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CONTENTS
Coach Dawson Odums, Head Coach Southern University
11.1.2017 6
Southeastern
8
Grambling
10 Berwick High School: Coach Eric Holden 12 Louisiana College 14 Nicholls State 16 McNeese State 18 La Tech 20 Beyond the Endzone: Danny Johnson’s Gliding to Success 28 LSU 30 WATCHING THE NFL IN JAMAICA 31 New Orleans Saints
Upcoming Issues
34 Northwestern State
Oct-Dec Season Updates Jan
All-Louisiana Team
Feb
Louisiana Players Entering The Draft
32 Tulane
36 UL Ragin Cajuns 38 ULM
March College Recruiting April
NFL Draft
May
Look At Spring Football
June
Recapping the Draft and NFL Free Agency
July
Tailgating Super Issue
August NFL Preseason Sept
College Preseason
Where you can pick up an issue: Baton Rouge: City News Stand, Denham Springs: Double Click Solutions, Balloon Mania, Gonzales: Ralphs Market, Slidell: Camille City Donuts, iSupply, Lacombe: Guidry Physical Therapy, Prairieville: Ralphs Market
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By: John Paul Guidry, DPT, CSCS
At Guidry Golf and Sport we offer golf and sports performance training. We can help improve overall sports performance in both youth and adults. Through his training with TPI, John Paul can help you get back to the course after injury, play pain free or help to improve your performance and overall fitness. Our services include an extensive evaluation including a TPI golf specific screen as well as deeper individualized evaluations of areas that are needed. We provide a workout program based on the findings of this evaluation in combination with the clients golf performance and fitness related needs. We offer training out of our facility at Guidry Physical Therapy Services in Lacombe. We are also working with James Leitz PGA and his assistants out of Tchefuncta Country Club in Covington. We offer a team approach either with James or your current teacher if needed in order to address your golf swing as well as your fitness and performance levels. James is a world renowned teaching professional and the facilities at Tchefuncta are some of the best in the country. We are working on offering travel services to your gym or home as well as offering training out of John Paul's home gym. What is TPI? The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) is the world's leading educational organization dedicated to the study of how the human body functions in relation to the golf swing. Since its inception in 2003, TPI has studied thousands of golfers ranging from the top professional Tour players to weekend enthusiasts. An incredible amount of data on players of all shapes, sizes, ages, and fitness levels has been gathered during this time. Using this data, TPI discovered how a properly functioning body allows a player to swing a golf club in the most efficient way possible. Additionally, TPI has analyzed how physical limitations in a player’s body can adversely affect the golf swing and potentially lead to injury. All this R&D means little to the average golfer if it can’t be put into practice in a simple and meaningful way. TPI Certified members are the delivery vehicle of all this knowledge to you. By working with a TPI Certified expert, you’re tapping into this vast knowledge base and taking the right
www.guidrypt.com John Paul Guidry DPT, CSCS JohnPaul@guidrypt.com 61700 Hwy 434 Unit D
Phone (985) 882-8427
Lacombe, La 70445
Fax (985) 882-8429
WE OFFER ONE HOUR 1 TO 1 TREATME T WITH A DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY
steps necessary to find your most efficient golf swing. TPI does not believe in one way to swing a club, rather in an infinite number of swing styles. But, we do believe there is one efficient way for every player to swing and it is based on what the player can physically do. The most efficient swing is not the same for every golfer, because efficiency is unique to their body. To achieve an efficient swing, a golfer must first be screened. This screen involves an assessment of swing mechanics and biomechanics, physical fitness, movement quality, current health and a client history. Once this screen is finished, the results are used to create a plan unique for that golfer. We offer home/gym programs with follow up consults, one on one and small group training. We have packages available for those interested in multiple one on one sessions. Please contact us for pricing by calling 985 235 7130 or via email at Johnpaul@guidrypt.com Disclaimer: Although the owner of John Paul Guidry is a licensed physical therapist, rendering Performance Services does not constitute the practice of physical therapy or any other service for which a state licensure is required. Guidry PT’s Performance Services are based upon John Pauls’s proficiency in and knowledge of how to help clients set and reach their performance goals. These services are not covered by insurance.
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STAFF Andy Bryson- Owner/Publisher
Laura Norsworthy– Senior Editor
Kristen Bryson– Editor
Phil Blanchard– Dir. Of Marketing
Jason Saucier– Photographer
Jasmine Brown– Writer
Dorian McElwee – H/S Writer
Richard Hebert– Dir. Of Ad Sales
Jada Davis-- Writer
and Business Development
Kevin Empey --NFL Writer www.LouisianaGridironFootball.com
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Dear Readers, What a season we have had so far! This football season has been impressive with lots of great games. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to let you know about an exiting new way that LGF is publishing our magazine. While we will of course continue to publish a print magazine, we are also starting this month publishing a digital copy of the magazine that gets delivered to your phone or computer each month. It will be the exact same magazine you know and love, just without the paper. A single issue of the digital magazine will be $3.99 and a digital subscription will be $17.95. By purchasing a digital subscription you save $29.93 for the year! You can find the digital copy on our website under the new ‘digital magazine’ tab.
Also, as Christmas approaches keep in mind that a magazine subscription (print or digital) is a great gift for those football lovers in your life. You may be thinking that football season is about to end as college football season traditionally ends in December with Bowl games. However, football season does not end! Just as college football ends we have the NFL Draft and Draft analysis. We also cover training camps, tailgate traditions, spring games, pre season, and before you know it we are back into college football season. Additionally if you ever wondered what it would take to advertise with us here at LGF either in the magazine or online please contact our knowledgeable sales crew at (225) 931-8711 or richard@louisianagridironfootball.com . Sincerely,
A. Bryson www.LouisianaGridironFootball.com
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By: Dorian McElwee
The Lions are on a roll having won five straight games (all Southland Conference games). The offense continues to excel with the Lions having scored no less than 49 points in the last five weeks. Southeastern has Sam Houston State this week (Oct. 28), and the last time the two teams got together, Sam Houston won 21-17 in Bowers Stadium.
yards per game.
On Oct. 7, the Lions added another performance to the list with 353 yards in a 49-30 win over Incarnate Word. Freshman Marcus Cooper (148 yards) and junior Darren Johnson (130 yards) both topped 100 yards on the ground versus UIW, marking the first time since 2015 the Lions have had multiple Lions’ Offense 100-plus-yard rushers in the same game. The Lions altered the list again on Oct. 14 at Houston Baptist. In the 56-10 victoSoutheastern’s stellar offense continues to climb in the FCS nationry, SLU racked up 376 yards on the ground, marking the al rankings. The Lions are among the national leaders in scoring fourth time this season the Lions have topped 300 yards rushoffense (42.0 ppg, 4th) and total offense (488.6 ypg, 5th). ing. Cooper recorded a 91-yard touchdown run (the longest Additionally, Southeastern has set a school record with five run in school history) in the first quarter of the victory. In the straight games of 40-plus points or more in their consecutive wins Lions’ 56-21 victory over Abilene Christian, Southeastern over Lamar, Northwestern State, Incarnate Word, Houston Baptist posted a season high (443 yards rushing) the second-highest and Abilene Christian. The Lions have put up 40 or more points a single-game total since the program returned prior to the total of six times this season. 2003 season. Bethea (108 yards) and Johnson (105 yards) both bested 100 yards on the ground in the victory. The Lions have done a substantial bit of their damage on the ground, ranking second nationally with 321.0 rushing yards per Looks like the Lions have finally settled on a QB as sophomore contest, using a committee approach behind one of the best offen- quarterback Lorenzo Nunez has thrown for 10 touchdowns sive lines in FCS. Southeastern features three of the top six rushers and the Lions are 5-1 in the games he has started under cenon the Southland rushing yards leaderboard including junior Darter. In those six games he has started under center, the Lions ren Johnson (521 yards, 2nd, 4 TD), freshman Marcus Cooper (503- are averaging 51.2 points and 556.5 yards per contest. 4th-2 TD) and senior Eugene Bethea (488-6th-5 TD). Junior Julius Senior Juwan Dickey continues to be Nunez’s top target, leadMaracalin (309 yards, 7 TD) leads the Southland and ranks 15th ing the team with 29 catches for 366 yards. Freshman Austin nationally in rushing touchdowns, while Cooper (83.8 ypg) and Mitchell has a team-high four touchdown catches, while DickBethea (81.3) hold down the top spots in the Southland in terms of ey, as well as sophomores Bransen Schwebel and Zeke Jenkins have two scores each. #93 Fred Brown Lions’ Defense sacks Sam Houston Southeastern’s defense is getting better as the season continStates QB in a nail ues as they are allowing 28.3 points and 406.4 yards per game biter during homeheading into Saturday’s game. coming loss to the #5 FCS team
rushing yards
SLU senior defensive back Max Lyons is third in the Southland with a team-high 70 tackles. Senior linebacker Sione Teuhema is 11th in the Southland with 55 tackles and leads the league and ranks fourth in the nation in both sacks (8.0) and tackles for loss (15.0). Lyons and Teuhema are joined among the Southland tackle leaders by fellow seniors Jeff Williams II (46,
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#10 Lorenzo Nunez has passed for 1083 yards with 11 TDs also has rushed for 345 yards and five TDs
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25th), Jake Jiannoni (45, 27th) and Lee Spight (41, 38th). Southeastern is second in the Southland with eight interceptions. Senior Mayori Ellison leads the team with three interceptions. Lyons has two picks, while Williams II, senior Ryan Sigers and senior Torrance Mosley have also intercepted passes this season for the Lions.
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The Southeastern defense accounted for two touchdowns in the Lions’ 56-10 victory at Houston Baptist on Oct. 14. Senior Ryan Sigers returned a fumble 80 yards for a touchdown, while senior Mayori Ellison brought back an interception 85 yards for a score. It marked the first time the SLU defense had accounted for multiple touchdowns in a game since the Lions finished with three defensive scores in a 28-17 victory over Florida Tech on Sept. 12, 2015. National Recognition Southeastern Louisiana senior linebacker Sione Teuhema has been added to the STATS Buck Buchanan Award Watch List on Oct. 18. The Buck Buchanan Award was established in 1995 and is awarded annually to the nation’s top defensive player. The award’s namesake starred at Grambling, was the first overall pick in the 1963 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Teuhema is the fourth Lion to be named to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list during SLU head coach Ron Roberts’ six-year tenure at the helm of the Southeastern program. Teuhema joins Robert Alford (2012), Isiah Corbett (2014) and Harlan Miller (2015). The addition to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list is the latest national recognition for Teuhema. Teuhema, who is one of three FCS players on the Butkus Award List, and there is even talk about Teuhema being a potential sleeper for this years Draft.
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Grambling State Tigers are Unstoppable By: Jasmine Brown
Unless you live under a rock, you know that Grambling is having an amazing season. They are currently 8-1 for the season with their one loss coming from Tulane during the first game of the season. The team took their loss in the season opener very seriously; they have been driven to win ever since. Grambling State has three games remaining on its schedule with only one having a winning record - Southern. This season the Tigers have taken advantage of other teams’ mistakes. In this regard the Tigers are predatory this season. For example, turnovers were the difference in the Southwestern Athletic Conference game as the Grambling State University football capitalized on seven mistakes and tallied them up into 21 points in a 41-14 win over Alcorn State at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium. “It was good to get out and play a game after taking last week off,” Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs said. “We’ve got some bumps and bruises from tonight, but we’re pleased to come out on top with a victory. We were able to make some big plays. We were able to run the ball and throw the ball effectively, but also too defensively we’ve been able to turn people over like we do, which has been truly amazing. All of that credit defensively goes to our defensive staff and our players so my hats off to them at this time. Also, my hats off to our offense as well.” Grambling State (6-1 overall, 3-1 SWAC) led from start to finish in a matchup of SWAC Divisional leaders. The Tigers wasted no time in scoring as Grambling State took the kickoff and marched 69 yards in just two plays as Devante Kincade linked with Martez Carter for a 57-yard completion. Two plays later, the senior quarterback went 17 yards into the end zone untouched .
Devonte Kincade has passed for 2081yards with 16 touchdowns and has rushed for 192 yards with three touchdowns this season.
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answered the Grambling State score on its next possession as Turner bolted through the Tiger defense 47 yards for the score to cut the deficit to 34-14. The Tigers added the final score of the day when Miguel Mendez kicked a 48-yard punt and the ball bounced off the hands of Marquis Warford and into the endzone where Quintin Guice pounded on it for the touchdown as Grambling State cruised to a 41-14 victory. Next up for the Tigers is an away game at Alabama State on Nov. 11th. The G-men are 2-1 for away games thus far this season. However, Alabama State is currently 3-5 for the season. Grambling is definitely the favorite for this game; but they will need to stay focused and motivated.
Darrell Clark leads the G-Men with 349 yards receiving with 5 touchdowns on 28 receptions.
The game against Alabama State will be their last game before the much anticipated Bayou Classic. The Bayou Classic will be November 25th at 4pm although celebrations will last throughout the week. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, you need to see this event at least once in your life. I am always blown away by the battle of the bands. Last season the Grambling Tigers won the Bayou Classic 52-30; Grambling also leads in the series 22-21. Go G-men!
granting Grambling State a 7-0 lead with 14:06 remaining in the first quarter. Alcorn State (5-3, 3-1) answered early in the second quarter when De’Lance Turner scored on a 5-yard run to tie the game at 7 with 13:01 left in the first half. The Tigers closed out the first half strong as Calif Samon caught a 53-yard pass from Kincade to give Grambling State a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. The Tigers took advantage of a fumble midway through the second when Ja’Quez Splond picked up the loose ball at the Alcorn State 25. Seven plays after the miscue, Grambling State cashed the turnover into points as Kincade connected with Marquise Kaigler for an 18-yard touchdown strike to extend the Tigers advantage to 21-7 with six minutes remaining in the first half. Grambling State topped the 17-point second quarter with nine seconds left as Marc Orozco booted the first of his two fields, a 40-yarder, to give the Tigers a 24-7 halftime lead. Orozco’s 33yard field goal with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter pushed the advantage to 27-7 and it appeared the score would remain that way until the fourth quarter, but Dedrick Shy had other ideas. Noah Johnson’s pass was intercepted by Shy at the Grambling State 48 and he returned it for the pick-six touchdown to extend the lead to 34-7 with 43 seconds left in the third. Alcorn State
Martez Carter has 623 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns this season so far.
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Berwick High School: Coach Eric Holden By: Jasmine Brown Before Coach Eric Holden stepped in and took the reins on Berwick High School, the Panthers’ football program hadn’t experienced a winning season for the past 20 years! However, Berwick’s small town charm when it came to support for the local high school won coach Holden over. “It was an incredible experience for a young kid that loved football to see a whole town shut down for Friday,” Holden said. “Everyone was so passionate for football. Berwick reminded me of Lake Charles. I’ve wanted to be the coach in a town where everyone comes out on Friday nights.” So, this was the perfect opportunity. What coach Holden contributes to the Panthers’ program is an incredible playing/coaching pedigree and so much more. Coach Holden said, “I’ve had the blessing of coaching in two state championship games. It was also a privilege to coach at Evangel in Shreveport.” He’s played for legendary coach Dale Weiner at Catholic High in Baton Rouge, and has aided on the staffs of Byron Dawson at Evangel Christian and Nick Mitchell at both Southern Lab and Port Allen. Holden was also a head coach at Christian Life Academy. The Berwick Panthers are in the hands of an incredible coach and he’s capitalizing on the Berwick talent that he’s been given. How did Berwick High School’s football program need to improve? “When I evaluated the team through film, I felt like we had some talented young men. After speaking with the players and individuals connected to the high school and the community, I felt like the key to success here was accountability. When I asked players, what the problem was it was never their fault. That had to change. I felt we needed to change the offensive philosophy and how we trained in the weight room. Practice structure and the overall mental approach to preparation had to change too. We also talked about how champions approach what they do and building something greater than themselves, a LEGACY. I explained that greatness never goes on sale. Lamborghini’s never go on sale, there’s no discount rack at the Gucci store, Bentley’s aren’t half off. Greatness cost what it cost and if you want greatness you will have to pay the price; this is non-negotiable.” What sort of things did you incorporate to help the program do a 360? “I informed the players that everyone would be held accountable. If you don’t complete your mission for the day, practice period, or game you would lose your job. I explained to them that no one in the adult world gets to show up to work, fail every day, and still get to keep their job and earn a pay check, so why
should you get to start on Friday night. You either work or you don’t eat! If you fail, you take responsibility for your actions and then take strides to better yourself for the betterment of the program. This is where greatness starts.” It is for these reasons that Berwick High School is currently fueling and building D1 prospects. The Panthers’ football program is now prospering as there was never a lack of talent but a need for guidance. When I asked Coach Holden how the team is currently doing, he said, “The team is doing well. There is a process to building a champion and we are working our way through that process as we speak. The steps can’t be skipped and the process can’t be microwaved. I do think we are a little ahead of the curve but we are still learning and growing daily.” Are there any standouts/studs on the team? “Stand out player Kenan Jones, senior, is an LSU commit that plays WR/KR/Slash, and Carver, senior, WR both are above or around 1000 yards receiving on the season. We have a great young junior QB, Mitchell Sanford that has thrown 29 TDs and around 2400 yard. Our Junior running back is 40 yards away from 1000 yards. Collin Louviere who has filled the gap in numerous positions from QB to punter to WR. He has been the ultimate team player. Defensively Cade Thibodeaux, Lucas Hatch and Kenny Rhodes are our senior leaders. Barrett Hover and Matthew Legendre are two stand out junior that should receive college offers during next spring.” It was a pleasure interviewing coach Eric Holden, he’s an incredibly humble man and doesn’t necessarily want the credit for turning the Panthers’ program around. He is more concerned with acknowledging the talent his athletes have and his coaching staff. Coach Holden said, “My coaching staff has been incredible. Paul Gilder, Lance Bourg, Kenny Williams, Mo Seneca, Brandon Bravata, Tony Linn, Trevor Richard and Josh Montgomery. These guys have worked so may tireless hours making sure the game plan is squared away, the players are properly prepped for practice and the games. I can’t say enough. I couldn’t be blessed with a greater group of men.” Coach Eric Holden deserves to be recognized for the great work that he’s done for the Berwick Panthers’ program. If I were you, I would continue to look out for the athletes that are coming from Berwick High School because they are the future of football and potential NFL recruits. Keep up the great work Panthers!
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Louisiana College Experiences a Challenging Season By: Jasmine Brown Louisiana College Breaks Losing Streak
ion when Aaron Woods found his first rushing touchdown of the season, finishing off a 59-yard run by D’Ondre Joseph the play Louisiana College has been experiencing a tough football season. prior. The Wildcats weren’t done with the assault there, as a It may have taken a couple more games than initially expected, quality read by Joseph on an option play saw the middle of the but Louisiana College first-year, head coach Justin Charles got his defense open wide for an easy walk in touchdown for the fourth first American Southwest Conference victory Saturday, October touchdown of the second quarter and a 42-14 Wildcat lead. Only 14. The Wildcats used a dominant second quarter to propel the clock would stop the Wildcats in the second quarter as the themselves to a 52-34 Homecoming victory against McMurry, Wildcats scored every time they touched the ball during those snapping a four-game conference skid. 15 minutes of play. LC snapped the ball 18 times in the second It took only one play for the Wildcats to get on the board in the quarter and scored 28 points. first quarter after both teams traded punts to start the game. Despite the huge halftime deficit, the War Hawks refused to give Starting the drive at their own 45-yard line, quarterback D’Ondre in and worked their way back into contention with 14 consecuJoseph found receiver Drake Battaglia as he tip-toed down the tive points in the third quarter. With the score 42-28 and sideline for a 55-yard touchdown pass, putting the Cats on top 7McMurry back with the football looking to cut the lead down to 0 halfway through the first quarter. just one touchdown, the LC defense stepped up with their secAfter a touchdown drive from the War Hawks tied the game, LC ond turnover of the night. A strip-sack fumble by senior Cade moved the ball quickly down the field on two chunk gains from Maxwell knocked the ball from quarterback Kevin Hurley Jr’s Leondre James and running back Aaron Woods. Joseph threw his hand only to be picked up by freshman Julius Johnson and resecond touchdown of the game to Shedrick Davis for 15-yards turned to the 8-yard line. The Wildcats would punch it in the end giving the Wildcats the lead once again. At that point the mozone two plays later on a touchdown pass to Davis, his second of mentum had swung in the Wildcats favor and would remain on the night. the LC sideline for the rest of the half. The Wildcats extended their comfortable lead on their first drive Ledet Jr. intercepted his second pass and fell just three yards shy of the fourth quarter, when Curtis Sebren knocked through a 32of another touchdown on the return before being tackled. A yard field goal, his seventh made field goal of the season. The reverse handoff to receiver D.J. Latino fooled the defense, allow- War Hawks had one more touchdown in them later in the quaring him to walk into the end zone for the first touchdown of the ter, but the explosive Wildcats second quarter was too much for second quarter for the Cats. McMurry found space in the middle them to overcome as the Wildcats picked up two first downs to of the field on an 87-yard touchdown pass, but that did not dis- ice the game on the final drive to secure the Homecoming victorupt the rhythm of the LC offense. On the next drive, the Wildry. cats eased the ball down the field and Joseph found Battaglia D’Ondre Joseph was responsible for 298 yards of offense in the once again for a touchdown. This time from 20-yards out to ingame, throwing for 181 on 14-of-26 and rushing for 117. He crease the cushion back to two touchdowns. threw four touchdowns in the game and rushed for another. The third score of the second quarter came on LC’s next possess Aaron Woods had a breakout performance for the Wildcats, carr
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ying the ball 25 times for 171 yards and one score. Drake Battaglia and Shed Davis each caught two touchdowns in the game. Orel Ledet Jr. and Julius Johnson both had nine tackles on the night, with Ledet picking off his third pass of the year. Cade Maxwell made seven stops, including 2.0 sacks and forcing a fumble. Louisiana College Falls Short to ETBU For the third year in a row, East Texas Baptist University will keep the coveted Border Claw Trophy. A near record setting performance from ETBU quarterback Brian Baca was too much for the Wildcats to overcome in the 68-35 loss. The first score of the game came from the Tigers following an 11-play drive that covered 56-yards after an opening drive interception thrown by D'Ondre Joseph. A 24-yard field goal put the Tigers ahead 3-0 with 8:46 left in the first quarter. Two drives later, another turnover by the Wildcats, this time a fumble, set up the game's first touchdown, a 25-yard pass on the next play from scrimmage. The extra point attempt was blocked making the score 9-0 Tigers. The tumultuous beginning to the game continued for the Wildcats as a fumble on the ensuing kickoff set ETBU up at the LC 17-yard line. The Tigers once again took advantage of the turnover and good field position with another touchdown to make the score 16-0, scoring two touchdowns in the span of 13 seconds. The Wildcats settled themselves and engineered their first scoring drive of the game to cut into the Tiger lead. A 33-yard pass to Drake Battaglia set up the 17-yard touchdown score to Shedrick Davis.
#4 D'Ondre Joseph has passed for 1336 yards with 16 TDs and rushed for 299 yards with 2 TDs. Both LC and ETBU scored two touchdowns each in the fourth quarter, keeping the game out of the Wildcats reach down the stretch. Freshman quarterback, Wayne Griffin came on in relief of Joseph for the second half and threw two fourth quarter touchdowns to Riley DiMaggio. Griffin found DiMaggio for a 45-yard and a 10-yard score in the quarter. Wayne Griffin finished the game with 254 passing yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-32 passing. Running back Aaron Woods had another solid outing with 92 yards on 24 carries, and Shed Davis made seven catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Riley DiMaggio caught two passes, both touchdowns for 55 yards in the game. The Wildcats were led in tackles by Ryan DeMattie and Julius Johnson, both with nine in the game. Johnson added an interception for touchdown and a tackle for loss. Jesse Provost made 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage in the game and the Wildcats had five total sacks.
ETBU scored on their first drive of the second quarter to go ahead 23-7, but the Wildcat offense could not find the rhythm they had in the first quarter. LC had four possessions in the second quarter that all ended in punts, including three drives ending after just three plays. ETBU added to their lead late in the quarter on a 3-yard pass with 3:58 left in the half to produce the 30-7 score at the break. The Wildcats began the second half with the football and got prime field position thanks to a 62-yard kickoff return by C.J. McGarner. LC turned the field position into points three plays after on a 15-yard run by D'Angelo Moore. The momentum would be short lived as the rest of the time quarter belonged to the Tigers and their passing attack. One of the blemishes in the quarter was an impressive 75-yard interception return for a touchdown by freshman linebacker Julius Johnson.
Leondre James has caught 30 passes for 402 yards and six touchdowns.
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By: Jada Davis
For the sixth time this season, Nicholls finds itself in the Top 25, coming in at No. 23 in the FCS Coaches Poll. The Colonels made their debut in the polls for the first time in 10 years at No. 23 after their win against Prairie View A&M (Sept. 16). Following a loss to No. 3 Sam Houston, the Colonels fell out but quickly returned the next week at No. 25 with a win at Lamar. Nicholls climbed to as high as No. 20 before dropping back down to No. 23 after the bye week. The Colonels are receiving votes in
the FCS STATS Poll as well, but has yet to make the rankings. Nicholls is riding a four-game winning streak following its 38-31 win over Incarnate Wood. The four-game streak is the longest in head coach Tim Rebowe’s short tenure. The Colonels have not won four straight games since their championship season in 2005 where they pulled off five consecutive wins. The colonel’s recent win over Incarnate Wood put them at 6-2, which is their best start since 2002. It was their 13th SLC win since the beginning of the Rebowe era in 2015. Colonels had nine victories in league play in the previous 7 seasons. The win also matched the program’s most SLC victories of 5, set in the 2005 and 2016 seasons. Junior kicker Lorran Fonseca set a new single-game program record in the win over Abilene Christian with five field goals made. Fonseca was perfect on the day, connecting on 27, 43, 40, 29, and 44 yarders to break Adam Diel’s record of four set in 1996. Quarterback Tuskani Figaro rushed for 58 yards vs. NSU to become just the 7th player in program history to eclipse 2,000 yards for their career. He also joined Hall of Famer Josh Son as the only players in team history to rush for 2,000 and pass for 2,000. Nicholls leads the Southland and ranks 37th in the FCS with 53.4 penalty yards per game. In the win over Lamar, the Colonels had only four penalties for 30 yards. Nicholls has been nearly flawless in the red zone this season, scoring on 95.5 percent of its attempts to rank 3rd in the FCS. The Colonels have scored on 21-of-22 attempts, with 13 going for touchdowns. The Colonels are a perfect 4-for-4 on fourthdown conversions this season and are one of just three teams in the FCS to have a 100 percent conversion rate. OFFENSIVE NOTES: Quarterback Chase Fourcade finished 12 of 30 for 153 yards vs. ACU. It was his second straight game without a TD pass, playing only two drives vs. NSU. Fourcade missed the start vs. NSU, but came in the game in the 4th and was 5 of 8 for 85 yards, leading Nicholls to game-winning drive. He completed 12 of 17 at Lamar for 152 yards and a touchdown - all in 1st half. Chase held to 11 of 24 passing for 136 yards at Sam Houston.
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Most of yardage came on a 57-yd TD pass to Damion Jeanpiere. The quarterback threw for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns in win over Prairie View and had 264 yards and a touchdown against Texas A&M. Chase ranks 6th in the career top 10 passing list. The sophomore running backs on the Colonel’s team are showing up this season. Kyran Irvin leads team with 416 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns averaging 5.0 ypc and 69.3 ypg. Irvin missed the ACU game with an injury. He rushed 10 times for 52 yards and a touchdown vs. NSU before leaving the game. Kyran rushed for career-high 152 yards and 2 touchdowns on 24 carries at Lamar. It was his third career 100-yd game and second vs. Lamar. Dontrell Taylor made his first appearance in game vs. NSU after being injured at Texas A&M. Taylor rushed 17 times for 71 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard rush with 3:54 remaining. Dontrell started in the Colonel’s match-up against ACU, rushing 20 times for 130 yards. Jeremy Rounds rushed for first career 100-yd game with 103 on 16 carries at Lamar. He scored on a 16-yard rush in the second quarter. Rounds made his first career appearance at running back vs. Prairie View, rushing 11 for 55 yards and a touchdown. He scored on a 9-yard run to give Nicholls a 28-0 lead in the second quarter. Junior Damion Jeanpiere Jr. leads the offense with 539 yards receiving on 21 receptions. Jeanpiere ranks 39th in FCS in receiving yards and 6th in ypc (25.6) and was named SLC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 2 after hauling in 5 receptions for 174 yards at Texas A&M. His 54-yard catch in the fourth quarter set up the Colonels’ game-tying touchdown. Redshirt sophomore Allen Pittman leads the team with 53 tackles, ranking 9th in SLC. Pittman had his first caSophomore Sully Laiche ranks fifth in SLC with 4.5 sacks. Laiche was a reer sack in win vs. ACU, adding 8 stops. He returned an First-Team All-Southland selection as a true freshman, named to the interception 54 yards for a touchdown at Lamar in the STATS FCS Freshman of the Year Watch List and First Team All-Louisiana, second quarter. Allen led defense in tackles in first two garnered three weekly awards after the win against SFA - STATS FCS, games, highlighted by 16 at Texas A&M and was named Southland, and LSWA Defensive Player of the Week. Senior Terrell EnLSWA Defensive Player of the Week. calade ranks 7th in the SLC with 4.0 sacks. Junior Kenny Dotson has 3.0 Junior college transfer Lorran Fonseca has handled the sacks, ranking 12th in SLC. kicking duties, going 11-for-13 in field goals and was named STATS FCS, Southland, and LSWA Special Teams Player of the Week after his record-breaking performance vs. Abilene Christian. It was his second SLC and LSWA nod this season. Quarterback Tuskani Figaro leads the team with 7 kick returns for 131 yards (18.7). DEFENSIVE NOTES:
The Colonel defense ranks second in the Southland with 21 sacks on the season. Nicholls has five players ranked in the top 20 of the league, led by Sully Laiche at 5th with 4.5. Terrell Encalade also ranks in the top 10 at No. 7 with 4.0, while Kenny Dotson (3.0), and Marcel Andry and Tyler Johnson (2.5) round out the leaders. Nicholls Offense has compiled over 3017 total yards this season.
Up next for the Colonels is an away game at Stephen F. Austin.
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By: Jada Davis
McNeese State is having an impressive football season. After their season opener loss to Nicholls, the Cowboys shook back with a sixgame winning streak that was recently ended with a loss to Central Arkansas. Following their 35-0 Southland Conference win over Stephen F. Austin, McNeese moved up three spots to number 22 on the FCS Coaches Top 25 poll while ranking as the first spot just outside of the STATS FCS Media Top 25.
which had first been set by Houston in 1987. Millikin of the Division III ranks tied the mark in 1999 while Northwestern State (2003) and Nicholls (2007) matched it while setting a new Southland Conference record. Now the Cowboys join the group as one of five schools in NCAA history to ever achieve the feat. In all, McNeese intercepted five UIW
In their matchup against Stephen F. Austin, McNeese collected 342 rushing yards, its first time to clip the 300-yard mark since running for 406 yards at Lamar in 2015. Defensively, the Cowboys’ DWA (Defense With Attitude) held the Lumberjacks to just 114 offensive yards through the first three quarters before SFA was able to add on 110 fourth quarter yards against McNeese backups. That dominance rose McNeese to No. 3 in the FCS in rushing defense with a 55.8 ypg average and 14th in total defense. The Cowboys also became ninth in the nation in red-zone defense as opponents are scoring just 60 percent of the time inside the 20-yard line, and 12th on third-down conversion defense at 29 percent. Individually, quarterback James Tabary was ranked second in the country with 14 touchdown passes thrown. Running back David Hamm was 19th in the FCS with a 6.2 yards per carry average while Justin Pratt ranked 25th with 386 rushing yards. The 22nd-ranked McNeese Cowboys traveled to Abilene, Texas to secure a win over ACU. Justin Pratt clipped the 100-yard rushing mark for the second straight game with 109 as the “DWA” came up big time and time again by allowing 138 total yards as the Cowboys held on to beat Abilene Christian with a final score of 13-7. "I'm proud of the way our guys continued to battle and get this win," said head coach Lance Guidry. "I thought the defense was really good tonight. We only gave up one touchdown that come on a short field. They (ACU) have a good team and we knew it coming in. They have the fourth-ranked defense in the conference”. McNeese tallied 338 total yards with 163 rushing and 175 passing. Quarterback James Tabary completed 16 of 26 passes for the 175 with a touchdown, and for the second straight game, did not throw an interception. McNeese's defense made NCAA history on October 21, 2017 when it returned four pass interceptions for touchdowns which helped sparked the 19th-ranked Cowboys to a 55-7 Homecoming win over Incarnate Word. The four pick-sixes tied an all-division NCAA record
QB James Tabary has passed for 1949 yards and 16 TDs this season .
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passes on the night marking the most picks in a game since intercepting five against Incarnate Word in the 2014 season. As a team, McNeese put up 478 total offensive yards, 321 of those passing as Lissard added 45 yards on 4 of 8 completions.
SO Calum Foster scores on a 42 yards pick six against UIW.
Central Arkansas brought the Cowboys’ winning streak to an end when the two met up at Estes Stadium for the Red Beans & Rice Bowl rivalry game. McNeese and Central Arkansas both entered that Southland Conference game with the third-longest winning streak in the FCS - both at six games. Central Arkansas’ Hayden Hildebrand passed for 250 yards and four touchdowns and ultimately helped the Bears secure the 47-17 victory over the Cowboys. The loss dropped the Cowboys to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play while UCA, winners of seven consecutive games, improved to 7-1 on the season while remaining perfect in league play at 6-0. "There's a reason why they're undefeated in our league," said head coach Lance Guidry. "We knew it was going to be a hard fought battle. We made mistakes in all phases of the game”. The Cowboys outgained the Bears in total offense 417-323 and nearly doubled up the home team in first downs by a 20-11 margin. But all fingers pointed towards the big plays created by the Bears. McNeese's Dominique Hill was Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week presented by UniversalCoin.com following the Cowboy’s stellar performance against Incarnate Wood. Hill had an NCAA record-breaking night with four pass interceptions returned for touchdowns. In addition, Hill, who had the third of the four picksixes, garnered honorable mention honors for the STATS national defensive player of the week. Dominique, a senior from Mansfield and the Cowboys' Buck Safety, collected five tackles and one-and-ahalf tackles for a loss in the Cowboy’s 55-7 conference win over Incarnate Word to move McNeese to 6-1 on the season and 4-1 in league play. The four touchdown returns set a new school singlegame record while tying a Southland Conference and NCAA alldivision mark. The Cowboys may have had a sluggish start this season but their defense has established itself as a dominant force in the Southland Conference and one of the top units in the FCS. Through the first six weeks of the season, the Cowboys' defense ranks No. 1 in seven statistical categories and in the top three in eight others. The main stat groups McNeese is top on include total defense (267.0 ypg allowed), rushing defense (50.5 ypg) and scoring defense (17.3 ppg).The DWA is ranked third in the FCS in rushing defense, trailing leader Illinois State by less than three yards, while in total defense, McNeese is ranked seventh in the nation. "Earlier in the year, we got some key guys hurt and some of the younger guys really stepped it up for us," said Guidry. "Now were getting some veterans back and the young guys are pushing them and making them better, and as a result, our defense is playing much better”.
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By: Dorian McElwee
Louisiana Tech is coming off a tough double overtime loss to Southern Miss last week and look to bounce back against Rice. LA tech is having a decent season but it is not as good as it was last year. That’s expected when you lose as much talent to the NFL as LA tech did last year. With the 34-27 overtime loss, LA Tech is now 3-4 on the season and 1-2 in C-USA play. LA Tech now trails in the all-time series with Southern Miss, 34-15. The Golden Eagles have won three straight in the series. LA Tech is also now 5-4 all-time in Red Out games. The Bulldogs had won three straight in such games coming into Saturday. It was the first overtime game for LA Tech since Sept. 19, 2015 at Kansas State. The Bulldogs have lost four straight OT games, dating back to 2011. There was a 50-minute lightning delay. It has rained five of the last seven times LA Tech and Southern Miss have faced each other on the gridiron. Bulldogs’ Offense After rushing for just six total yards on the ground in the last two games versus Southern Miss, LA Tech rushed for 161 yards. Offensive lineman Ethan Reed and running back Jarred Craft have started 21 straight games. J'Mar Smith finished the game 11-of-28 passing for 194 yards. He also recorded his first rushing touchdown of the season. Marlon Watts registered a career-tying five receptions for a career-high 121 receiving yards. His previous career high was 72 yards at Southern Miss in 2014. Teddy Veal had three grabs for 56 yards, including a 40 -yard reception in the first quarter. He now has three receptions this season of 40+ yards. Boston Scott led the way on the ground, posting a game-high 106 rushing yards on 11 carries. It was his first 100+ rushing game this season and the third of his career. Jarred Craft had 45 rushing yards, giving him over 2,000 for his career. He became the 14th running back in program history to accomplish the feat. Bulldogs tallied 86 yards on the ground on the opening drive, including a 45-yard rush by Boston Scott, which was a season long. Boston Scott took a handoff straight up the middle for 15 yards and the touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 10-3 advantage with 14:18 left in the second quarter. J'Mar Smith kept the ball on a zone read
J’Mar Smith has passed for 2128 yards with 10 TDs and rushed for 211 yards and two TDs
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SR Jarred Craft has rushed for 501 yards and three TDs this season.
and scored easily from two yards out to give the Bulldogs a 2716 lead with 4:08 to play in the fourth quarter. Bulldogs’ Defense Defensive end Jaylon Ferguson has now made 21 straight starts. Dae'Von Washington posted a career-high and game-high 14 tackles. It was the most tackles in a single game by a Bulldog this season (previous best was nine). Amik Robertson registered a career-high 10 tackles, two that went for a loss, as well as picking off his second pass of the season. Jordan Baldwin, who got the start in place of Secdrick Cooper, recorded a career-high 10 tackles. His previous career high was three in the last game at UAB. Darryl Lewis intercepted the pass and took it 63 yards for the pick-six, giving the Bulldogs a 17-10 edge with 2:32 to go in the second quarter. It was the first interception returned for a touchdown since L'Jarius Sneed did it on Dec. 3, 2016 at WKU in the C-USA Championship game. It was the defense's seventh interception this season. With Southern Miss one-yard away from a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, Jordan Bradford forced a fumble that was recovered by Secdrick Cooper.
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By: Jasmine Brown
Southern University’s defensive back Danny Johnson is one college football player who has no issue with staying focused and putting his best foot forward. On the fields of Southwestern Athletic Conference, he appears as a virtuoso. He does not move but he glides! His superb play as a defensive back has drawn the attention of many NFL scouts. Danny Johnson is from Jackson, Louisiana and he attended East Feliciana High School. His love for the game all began when he was 10 years old, growing up in his neighborhood throwing the ball around and from watching the older guys playing football nearby. Since then, the game has been a breeze for him! Being able to play in A.W. Mumford Stadium in front of a large crowd has become one of the things Johnson appreciates most about playing football and interacting with the fans of course. What’s it like being a student athlete and being able to play for Southern? “It’s a blessing and overall an amazing experience, especially being able to meet so many new people and playing alongside a talented group of men.” When he’s not on the field, he holds the highest-grade point average on the Jaguars’ team and he is currently pursuing a degree in criminal justice! Danny decided to go into this field as a matter of social conscience, he said, “I want to learn more about my rights today, what I have the right to do and not do.” After graduation, Danny is looking to further his education by attending law school. What are your plans after you graduate on December 15? “I really want to set myself up to be successful; I can’t play football forever. When I finish, I want to go back to law school and get my master’s degree. Afterwards, I want to see if I can get into coaching some younger guys. Hopefully a high school
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“I was named the SWAC’s representative for the ninth annual Walter Payton Achievement Award at the MEAC/SWAC Challenge welcome banquet. Last year, I lead the Football Championship Subdivision with seven interceptions in 2016. This year, I’m leading in interceptions for Southern. It’s an honor because the interceptions record was last broken in 1969 I believe, when Lenny Williams was here so it’s been a while. It’s something I’ve always worked on and it worked out in my favor.” What attracted you to Southern University? “Being close to my family was very important to me for schooling. Southern has an outstanding law program and was a good fit for me to study criminal justice.” What goals have you set for yourself in this football season? “I wanted to be a better leader for my team. We have a lot of young players and I also wanted to increase the number of interceptions I had. These were the biggest goals I have set.” Aside from those goals, what is a personal goal of yours? “I want to continue to have the highest grade point average while being on the team.” team so I can be around guys that are like myself and give back What keeps you locked in and focused on the field? to the community. From there, I’m hoping to work my way up to “Just knowing what I’m doing. My family also keep me grounded coaching college football.” and focused because I know what I have to go to back home. My family doesn’t miss a game! Also, knowing how many guys If given the opportunity to go to the NFL, how have you been preparing? “By making the most of every moment, I give it my all in every practice. In the game, playing hard and leaving it all on the field is what I strive to do. So, I’ve also been watching a lot of film and watching other guys who are already in the NFL to see how they’re doing it and how they have become successful.” Is there anyone or any NFL player specifically that you look up to? “One of my best friends was drafted and he went to Louisiana State University; his name is Kendell Beckwith. He’s currently playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So, I definitely look up to him because we both attended the same high school, but he graduated one year before I did. So, it’s always nice to have someone to look up to who has made it and is similar to me.” When did you become a starter for the Southern Jaguars and how was that experience? “I got my first career start in the first game of my freshman year with the Southern Jaguars. It was definitely a nerve racking experience but AMAZING to say the least.” What are some of your achievements since you’ve been a Jaguar?
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played against me and didn’t get to do a lot with their talent.” How is it being coached/mentored by Coach Dawson Odums? “It’s great being coached by Coach Odums because he has a lot of skills not just as far as football but also off of the field. He’s helped me learn how to be a better communicator and helped me with my public speaking. The life lessons he teaches can always transfer over into the classroom and I’ll always take with me for the rest of my life. He’ll tell you everyone won’t make it to the NFL so it’s important to have a great skillset.” Danny, what’s your field presence like? “I let my actions speak for themselves but I’m more of a one-onone leader. I work well with small groups and like to pull the
players on the side to have a one-on-one. It’s more effective and personable for me.” Danny Johnson has never been satisfied with anything but perfection from himself or his teammates. Not only is Danny a great athlete but he’s also an amazing father to his son Aiden. Therefore, he continues to be adamant when it comes to working hard on the field and striving for greatness in the classroom. Whether playing football in the NFL or attending law school is in Danny Johnson’s future, just know that he will excel and exceed all expectations that anyone has for him. It was a pleasure interviewing Johnson as he is an intelligent, talented and humble man who will leave his mark on the world and make a difference!
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LSU’s Defense shines in the 24-10 loss at Alabama In the six regular season game losses to SEC rival Alabama, it is tough for some to find glimmers of positive hope for the future. The Tigers, however, did sack the Tide’s quarterback four times and the defense held the “unstoppable” offense to less yards than their own. Now that the Tigers are no longer in the talks of “what if”, they can now focus on the current future which is where could they land in Bowl season. They first need to take the remainder of the season one game at a time, but the remaining three teams combined record is 13-14.
The LSU Defense has made 30 sacks this season, and produced 7 interceptions in nine games this season.
LSU Goes Into November Game In Top 25 For 55th Time in 58 Games Dating Back To 2002
(103 yards) became the first pair of running backs to rush for 100+ yards in the same game against SEC opponents twice. The LSU brings a Top 25 ranking into a game in November for the same-game 100+ yard rushing performance has been done 31 55th time in 58 tries, a streak that dates back to November of times in LSU history, however Guice and Williams are the only 2002. Starting with the Bluegrass Miracle win over Kentucky on ones to do it twice against SEC teams. Last year, the duo accomNovember 9 when LSU was ranked No. 16 in the nation, the plished the feat for the first time against Missouri (Guice 163 Tigers have played 54 of their 57 games in November in the Top yards, Williams 130 yards). 25. The Alabama contest on November 4 will make it 55 for 58 Williams Rushing for 100+ Yards as a ranked opponent for the Tigers. LSU is 41-16 in November games since the 2002 season, which includes a 39-15 in games RB Darrel Williams became the first player in LSU history to finish in which they were ranked. The only three games LSU played in with 100+ rushing and receiving yards. Williams totaled 103 November going back to 2002 unranked came in 2008 at Arkan- yards on the ground and 105 yards receiving against Ole Miss. sas (L, 31-30); 2014 at Texas A&M (W, 23-17) and 2015 vs. Tex- Williams is a tough physical player with a determination that as A&M (W, 19-7). bodes well for LSU. He is the 19th FBS player in the last five Guice, Etling Only LSU Tandem with Multiple 200-Yard Passing/Rushing In Same Game Derrius Guice rushed for 276 yards and Danny Etling threw for 200 yards against Ole Miss to become the first duo in school history to have multiple 200-yards rushing/passing games in school history. However, this is not the first time for the pair. Guice and Etling have combined to do it twice – the first time was actually a 300-yard passing/200- yard rushing effort against Texas A&M in 2016. Guice and Williams Only Pair To Rush For 100+ Yards in Same Game Twice Against SEC Foes
years to go for over 100 yards in both categories and the first in the Southeastern Conference since at least 2013. Guice Becomes First Player in SEC History with Three 250-Yard Rushing Games With a 276-yard performance against Ole Miss, RB Derrius Guice became the first player in Southeastern Conference history to have three 250-yard rushing games. Last season, Guice totaled 250-yard rushing games against Arkansas and at Texas A&M. He became the third player in the league's history to rush for multiple 250-yard rushing games, joining Moe Williams of Kentucky, Bo Jackson of Auburn and Herschel Walker of Georgia. 4 Guice is one of seven players in the nation to own three or more 250-
Against Ole Miss, Derrius Guice (276 yards) and Darrel Williams
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Arkansas, Texas A&M, Louisville in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, BYU, Chattanooga, True sophomore linebacker Devin White leads Syracuse, Florida and Auburn. The LSU graduthe Tigers in tackles after nine games this seaate surpassed 1,000 yards for the season son and has been the team's leading tackler in against the Gators and 3,000 yards for his six games. Tiger fans are quickly noticing that career in Baton Rouge. Etling is just 376 yards that White is laying some major hurt on the from entering LSU's top-10 career passing opposing teams offense. White's 80 tackles and yards list. average of 10.0 this season leads the SouthGreedy Leads Team In Interceptions eastern Conference. The Springhill, Louisiana native has set or tied his career high in tackles Redshirt freshman Andraez "Greedy" Williams in six of eight games this season. White was is the Tigers' starting cornerback opposite of named the Southeastern Conference Defensive junior Kevin Toliver II. Greedy has intercepted Player of the Week following his 13-tackle per- three passes this season and has totaled 10 formance at Florida. passes defended, which are is second in the White is SEC Leader in Tackles
Etling Surpasses 3,000 Career Passing Yards
#7 DJ Chark has 588 yards receiving for the season through 9 games with 25 receptions
When senior Danny Etling took the first snap against BYU, he became the most veteran LSU quarterback in terms of collegiate starts since Herb Tyler in 1998. Etling is 13-5 as LSU’s starting quarterback. The LSU graduate has guided the Tigers to wins over Jacksonville State, Missouri, Southern Miss, Ole Miss,
league. Greedy's interceptions came against BYU, Chattanooga and the first play of the game against Syracuse. He is quickly becoming a difference maker for the Tigers.
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A Green Bay Packers share holder perspective
WATCHING THE NFL IN JAMAICA By: Kevin Empey NFL writer
My wife and I celebrated our anniversary at the Grand Palladium Resort in Jamaica on October 13th. We were excited to be spending time with each other and were also looking forward to watching football at the resorts Sports Bar, which boasted NFL games on the their website. While there we met some new friends, Joey, Zoe, and Miranda, all of whom are from Wisconsin and were also looking forward to watching the games in the Island Paradise. On Saturday night we looked at a schedule of sporting events posted on the resorts event board and ALL of the NFL games were listed presumably being aired at the resorts Sports Bar. YAHOO!!! Our dreams of grandeur were however quickly extinguished on game day. We excitedly met our new friends and went to the bar. When we arrived we observed multiple televisions. So far so good right? But when we attempted inquired with the bar tender as to which games would be playing where the response was a very rude, “Don’t know”. REALY? It’s a Sports Bar!!!! She didn’t seem to care. Things started to look up when we got the attention of one of the servers who was way more helpful. She gave us a remote and told us we could pick out a couple of televisions (we need two, one for the Saints and one for Green Bay) and find the games. We found two side by side but when looking for the games we discovered to our partial disappointment (mostly my wife) we could only get the Patriots and Green bay games, even though they advertised ALL the games. My wife being a good sport said it was all right and that she would just keep up with the Saints on the crawler. We have a tradition of doing Patron shots whenever our teams score (dangerous on high scoring games) and they had it proudly displayed on the liquor shelf! And it’s free! (All inclusive) so we settled in, got some drinks and snacks, and anticipated watching two glorious wins. Again looking great right? Not so fast. Just as the Green Bay game was about to start, the Jamaican television gods switched the viewing to an infomercial for skin cream. Houston we have a problem! We tried to correct the issue by searching every channel they had but the only, (and I mean ONLY), game we could find was the Patriots game. “No problem
mon”. We all asked why they would post all the games on their event board if they only showed one but staff all seemed only slightly interested. To make things worse I soon learned that Aaron Rodgers was possibly out for the season with a broken collarbone. NOOOOOO!!!!!! We resorted to going to our rooms and attempted watching the always exciting computer animated play by play. We did however find a sympathetic bar tender at one of the many bars on the way to our room who gave us a whole glass full of Patron with a cheery “no problem” for our traditional shots. Green Bay failed to make the mark but thankfully the Saints did well so we were able to polish off the entire glass and became much happier with the situation. We observed several “Sports Bars” on out bus trip to the airport, and I can’t speak for them, but if you want to watch the games in Jamaica you may have a “big problem mon”. Other than the game, Jamaica and the resort were wonderful and romantic, just that American football is not very popular I guess. LOL
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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS UPDATE By: Kevin Empey As of today the Saints are 5-2 and in first place in the NFC South. It looks like their playoff chances are good. The Saints' upcoming schedule however will not be as easy as fans think. NFL analysts and fans have felt that the schedule eased up after the Packers game, but they face Buffalo (4-2), Washington (3-2) and the Los Angeles Rams (5-2). All of these teams are looking way better than they did at the beginning of the season. Six of the Saints' final 10 games are at home. They will have five games against division opponents and although there's no denying Saints' current dominance of the division, the first half struggles against the Packers show the team still needs some work. The question has to be asked, if Rodgers was in would the outcome have been the same? The Saints have gotten some fortunate matchups based on talent and injuries but there are teams with better offenses to come. Brees is connecting, and Jones is running so we will see. I am very excited about the production so far of rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore. He has quickly become the number one shout down corner on the team and one of the most feared corners in the league. Until next time Geaux Saints
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By: Jada Davis The Green Wave started the season off strong with victory over the Grambling State Tigers, but their season has not been looking as good. They currently hold a 3-5 record. In his debut at Tulane, junior quarterback Jonathan Banks accounted for four touchdowns, passing for three and rushing for another, to push the Green Wave (1-0) to the early advantage. He was an efficient 10-for-15 passing for 185 yards, and rushed 16 times for 69 yards. Junior wide receiver Terren Encalade scored twice – catching a 30-yard touchdown pass, and rushing 58 yards for another. "For his first game, I thought Jonathan Banks showed a lot of poise and he made a lot of really good decisions," head coach Willie Fritz said. The Green Wave defense pitched a shutout in the first half, and did not allow Grambling to reach the end zone until 5:25 remained in the third quarter. The Wave held the Tigers (0-1) to 225 yards of total offense, and picked up an interception by junior cornerback Donnie Lewis Jr. Encalade took a pitch from Banks and outran the defense 58 yards up the sideline to cap a five-play, 73yard drive. Carter scored again on a 51-yard run with 14:27 left in the game to make the score 37-14. Bradwell's 27-yard run made the final score, 43-14. Tulane won its season opener for the first time since a 34-7 victory over Jackson State in 2013, and the Green Wave have emerged victorious in home openers in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010 and 2011. *For his four-touchdown performance in the season-opening win over Grambling State, Tulane junior quarterback Jonathan Banks was named Louisiana Sports Writers Association's Offensive Player of the Week for Sept. 5. * In its American Athletic Conference opener, Tulane football nearly erased a 10-point, second-half deficit but came up short,
QB Johnathan Banks has passed for 1122 yards with 9 TDs also has rushed for 380 yards and 3 TDs. falling at Navy with a score of 23-21. The Green Wave held the Midshipmen rushing attack to just 194 yards on the ground. Navy totaled 326 yards of offense, while the Wave finished with 262 total yards, including 191 on the ground. Sophomore quarterback Johnathan Brantley rushed nine times for a team-high 73 yards and a touchdown, and completed 5-of-8 passes for 58 yards. Senior running back Dontrell Hilliard ran 16 times for 68 .yards and a touchdown. "I thought our guys really fought back," head coach Willie Fritz said. The Green Wave fell 56-14 to the Oklahoma Sooners. Playing against an opponent ranked as high as No. 2 for the first time since 2007, Tulane started fast, forcing a turnover on Oklahoma's opening drive, and converted it into a two-yard touchdown run by senior running back Dontrell Hilliard. The Green Wave then responded with another scoring drive after the Sooners (3-0) tied the game, taking a 14-7 lead at the 4:04 mark of the first quarter. Hilliard finished with a season-high 104 yards on 19 rushes. He became the 12th 1,000-yard rusher in school history and now
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has 2,065 career yards. Sophomore quarterback Johnathan Brantley, who started in place of the injured Jonathan Banks, ran 19 times for 60 yards and a touchdown, and completed five passes for 43 yards. "I think this is a game that in six or seven weeks it can help you out at a little bit," Fritz said. "Playing a quality opponent, you learn you just have to keep fighting and keep battling, I thought we did a good job of that in the first half. There's ebbs and flows in a game, and when things aren't going your way you just have to keep playing and fighting. That's what we're teaching our guys." The Wave returned home to Yulman Stadium to secure a thrilling victory over Army West Point. Junior quarterback Jonathan Banks scored from four yards out with 0:23 remaining to push Tulane past Army. Trailing 17-14 with 5:32 remaining, the Green Wave drove 75 yards in 5:09 to take the lead, converting three fourth downs along the way. Banks was forced to leave the game after the fourth play of the possession with an injury, but returned after one play to resume leading the game-winning drive. He accounted for 29 rushing yards and 22 passing yards on the possession after reentering the game. Banks finished with 103 yards passing and 40 yards rushing, while senior running back Dontrell Hilliard who picked up eight yards on the final drive, finished with 134 rushing yards for his seventh career 100-yard rushing performance. *Redshirt junior offensive lineman John Leglue was named one of 181 semifinalists for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity Investments®, by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). Recognizing one of the most impressive groups of scholar-athletes in the history of college football, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. A two-year letterman with 28 career games played and 17 career starts, Leglue has played multiple positions on the Green Wave's offensive line. * Senior running back Dontrell Hilliard scored a career-high four touchdowns as Tulane football scored fast and frequently in its 62-28 win over Tulsa. The Green Wave totaled 653 yards of offense on 83 plays, including 488 on the ground, led by Hilliard's career-high 175 rushing yards. Junior quarterback Jonathan Banks was 9-for-13 passing for 165 yards and one touchdown, and ran 10 times for a career-high 93 yards and a score. "We came out of the box and played extremely hard, well and smart," said head coach Willie Fritz, who recorded his 200th career coaching victory that Saturday. *Senior running back Dontrell Hilliard was named the Louisiana Sportswriters Association's Offensive Player of the Week after running for 175 yards and four touchdowns to lead
Tulane to a 62-28 win over Tulsa. Hilliard scored the Green Wave's first two touchdowns en route to Tulane scoring the most points in a conference game since 1997, and accumulating the most rushing yards (488) by a Tulane team since 1944. His four rushing touchdowns marked the first time a Tulane player ran for four scores since André Anderson did so vs. McNeese on Sept. 26, 2009. * Tulane football dropped its non-conference tilt at FIU with a score of 23-10. The Green Wave fell to 3-3 overall, while the Panthers improved to 4-2 on the season. Tulane totaled 239 yards of offense, including 203 rushing yards, while FIU finished with 438 yards – 220 passing and 218 rushing. Senior running back Dontrell Hilliard ran 12 times for 90 yards and a touchdown while junior quarterback Jonathan Banks tallied 59 rushing yards. "Give them the credit. They were prepared and had a good game plan against us offensively and defensively," Tulane head coach Willie Fritz said. "They won the ballgame. We will have to move on from this game. It is disappointing." Senior running back Dontrell Hilliard ran for 94 yards and two, fourth-quarter touchdowns as Tulane scored 21 unanswered points in the second half, but fell short to No. 16/13 USF, 34-28. Junior quarterback Jonathan Banks passed for a season-high 221 yards and a touchdown, while Hilliard scored on a 24-yard reception and a 16yard run in the fourth quarter to make the score 34-28. Junior wide receiver Terren Encalade led the Green Wave with 93 yards on two catches, including a 73-yard reception from Banks. Tulane totaled 415 yards of offense, including a season-high 221 passing yards. *Tulane football senior cornerback Parry Nickerson has been named one of 13 semifinalists for 2017 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football. Nickerson, the only semifinalist representing the American Athletic Conference, is having another all-star season with 36 tackles (29 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, three interceptions and four pass breakups. His three picks are tied for 16th in the nation through seven games. He set a career high with nine tackles at FIU on Oct. 14, eclipsing his previous best of eight at East Carolina on Nov. 22, 2014. * Junior quarterback Jonathan Banks accounted for four touchdowns, but Tulane football could not overcome an early 35-point deficit in a 56-26 defeat at No. 24 Memphis. Banks passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for 19 yards and a score. It was the second straight game he passed for more than 200 yards, and the second time this season he accounted for four touchdowns. Junior tight end Charles Jones II caught two of those touchdown passes, and sophomore wide receiver Darnell Mooney had a 41-yard touchdown reception. The Green Wave (3-5, 1-3 American Athletic Conference | West) totaled 325 yards of offense, while the Tigers (7-1, 4 -1 American Athletic Conference | West) finished with 557 total yards, including 298 passing yards.
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Tough Season With Hope For The Future By: Dorian McElwee Northwestern State Demon fans have been having a rather difficult season this year. The team is 3-6 for the season. They have struggled through playing the fifth-toughest schedule in the FCS. There opponents through seven games have a combined record of 22-8. Other teams in the top 5 include Gardner-Webb, William & Mary, Mississippi Valley, and Indiana State. In addition the Demons have taken on teams in the top 25 including Grambling, Nicholls, Sam Houston, UCA, and LA Tech. Regardless of their previous games, the season is not over by TE Lucas Morgan has 106 yards any stretch of the imagination. Remaining in their schedule receiving and 2 TDs are four opponents that are 11-14. They will be taking on McNeese Cowboys . As the season progresses, Northwestern State has opportunities to get something going. They have 7th in the FCS with 2 fumble recoveries. the talent, they just need to keep playing hard for 60 minutes. Defense Putting on the Brakes Stepping Up the Success Leading the Southland Conference and ranking 12th in the FCS, Northwestern State kicker Eric Piccione is among a very select Northwestern State’s fourth down defense has only allowed a 25% group of athletes this season. He is one of three FCS kickers conversion rate. One of the keys to this, comes from defensive playwho have a perfect record on field goals this season. At this ers who are going above and beyond. Players like Obinna Iheoma point he is 6 for 6 this season. Combining this season and last who leads the team in sacks, tackles for a loss, and quarterback hurseason Piccione was 16-21. Not only does he rank in the top ries. As well as Ryan Reed who leads the team in solo tackles. five in the FCS he also ranks 30th nationally. This is especially Offense Trying to Get on Track impressive as he missed the game with Grambling due to a concussion he received at LA Tech. Junior college transfer Clay Holgorsen guided the Demons, in his first Not to be outdone by special teams defense has produced start, to a turnover-free offense that held possession for 36:01, runsome difference makers like Ike Warren. Warren ranks 3rd in ning a season-high 82 plays. Other season bests for the offense: yards the Southland Conference and 11th nationally with 1.6 passes (518), yards per play (6.3), points (36), rush yards (297), yards per defended per game. Additionally Warren is 29th nationally rush (7.6), pass attempts (43), and first downs (22). Holgorsen threw and 4th in the Southland with 0.4 interceptions per game (3 in for 207 yards and 2 TDs (29, 4 yards) on 21 of 36 aim. He gained 17 yards rushing, netting 12, on 5 attempts (1 sack, -5). He did this while 7 games). Another defensive player who has made the top lists for the FCS is Nick Pierroti who is 1st in the Southland and battling flu-like symptoms that ultimately
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knocked him out of the game with less than 8 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, due to cramps. Getting their best singlegame yardage total (518) since 2014 at Sam Houston and had their best scoring total against a Division I opponent in two seasons, since 39 vs. Abilene Christian in the ninth game of 2015. In order to achieve this the Demons had to adjust their lineup due to injuries to left tackle Johnathan Hubbard and right guard Korliss Johnson. Filling in for these players was Dustin Burns (in his first career start) and Andrew McAlister (in his second start.) Perhaps their thirst to prove themselves helped them to push their way to a season best 297 rushing yards. This was the most rushing yards in a game since the game last year at Lamar (390 yds). Revamping the Purple Storm This season DC Brad Laird returned and an additional three new position coaches (including head coach Jay Thomas) have come to the Demons. These coaches have made a claim to the nickname the Purple Swarm. This nickname has its roots in 1984. If you watched the game you might have seen the University of Miami with the Gold, Cuban link turnover chain that they wear on the sidelines after each turnover. In like fashion, the Demons’ defensive staff has also created a reward for players who come up with sacks, forced fumbles, and turnovers. This reward is a hard hat with the same look as a NSU helmet. When a player makes a sack for example the “purple swarm” comes to the sideline and the player who made the sack gets possession of the hard hat to wear. In 1984 during the Gulf Star Conference championship season, when the Demons led the nation in scoring defense by allowing just 9.0 ppg. John Thompson, then just 28 years old, was the Demons’ DC. He later became DC at Arkansas, Ole Miss and South Carolina and head coach at East Carolina. The nickname’s use faded until Bradley Dale Peveto arrived as DC in 1996 and his attacking troops created havoc and rekindled the brand.
The 11 Southland football programs are in two different districts, with the line dividing them going up the Louisiana-Texas border. For NSU and the Louisiana and Arkansas schools, it’s a far-ranging District VI including possible candidates from programs such as LSU, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Senior linebacker Chrishard Buhl (3.57, psychology), senior linebacker Nick Pierotti (3.41, health and exercise science) and safety Ryan Reed (3.59, industrial engineering technology) are first-time nominees. Junior left guard Chris Zirkle made the 2016 District VI team and the national ballot last season. He was one of only 40 offensive linemen to make the final ballot (15 are selected). He has a 3.87 GPA in business administration.
Beyond the Field Four Demon players have been nominated for the Academic-All American team. A cumulative 3.3 grade point average and significant playing accomplishments are required by the College Sports Information Directors of America for Academic AllAmerica eligibility. The process includes both FBS and FCS programs on the Division I level, so Southland Conference nominees are on the same ballots with peers from Power 5 conference schools. Voting SIDs in each of eight districts consider nominees and elect 24- man all-district teams (11 offensive and defensive players, punter and kicker). The CoSIDA Academic All -America committee considers the eight all-district teams and selects three Academic All-America teams.
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Ragin’ Cajuns Regroup Over Break By: Jasmine Brown UL Suffers Tough Loss In the Cajuns last game, the University Louisiana football team traveled to Jonesboro, Arkansas, to play the Arkansas Red Wolves, a game that ended in a 47-3 loss. The game was all Red Wolves, who pounced out to an early 7-0 lead when the Cajuns’ quarterback Andre Nunez couldn’t keep a hold on the ball fumbling the ball on the Cajuns’ first drive. Louisiana’s only points came in the first quarter right after the two-minute mark when Stevie Artigue nailed a 51-yard field goal. After struggling at the start of the game, Nunez, who only had 51 yards in the game, was swapped out for Jordan Davis. After leading 21-3, Red Wolves quarterback Justice Hansen, who finished the game with 275 passing yards and 2 touchdowns and 121 rushing yards with one touchdown, caught the Cajuns off guard with one second left in the half, when he fake-spiked the ball, and hit Justin McInnis for a six-yard touchdown. Davis, who started the second-half, wasn’t able to score for the Cajuns and only had 128 yards passing. With seven minutes and 10 seconds left in the game, the Red Wolves scored their final touchdown when Chauncey Mason scored on a 10-yard run. As bad as the quarterbacks played for the Cajuns, Ragin’ Cajuns Head Football Coach Mark Hudspeth isn’t putting this on his players. “Poor job by myself and our coaching staff,” Hudspeth said to the media postgame. “We didn’t play as well as we like, but I’m putting this on myself and the coaches. We got to do a better job preparing our football team.” The challenge that the Cajuns (3-4, 2-2) are facing now is to right a ship that was listing badly in their last game, when Arkansas State handed them their second worst loss ever in a Sun Belt Conference game and their worst loss since coach Hudspeth took over before the 2011 season. The goal of that challenge is to win three of the remaining five for postseason bowl eligibility, but Hudspeth said a more immediate goal is to get back to the break-even mark. “If we get back to 4-4, and we know we have a tough challenge to do that, and I know they (South Alabama) are thinking the same thing obviously,” he said, “but if we can get back to .500 there, we still have four games left and we can still
QB Andre Nunez has been a difference maker this season when he is the game with his 5 total TDs .
finish with an outstanding record and season.” “But this is a one-game season for us. We’ve got to put everything we can into this game. We have to utilize this extra time that we have and go over there and hopefully play better than we did this past week.” The Jaguars (3-4, 2-1) have won two straight Sun Belt games, knocking off high-flying Troy 18-9 one week after the Trojans went into Baton Rouge and beat LSU and beating UL-Monroe 33-23 on Saturday. USA had not won two straight league games since November of 2015. The Jaguars, tied
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SR DB Tracy Walker leads the team in INTs with 2 .
for third in the league behind unbeatens Appalachian State and Arkansas State, play a mid-week game at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Georgia State.
DB Corey Turner had his lone INT against Texas State.
However, after this humbling 47-3 loss to Arkansas State, the Cajuns now have a 16 day break before they face South Alabama on November 4th. University Lafayette had four players who sustained concussions in their faceoff against the Red Wolves. According to coach Mark Hudspeth, they should be fully recovered in time to play in the Ragin’ Cajuns next game. Three Cajun starters, quarterback Andre Nunez, slot receiver Ryheem Malone and defensive back Levarious Varnado sustained head injuries in the 47-3 loss, as did reserve defensive end Chaiziere Malbrue. Coach Mark Hudspeth said, “We definitely would have loved to have had those guys for the entire game. Those are four critical guys that we definitely could have used.” Hudspeth is hoping that the 15 days between games for UL will allow the Cajuns to heal. He explained that others were “banged up” in the loss at Arkansas State, but nobody was injured “to the point that we feel like they will miss the South Alabama game.” Before the Ragin’ Cajuns suffered a defeat against Arkansas State, this long break was going to give UL some much needed quality time. However, the time off will now be used to regroup, and get it together, because after returning to Lafayette from Jonesboro, there were no smiles and no joy. It isn’t too late for the Cajuns and a turnaround is in their near future. Let’s go Ragin’ Cajuns! WR Ryheem Malone has 26 receptions for 366 yards and 2 TDs.
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By: Dorian McElwee ULM is coming off a road loss to Southern Alabama that brings their record to 3-4 overall and 3-2 in conference play. They look to end their two game losing streak this weekend against Idaho.
QB Caleb Evans has passed for 1305 yards and 6 TDs.
ULM Players of Interest Junior Marcus Green, who accounted for a career-best 271 allpurpose yards and two touchdowns in ULM’s 47-37 loss to Georgia State, has been selected Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week. Green returned four kickoffs for 162 yards (40.5 avg.), including a 93-yard runback for a TD in the first quarter. It marked the second-straight home game Green returned a kickoff for a score, as he had an 82-yard TD runback vs. Coastal Carolina. He also had two receptions for 98 yards against Georgia State, including an 80-yard TD grab from Garrett Smith in the third quarter. Green also added one rush for 11 yards. He averaged 38.7 yards per touch against the Panthers (11 touches for 271 yards). The 5-foot-8, 191-pound Green leads the Warhawks in receiving yards (455) and touchdown receptions (3) while ranking second in receptions (30). Not only that, he ranks fourth on the team in rushing (8 carries for 162 yards/ 16.2 average). Green also leads the team with 26 explosive plays (20+ yards: 14 kickoff returns, 7 receptions, 3 rushes and 2 punt returns). He has produced five scoring plays, covering 80 or more yards. He additionally has merited some attention from various awards boards. Green was the Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week vs. Georgia State and Costal Carolina, Louisiana Sports Writers Association Special Teams Player of the week vs. Coastal Carolina, Preseason All-Sun Belt selection by College Sports Madness (third-team punt returner), and Athlon Sports (fourth-team receiver and punt returner). Junior quarterback Garrett Smith came off the bench to lead fourstraight touchdown drives in the second half against Georgia State. Smith completed 14-of-23 throws for 225 yards and three TDs in the second half. He threw TD strikes of 80 yards to Marcus Green, 14 yards to Jonathan Hodoh and 12 yards to Xavier Brown. It will be interesting to see if Smith is the starter going forward. Junior linebacker David Griffith reached double figures in tackles
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for the second time this season and fifth time in his career, finishing with 12 stops (8 solos, 4 assists) against the Panthers. Griffith also was credited with a blocked extra-point attempt and quarterback hurry. Griffith is a real leader on the Warhawk defense. He leads ULM in tackles (64 total) and tackles for loss (9 for 24 yards). Griffith produced double figures in tackles for the third time this season and sixth time in his career, recording 10 stops (6 solos, 4 assists) at South Alabama. He additionally received Preseason All-Sun Belt selection by Athlon Sports (third team) and College Sports Madness (third team). Sophomore Harrison Heim averaged a career-best 51.2 yards on four punts against Georgia State, including one kick downed at the Panther 9-yard line. Graduate kicker Matt Wylie averaged 65.0 yards on five kickoffs against Georgia State, with four resulting in touchbacks. Offense Making Headway Ranking among the Sun Belt’s leaders in scoring offense, ULM is second at 39.2 points per game. It is also third in rushing offense with 188.3 yards per game, and third in total offense with 452.0 yards per game. In passing offense they are ranked fourth with 263.7 yards per game. Additionally, the Warhawks also rank among the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision leaders in scoring offense at number 18. In back to back games this season, the Warhawks scored 50 points or more ( Louisiana Lafayette and costal Carolina). This is the first time that this has happened since 1992 (McNeese State and Delta State). Turnover There have been very few fumbles this season. ULM had one fumble in the third quarter in its 47-37 loss to Georgia State. It marked the War Hawks’ first turnover since the third quarter (lost fumble) in Game 2 against Southern Miss. ULM committed zero turnovers during its three-game winning streak (+4 turnover margin) to open Sun Belt play (at ULL, vs. Coastal Carolina and at Texas State).
SO LB CORTEZ SISCO, JR. is 5th on the team in tackles with 27. Cortez is quickly becoming a force on the defense.
Looking forward ULM has a very challenging schedule this season. This season, ULM’s opponents have a combined record of 87-66 (.568) last season, and of those opponents 9 of those 12 played in postseason bowl games. While Warhawk fans may not love how hard ULM has to work this season, a tough schedule is a good opportunity for young Warhawks to test their wings, so to speak. With only eight seniors and the number 1 recruiting class in the Sunbelt Conference, it’s best to get the learning curves out of the way now. #TALONSUP
RB Derrick Gore scores against in-state rival University of Louisiana Lafayette.
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