Skip to main content

Thomas’ 353 yards leads Ga Tech over Wofford 38-19

By WTOP Staff

GEORGE HENRY
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Quarterback Justin Thomas gave himself a mixed review in his first start for Georgia Tech.

“In the first half I overthrew guys a little bit,” he said. “In the second half I calmed down and the made the throws I was supposed to.”

Thomas had 353 yards of total offense and DeAndre Smelter caught two third-quarter touchdown passes in Georgia Tech’s 38-19 victory over Wofford in both team’s season opener on Saturday.

Thomas went 11 of 15 for 282 yards and completed his last eight passes for 250 yards to help the Yellow Jackets hold off the pesky Terriers.

Coach Paul Johnson wasn’t surprised that Wofford, of the FCS Southern Conference, was a tough draw after watching film of the Terriers giving South Carolina and Clemson fits in recent years before losing.

“The nature of the way they play, if you don’t convert on third downs and score touchdowns, you might not get the ball back for seven or eight minutes,” Johnson said. “What it does is put an unbelievable amount of pressure on you from a play-calling standpoint (because) it’s hard to take chances sometimes.”

Johnson called more pass plays than usual as his spread option attack finished with 226 yards on the ground and a surprising 282 through the air.

Zach Laskey’s 11-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter gave the Jackets a 31-19 lead, and the defense forced a three-out after giving up a 16-play, 75-yard drive on Wofford’s previous possession.

That drive took over 9 minutes and ended with Octavius Harden’s 4-yard touchdown run, cutting the lead to 24-19. But Broderick Snoddy followed with a 65-yard pass reception from Thomas that set up Laskey’s score.

Thomas led Georgia Tech with 71 yards on 13 carries. Laskey had 15 carries for 70 yards.

Smelter, who caught five passes for 132 yards, beat cornerback Bernard Williams on both of his touchdown catches.

His first, a slant route from the right side, covered 19 yards to put Georgia Tech up 24-12. His second, going from right to left, went for 71 yards as Smelter kept his feet moving and used his size to maneuver past Williams, who fell backward and lost his helmet near the sideline at the 40.

“After I caught it, I just wanted to make a play,” Smelter said. “I didn’t want to go down.”

Georgia Tech played a dysfunctional first half, giving up a 92-yard touchdown, missing a 31-yard field goal attempt and getting too many overthrown passes from Thomas.

Wofford was trying to run out the first-half clock when Ray Smith ran up the middle untouched for a 92-yard score. Smith was sprung free near the line of scrimmage on a botched defensive call that brought safety Isaiah Johnson up alongside the linebackers and left no deep help.

The 92-yard run equaled the total yards on Wofford’s first 25 plays.

With linebacker Quayshawn Nealy blocked out to his left and nose tackle Shawn Green out to his right, Smith easily outran free safety Demond Smith for the long score.

Georgia Tech was fortunate when Green blocked the ensuing extra point attempt to keep the Wofford lead at 9-7. Harrison Butker atoned for pushing an earlier field goal attempt far right by connecting on a 30-yarder that put Georgia Tech up 10-9 at intermission.

Under coach Johnson, Georgia Tech had beaten Elon, Western Carolina, South Carolina State and Jacksonville State twice by a combined 252-62 score in five of the last six openers.

Tech’s first play was a screen pass completion to Smelter for 21 yards, and Thomas converted a third-and-5 with a 16-yard run to the Wofford 22. Two plays later, Laskey ran through the left side of the line for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.

On the Terriers’ second drive, David Marvin’s 39-yard field goal cut the lead to 7-3.

Quarterback Evan Jacks led Wofford with 89 yards rushing on 13 attempts. He and Michael Weimer combined for 55 yards passing on seven completions.

“I thought we accounted for ourselves well,” Terriers coach Mike Ayers said. “I don’t think we were completely outclassed.”

Isaiah Johnson, who sat out last season with a knee injury, left the game in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote