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No. 21 South Carolina seeks spark to running game

By WTOP Staff

PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — If No. 21 South Carolina can’t run, it will have trouble winning — something Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier understands all too well.

The 10th-year coach turned around a program that had just one 10-win season before he arrived with a clock-controlling run game and a defense salty enough to keep opponents in check.

But that formula didn’t work last week as the Gamecocks were held to 67 yards on the ground by Texas A&M. Forced into a shootout, South Carolina’s offense fell far short in a 52-28 embarrassment at home where they hadn’t lost in nearly three years.

Spurrier is looking to get the ground game cranked up when the Gamecocks (0-1) face East Carolina (1-0) on Saturday night.

Since arriving in Columbia before the 2005 season, the once pass-happy Spurrier has embraced the run as his team’s primary weapon. He’s relied on 1,000-yard rushers Marcus Lattimore and Mike Davis to wear down opponents and versatile Connor Shaw — the quarterback was South Carolina’s second-leading rusher the past three 11-2 seasons — to use his legs to pick up critical yards.

The Gamecocks were sixth in SEC rushing last year, ahead of such Tailback U. schools like Tennessee and Georgia.

Shaw’s replacement this season, Dylan Thompson, though is more the drop back passer who Spurrier groomed during his “Fun-n-Gun” time at Florida.

“Right now, we’re not maybe a quarterback run team as much as before so we need to block. We need to get some holes in there and the backs need to run well,” Spurrier said.

Spurrier drove that message home at practice. He sped up drills and had his starting offensive line go against the first-team defensive linemen to work on blocking, a technique he doesn’t generally use once games start to keep players healthy for the season.

“We’re going to practice the heck out of it and see if we can get better,” the coach said.

There will also be some new faces on the offensive line for week two. Offensive line coach Shawn Elliott says Will Sport will take over for right guard Cody Waldrop while Alan Knott was getting a strong look at center in place of Clayton Stadnik.

“We’ve put a little more emphasis on” the run game, Elliott said. “We’ve got some backs that want to run it. We’ve got some linemen who want to block for it. We’ll see how it pans out.”

This past Sunday, Spurrier classified Davis — his 1,183 yards rushing in 2013 was South Carolina’s fourth best single-season mark ever — as “sort of doubtful” with bruised ribs he hurt against Texas A&M.

Spurrier was more positive about Davis’ status as the week continued and said he’s close to full speed for the Pirates. If Davis is limited or held out, (the Gamecocks have SEC East rival Georgia coming to town Sept. 13) South Carolina will rely on Brandon Wilds, Shon Carson and David Williams to carry the load.

“I know coach (Spurrier) has a stable of running backs just like we do,” East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill said. “About Mike playing or not playing, I’ll leave that up to their medical people.”

East Carolina held FCS opponent North Carolina Central to 70 yards rushing in a 52-7 win last week.

Wilds has experience stepping in for starters and excelling. He got the call as a freshman in 2011 when Lattimore was lost for the year after a mid-season knee injury, finishing with three 100-yard rushing games down the stretch.

“Hopefully, we will run the ball a little bit more,” said Wilds, who led South Carolina with 45 yards on nine carries last week. “The offensive line loves to run the ball, so just as a team, we just go out there and run the ball a little bit more.”

Spurrier also promised that Williams, a 6-foot-1, 214-pound freshman who turned down Auburn, Miami and Ohio State among others for the Gamecocks, has earned a chance to carry the ball this week.

“We need to run the ball, stay on the field ourselves, things of that nature,” Spurrier said. “Didn’t happen at all the other 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
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