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No. 11 Stanford routs UC Davis 45-0 in opener

By WTOP Staff

ANTONIO GONZALEZ
AP Sports Writer

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Ty Montgomery answered any questions about his health on his first touch, and Stanford’s reconstructed defense looked just as rejuvenated in the season opener.

Next week will really give a glimpse of how far the Cardinal can go this year.

Montgomery returned his first career punt for a touchdown and caught five passes for 77 yards and another score, and No. 11 Stanford tuned up for a date with No. 15 Southern California by routing UC Davis 45-0 on Saturday.

“Our opponents are nameless and faceless. It doesn’t matter who we play. We have to play to our standard,” Montgomery said, reciting the team motto.

The All-American kick returner, who was cleared by doctors to play earlier this week after offseason surgery on his right shoulder, set the tone. The Cardinal’s do-it-all playmaker ran the first punt back 60 yards for a TD and lined up all over the field, including once as a wildcat quarterback.

Stanford led 38-0 at the half against the overmatched Aggies and rested most of its starters the final two quarters.

“I’m proud the way the guys started the game,” Cardinal coach David Shaw said. “I thought we were physical. I thought we paid attention to detail. It was not perfect early on.”

Kevin Hogan threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns to guide the two-time defending Pac-12 champions through a mostly smooth opener. He completed 12 of 16 passes and had one interception.

Stanford put together quick-strike TD drives of 6 seconds, 9 seconds, 53 seconds, 2:58 and 6:55.

The retooled defense held the Aggies to 115 total yards, forced three turnovers and sacked London Lacy four times to overwhelm the lower-tier Football Championship Subdivision team. UC Davis didn’t crossed midfield until the final play of the game.

“I think it’s good for our program, I think it’s good for our kids,” UC Davis coach Ron Gould said. “It sets the tone for where we want to go and what we want to build.”

The Cardinal’s first shutout since beating Colorado 48-0 on Nov. 3, 2012, showed just how far they’ve come since losing 20-17 to UC Davis in 2005. And with South Carolina’s loss to Texas A&M on Thursday, Stanford now owns the nation’s longest active home winning streak at 17 games.

But Stanford still has plenty to clean up before the Trojans visit The Farm.

The Cardinal’s overhauled offensive line — which features four new starters — had its share of struggles, including a false start, holding and clipping penalties in the first half. Hogan also was sacked once.

Barry Sanders ran for 43 yards on seven carries, and starter Kelsey Young had 37 yards on seven carries as Stanford tries to replace 1,700-yard rusher Tyler Gaffney this season. The Cardinal finished with 149 yards rushing.

“I feel great with where we’re at,” Hogan said. “Coach Shaw talked to us about the game we have coming up. It’s not the Super Bowl, as some people might think. It’s the next game on our schedule.”

With road games at Oregon, UCLA and Arizona State, though, next week’s matchup could have a major impact on Stanford’s season.

Stanford’s starters kept mistakes to a minimum in the opener, but UC Davis simply lacked the talent to contain the Cardinal or sustain drives. Lacy completed 12 of 22 passes for 54 yards and two interceptions, and the Aggies’ top two running backs sat out with injuries.

Even still, Montgomery gave them the most trouble.

After Stanford stopped the Aggies on the game’s opening possession, Montgomery fielded a punt near the middle of the field. He sliced right, cut back up field and shook off a tackle from punter Colby Wadman to complete the 60-yard score.

Montgomery also caught an inside screen from Hogan and raced 44 yards for another touchdown late in the first half. He added one rush for 8 yards out of the wildcat formation.

“Ty Montgomery showed everybody what kind of shape he’s in,” Shaw said.

Hogan had TD passes of 40 yards to Michael Rector and 52 yards to freshman Christian McCaffrey — the son of former NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey — and scrambled for a 1-yard score. McCaffrey also returned three punts for 60 yards and had three tackles on special teams in his debut.

Jordan Williamson, who made 1 of 2 field goals, became Stanford’s career scoring leader. He broke Eric Abrams’ record of 289 points from 1992 to 1995.

Devon Cajuste, the Cardinal’s No. 2 wide receiver, was suspended for the game for a violation of team rules. He is expected to play against USC.

___

Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP

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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