Skip to main content

USF freshman Mack leading rusher in opening week

By WTOP Staff

ERIC OLSON
AP College Football Writer

Let’s get the first edition of Stat Watch off to a running start. Six Football Bowl Subdivision players rushed for more than 200 yards in the opening week of the season.

South Florida freshman Marlon Mack led the pack with 275 yards and four touchdowns. Playing in place of injured starter Darius Tice, Mack had 176 yards and three TDs in the second half as the Bulls held off the Championship Subdivision’s Western Carolina to win 36-31 Saturday.

The Bulls hope Mack can perk up a rushing game that ranked 120th nationally last season at just under 90 yards a game. Mack’s total in the opener broke the American Athletic Conference record, tied the school record and represented 25 percent of USF’s run production last season.

The nation’s other 200-yard rushers were Indiana’s Tevin Coleman (247 yards vs. Indiana State), UTEP’s Aaron Jones (237 vs. New Mexico), Air Force’s Jacobi Owens (233 vs. Nicholls State), Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah (232 vs. Florida Atlantic) and Tulane’s Sherman Badie (215 vs. Tulsa).

A look at some of the other notable statistical performances:

LONGEST RUN: Tulane’s Badie broke the longest run in the FBS, going 90 yards for a touchdown in a loss to Tulsa. Badie also had a 73-yard run on a drive that resulted in no points.

HILLTOPPERS ROLLING: Brandon Doughty came out of the weekend as the nation’s top passer after shredding 2013 MAC champion Bowling Green’s defense. The senior’s 46 completions, 569 yards and six touchdowns were school records. The Hilltoppers also scored their most points in their six FBS seasons in the 59-31 win.

PICKING UP THE PACE: Even without Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois’ spread offense is still moving at a fast clip. The Huskies used three quarterbacks while getting off a school-record 109 plays in a 55-3 win over FCS Presbyterian.

More impressive, Southern California ran a Pac 12-record 105 offensive plays in a 52-13 win over defending Mountain West Conference champion Fresno State.

The NCAA record for plays in a game is 115, held by three teams.

WORN-OUT LEG? Southern Mississippi’s Tyler Sarrazin needed to rest his punting leg after the workout he got in a 49-0 loss to Mississippi State. Sarrazin punted 11 times on the Golden Eagles’ 16 full possessions. The school record for punts is 13 against Mississippi in 1966.

MIGHT AS WELL GO FOR IT: Duke went for it on fourth down six times against FCS Elon, and five times the Blue Devils made a first down. Oklahoma went 4 for 4 on fourth downs against Louisiana Tech.

PITT WON’T STOP: Pittsburgh came away with a touchdown each of the nine times it marched inside Delaware’s 20-yard line in a 62-0 win. The Panthers’ margin of victory was their largest in an opener since a 67-0 throttling of Ohio Northern in 1913 and their largest in any game since a 76-0 rout of Temple in 1977.

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