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No. 18 Ole Miss sloppy in opener but beats Boise

By WTOP Staff

PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Bo Wallace wants to close his college career in style.

He’d rather forget the way his final season started out.

The Mississippi senior was picked off three times in the first half, and the No. 18 Rebels struggled to a 7-6 lead heading to the fourth quarter against Boise State. But Wallace tossed three of his four touchdown passes in the final period — on consecutive throws, no less — and Ole Miss pulled away for a sloppy 35-13 victory Thursday night.

“Just decent,” Wallace said, assessing his 387-yard performance. “I have things to work on. Luckily, we were able to bounce back in the second half.”

The Rebels (1-0) got the victory before a sparse crowd in the first of two Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games at the Georgia Dome this week. But it was hardly the sort of dominant showing they were hoping for entering the season with their highest ranking since 2009.

“It was awful hard to watch for 2 1/2 quarters,” coach Hugh Freeze said. “Then we got in a decent rhythm the last part of the game.”

Boise State (0-1) lost in the debut of coach Bryan Harsin, who took over after Chris Petersen bolted for Washington. The Broncos no longer resemble the team that used to beat the big boys with such regularity.

“I’m not going to sit here and made excuses for not going out there and winning the ballgame,” Harsin said. “We’ve got to find ways to get better.”

Cody Core, who won a starting job during preseason practice, hauled in a pair of TDs for Ole Miss: a 30-yarder in the final minute of the first quarter, then a 76-yarder midway through the fourth after grabbing a short pass on a slant route and breaking free down the middle of the field.

Also in the final period, Wallace went to Laquon Treadwell for a 14-yard TD and hooked up with Quincy Adeboyejo on a 31-yard scoring play.

That was more than enough against Boise State, which was coming off its worst season since 1998 (8-5) and seems to have lost its BCS-busting swagger. Grant Hedrick was picked off four times. The Broncos had first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 1 in the second quarter, ran three straight plays that lost a total of 2 yards, and settled for a field goal.

“We’ve got to punch it in,” Harsin said. “We were not good enough tonight to get that done.”

Frankly, neither team looked as if it was ready for the season. Wallace’s three interceptions before halftime were matched by Hedrick, and both quarterbacks had one picked off in the end zone to ruin good scoring chances.

Freeze was baffled by a couple of Wallace’s interceptions, saying the senior threw toward receivers who weren’t even supposed to be part of the play.

“He wants to do so well and have a great year,” Freeze said. “Obviously, he didn’t play his best. But he settled down in the second half and played pretty good.”

The poor play went beyond a bunch of errant throws.

Ole Miss was flagged for moving too soon on its first two attempts at getting off an offensive snap — and wound up being called for a staggering seven false-start penalties in the first half. The Rebels couldn’t blame the crowd for being too noisy, either. The upper deck at the Georgia Dome wasn’t even used for a turnout announced at 32,823.

Boise State was even worse. Harsin, a former Broncos quarterback and offensive coordinator under Petersen during the glory days, watched his offense manage only a pair of field goals before a meaningless touchdown in the closing minutes.

Hedrick threw his fourth interception early in the fourth quarter, which pretty much finished off Boise State. Two plays later, Wallace found Adeboyejo open at the 10, and he easily broke away from a couple of would-be tacklers who did little more than stick out their arms.

Wallace finished 25 of 36 for 387 yards. Treadwell hauled in seven passes for 105 yards, while Core had 110 yards on four receptions.

Hedrick was 36 of 46 for 264 yards.

“We had opportunities, but we just didn’t capitalize on some plays,” Hedrick said. “That’s what stings.”

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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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