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No. 24 Missouri defeats South Dakota St 38-18

By WTOP Staff

JAKE KREINBERG
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri got the win it wanted.

Still, everyone knew the Tigers have a lot of work to do yet.

“I thought we did pretty well,” quarterback Maty Mauk said after the 24th-ranked Tigers defeated South Dakota State 38-18 on Saturday. “We came out fast and that showed. We scored in a minute and came down and scored after that. We just had a lot of inconsistency we have to clean up and that is stuff we can fix.”

Mauk finished with 178 yards and three touchdowns and seemed at ease early, finding receiver Darius White crossing behind the Jackrabbits’ defense for a 44-yard touchdown catch just 50 seconds into the game. The Tigers extended their lead to 21-10 at halftime and never trailed against South Dakota State, which fell to 0-7 against FBS teams since moving to Division I in 2004.

The Tigers’ early 7-0 lead lasted only one play thanks to a 75-yard touchdown run by South Dakota State’s Zach Zenner, who finished with 103 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. But Mauk found White again on the third drive, this time for a 39-yard pass in the corner of the end zone behind safety Anthony Sherrils. White finished with two receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

“Last go-around,” said White, a senior who transferred from Texas in 2012. “I feel like I have a lot to prove to people, and I feel like I did a little bit of that today.”

Missouri added another score in the first quarter on Russell Hansbrough’s 10-yard run that featured a missed tackle and a bit of misdirection. Hansbrough started after backing up Henry Josey last year, finishing with 20 carries for a career-high 126 yards.

“He’s got great quickness and explosiveness. Sometimes great athletes make great plays just because they’re great athletes,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “And that’s what he did, he made a great play.”

Safety Duron Singleton set up the touchdown with his first career interception for Missouri, pulling in Austin Sumner’s pass at South Dakota State’s 29-yard line and returning it 19 yards. The play marked the 45th consecutive game in which the Tigers forced a turnover, the longest such streak in the country.

Sumner left the game in the first quarter and did not return, giving way to Zach Lujan, who went 21 of 28 for 239 yards and an interception.

Coach John Stiegelmeier said Sumner, who holds school records in completions (633), attempts (1,089) and passing yards (7,831), caught his spikes in the turf during a scramble. He walked to the sideline gingerly before being helped to the locker room while placing no pressure on his right foot.

Stiegelmeier said Sumner is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

“I’m praying for Austin,” Lujan said. “He’s been a four-year starter and any time you lose a guy like that — your team captain and a four-year starter — it’s a huge loss, but at the same time at any position a guy can go down and the next guy has to step in.”

After Justin Syrovatka converted a 39-yard field goal with 3:58 remaining in the first half, the Jackrabbits pulled to within 21-18 on their first drive in the third quarter thanks to a 3-yard touchdown run by Zenner and a subsequent two-point conversion. A 6-foot, 220-pound senior, Zenner needs just 114 more yards to tie Western Illinois’ Herb Donaldson for the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s career rushing mark at 4,746.

Marcus Murphy extended Missouri’s lead back to 10 on the ensuing kickoff, returning it 102 yards for a touchdown and starting a 17-0 run for the Tigers to end the game. Missouri moved to 14-0 all-time against Football Championship Subdivision teams and has won 13 consecutive season openers.

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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