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Spurrier pleased with South Carolina’s offense

By WTOP Staff

PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier saw exactly what he wanted out of his offense — and there was hardly a downfield pass in sight.

Spurrier, the grinning, visor-tossing mastermind of the “Fun-n-Gun” during his national championship days at Florida, has forged a new formula to succeed with the Gamecocks. That’s on the ground with a relentless, effective rushing game fueled by a deep, experienced offensive line.

“Offense did some good things, ran the ball,” Spurrier said after Saturday’s scrimmage. “Came out and ran it, ran it, ran it.”

Mike Davis, who rushed for 1,183 yards a season ago, carried just three times while backups Brandon Wilds, Shon Carson and David Williams combined for 96 yards on 16 carries. Wilds and Carson each had a short touchdown run.

Spurrier has used the formula to go 11-2 the past three years, and the Gamecocks are the preseason favorites to win the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division.

Not all the offensive news was good. Starting right guard Mike Matulis had to be helped off the field with a left knee sprain. Spurrier said the team would wait to see how severe the injury was and whether it would keep the junior on the sideline when the Gamecocks open up against Texas A&M on Aug. 28.

Matulis, who missed last season with a right shoulder injury, was part of a group considered among the best offensive lines in the SEC. Tackles Corey Robinson and Brandon Shell and left guard A.J. Cann have a combined 83 career starts the past three years. Perhaps that’s why Spurrier sounds as happy about the ground game as he used to about throwing nearly every down with the Gators.

“Yeah, they played well today,’ Spurrier said of the offensive line. “They were tired of getting pushed around a little bit.”

That should serve Davis and the rest of the backs well. Davis was one of the SEC’s top runners last fall but wore down because of injuries late in the season. He gained 100 yards or more in seven of South Carolina’s first nine games, but combined for only 135 in the final four.

“The front five has gotten a lot of push,” Wilds said. “We’re an older group, so everybody knows the plays and we can click as one.”

If Matulis can’t go, Spurrier said centers Clayton Stadnik and Cody Waldrop would be the most likely fill-ins.

A strong offensive line and run game should also ease any worries over how senior Dylan Thompson will do in his first-time role as starting quarterback.

Thompson, as he did a week ago in the opening summer scrimmage, played sparingly, although Spurrier said Thompson was confident and on target during his brief time at work.

“We’ve got to keep him healthy,” Spurrier said. “But Dylan’s ready to have a big year, I believe.”

Thompson, the backup to Connor Shaw the past three seasons, is considered more of the drop-back, downfield passer who thrived in Spurrier’s pass-first Florida schemes.

That should mean more opportunities for South Carolina receivers.

“Dylan’s not really that much of a runner as Connor is, and we really have to stay on our toes as far as Dylan because he can check to different plays,” said receiver Damiere Byrd, second on the team last year with 33 catches for 575 yards.

Still, don’t look for Thompson to open things up too much, not with a talented runner like Davis and an offensive line finding its mean streak.

Spurrier was disappointed a week back when a rebuilt defensive line — last year’s playmakers in Jadeveon Clowney, Kelcy Quarles and Chaz Sutton are gone — found gap after gap to bottle up things.

The offensive linemen’s success this time came from a more physical approach that Spurrier hopes they’ll carry throughout the regular season.

“The offensive guys had a little bit better attitude,” he said. “They knew that we needed to run the ball.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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