Tulane escapes in overtime, McNeese wins an in-state battle and Louisiana’s college teams head into a consequential November.

Louisiana’s college football weekend delivered a little of everything: a late escape for Tulane, a statement road performance from Southern and another victory for a Louisiana Tech team building real momentum.

McNeese also won an in-state matchup in difficult weather, while Grambling and Southeastern left Texas with narrow defeats. With LSU and Louisiana on open dates, the October 30–31 slate gave several other programs the state’s spotlight.

The quick read

• Momentum: Louisiana Tech won its fifth straight and reached 6–2.
• Big road result: Southern beat Florida A&M 42–14.
• Late drama: Tulane won in overtime; Grambling lost in overtime.
• In-state result: McNeese defeated Nicholls 16–3.
• Next headline: LSU returns November 7 to host Alabama.

Louisiana’s Division I scoreboard

Louisiana team	Result	Site / note
Tulane	W 38–31 at Charlotte	Friday; overtime
Louisiana Tech	W 35–20 at South Alabama	Saturday; fifth straight win
Southern	W 42–14 at Florida A&M	Saturday
McNeese	W 16–3 vs. Nicholls	Saturday; Homecoming
Nicholls	L 3–16 at McNeese	Saturday
ULM	L 21–35 vs. Southern Miss	Saturday
Grambling State	L 20–23 at Texas Southern	Saturday; overtime
Southeastern Louisiana	L 7–10 at East Texas A&M	Saturday
Northwestern State	L 14–66 at UIW	Saturday
LSU	Open date	Alabama visits November 7
Louisiana	Open date	South Alabama visits November 7

Louisiana Tech keeps stacking wins

The Bulldogs defeated South Alabama 35–20 in Mobile, improving to 6–2 overall and 4–0 in Sun Belt play. Their winning streak reached five games, and they finished October unbeaten.

Tech allowed 20 first-half points, then kept the Jaguars scoreless after halftime. Its defense produced two takeaways, three sacks and three fourth-down stops, while the offense committed no turnovers.

That is a useful combination for a road team. Tech did not need to win the total-yardage comparison to control the outcome. It protected its own possessions, ended opposing drives and made its halftime lead stand up.

The Bulldogs’ first 4–0 conference start since 2019 makes their November schedule increasingly consequential. This was another example of a team giving itself more to play for with each victory.

Southern makes its trip to Tallahassee count

Southern delivered a 42–14 win over Florida A&M, ending a 25-year drought at Bragg Memorial Stadium. Trey Holly powered the running game with 204 net yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

Michael Williams II supplied the defensive highlight, returning an interception 98 yards for a touchdown. He finished with two interceptions as the Jaguars improved to 4–5 overall and 2–3 in SWAC play.

Southern combined production on the ground with a defensive score and a turnover-free offense. That gave the Jaguars several ways to sustain control instead of asking one unit to carry the entire afternoon.

Tulane survives; Grambling comes up short in overtime

Tulane rallied past Charlotte 38–31 Friday, tying the game with 10 seconds left before Dagan Bruno’s overtime sneak and a defensive stop finished the comeback. The Green Wave moved to 4–4 and returns home to face Tulsa on November 7.

Grambling experienced the opposite ending in Houston. Texas Southern won 23–20 when Cam’Ron McCoy scored on a six-yard overtime run.

Grambling had led 10–3 entering the fourth quarter before Athean Renfro Jr. broke touchdown runs of 75 and 86 yards. The visitors answered to force overtime and took a 20–17 lead with a field goal, but could not prevent Texas Southern’s winning response. Grambling fell to 4–4 and 2–3 in the SWAC.

McNeese wins the wet-weather battle

McNeese defeated Nicholls 16–3 in persistent rain in Lake Charles, ending a five-game losing streak in the series. The Cowboys improved to 4–5 overall and 3–3 in the Southland; Nicholls dropped to 3–6 and 2–4.

Amyrion Mingo’s 70-yard return of a fumble on a botched field-goal attempt was the decisive special-teams play. McNeese also got 107 rushing yards from Omiri Wiggins.

The game offered a reminder of how quickly one mishandled scoring opportunity can change a low-scoring contest. Nicholls was trying to cut into a four-point deficit when the play instead produced a McNeese touchdown.

ULM, Southeastern and Northwestern State take losses

ULM fell 35–21 to Southern Miss in Monroe. The Warhawks reduced a 27–7 deficit to 27–21 in the fourth quarter, but Jamarice Wilder’s late 32-yard touchdown run helped the Golden Eagles close it out. ULM is 1–7 overall and 1–3 in the Sun Belt.

Southeastern lost 10–7 at East Texas A&M. Ozlo Rigby’s 49-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining broke the tie, and SLU’s final 52-yard attempt missed. A first-quarter punt-return touchdown accounted for Southeastern’s scoring as it dropped to 4–5 and 2–4 in the Southland.

Northwestern State’s afternoon got away much earlier. UIW scored 28 first-quarter points and won 66–14 in San Antonio. The Demons fell to 0–9 overall and 0–6 in conference play.

LSU and Louisiana turn toward November

LSU did not play this weekend. Its next assignment is Alabama at Tiger Stadium on November 7, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Central on ABC. The Tigers’ last outing was their 38–17 victory at Auburn.

Louisiana also had an open date. The Ragin’ Cajuns host South Alabama on November 7 at 4 p.m. Central in Lafayette.

The state enters November with different priorities in different places. Tech has a conference run to extend, Southern has a strong road performance to build on, and Tulane has another chance to make late-game composure part of a steadier full-game effort. For the teams coming off losses, protecting possessions and finishing scoring opportunities remain immediate work.

Related coverage: LSU Climbs to No. 15 After Auburn Rout as Alabama Awaits.

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