guided South Carolina to its only conference football championship in school history?

A. Lou Holtz

B. Steve Spurrier

C. Sparky Woods

D. Paul Dietzel

ANSWERS: 1. B 2. C. 3. D

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS 

Ticket sales begin today for the “Tiger Takeover” women’s college basketball matchup Dec. 8 at the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City bringing home former Parkway All-American Mikaylah Williams and her LSU women’s basketball teammates to face a resurgent Grambling State squad. 

Tickets go on sale this week at www.Ticketmaster.com and at the b1BANK box office at Brookshire Grocery Arena (ticketing@brookshiregroceryarena.com). AT&T is serving as the presenting sponsor for the game, which will be a Sunday afternoon contest. 

“As two of Louisiana’s great institutions, LSU and Grambling, come together for the Tiger Takeover, it’s more than just a game – it’s a celebration of community, connection, and shared passion,” said AT&T Louisiana President David J. Aubrey. “At AT&T, we’re proud to support this exciting matchup that unites these incredible fan bases.” 

Starting today a special pre-sale will begin at 9 a.m. until Thursday at 10 p.m.  The public on-sale begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, promoters said in a press release. 

LSU won the 2023 NCAA national championship under the leadership of former Louisiana Tech great Kim Mulkey, and reached the national quarterfinals last season as Williams was the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year. 

The Tiger Takeover presented by AT&T is produced and presented by Russ Potts Productions, Inc. in collaboration with the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission and Brookshire Grocery Arena, managed by ASM Global.    

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By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – It took LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s school-record-tying six touchdown passes to subdue a 46½-point underdog here Saturday night.

Nicholls State, whose annual athletic revenue doesn’t equal the contracts of LSU’s new defensive coaching staff, gave the 18th-ranked Tigers all they could handle in their home season opener.

The Colonels, a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA) program, trailed 23-21 with the second half just two minutes old after Colin Guggenheim’s 67-yard Wildcat QB keeper. Afterward. LSU scored 21 unanswered points for a 44-21 victory before a Tiger Stadium crowd of 100,242.

“A win is a win,” LSU linebacker Greg Penn III said. “It’s easier to learn from stuff you did wrong while winning.”

LSU head coach Brian Kelly was hoping to see the usual first-to-second-game leap of improvement coming off last Sunday’s 27-20 loss to USC in Las Vegas.

He said he saw a tired team operating on a short week of practice that didn’t play with the same physicality as it did against USC.

“I know what this team can be,” Kelly said. “I’m not here to make a million excuses, but that was a fatigued team, and it affected them.

“That’s not going to be their best work. We were still able to win by 23 points. They’re not going to say that it was their `A’ work.”

For the second straight week with an anemic rushing game despite the LSU offensive line outweighing Nicholls’ defensive front by an average of 65 pounds per man, Nussmeier had to carry the Tigers’ offense.

He completed 27 of 37 passes for 302 yards, spreading his scoring strikes to Kyren Lacy (32, 6 and 7 yards), Trey’Dez Green (1 yard), Ju’Juan Johnson (4 yards) and Zavion Thomas (4 yards).

“The coaches let Nuss loose a little bit,” said LSU tight end Mason Taylor, who had four catches for 40 yards. “That comes with the trust the coaches give him because he did a great job in practice and the USC game.”

Five Tigers had five or more catches, including Liberty transfer wide receiver CJ Daniels. He had four receptions for 71 yards in his Tiger Stadium debut period.

“We have lots of playmakers in the receivers’ room,” Daniels said. “We hone in when the ball is in the air. We have to make the play.”

As efficiently as Nussmeier played – he’s the first LSU QB in history to pass for 300 more yards in each of his first three starts dating back to last January’s ReliaQuest Bowl – the Tigers’ rushing attack was again missing in action.

After rushing for just 117 yards on 25 carries vs. USC, LSU completely went in the tank against a considerably smaller Colonels defensive front. The Tigers ran for a meager 64 yards on 24 carries.

That’s a huge concern for a team that opens SEC play on the road next Saturday at South Carolina. The Gamecocks (2-0) went to Kentucky as a 9½-point underdog for their SEC opener Saturday and clobbered the Wildcats 31-6.

“We’ve got to look closely at what we’re doing in the running game,” Kelly said. “Nicholls gave us a lot of man coverages to throw. I know there were a lot of (running) plays we checked out of the line of scrimmage because of the extra (defensive) hat (in the box).”

Just as problematic for the Tigers was a defense that allowed Nichols running back Guggenheim, to run for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, most of them lining up in the Wildcat formation as a QB and taking a direct snap.

His 67-yard TD romp through the heart of the LSU defense on the Colonels’ third offensive snap of the third quarter was like a bucket of cold water being dumped on the Tigers.

So was Nicholls’ trick play, a lateral pass from quarterback Pat McQuaide to wide receiver Quincy Brown in the left flap, who then lofted a perfect 18-yard scoring strike to tight end Lee Negretto to cut LSU’s lead to 9-7 with 12:17 left in the second quarter.

“We drew that play up in the dirt,” Nicholls coach Tim Rebowe said. “We’ve been working on that, and we’ve done a good job. We’ve been connecting and trying to save it for the right moment.”

The Colonels never led in the game, but their 295 total offense yards (to LSU’s 378) helped them possess the ball more (31:09 to 28:51) than the Tigers.

The game didn’t get away from Nicholls until LSU scored on its first three possessions of the third quarter period.

“We had some nice momentum offensively, we’ve got to get balance running the ball,” Kelly said. “When our defense finally started to play well, our offense never really complemented our defense.

“Now, you’ve got to go on the road against a South Carolina team that’s going to have a lot of momentum. The clock is ticking. We’ve got to play complementary football and be more physical on both lines.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director

It was the spectacle Centenary fans eagerly anticipated, but the outcome of the Gents’ first official intercollegiate football game in many decades wasn’t what they wanted.

The Centenary football team fell 43-20 to the Hendrix College Warriors Saturday evening in front of an overflow crowd recorded at 1,978 at Atkins Field on the Centenary campus.

The Gents (0-1) fell behind the Warriors (1-0) by a score of 36-6 at halftime but outscored them 14-7 in the second half. Centenary wound up with 290 yards of total offense while Hendrix had 401 yards.

Centenary’s previous football history began with the Gents’ first game in the fall of 1894 and ended in November of 1941, with a brief attempted revival in the 1960s. The anticipation and excitement after a half-century of the sport being gone was on full display Saturday night.

“So many people have worked for years to make this day happen,” said head coach Byron Dawson. “People invested their time and hard-earned money and I am so happy and grateful that we had college football in this city tonight and we are going to keep pushing forward.”

Hendrix, 3-7 last season, scored on the game’s opening series. Jason Sullivan’s 4-yard touchdown run lit up the new scoreboard and the Warriors converted a two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead at the 11:43 mark, capping an eight-play dive that covered 75 yards in 3:17.

Centenary’s Kobe Chambers took the ensuing kickoff and the 10-yard line and cut to the far sideline, racing to the end zone for an apparent 90-yard TD as the Atkins Field was in a fever pitch but it was unfortunately negated by a holding penalty.

The Gents were only able muster five yards on their first drive and the Warriors followed with a 5-play, 47-yard TD drive to take a 15-0 lead with just under seven minutes left in the first quarter.

Sophomore linebacker Vance Feuerbacher, last year’s starting quarterback, came up with a big defensive play later in the quarter as he recovered a Warriors’ fumble and raced down to the four-yard line. One play later, junior running back Bobby Shanklin Jr. found the end zone to make it 15-6 with 5:01 remaining in the first period. The Gents attempted a two-point conversion that failed but they were on the board.

Hendrix extended its lead with an early TD in the second quarter to make it 22-6 and an 11-play, 95-yard drive by the Warriors capped by a Buniff to Turley eight-yard score made it 29-6 with 5:27 remaining before halftime. Another Hendrix TD with a mere 59 seconds left before the break made it 36-6.

Centenary brought on freshman Preston Doerner from Airline High School for a 39-yard field goal attempt just before halftime but his kick was blocked and the Warriors went to the locker room with a 30-point lead.

Hendrix scored again midway through the third quarter to take a 43-6 advantage. The Gents’ defense was impressive over the final 25 minutes of the game. Freshman Jacob Wilson intercepted and two plays later freshman Kody Fuentes found sophomore receiver Jay Richardson for a 15-yard TD at the 8:07 mark of the fourth period. Chambers ran it in for a two-point conversion to make it 43-14.

Fuentes added a 1-yard scoring run with 1:09 left to get the Gents within 43-20 after a Feuerbacher two-point rush attempt failed. Wilson finished with a pair of interceptions in the game.

Hendrix had a 410-290 total yardage advantage. The Gents couldn’t establish a run game, trying only 17 and netting minus 9 yards. Centenary threw for 299, all by Fuentes.

The Gents will hit the road next Saturday as they open Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play against the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs in Seguin.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

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By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Sports Information Director

NATCHITOCHES – A fast start had the Northwestern State football team feeling great in its 2024 home opener Saturday night in Turpin Stadium.

The final play of their matchup with Prairie View A&M delivered the opposite emotion.

Northwestern quarterback JT Fayard was ruled to have been stopped a foot short of the goal line on a ”tush push” sneak on an untimed down, allowing the visiting Panthers to hold on for a 37-31 victory in front of a crowd of 9,132.

“I’m incredibly proud to be the head coach at Northwestern State,” first-year head coach Blaine McCorkle said. “I took this job nine and a half months ago for nights like this. We didn’t win, and that hurts, but we didn’t give ourselves the chance to win. We didn’t earn the right to win the game tonight. We had way too many mistakes, way too many penalties that didn’t give us the right to win the game.

“There were many opportunities that we blew to do just that. At the same time, knowing this football team and where they’ve come from and who they are – and knowing the perception of this football team, which is very real to many people – giving ourselves a chance to win the game on the last play, I couldn’t be prouder of that. These guys know how to fight and stay together. We’re not winning games, but we’re killing assumptions and stereotypes about what Northwestern State football is.”

What the Demons (0-2) were at times Saturday night were explosive and opportunistic.

A week after scoring on the second play from scrimmage at Tulsa, Northwestern one-upped itself on a first-play, 71-yard touchdown pass from JT Fayard to Myles Kitt-Denton, taking a 7-0 lead 14 seconds into the game. McCorkle said the play “was called back in March” because he wanted to make a statement in front of the home crowd about the aggressive posture of his program.

That started a salvo of big plays from both sides as the Panthers (1-1) squared things at 7 on a 42-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Peters to Arthur Thomas IV at the 9:12 mark of the first quarter.

On Prairie View’s next possession, Demon cornerback Emanuel Brown snared his first career interception and weaved his way up the left sideline for a 37-yard touchdown to regain the lead for Northwestern.

The Panthers then mixed a patient approach with sprinkles of downfield catches from Shemar Savage (6 catches, 133 yards and a touchdown) to build a 20-14 halftime lead.

Once again, the Demons answered with a chunk play – a 55-yard Kennieth Lacy touchdown rush – to regain the lead.

For all their big plays, however, the Demons struggled to sustain drives, converting just two of 13 third downs. The Panthers, meanwhile, were 10-for-20 on third downs and won the time of possession battle by nearly 15 minutes, running 85 plays to Northwestern’s 59.

Prairie View outrushed the Demons, 188-105, taking advantage of their offensive line’s size.

“That’s a lot of plays no doubt, but I didn’t see a lot of guys cramping up,” McCorkle said. “I didn’t see a lot of guys going down. I give a lot of credit to our strength coach Jason Smelser for having those guys ready to go. When you play around 90 plays on September 7 in Louisiana, that’s a lot of football.”

Following Lacy’s touchdown run, the Panthers scored 10 straight before the opportunistic Demons struck again.

Junior linebacker Cadillac Rhone gave Northwestern its second pick six of the game, intercepting Peters and returning it 16 yards for a score to slice the lead to two.

“I’ve seen my teammates making plays, and I wanted to make a play,” said Rhone, who scored his first touchdown in Turpin Stadium as a collegian after doing so in Many High School’s state title game victory here in 2020. “We all want to make plays on defense. We want to help the offense the best way we can. Special teams, also. Just try to put points on the board. Eman had his pick six, so I wanted to get one too.”

Rhone’s interception breathed life into the Demons, who survived a fourth-quarter interception of their own to summon a nearly perfect ending to McCorkle’s home debut.

Taking over at its 1-yard line, Northwestern marched to the Prairie View 31-yard line with 1 second left. Fayard hit a diving-out-of-bounds Twon Hines near the front right corner of the goal line as time expired, a play upheld on a replay challenge. A personal foul penalty on the Panthers gave the Demons another chance.

After a Panther timeout just before the snap spoiled a tackle for loss, Fayard’s forward progress was deemed to be stopped short of the goal line. This time, replay didn’t help the Demons.

“We felt like it was late in the game and their defensive line may have been a little tired and we could get a push,” McCorkle said. “When it’s that close, just poke it in. I’m not questioning the call. I feel like it was the right call. It’s safe. I have to trust the review, and there’s nothing you can do about it now.”

The Demons return to action in five days when they travel to Mobile, Alabama, for the first matchup with South Alabama in program history. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

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By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

GRAMBLING — A win is always a good thing, and Grambling State head football coach Mickey Joseph was happy to get his first one as head coach of the Tigers Saturday night.

But that doesn’t exactly mean he liked everything saw during GSU’s 37-20 win over Tuskegee in the Tigers’ home opener at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.

And after it was all over, Joseph didn’t mince words talking about what he had seen out on the field from his team.

“You gotta take the win because you’re on the plus side,” Joseph said. “You’ve got to take the win. But you’re not going to beat many teams in this conference the way we played tonight. And I expressed that to the kids. We won’t win many games like that if we play that way.”

The Tigers started out in strong fashion, taking advantage of an interception that set them up to start their second possession at the Tuskegee 18-yard line.

On first down quarterback Myles Crawley connected with receiver Nicholas Howard on a pass that was initially ruled a touchdown. But after a lengthy video, officials ruled that Howard only made it to the 1-yard line before his knee hit the turf.

Crawley connected with tight end Cordavis Knighten on a 2-yard scoring strike that put GSU on top 6-0 (Ryan Harradine’s point after kick drifted wide right) at the 11:44 mark of the opening stanza.

Grambling quickly scored again as Crawley’s 53-yard pass to Javon Robinson set up a 9-yard touchdown pass to Howard, who twisted and stretched out over an attempted tackler to reach the ball over the goal line for a 13-0 lead just three minutes later.

Grambling stretched the spread to 20-0 on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tony Phillips 1:33 into the second quarter. A 36-yard field goal by Harradine made it 23-0 with 2:38 left in the half.

A minute later, the Tigers scored again with 1:32 left before intermission as Crawley connected with Robinson on a 53-yard touchdown pass.

The G-Men weren’t done as Josh Darling returned a Golden Tiger fumble 19 yards for another score to make it 37-0. Tuskegee’s Lorcan Ryan hit a 46-yard field goal with one second left to make it a 37-3 halftime score.

But as strong as they started the game, the Tigers came out flat in the second half as Tuskegee outscored GSU by 20 in the final 30 minutes of the contest.

“Good football teams come out and finish games,” Joseph said. “But we’re not a very good football team right now.”

Joseph has preached cleaning up a penalty problem that plagued Grambling last season, but ended up being disappointed with the way his team handled that aspect.

“I thought we played good for 20 minutes out of 60,” Joseph said. “I thought we were clean for 20 minutes. But the other 40 were bad. We had 16 penalties for 166 (yards lost). That’s terrible. 

“We can’t revert back to foolishness and that’s what we reverted back to. I’ve got to do a better job as a head coach and I will and my assistants have got to do a better job. We’ll clean that up.”

Crawley completed 16-of-26 passes for 304 yards and four scores before being pulled in the third quarter while Robinson led Grambling with four catches for 151 yards.

“We got a little complacent in the second half but we’ll get better,” Crawley said. “We’ll celebrate the win and get back to work.”

Joseph wasn’t happy with a run game that saw GSU average only 2.4 yards per carry. 

“We had explosive players, so if we can get the ball into space to our kids that are explosive, they’re going to make something happen,” Joseph said. “But we have to establish the line of scrimmage. We did not establish the line of scrimmage on the offensive side of the ball and I was disappointed in that because I thought we were going to be able to run the ball.”

Personal fouls played a significant role in GSU’s plethora of penalties, something that really bothered Joseph, especially after a personal foul extended a final minute Tuskegee drive and resulted in a Golden Tiger touchdown.

“Some of the penalties were stupid things,” Joseph said. “They always catch the second guy. Our kid said ‘they slapped me in the face.’ OK, but he caught you though. So who’s guilty? You are. 

“We had some calls that didn’t go our way. But good teams play through things like that. We’re just not a very good football team right now.”

Andrew Jones led the G-Men with 11 tackles and added half a sack while Bryce Cage added six takedowns with one sack.

Grambling (1-1) will next play at 6 p.m. next Saturday at Southland Conference member Texas-A&M Commerce (0-2), a 36-22 loser at UC Davis Saturday night.

Joseph expects to see a better performance from his team next weekend.

“Like I said, we’re just not a very good football team and I’ve got to get it fixed,” Joseph said. “I’m not a very good head coach right now and I’ve got to fix it. I will.”

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

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By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – LSU holds the dubious distinction of being the only SEC school to open all of its last five football seasons against Power 4 conference opponents.

The Tigers are also currently the only Power 4 conference member to lose five straight openers after last Sunday’s disappointing 27-20 loss to USC in Las Vegas.

That happened this past weekend when 13 of 16 SEC schools that won averaged 52.5 points against two Power 4, five mid-major and six FCS (Division 1-AA) opponents.

With the now-No. 18 Tigers (0-1) set to open their home schedule Saturday at 6:30 p.m. against in-state FCS opponent Nicholls State (0-1), the argument can be made that LSU should stop scheduling Power 4 foes for season-openers.

“I don’t think so,” said LSU head coach Brian Kelly, who faces future season-openers against Clemson of the ACC in 2025 and 2026 and Houston in 2027. “I don’t necessarily think winning the opener 73-0 gives you much benefit. You go into Week 2 with a lot of questions about who you are.

“All of us wanted to win the (USC) game. But we’re going to be a better football team because of what happened. We know a lot more about our football team. We know what we need to do better as coaches and as a development of a football team.”

LSU’s offense, with new starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, produced the second-lowest scoring output in Kelly’s 28 games as the Tigers coach.

While Nussmeier completed 29 of 38 passes to 10 teammates for 304 yards, 2 TDs and a game-closing interception, he rarely threw the ball deep downfield. Also, he didn’t have a single rushing attempt.

“We had our opportunities to step on their (USC) throat,” Nussmeier said. “We’ve got to play cleaner.”

The only bright spot in LSU’s rushing attack – graduate student running back John Emery Jr. who had 61 yards on 10 carries including a 39-yard burst – sustained a season-ending knee injury in practice on Tuesday.

It means true freshman Caden Durham, rated as the eighth-best high school running back in the nation last season, steps into RB rotation behind sixth-year senior Josh Williams and sophomore Kaleb Jackson.

Meanwhile, the Tigers are already down two receivers after Kyle Parker sustained an ulnar nerve arm injury vs. USC and Chris Hilton is still trying to recover from a preseason ankle sprain.

Though Aaron Anderson (5 catches for 64 yards, 1 TD) and Zavion Thomas (2 for 23 yards) had nice performances off the bench vs. USC, Kelly said he needs freshman redshirt Sheldon Sampson in the receivers’ rotation.

“The guy that we’ve got to get ready is Sheldon Sampson,” Kelly said. “He’s got to be able to play for us, and we got to get him on the field. When we have him in our rotation, it allows us to slide some people around.”

Defensively, LSU held USC to 14 points and 271 total offense yards through three quarters before collapsing in the fourth period when the Tigers allowed 14 points and 176 yards on 21 plays.

The Tigers’ defense never put USC’s offense in a third-down conversion situation on their last two possessions.

Yet defenders like junior defensive end Sai’vion Jones, who had 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup and 1 forced fumble vs. the Trojans, said improvement over last year’s defense was already evident.

“I feel like one of the main ways we’ve improved is the trust we have in each other,” Jones said. “I trust the backfield is going to be able to do their job, and they trust that we’re going to be able to do our job.”

Kelly hasn’t wavered in his confidence about his team.

“I got a good feeling this football team is going to be good,” he said. “We got some work to do, but we’re going to get this team to the point where we’re balanced. When we complement each other offensively, defensively (and special teams), it’s going to be a good football team.” 

GO FIGURE 

5: Nicholls takeaways (3 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries) in a season-opening loss to Louisiana Tech 

9: True freshmen played for LSU in the season-opener vs. USC 

10: Straight Nicholls losses to FBS (Division 1-A) teams 

18: Wins vs. 0 losses for LSU vs. Southland Conference opponents 

36: Consecutive LSU wins over in-state opponents 

80: Receiving yards needed by Kyren Lacy Jr. to become the 43rd receiver in LSU history to reach the 1,000-yard mark.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Sports Information Director

NATCHITOCHES – As a left tackle, Stevie Ballard is accustomed to having a copious set of eyes on him every snap.

Ballard and his fellow Northwestern State offensive linemen inherited a bit more scrutiny when Blaine McCorkle was named the Demons’ head coach nine months ago.

After all, McCorkle was an offensive line coach for much of his time as an assistant coach and played the position during his career.

“My very first team meeting here, one of the first things I did was have the offensive line stand up,” McCorkle said. “I made it very clear we would go as that group goes. Any team in America – whether you’re a former offensive lineman or coach – will tell you that you go as that group goes. We put a lot of pressure on those guys to perform and lead. If things are going good, it’s probably because the offensive line is playing well. If things are going bad, they’re the ones who can fix it the quickest. We put a lot of pressure on that group. With that being my background, when film comes on, my eyes naturally go there first.

“I see things there a lot quicker than in other places. That’s a good thing. We put a lot on those guys, and so far, they’re working, and I think they’ll jell and get to midseason form in the next couple of games. They’ll be a good group by the end of the year.”

McCorkle will lead his Demons into their first home game Saturday evening at 6 in Turpin Stadium against Prairie View. Both teams dropped their season openers, NSU losing at Tulsa despite posting a surprising 28 points while Prairie View was surprised in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener by rival Texas Southern.

Ballard, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound native of Raymond, Mississippi, was the only returning Demon offensive lineman who had started a game at Northwestern prior to last week’s season opener. He drew a pair of starts in 2021 and one in 2022.

Now in his fourth season at Northwestern after transferring from Louisiana Tech, Ballard has emerged as a leader among his peers – a trait that has been encouraged by McCorkle’s new offensive staff.

“Just having this new staff really pushing us in each and every single way has been an awesome thing,” Ballard said. “One of the big things the coaches push for is for everyone to be a leader. Having the leadership within each person, holding each other accountable and take critiquing from each other is something we’ve all learned how to do throughout our summer workouts and fall camp, and we’re still learning throughout the season.”

While Ballard has become a respected voice in the locker room and along the offensive line, he has done so off the field as well.

Ballard, a fifth-year senior, is pursuing a master’s degree in health and human performance and, like many other graduate students, has assistantship duties to perform within the academic department.

“I’m serving as a T.A. (teacher’s assistant) for one of my undergraduate professors,” Ballard said. “I’m able to interact with those students and help them along the way. The more you do the better you get.”

With Ballard leading the no-longer rookie starters along the Demon offensive line, there were signs of progress at Tulsa.

Included in that was a 75-yard run by Kennieth Lacy that stands as the longest rush by a Demon since March 2021. There is room for improvement for both Ballard and the line as a whole, but the first steps toward a foundation of constant, continual improvement have been laid.

“He didn’t play a perfect game against Tulsa, but he showed up to play there’s no doubt,” McCorkle said. “You watch the film, and Stevie Ballard played really, really hard. He’s the kind of guy you want to build it around – guys who are quiet, unassuming, stoic, professional, business-minded – guys who just show up and go to work. I’m really proud of what Stevie has done leading that offensive line. It’s been fun to watch him grown over the past nine months we’ve been here. As the season goes, he’s going to get better and be fun to watch.”

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By SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

GRAMBLING — A history-rich matchup is set to kick off at 6 p.m. Saturday at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium as the Grambling State Tigers play host to the Tuskegee Golden Tigers.

Both teams stand at 0-1. Tuskegee is coming off a 21-13 loss to Johnson C. Smith last weekend at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery Alabama, while Grambling fell in its season opener 40-10 at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Grambling and Tuskegee haven’t faced off since before modern-day records started being kept in 1950. But that doesn’t diminish the fact that they are still two of the most storied teams in HBCU football.

Tuskegee had another strong run from 2006-09 under then head coach Willie Slater when the Golden Tigers went 42-3, winning four SIAC championships and three Black college national titles (2007-09).

Grambling’s own golden era came especially from 1972-77 as the G-Men put together a 60-13 record during those seasons, taking four Black college national crowns (’72, ’74-75 and ’77 with shared two Southwestern Athletic Conference titles in ’74, ’75 and one outright championship in ’77.

The Tigers had a resurgence in Broderick Fobbs’ tenure at his alma mater, nearly 10 years ago, but have fallen on hard times since the start of 2019. Now new head coach Mickey Joseph isn’t taking anything for granted against the smaller division visitors.

While these days Grambling is basically considered to be the bigger and stronger program of the two, Joseph has urged his Tigers not to take Tuskegee lightly.

“I told the team — don’t get fooled,” Joseph said. “This is a really good football team. They’re well coached, and they play hard. And I told the kids that they need to remember, we’re Grambling, and we get everybody’s best shot. 

“So, they’re going to come here confident and thinking they can win this game. So we’ve got to prepare. We can’t have bad practices and just think things are going to turn on Saturday. We respect them, we respect their program, we respect their university and we know that they can win games and are always in the running for something.”

Joseph said the Golden Tigers won’t be impacted by a large crowd at GSU after playing before 15,000 last weekend.

And he’s still imploring GSU fans to show up and cheer on the G-Men against Tuskegee this weekend.

“We’ve got to make sure we (GSU fans) come out,” Joseph said. “We don’t need to wait for the Jackson State game. Let’s come out and let’s pack the stadium. We want everybody to come out and see what we’re all about.

“So, we’re going to come out and put on a show. We want to put on a clinic. That’s how we’re looking at it.”

Joseph said he expects Tuskegee to present a challenge in the trenches.

“I think they’re really good up front on both sides of the ball,” Joseph said. “I think they’re really athletic. They’re big up front, they’re athletic up front and their D-line moves a lot. We’ve got our work cut out for us and we’ve got to get ready.”

Joseph said containing the run game of Tuskegee’s quarterbacks will be a key factor for his Tigers.

“They have two they play,” Joseph said of Tuskegee’s quarterbacks. “One is a big tall kid they play. We know we’ve got to watch the quarterback run because we know they’re going to do that. They run a really good scheme and we have to prepare for the quarterback run game.

“That’s hard to account for with a six-man box because that gives them seven people back there who can hurt you with their legs. So we really have to figure out how to slow that down. We can’t let them get that started.”

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

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By RON “MAD DOG” HIGGINS, Journal Sports

The envelope on my desk from Skippy the Wonder Bichon on Monday morning was addressed to “The Guy Who Scratches My Belly.”

Dad Dude,

I am no longer participating in your weekly college football picks column until you secure me a NIL deal. I want $1,000 per week or roughly $100 for each of my 10 whizzes.

Sincerely yours, 

Skipper

I walked outside and found the Skipster sunbathing on the patio.

“NIL deals?” I asked. “Just because you and I were both 7-3 in week 1 of our picks?”

“I have the ideal NIL deal for me – dog obedience schools,” he replied. “Remember when I jumped out of your lap through a half-open car window, stuck the landing and ran down the block? It was awesome. You strained a hamstring chasing me because you hadn’t sprinted since the late 90s.

“Dad Dude, I’m perfect for this deal. I’m disobedient, but I can also act calm and be a perfect companion when the cameras roll.”

“Your endorsement of dog obedience schools is blatantly false advertising, Skipster,” I said.

“True, but my paycheck will be very real,” said Skip with a swaggy wag of his tail.

“I’ll work on it,” I said. “Just make your picks.”

On to Week 2: 

No. 14 LSU (0-1) vs. Nicholls State (0-1) Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network) 

Betting line: LSU favored by 19½ 

The skinny: While Nicholls is admittedly a feisty FCS (Division 1-AA team), there will be more questions about the Tigers if they don’t hang a half a hundy on the Colonels. It’s the proper response to having their killer instinct questioned by their head coach. 

Mad Dog’s pick: What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas 55, Thibodaux National Guard 3 

Skippy’s pick: LSU 

No. 4 Texas (1-0) at No. 9 Michigan (1-0), Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Saturday, 11 a.m. (FOX) 

Betting line: Texas favored by 7½ 

The skinny: In his fourth season as Texas’ head coach, Steve Sarkisian has built a roster designed to compete in the SEC and for the national championship. Few schools have more NIL money to spend than the Longhorns. Seems like they finally have a coach who can assess talent and use it wisely. 

Mad Dog’s pick: Bevo’s Ball Carriers 34, Ann Arbor Boy Scouts 24 

Skippy’s pick: Texas 

No. 12 Tennessee (1-0) vs. North Carolina State (1-0), Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (ABC) 

Betting line: Tennessee favored by 7½ 

The skinny: The beast has been unleashed. Vols’ quarterback Nico Iamaleava (pronounced Iamagonnadestroyyou) threw for 314 yards in the first half (a school record) in UT’s season-opening 69-3 beatdown of Chattanooga. Nuclear Nico is your man if you’re looking for a Heisman darkhorse. 

Mad Dog’s pick: Big Orange Air Force 45, North Carolina State Sixpack 21 

Skippy’s pick: North Carolina State 

South Carolina (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at Kentucky (1-0, 0-0 SEC), Kroger Field, Lexington, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. (ABC) 

Betting line: Kentucky favored by 9½ 

The skinny: Frankly, the winner of this game gets a leg-up on a Duke’s Mayo Bowl invite. I’d rather watch a Dr. Pimple Popper marathon than this snoozefest. 

Mad Dog’s pick: Kaintuck Moonshiners 28, Dixie Chickens 17 

Skippy’s pick: South Carolina 

Houston (0-1) at No. 13 Oklahoma (1-0), Memorial Stadium, Norman, Saturday, 6:45 p.m. (SEC Network) 

Betting line: Oklahoma favored by 28½ 

The skinny: It’s still too early to get a solid read on the Sooners. They won their season-opener by 48 (51-3) over a barely functioning Temple team. Their toughest non-conference game is next week at home vs. Tulane before playing in their first SEC game ever – also at home – vs. Tennessee on Sept. 21. 

Mad Dog’s pick: The Warlords of Norman 52, Buc-ee’s Brisket Slicers 13 

Skippy’s pick: Oklahoma

In other games: 

Arkansas (1-0) at Oklahoma State (1-0), Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Saturday, 11 a.m. (ABC) 

Betting line: Oklahoma State favored by 7½ 

Mad Dog’s pick: Mullet Man Method 41, Razorpiggies 24 

Skippy’s pick: Oklahoma State 

California (1-0) at Auburn (1-0), Shug Jordan Stadium, Auburn, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2) 

Betting line: Auburn favored by 13½ 

Mad Dog’s pick: Hughey Freeze and the News 37, One Toke Over the Line Left Coasters 14 

Skippy’s pick: Auburn 

Kansas State (1-0) at Tulane (1-0), Yulman Field, New Orleans, Saturday, 11 a.m. (ESPN) 

Betting line: Kansas State by 9½ 

Mad Dog’s pick: Purple Felines 31, Willow Street Wave 28 

Skippy’s pick: Tulane 

Colorado (1-0) at Nebraska (1-0), Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (NBC) 

Betting line: Nebraska favored by 7½ 

Mad Dog’s pick: The Huskers’ Golden Rhule 35, Coach Prime’s Love Train 31 

Skippy’s pick: Nebraska 

Middle Tennessee (1-0) at No. 6 Ole Miss (1-0), Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Saturday, 3:15 p.m. (SEC Network) 

Betting line: Ole Miss favored by 41 

Mad Dog’s pick: The Jaxson Dart Dodge Dip and Dive All-Stars 54, Paul Revere and the Blue Raiders 10 

Skippy’s pick: Ole Miss

Contact Ron and/or Skippy at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Sports Information

NATCHITOCHES – When Ed Evans stepped into the role of Northwestern State’s director of sports medicine, he had the unenviable task of replacing a legendary figure.

In more than two decades as Northwestern’s head athletic trainer, Evans made an impact that extended that of his predecessor, Eugene Christmas.

Evans died late Tuesday night after a brief illness. Services are pending.

“When I think of Ed Evans, three things immediately come to mind — he did a remarkable job of following in the footsteps of one of the most revered individuals in NSU history, Eugene “Doc” Christmas; he influenced the career of countless athletic training graduate assistants and staff members who worked and learned under his mentorship; and he loved everything about sports medicine, most notably the connection with student-athletes and especially when it involved working with them physically and mentally to overcome an injury and return to competition,” said former Northwestern Director of Athletics Greg Burke, who worked side by side with Evans for most of the latter’s 23 years with the Demons.

Evans helmed Northwestern’s sports medicine program as head athletic trainer from 1989-2012 after serving as a graduate assistant under Christmas and spending seven years as the athletic trainer at Natchitoches Central High School. Evans succeeded “Mr. Chris” in the summer of 1989.

As a mentor to countless student and graduate assistants who eventually moved into the athletic training profession themselves, Evans was a leader in the athletic training community.

“He was a mentor to dozens in our profession and a friend to many, many more. Ed touched so many lives and made it a purpose to stay in touch with so many,” said Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Jason Drury, who served as a graduate assistant and an assistant under his mentor before succeeding Evans upon the latter’s retirement in 2012.

“He was always honest with you regardless of the situation, especially when you needed it the most. I speak for many Demon Sports Medicine alumni when I say we appreciated that honesty, even if we didn’t know it at the time.”

For all he did at Northwestern, Evans’ reach extended far past the walls of the Donald G. Kelly Athletic Complex.

Evans spent six years as the president of the Louisiana Athletic Trainers Association and six more as the group’s secretary/treasurer. He was inducted into the LATA Hall of Fame in 2000.

Four years later, he was named the regional College Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association – a seven-state consortium that stretches from Louisiana to Kentucky. He was a member of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners’ Advisory Committee on Athletic Training and was appointed to the Governor’s Council for Physical Fitness by then Gov. Mike Foster in 2000.

His network and reputation typified the bond shared by sports medicine personnel nationwide.

“The volume of people who respected Ed is paramount in talking about who he was,” said longtime Demon basketball coach Mike McConathy, who spent 13 seasons with Evans as his team’s athletic trainer. “His greatest attributes were his ability to assess the situation, take charge and do something about it. We were in Dayton, and Colby Bargeman got elbowed and had a tooth knocked out. He had it in his hand when he came out. Ed orchestrated the whole situation the medical staff in Dayton. That night, Colby had his tooth wired back in his mouth.

“It was incredible. We talked about it as a staff that we never gave Ed enough credit for his ability to do things like that. We’re on foreign turf, and he has him in a doctor’s office that night. That was part of that special bond that athletic trainers have between each other. There was a great deal of respect from the athletic trainers throughout the state of Louisiana and in the South for Ed because of his abilities.”

Evans’ humanity was evident in the way he put “the student-athlete first and the program second,” in McConathy’s words. That same empathy extended to his staff.

“I was supposed to go to Auburn as a graduate assistant, but I couldn’t take the certification test,” said current Alabama Director of Behavioral Medicine Dr. Ginger Gilmore. “One of my mentors told Ed Evans about this little fiery student from Alabama. Ed called me, and I didn’t know him. I went over to visit and meet with him, and he made me eat a Lasyone’s meat pie. He hired me without being certified – which was a big thing – and he paid for me to take my certification exam.

“I always tell people now that Northwestern State was one of the best experiences of my career, because I learned from Ed how to do so much on a small budget. Some of that probably came from his Navy corpsman experience. He trusted in me and gave me a chance. My career is due to that. He brought so many people together.”

More than two decades later, the Northwestern State-Alabama athletic training pipeline remains strong with graduate assistants and full-time professionals moving between the two institutions and at others, including Georgia.

A veteran of the U.S. Navy who served as a hospital corpsman and physical/occupational therapy technician, Evans’ dedication to his profession and to his student-athletes led him to become the fifth honorary member of the N-Club, earning that distinction in 2005. Thirteen years later, Evans was named the N-Club Hall of Fame’s Distinguished Service Award winner.

In addition to his nearly three decades of service to Northwestern, Evans’ time at Natchitoches Central further strengthened his ties to the Natchitoches community – one that stretched outside the athletic realm on campus and one he quietly burnished with various charitable and civic endeavors.

Evans and his wife, Chris, have three adult sons: Johnathan, David and Tim.

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

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By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – In his 28th game as LSU’s head football coach, Brian Kelly finally showed what causes him to erupt like a volcano.

It’s failing to salt away a win after leading in the second half.

The then-No. 13 ranked Tigers couldn’t extend a 17-13 advantage over then-No. 23 USC in Sunday’s season-opening Modelo Vegas Classic. They lost 27-20, thanks to USC running back Woody Marks’ 13-yard game-winning TD run with 8 seconds left.

It was the second time in the last two seasons LSU lost when leading in the second half. The Tigers fell 55-49 at Ole Miss last season after leading 49-40 with 8:34 left in the game.

Kelly’s postgame response after the USC loss – punctuated by pounding his fist on a table – was an outpouring of sheer frustration. His flames were fanned by his team failing to put nails in USC’s coffin after LSU forged ahead on quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s 13-yard TD pass to Aaron Anderson with 3:42 left in the third quarter.

There is a list of corrections the now-18th-ranked Tigers need to make before Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. home opener vs. Nicholls State. But how do you improve the lack of killer instinct?

“You just have to continue to build a mindset amongst your guys that the focus is on dominating that play,” Kelly said Tuesday at his weekly in-season press conference. “We’re still working on that every single day, about dominating the play in front of us.

“Sometimes we get outside of that, we start thinking big picture. Or the game is over if we get one more stop. Forget about one more stop. Think about this play right now. We’re still building that with our group.

“This is going to be a good football team, but we got to understand that it takes 70 to 80, 90 to 100 plays, and you’ve got to stick with it. You can’t let your guard down for one second.”

While Kelly felt LSU’s revamped defense of new coordinator Blake Baker played well enough for the Tigers to win – “We got consistent play from our defensive tackles, really good depth play at defensive end, I liked our linebackers and cornerbacks,” he said – LSU’s running game was a huge disappointment.

Running behind a returning veteran offensive line with 98 career starts, LSU gained just 117 rushing yards on 26 attempts. Nineteen of the attempts gained 4 or fewer yards each.

“This is not just on our players, it’s on coaching as well,” Kelly said. “I don’t know that it’s a particular scheme as much as it is we’ve got to make sure that we’re putting our guys in a good position. We can’t be predictable.

“When it’s third down, and everybody knows you want to run it, let’s be creative in running the football. But let’s execute at a high level, and we didn’t execute at the level we’re capable of executing. Our O-line knows that.” 

INJURY REPORT: Kelly said reserve junior defensive end Princeton Malbrue, a Northwestern State transfer, sustained a serious knee injury vs. USC as a kickoff coverage team member. He’s likely done for the season. Also, starting wide receiver Kyle Parker had a UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) elbow injury and wide receiver Chris Hilton is continuing to rehab a preseason ankle injury that forced him to miss the USC game. Both are doubtful for the Nicholls State matchup. 

KNOW YOUR ENEMY 

No. 14 LSU (0-1) vs. Nicholls State (0-1) Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Saturday, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network) 

Last game for Nicholls: The Colonels forced five turnovers and linebacker Elin Ennis earned Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors in a 25-18 season-opening loss at Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs recorded six sacks as Nicholls had just 204 total offense yards.

Series record and last meeting: Although Baton Rouge and Thibodaux are just 68 miles apart, this is the first football game between the Tigers and the Colonels.

Nicholls head coach: Tim Rebowe (53-49) in 10 seasons overall, all at Nicholls.

THIS AND THAT

Appearance fee paid by LSU to Nicholls per game contract: $760,000 and 600 complimentary tickets.

Early betting line: LSU by 19½

Number of Louisiana natives on Nicholls roster: 77

Number of Louisiana natives on LSU roster: 59 

Number of transfers on Nicholls roster from 4-year schools: 12 players from 11 schools including 1 player from a Power 4 Conference school 

NICHOLLS PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB Pat McQuaide (10 of 28 for 138 passing yards, TD), RB Collin Guggenheim (79 rushing yards on 18 attempts), WR Quincy Brown (4 catches for 70 yards, 1 TD, LB Eli Ennis (10 tackles, ½ TFL, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, LB Alex Villavaso (6 tackles, 1 sack), PK Ray Vallee (0 of 2 FG, 2 of 2 extra points), P Kylan Dupree (10 for 44.6, 3 fair catches, 4 inside the 20, 3 50 yards + punts). 

THREE AND OUT

1. What was the last calendar year that Nicholls won two sporting events over LSU?

A.1986

B. 2023

C. 2012

D. 1999

2. What former LSU QB played for five different schools including Nicholls in seven seasons of college eligibility?

A. TJ Finley

B. Lowell Narcisse

C. Lindsey Scott Jr.

D. Justin McMillan

3. Who was the last Power 4 conference football team Nicholls beat?

A. TCU

B. Kansas

C. Kansas State

D. Texas Tech

ANSWERS: 1. B 2. C. 3. B

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Dear Coach Kelly:

Tough loss Sunday night. I commiserate. It must be embarrassing to suffer your third straight season-opening loss as LSU’s head coach, which was the fifth straight season-opening loss for LSU. Might need to start scheduling Cream Puff U for the opener to get over that hex.

Nonetheless, it’s admirable that unlike most of the power conference schools, LSU offered college football fans a game on the opening weekend of college football worth anticipating and watching. LSU vs. Florida State the last two years. USC this year. Good stuff. That’s why it was the only college game on network TV Sunday night.

But 0-for-3 in opening games? What gives?

This team, we kept hearing in the preseason, will not likely be as explosive offensively as last year’s team led by Heisman Trophy quarterback and first-round draft choice Jayden Daniels, but the defense, which was horrible last year, would be improved, especially after spending $16.11 million to bring in an entirely new defensive staff. Ask not what your checkbook can do for you; ask what your defensive coaches can do for your checkbook.

Granted, the defense is better. The 447 yards your Tigers gave up to the Trojans’ offense looked like Eggs Benedict compared to the molded mini sausages served up by the defense in recent years. Holding a nationally-ranked team to just 10 first-half points is an all-too-rare  positive.

But, Coach, one sign of a disciplined team, a well-coached team, is one with few penalties, especially stupid unsportsmanlike penalties. Do you and your assistants not coach the players to act with class? Do you forbid unbecoming celebrations after big plays and touchdowns – something, unfortunately, all too prevalent in the NFL? Why provide your opponent incentive to dig deeper for stamina and resiliency? That’s what receiver Kyren Lacy did after his talented 19-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter that merely tied the game, by pantomiming shooting a gun at the USC defender he had just beat.     

Those kinds of penalties can take a toll. It forced LSU to kick off from its own 20 instead if its 35, and helped Zachariah Branch, a dangerous return specialist, to motor 46 yards, setting up a 22-yard field goal.

Coach, it was cool that Jayden Daniels was one of three Heisman winners on the sidelines, along with Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart from USC, and it was also cool that Daniels’ replacement at quarterback, did so well. Garrett Nussmeier completed 29 of 38 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, he had that one interception virtually at game’s end, when Tiger fans could only dream of a “Bluegrass Miracle” type play, but he was impressive, not only with his passing but with his coolness under fire and his leadership.

He cannot run like Daniels did so often, but you assured us he didn’t need to, because the running backs would take care of business. Now, when LSU drove to its one lead of the game, running back John Emery Jr. looked good, slashing for runs of 39 and 10 yards. Made Tiger fans glad he came back after testing the waters in the transfer portal. But, other than that, where is the vaunted running game?

And where is the offensive line that was supposed to be among the best in the nation? And what’s up with senior preseason All-American Will Campbell being flagged for a false start?  

Speaking of false starts, Coach, are you channeling former coach Les Miles, whose teams were infamous for that kind of thing?   And speaking of penalties (10 for 99 yards), what about the unsportsmanlike (there’s that word again) penalty against senior defensive back Major Burns?

After a fourth-down stop by the defense in the final quarter, with LSU leading 17-13, Burns removed his helmet on the field, apparently to celebrate, and LSU was penalized 15 yards to start its ensuing offensive series. Which went nowhere.

And what happened to junior star linebacker Harold Perkins, who made just one solo tackle against the Trojans? And is the target in proper tackling coached by your staff the runner’s torso, or shouldn’t it be the legs, which seems a better way to cut ’em down?

Yet, I do sympathize with you, Coach. Some of the same fans who hailed you after you boldly went for 2 in overtime and it paid off against Alabama two years ago, are saying they’ll never forgive you after Sunday night’s loss.

The same folks who criticized you for going for the TD, without success, and not taking the sure field goal on the first offensive drive are the ones who berated you for “settling for a tie” when you sent Damian Ramos in on fourth-and-8 for a 31-yard field goal with 1:47 left.

It’s a tough racket, big-time college coaching, especially at a big-time football school like LSU. But, then again, Coach, you get paid big bucks to produce wins. Once again, you’ve got an uphill climb to earn your keep, which at LSU translates to reaching NCAA football’s promised land.

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