It was downright ugly at first, and then comical as LSU demoralized Mississippi State 45-0. Same ole, same ole for the cross-state rivalry. MSU’s quarterback Michael Henig suffered from either a lack of correct play calling or brains, as he heaved up one interception after another on deep bombs that seemed aimed more towards the LSU secondary than any MSU reciever.

I was concerned until about mid-way through the second quarter, that Matt Flynn was not showing enough poise by staying in the pocket and trusting his receivers. He ran the ball more than I would have liked, but showed great speed and open field awareness. LSU’s running game was stifled until late in the second quarter. I’m hoping we were seeing a Vanilla offense on purpose and that the best plays are being saved for Virginia Tech. As far as starting RB? I would say Jacob Hester. He’s consistent and poised. Keiland Willaims and Trindan Holiday are great x-factors — like Reggie Bush to Deuce McAllister. WR Early Doucet looked great as usual.

Defensively LSU dominated. In that respect, this team looks a lot like the national championship team. Remember, Matt Mauck wasn’t trying to replace Rohan Davey. He was told not to lose games. I think we can expect the same of Flynn.

Here’s a cool story in the Sporting News about LSU’s defense.

That was a close call. While the Saints are picked in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated to win the NFC and face the Patriots in the Superbowl, it’s defending champion Colt, Peyton Manning that will have to deal with the SI Cover Jinx.

RB Pierre Thomas stays to play one more day as 4th string running bak Jamaal Branch was waived yesterday along with wide receiver Jamal Jones and veteran punter Chris Hanson.

They need to cut at least 22 more by Saturday, following their final preseason game Thursday night against Miami.

Branch scored a touchdown against Caroline in week 17 last season. While Thomas had a solid outing last week against Kansas City, look for him to be among the next big wave of cuts this weekend.

What’s a Louisiana fan to do? You’ve got the final pre-season game for the Saints against Miami and the LSU season opener against Miss. State. Second helpings please. And it’s mine and Jessica’s birthday to boot. Yeeoow.

I’m looking for LSU to rip the head off of the Bulldogs, so there needs to be little else said. Matt Flynn will finally get a chance to lead a team he has watched from the sideline since his redshirt freshman year. After Rohan Davey, did anyone expect to Matt Mauck’s level of poise and maturity? And down to Mauck’s victory in place of injured Davey in the SEC Championship game (see Flynn’s Peach Bowl trounce of Miami), the similarities are eerie — hopefully all the way to a 2007-08 National Championship. The game is 7 p.m. cst on ESPN.

On the Saints: Payton looks to cut the final players on the bubble for today’s deadline for the 75-man roster. I think it’s safe to say that Lance Moore is on the team, along with the two backup defensive tackles Antwan Lake and Kendrick Clancy.

QB Jason Fife is out, although he looked good in pre-season. Jamie Martin is supposed to start Thursday, so we’ll see if he can lead the team the way a backup QB should. The big question is RB Pierre Thomas, who had a monster game against Kansas City. Problem is he’s competing for a spot in one of the NFL’s best back field. Other cuts this week were linebacker Desmond Sims, CB Joe Porter and WR Aaron Hosack.

Former Dolphin kicker Orlindo Mare is the man in the spotlight this week — as much as a kicker can be — as he returns to his former team. A native of the area, Mare says he’s glad to be with the Saints potent offense and kicking inside the dome. No joke, that’s why he’s on my fantasy team.

Most of the starters will sit out of the Miami game to save themselves for the Colts in two weeks. Playing that extra game in the Hall of Fame, the starters are tuned up and ready to go, and Payton wants to see how deep some of the other positions are. The game is 7 p.m. CST. Be sure to check out Bobby Hebert and Hokie Gajan’s pre-game show on wwl.com.

This is from the Times Picayune:
The Saints must make seven cuts by Tuesday. A quick look at seven players who need to really impress the coaches tonight against the Chiefs:

– Quarterback Jason Fife. May not get any playing time against Chiefs, and his fate could be sealed. The third quarterback spot is likely going to Tyler Palko.

– Tight end Ronnie Ghent. The Saints have five tight ends on the roster, but they’ll likely keep three. Ghent won’t be one of them.

– Tight end John Owens. See above. Owens might make it to the last cut Sept. 1, but he won’t make the 53.

– Running back Jamaal Branch. He has been taking reps at fullback, and there’s a crowd at tailback. An early cut could give him time to catch on elsewhere.

– Cornerback Fred Thomas. He has done all he could to make the roster, but it won’t be enough. The Saints could do him a favor with an early release so he could find another team.

– Center Brian Ferentz. A camp body when he joined the club, Ferentz is no longer needed now that Jeff Faine is back at work.

– WR Derrick Doyle. Another player caught up in numbers at the position. With one exhibition remaining after this, there’s no need for extra receivers.

Knock on Wood. The TP says that Marques Colston’s MRI on his right knee shows no structural damage.

Colston, who didn’t play last week against Cincinnati, will likely sit out tomorrow night against Kansas City.

He told the newspaper: “Something has been going on since Pittsburgh. That’s when it first occurred. I’ve just been trying to push through it and push through it, but I just kind of have to see the big picture.”

So far, the Saints have managed to dodge any serious injuries (see: NY Giants) during the pre-season, aside from a couple of water slide mishaps on the defense and a nagging hamstring injury for Devery Henderson.

Linebackers Scott Fujita and Jeff Faine, who have been sidelined with minor injuries, both say they hope to play at Kansas City tomorrow.

And it appears that defensive tackles Antwan Lake and Kendrick Clancy, who was signed as a free agent, will be the New Orleans Saints’ starting defensive tackles ahead of last year’s starters Brian Young and Hollis Thomas. You may remember that Thomas was suspended towards the end of the season for using a banned steroid product in his asthma inhailer. He has also had problems keeping his weight down, but in a Q and A, coach Payton says he’s on the right track.

Saints Trim Roster 

To meet the 75-player roster deadline today, the team released three players, including QB Matt Baker, who saw some time in the Cincinnati game, as well as offensive lineman Nik Sobic and center Jake Kuresar. On Saturday, all teams must be down to 53 players.

I picked this up on a CBS Sportline Blog: Saints ROOKIE REPORT: WR Robert Meachem (first round) caught one pass for six yards against the Bengals, but was only the fifth receiver on the field even though starters Marques Colston and Devery Henderson were out. … CB Usama Young (third round) started strong and continues to impress even though he has been bothered by a quad strain. He had four tackles against the Bengals. … OG Andy Alleman (third round) and OT Jermon Bushrod (fourth round) are still working with the second-team offense. … RB Antonio Pittman (fourth round) had 17 yards on six carries and a 1-yard TD run, his first as a pro, in the win over the Bengals. … CB David Jones (fifth round) and LB Marvin Mitchell (seventh round) continue to get reps with the third-team defense and plenty of work on special teams.

Breaking News:

Atlanta superstar QB and Saints bane Michael Vick will plead guilty to conspiracy dogfighting charges and serve a year in jail, according to reports. Apparently, one of the co-defendants testified that Vick helped destroy at least eight “underperforming” pitbulls.

Meanwhile, the Falcons are in a tailspin. Their backup quarterback is out for the season, and they are reportedly considering acquiring Kelly Holcomb from Philly or Daunte Culpepper from the Raiders.

Looks like the Saints have found their kick returner and No. 5 receiver in Lance Moore, who seemed to do it all tonight against the Bengals. He had a 47-yard kickoff return and put up 70 receiving yards on six catches. Albeit without the Saints top two receivers on the field, but Moore seems to be a good fit for the team.

The Saints had 5 fumbles, two of them lost, in tonight’s game which is a terror for any team, especially on the road. Three were charged to backup QB Jamie Martin, who I pray we never have to see during the regular season.

Another nice thing to see is Orlando Mare, a big leg, who was perfect on extra points and two field goal kicks tonight, including a 48-yarder that would have been difficult for the aging, yet accurate, John Carney. Three kickoffs for touchbacks are a nice luxury to have. I hope Carney lands somewhere else if he still wants to play.

Also on the defensive front, Dhani Jones was earning his keep leading all players with 6 tackles. And 3rd round draft pick CB Usama Young had three of his own.

Upcoming deadlines in the league:

Aug. 28 - Roster cut down to maximum of 75 players.

Sept. 1 -  Roster cut down to maximum of 53 players.

Sept. 6-10 - Opening week of regular season.

That was Scott Fujita’s retort about his mysterious water park heel injury. Apparently, the boot is coming off and he may play at the next pre-season game.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the Bills game so have very little to add on it until it’s replayed on NFL Network.

I’m blogging remotely from vacation for the next week, so activity will be down. But please feel free to post comments and keep the baby alive over the next few days…..

I’m not sure what can we expect out of Deuce McAllister this year. I’m hoping we get a preview at tonight’s pre-season game against Buffalo.

Drew Brees has so many receivers on the field, including Eric Johnson, the tight end from San Francisco who is billed as a solid vertical threat. And Reggie Bush, I think, will be running more between the tackles. Deuce has a lot to play for. His tenure with the Saints is likely up this season. His contract has a pig payout next season, which means he’ll get cut or have to renegotiate his contract.

Here’s the skinny on tonight’s game.

CB Jason David is starting ahead of Fred Thomas. Defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy will start ahead of extra stuffing Hollis Thomas. And linebacker Dhani Jones will start as an injury replacement for Scott Fujita. Safety Kevin Kaesviharn and linebacker Brian Simmons are expected to see playing time in the second quarter.

Quarterback-ups

Rookie quarterback Tyler Palko will replace Drew Brees and may stay in for much of the game. He’s battling for third spot behind Jamie Martin, who was not at all impressive last week. Coach Sean Payton said he wants to get an extra-long look at the undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh.

Fourth-round draft pick and Offensive Tackle Jermon Bushrod is fighting for a roster spot behind Jammal Brown, who has a bone bruise in his knee and probably won’t play, and Zach Streif the backup.