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Arizona football faces test at Texas-San Antonio

By WTOP Staff

JOHN MARSHALL
AP College Football Writer

Facing a smaller-conference team in just its fourth season as a program should be an easy mark for Arizona, especially since the Wildcats rolled in the first meeting between the teams last season.

But that’s not how they’re looking at Texas-San Antonio.

Not with all those seniors the Roadrunners have. Not when they’re led by a coach who has a national championship on his resume. And not certainly after watching what they — mainly their defensive line — did against Houston last week.

“I told our team right after the (first) game that we’re going to have a tougher opponent on the road,” Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said. “We have a lot of respect for them in how hard they play.”

Arizona beat UTSA 38-13 in Tucson last season.

The rematch may not be so easy.

UTSA has one of the most experienced rosters in college football, with 21 returning starters and more seniors (37) than most programs have in two seasons.

The Roadrunners play hard and physical under coach Larry Coker, who won a national title at Miami. Their defense shut down Houston’s prolific offense in a 27-7 win last week, triggered by a big, hard-nosed group of defensive linemen who have a knack for getting to the quarterback.

“They are as good as anybody we’ve seen on film,” Rodriguez said.

Coker and the Roadrunners are saying the same things after watching Arizona’s offense.

After a stuttering start, the Wildcats turned their opener against UNLV into a laugher, rolling up a school-record 787 yards in a 58-13 win over the Rebels.

“I was really disappointed when I saw them on tape, how good they are,” Coker said with a laugh. “I was hoping they wouldn’t look that good, but they’re pretty good.”

It should be a good matchup all around.

Here are a few more things to look for when Arizona meets UTSA at the Alamodome on Thursday night:

___

SOLOMON SOARS: Redshirt freshman quarterback Anu Solomon emerged from a four-player battle to earn the start in the opener. He certainly looked like the right choice against UNLV, throwing for a school freshman-record 425 yards and four TDs. “After the first game, he is still learning the system. But it’s exciting to see where that can take us,” Rodriguez said.

QUICK RISE: UTSA has only had a football program since 2011, but has made quick strides. The Roadrunners went 19-15 their first three seasons and have tied a school record with six straight wins — all against FBS schools — after beating Houston last week.

BIG-PLAY WILDCATS: Arizona has been known for its big-play capability since Rodriguez arrived in the desert three years ago, and he put that skill on full display last week against UNLV. The Wildcats had three scores of 60 yards or more and their 787 yards were the most in FBS the first week. “They really do a great job hitting home runs,” Coker said. “They’ll take it the distance. There’s not a lot of dinks and dunks. They’re going to go to the house. They’re good at doing it.”

ROADRUNNER QB: One of the few areas where UTSA isn’t experienced is at quarterback. The Roadrunners entered the season with five combined games between their returning quarterbacks, all by Tucker Carter. The senior had a mostly mistake-free start to the season, throwing for 121 yards on 15-of-24 passing.

ARIZONA’S RUN GAME: Arizona faced a big challenge this season in replacing Ka’Deem Carey, a two-time All-American and the school’s all-time leading rusher. Terris Jones-Grigsby did a solid job in the opener, rushing for 124 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Freshman Nick Wilson also showed off his explosiveness, racing off to an 85-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

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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