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Mauk’s start encouraging for Missouri

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Maty Mauk is off to a fine start as Missouri’s full-time quarterback.

Mauk calmly guided the Tigers past upset-minded Toledo on Saturday, throwing for a career-high 325 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-24 victory. After that road win over a solid Mid-American Conference program, Missouri moved up to No. 20 in the AP poll Sunday.

“Maty really played well,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “He’s going to learn a lot from this game. It’s only his sixth start. There’s a lot of little things he needs to do better. He’s a playmaker. He did a really good job and when you produce numbers like that, the people around him are playing well.”

Mauk went 3-1 as a starter last season in place of an injured James Franklin, and with Franklin now pursuing a pro career, it’s Mauk’s job to help the Tigers follow up last year’s impressive season. Missouri went to the Southeastern Conference title game in 2013.

The Tigers were the first SEC team to play at Toledo’s Glass Bowl, and the game seemed beforehand like a potential upset — but it turned out to be a rout. Missouri never trailed.

Pinkel coached Toledo from 1991-2000 before taking over at Missouri.

“I’m glad this day is over with and we can move on. I have some great memories here as well as some tough ones,” Pinkel said after the game. “We had some great games here and that helped us build the program at Toledo. The people here at UT are great. People have always been good to me here and I was very committed to this program. I was very fortunate to be the head coach at UT for 10 years.”

The game was a homecoming of sorts for Mauk, too. He grew up in Ohio.

One of his biggest mistakes Saturday actually turned out fine for Missouri. Jordan Haden intercepted a pass by Mauk and returned it all the way to the Missouri 12, but receiver Bud Sasser made the tackle and forced a fumble that the Tigers recovered.

“I was running over that way, so I got a little bit of a look at it,” Mauk said. “That is a football play. He chased him down, and all of a sudden the ball was loose. He knew that the guy wasn’t carrying the ball high and tight, and he just popped it out of there. It was a huge turning point for us.”

The score was 14-7 at that point. It was 35-21 in the third quarter when Mauk threw deep to Sasser on third down, then found him for a 25-yard touchdown on the next play.

Of the game’s 10 touchdown drives, only two were longer than 1:31, and four took less than a minute.

“I think we played better and improved, and that’s the rallying cry we always talk about — to improve as a team,” Pinkel said. “I think we can get a lot better than we are right now and we’re going to work very hard to do that.”

Missouri has home games against Central Florida and Indiana before a huge SEC opener at South Carolina. The Gamecocks were the only team to beat the Tigers last season before Missouri also lost in the league title game.

The defeat against Auburn in the SEC championship game was noteworthy because Missouri allowed 545 yards rushing. The defensive front wasn’t great against Toledo either. Kareem Hunt ran for 148 yards and three touchdowns for the Rockets.

But Toledo’s offensive line is well regarded, and the Tigers have time to improve defensively.

Their quarterback certainly looks ready to lead the offense.

“He’s a very poised guy and also aggressive with a great arm,” Pinkel said. “Plus he’s a great competitor and that’s what great quarterbacks are made of. He’s only going to get better and better with more experience.”

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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