Skip to main content

Mariota leads Oregon past South Dakota 62-13

By WTOP Staff

ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Marcus Mariota wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Success.” It was a fitting wardrobe choice after this victory.

Mariota accounted for four touchdowns in the first half of No. 3 Oregon’s season-opening 62-13 win against South Dakota on Saturday night.

Mariota threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns, and then ran for one more before sitting out the final two quarters.

His 62-yard pass to Dwayne Stanford on Oregon’s first series of the game gave him the Ducks’ career record for touchdowns with 79 (64 pass, 14 rush and one reception), surpassing Joey Harrington.

“Marcus did what Marcus does,” said running back Byron Marshall, who was Oregon’s top receiver with eight catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

Freshman Royce Freeman, a five-star recruit out of Imperial, California, ran for 75 yards and two more scores for the Ducks, who won their 10th straight home opener.

Trevor Bouma ran for a 3-yard TD and Miles Bergner kicked a pair of field goals for the Missouri Valley’s Coyotes, who went 4-8 last season. Kevin Earl completed 13 of 26 passes for 136 yards, but left in the third quarter with what coach Joe Glenn said was likely a fractured thumb.

Mariota, who opted to return to Oregon after flirting with an early departure for the NFL, threw for 3,665 yards and 31 touchdowns last season with just four interceptions. Considered among the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, he also rushed for 715 yards and nine scores.

With his third touchdown pass on Saturday night, he tied Darron Thomas for career passing touchdowns at Oregon with 66. He completed 14 of 20 passes.

“We scored on our first three possessions, which is always good,” Mariota said. “We’ve had our moments, including last year, when we’ve started out slow. For us to come out and start fast and do what we were able to do, it sets a good foundation for the rest of the season.”

The Ducks finished 11-2 last season, capped by a victory over Texas in the Alamo Bowl. Oregon’s two late-season losses, to Stanford and Arizona, came after Mariota injured his left knee, effectively taking the Ducks out of the Pac-12 championship race and a bid for a national title.

Following Mariota’s opening TD strike to Stanford, South Dakota drove into Oregon territory on its opening series and scored on Bergner’s 47-yard field goal.

Mariota hit Marshall with a 41-yard touchdown pass and Freeman scored on a 1-yard dive to give Oregon a 21-3 lead.

South Dakota then drove as close as the Oregon 3 but settled for Bergner’s 25-yard field goal.

Midway through the second quarter, Marshall’s 54-yard dash for the end zone ended with a fumble on the 1-yard line for a touchback. But the Coyotes fumbled after getting the ball, and Mariota hit Marshall with an 11-yard touchdown pass.

“Huge mental mistake,” Marshall said about the touchback. “I’ve never made a dumber play in my life. … It happens, no one’s perfect. But a mistake like that could be costly in a different game and I’ve got to be better than that.”

Bouma, who led the Coyotes with 781 yards rushing as a redshirt freshman last season, ran for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:36 left in the first half. Mariota answered with 1-yard keeper to make it 41-13 lead at the break.

“They’re really special with Mariota at the wheel. He’s who I thought he was,” Glenn said. “He’s special and time will bear that out.”

Oregon senior cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, who like Mariota decided to return for a final season at Oregon, left in the first half with what appeared to be a non-contact injury to his left foot or ankle.

Afterward, Ekpre-Olomu said he had been battling an ankle injury and left the game as a precaution.

Oregon rested many of its starters in the second half. Freshman Charles Nelson scored on a 50-yard punt return to give the Ducks a 48-13 lead in the third quarter.

The game gave Oregon some things to work on before hosting No. 8 Michigan State next weekend. The defending Big Ten champions routed Jacksonville State 45-7 on Friday night.

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