Louisiana colleges battled through another up-and-down Saturday in Week 3.
No. 3 LSU (3-0) and Tulane (3-0) won the weekend’s marquee matchups: the Tigers doubling up Florida (1-2) in their SEC opener and the Green Wave controlling quarterback Darian Mensah’s return with his new Duke team (1-2) from start to finish.
And Louisiana Tech (2-1), Southeastern Louisiana (2-1), Grambling State (2-1) handily took care of business in home games against New Mexico State (2-1), Mississippi Valley State (0-3) and Kentucky State to help the state’s Division-I programs finished 5-4.
Check out more on Louisiana vs. All Y’all’s college games of the week — LSU‘s and Tulane‘s defeats of the Gators and Blue Devils — and all the state’s victories.
LIONS UP EARLY AND CRUISING
Southeastern Louisiana’s defense and special teams provided one short field after another to start Saturday’s home opener against Mississippi Valley State.
And junior quarterback Carson Camp and the Lions offense cashed in each for touchdowns to build an early lead and cruise to the 56-3 defeat of the Delta Devils.
Camp finished 8-for-12 for 147 yards and two touchdowns, and fellow quarterback Kyle Lowe was a perfect 8-for-8 with 155 yards and three scores.
Veteran running back Jaedon Henry rushed five times for 21 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns.
And former Comeaux High star Jaylon Domingeaux caught four passes for 82 yards and three touchdowns, including an early 45-yarder that was an early sign of Southeastern’s explosive passing performance ahead.
Former Westlake star Tristan Goodly and senior Brandon Hayes added scoring catches of 65 and 39 yards, respectively.
Former Hahnville star Calvin Smith Jr. led the rushing attack with 14 carries for 69 yards.
Linebacker K.K. Reno (Catholic-N.I.) and Jirrea Johnson (Warren Easton) led the defense with six tackles each, plus a Reno fumble recovery, and senior defensive back Blayne Delahoussaye (Westgate) intercepted his first pass since 2023.
BLAKE BAKER, BULLDOGS FIND SPARK
Louisiana Tech continued utilizing two quarterbacks Saturday against New Mexico State, but shifted to Blake Baker getting the first crack.
And the Bulldogs enjoyed far-and-away their most explosive offensive performance thus far in a 49-14 rout of the Aggie.
The redshirt sophomore ran 15 times for 103 yards and a touchdown and completed eight of 16 passes for 182 yards and a 40-yard touchdown to freshman Jalen Mickens.
Junior Trey Kukuk completed 2-for-3 for 44 yards, a 42-yard touchdown to Marlion Jackson and an interception.
Omiri Wiggins and Clay Thevenin rushed 15 and 11 times, respectively, for 68 yards each and a Wiggins touchdown, and Andrew Burnette carried 11 times for 41 yards and a score.
David Pierro caught three passes for 64 yards with Mickens and Jackson chipping in 56 and 42, respectively.
Linebackers Kolbe Fields (Archbishop Rummel) and Jadon Mayfield (Ruston) were leading tackles with 10 and five, respectively, including 1.5 for loss and one sack for Mayfield.
And defensive backs Kam Franklin (Oak Grove) and Jakari Foster each intercepted passes, and redshirt freshman defensive lineman Jacob Bradford returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown.
BR NATIVES LIFT GRAMBLING STATE LATE
Grambling State trailed Kentucky State (1-2) with less than two minutes to play at home Saturday before a pair of Baton Rouge natives helped lift the Tigers to an overtime victory.
Former Scotlandville quarterback C’Zavian Teasett marched the offense 75 yards in just 1:39 to help knot the game on the extra-point kick with 10 seconds remaining in regulation.
Then former Madison Prep star Tyrell Raby returned a fumble 83 yards for the 37-31 victory.
Teasett, a transfer from hometown Southern, completed 13 of 27 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns and rushed nine times for 99 yards and another two scores — including 2-for-4 passing for 27 yards and four runs for four yards and the touchdown on the game-tying drive.
Redshirt freshman Keith Jones Jr., a former Edna Karr basketball standout, led the pass-catchers with two catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, and former Zachary star Tyson George caught four passes for 62 yards and a score.
CAJUNS, JAGS, COWBOYS, DEMONS FALL
Louisiana (Lafayette), Southern, McNeese State and Northwestern State all fell, while ULM and Nicholls State both rested on bye weeks.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (1-2), Southern (1-3) and Northwestern State (1-2) all suffered particularly tough days on the road: 52-0 at Missouri (3-0), 56-7 at Fresno State (3-1) and 70-0 at Cincinnati (2-1), respectively.
McNeese State lost a heartbreaker to Weber State (1-2) as a failed two-point conversion in the final minute shut the book on a 20-point fourth-quarter rally and a 42-41 loss.