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No. 16 Stanford using bye week to rest, recruit

By WTOP Staff

ANTONIO GONZALEZ
AP Sports Writer

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — David Shaw had to search through his practice plans from 2011 to determine how he wanted to approach Stanford’s two-week stretch between games.

Forgive the coach for needing a refresher. After all, it has been three years since Stanford had a full bye week — and this season it actually has two.

The Cardinal had a couple of extra days off before and after a Thursday night game each of the past two seasons, which Shaw called “fake byes.” Coming off a 35-0 win over Army on Saturday, the next game for No. 16 Stanford (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12) is at Washington on Sept. 27. Stanford also has a bye Nov. 8 between games against Oregon and Utah.

Shaw said he has shortened his practices this week from what he did in 2011. He also will have his defense face a scout team mimicking an up-tempo offense to prepare for Pac-12 opponents and put underclassmen through a scrimmage before giving every player the weekend to get away from football.

“As a coach, I’ve learned to be a little more lax with giving some guys some time off,” Shaw said. “Because when I played, it was the old 11-week season. Now you’re playing 12 games in 14 weeks, and hopefully you play more. It’s taxing.”

Shaw is planning to go on a recruiting trip to Southern California for the second straight week. He will send his coaching staff on recruiting trips, too.

Other than that, he said it is business as usual on The Farm and he wants to use this week as he would any other — as a chance to clean up mistakes and improve.

Shaw said he is mostly pleased with Stanford’s start, though he’d obviously love to be undefeated. The Cardinal crushed UC Davis 45-0 and lost 13-10 to USC before overwhelming Army — all at home.

Among the things that have stood out through Stanford’s first three games:

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE: Losing star linebackers Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy, free safety Ed Reynolds, defensive end Ben Gardner and coordinator Derek Mason hasn’t slowed down Stanford’s defense this season.

Stanford has two shutouts in its first three games for the first time since 1949, and the Cardinal rank No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (4.3 points) and total defense (204.3 yards) per game.

Shaw credited new defensive coordinator Lance Anderson for keeping the momentum Mason and Vic Fangio had going before him. He also mentioned inside linebackers A.J. Tarpley and Blake Martinez, defensive end Henry Anderson and strong safety Jordan Richards as key cogs in the unit’s transition.

“The best thing about this defense, to me, is that it’s hard to say who the best player on the defense is,” Shaw said. “It’s hard to say who the heartbeat of the defense is.”

NEW LOOK O-LINE: The offense’s inconsistency can be traced in large part to the new offensive line, which features four new starters alongside left tackle Andrus Peat. Shaw said Peat and right tackle Kyle Murphy have been exceptional, and the three younger players in the middle — left guard Joshua Garnett, center Graham Shuler and right guard Johnny Caspers — just need more experience playing together.

RUNNING BACK COMMITTEE: Shaw has said since the Rose Bowl that he would go with a running back-by-committee approach this season to replace 1,700-yard rusher Tyler Gaffney, and he’s not backing off that statement now.

The quartet of Kelsey Young, Barry Sanders, Remound Wright and Ricky Seale has, like the offense, produced mixed results. While it’s a small sample size, Stanford is averaging 158.7 yards rushing after running for 207.4 yards per game last season.

Sanders and Young have been the Cardinal’s top carriers. Sanders, the son of the Hall of Fame running back with the same name, has 142 yards rushing on 18 carries; Young has 122 yards rushing on 21 carries.

Shaw said rotating running backs is not having a negative effect on the offensive line or the running backs. Instead, he said both just need to be more consistent.

“It’s not as much jelling between those two as you would say a quarterback and receiver that need to get used to each other,” Shaw said. “They’ve got to make the holes where the holes need to be, and the running backs need to be on their tracks so they can get to the holes.”

___

Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP

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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