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No. 19 Sun Devils beat Weber State 45-14

By WTOP Staff

JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — D.J. Foster slid into the featured back role with ease. Taylor Kelly and Jaelen Strong picked up where they left off last season. The young defense held its ground.

There were some sloppy moments, but as opening tests go, No. 19 Arizona State can’t complain too much.

Foster ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns, Strong had 10 catches for 146 yards, and Arizona State opened its season with a 45-14 rout over Weber State on Thursday night.

“I was pleased,” Sun Devils coach Todd Graham said. “I thought we dominated a team we needed to dominate.”

The Sun Devils’ inexperienced defense was sharp in its debut, harassing Weber State quarterback Billy Green and stuffing the Wildcats’ running game before the starters came out.

Arizona State’s quick-hitting offense overcame a slow start, marching over the Wildcats for 570 total yards.

Taylor Kelly threw for 238 yards on 18-of-27 passing, helping the Sun Devils build a 31-0 lead before sitting out the second half. Foster had a pair of short touchdown runs and reeled off a 57-yarder to open the second half in his first game as the go-to guy. Kalen Ballage also scored in his first college game.

“It was good to see those two running backs and all those young receivers making plays,” Kelly said.

Weber State faced a tall task against a top-20 team on the road and got off to a decent start, slowing Arizona State’s up-tempo offense most of the first quarter.

The Wildcats couldn’t capitalize on their early chances, though, and watched the Sun Devils run away with it before putting together a few big plays against ASU’s backups late.

Zach Smith ran for 128 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown, and Green threw for 156 yards and a touchdown in his first career start.

“There were a lot of positives, but we’ve got a ways to go,” Jay Hill said after his first game as Weber State’s head coach. “For this program to be good, we’ve got a ways to go.”

Arizona State’s biggest questions entering Graham’s third season were on the defensive side of the ball.

The Sun Devils lost two-time Pac-12 player of the year Will Sutton and linebacker Carl Bradford to the NFL. They had two returning starters, a bunch of underclassmen on the two-deep roster and six players who started their first college game Thursday night.

The young guys got off to a jittery start when freshman tackle Tashon Smallwood jumped offside on the first play from scrimmage.

They dominated the rest of the half, limiting Green to short throws underneath in his first career start while holding the Wildcats to 119 yards.

Even when they screwed up, the Sun Devils made up for it, stuffing Weber State on a goal-line stand after missing numerous tackles on Smith’s 39-yard run. Arizona State marched 99 yards for a touchdown on the ensuing drive.

“The goal-line stand was exactly what we needed Game 1,” Graham said.

The defense was the nice surprise for the Sun Devils.

The not-so-nice one was start by their offense.

Arizona State racked up yards and points the past two seasons, and many of the playmakers are back this season.

Instead of racing away from Weber State, the Sun Devils sort of stumbled out of the gate, punting on their first possession and settling for a field goal on their second.

“They’re a fast-starting team and we told the defense they had to find a way out of the drive,” Hill said. “I didn’t care if it was a turnover, a three-and-out, they had to find a way out and they did it.”

Once Arizona State got rolling, so did the expected rout.

Kelly and Strong were a tough-to-stop pairing last season and kept it rolling against the Wildcats, connecting for all 10 of the big wideout’s catches in the first half.

Gary Chambers caught an 8-yard touchdown pass for his first college reception and Foster appeared comfortable in his new carry-the-load role, scoring on touchdown runs of 1 and 3 yards. Kalen Ballage added a 1-yarder of his own — also his first career TD — late in the first half.

Foster ended his night with a bumping, spinning 57-yard touchdown run on Arizona State’s first possession of the second half, putting the Sun Devils up 38-0 and well on their way to the rout.

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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