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South Dakota is realistic about facing No. 3 Ducks

By WTOP Staff

ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — South Dakota coach Joe Glenn has no illusions about the Oregon team the Coyotes will face on Saturday night.

“We’re going to go play one of the top talented teams in the country. We’re going to see speed, probably, that we won’t see again this season. We’re going to see a quarterback who’s supposed to win the Heisman Trophy,” he said. “They’re a very, very talented team. We all know that.”

Oregon opens the season ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25 after going 11-2 last season, capped by a victory over Texas in the Alamo Bowl. The Coyotes finished 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference last season.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota, who opted to return to the Ducks this season rather than declare for the NFL draft, is one of the main reasons Oregon has been selected to win the Pac-12 title this season.

Mariota threw for 3,665 yards and 31 touchdowns with only four interceptions last season. He also rushed for 715 yards and nine scores. His 4,380 yards of total offense set a school record.

While the game may appear to be a glorified scrimmage for Oregon, Mariota was still excited about it.

“All the emotions, all the great things about college football are still going to be there for us,” he said. “We’re very excited. We know Autzen is going to be crazy. It’s a late kickoff and Autzen is always fun during that time. We’re really looking forward to it.”

More than anything, the game will provide Oregon with an opportunity to smooth out some of the rough edges before hosting No. 8 Michigan State the next weekend.

“As an offense, I want to be able to execute to the best of our abilities, to go out and start fast. We had a tendency last year to kind of start off a little slow, including myself,” Mariota said. “That’s one thing I want to see, and just continue to prepare and go out there and have fun with it and build a strong foundation for the rest of the season.”

The Coyotes are just looking to learn from the experience.

“Having to play a team like that, it can only make you better,” Glenn said. “And that’s what we’ll do, we’ll get better and come home and play the rest of the season.”

Here are some other things to consider when Oregon hosts South Dakota on Saturday night:

MARIOTA MILESTONES: Oregon’s junior QB needs one more touchdown to surpass Joey Harrington on Oregon’s career list. Mariota has 63 passing scores, 14 rushing and one receiving. Harrington finished his career at Oregon with 59 passing, 18 rushing and one receiving. Mariota also needs four more passing touchdowns to break Oregon’s career record of 66 held by Darron Thomas.

MARIOTA’S COUNTERPART: At quarterback the Coyotes have junior Kevin Earl, who started in the final eight games last season and finished with 1,920 yards passing and nine touchdowns. He ran for another three scores. His best game came against Northern Iowa, when he passed for 370 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-31 double overtime victory.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Over the past five seasons, Oregon has beaten up on opponents visiting Autzen Stadium by an average margin of victory of 28.7 points. The Ducks are tied with LSU for the best home record over that span, 33-2. Oregon also has the nation’s third-longest sellout streak at 96 straight games dating back to 1999.

COYOTES LOSS, FALCONS GAIN: South Dakota’s defense lost one of its leaders with the departure of Tyler Starr, who became the school’s all-time sacks leader and was the MVFC Defensive player of the Year last year. Starr graduated to the Atlanta Falcons in this year’s NFL draft.

BRUISE BROTHERS: With running back Jasper Sanders sidelined for all of last season with a wrist injury, the Coyotes saw the emergence of the so-called “Bruise Brothers,” redshirt freshman Trevor Bouma and Jordan Roberts. Bouma ran for 781 yards and three touchdowns while Roberts ran for 544 yards and three TDs.

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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