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Pitt, BC to open ACC schedule on Friday night

By WTOP Staff

JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — Boston College and Pittsburgh combined to run the ball more than 100 times in easy opening week victories. Now the two schools are about to find out whether their running games can hold up in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The former Big East foes will meet for the first time in the ACC on Friday night, and they know things are going to be more difficult.

“They’re a power football team on offense, much like us,” BC coach Steve Addazio said this week as he prepared to face the Panthers one week after a 30-7 victory over UMass. “Will we be able to have our way with everybody in the conference running the football? No. We’d like to get more balance, we’d like to grow in certain areas.”

Despite losing Heisman Trophy finalist Andre Williams to the NFL after his 2,177-yard season, Boston College opened the season with a run-heavy offense that featured 61 rushing plays and only 25 passes. Over in Pittsburgh, the Panthers carried the ball 56 times — for 409 yards and seven touchdowns — and threw only 14 passes in a 62-0 dismissal of Football Championship Subdivision school Delaware.

“There probably aren’t many games when you can do that. So, that’s why we try to be a balanced offense,” Pitt coach Paul Chryst said. “I honestly don’t care about the number. There are going to be games when you have to win it by running the ball, and there’s going to be games when you have to win it by throwing. So, I think you have to be able to do both.”

The first look at the BC and Pitt passing games could come this week, when they meet in Chestnut Hill.

Here are some things to look for in Friday night’s game:

PATIENCE: With a solid running game behind him — BC ran for 338 yards in the opener — new Eagles quarterback Tyler Murphy knows he doesn’t have to be heroic with his passes. “I have to do a good job of not forcing it if it’s not there, see what the defense gives me,” said Murphy, who also ran for 118 yards in Saturday’s victory. “Whether that’s throwing the ball away or trying to get back to the line of scrimmage on my feet. My job is to keep us in good situations and out of third-and-longs and get first downs to move the chains.”

NO LETDOWN: Both teams avoided overlooking their opening week opponents — UMass is in the FBS, but it has won just two games in two years since moving up — and now they need to guard against overconfidence. “We never really had a game like that last year, where we won in that type of fashion,” Pitt running back James Conner said. “When you have a win like that, you feel like you can keep winning games. We want to keep winning football games, but going game-by-game definitely is a different mentality than we had last year.”

KICKING GAME: While coasting to victory, Boston College punted only once and Pittsburgh just twice. The Panthers did not try a field goal, and BC was 3-for-4 in the opening week. Addazio said he is still sorting out his kicking game since the graduation of Nate Freese, a seventh-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions. The plan for now is to use Alex Howell, who made one 44-yarder and missed another, on longer kicks and Joey Launceford, who was 2-for-2 (21, 28) on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points, on short kicks. Howell also punts. “If a guy struggles I’ll pull them out of there,” Addazio said.

NEW FRIENDS/OLD FRIENDS: Boston College and Pitt haven’t played since 2004, when both were in the Big East. BC joined the ACC in 2005, and Pitt moved over last season. But Addazio played against the Panthers when he was the head coach at Temple in 2012, and the two coaches worked together as part of ESPN’s coverage of last year’s national championship game. “I had four great years in the old Big East when all these teams traditionally played each other. They were such kind of black and blue games and just physical, so I’m really looking forward to it,” said Addazio, who also was an assistant coach at Syracuse. “It’s kind of what makes college football special and unique.”

___

AP freelancer Dale Grdnic contributed to this story from Pittsburgh.

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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