Skip to main content

Taysom Hill’s play is raising BYU QB’s profile

By WTOP Staff

ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PROVO, Utah (AP) — There was a point in BYU’s victory over Houston when quarterback Taysom Hill barreled across the line of scrimmage for a hard-fought first down. He threw a fist in the air and roared in jubilation.

Hill has made a career of such plays where he tucks the ball, puts his head down and fearlessly plows downfield. “Whatever it takes,” he said.

“I love playing this game. I love my teammates and I love battling for them.”

With every dash and pass he makes, Hill’s profile is on the rise — as is BYU’s. Now 3-0 with victories over the Cougars and Texas the week before, BYU has jumped to No. 21 to prolong the team’s first national ranking since early 2012. BYU hosts Virginia on Saturday afternoon.

Hill is the very archetype of the dual-threat quarterback. He’s thrown for 689 yards and four touchdowns while running for 356 yards and six more scores over the team’s first three games. That’s 1,045 yards of total offense.

“When you talk about dual-threat, if you looked up a dual-threat quarterback in a dictionary, they should have his picture there as an example,” Houston coach Tony Levine said.

Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford said BYU’s quarterback reminds him of Tim Tebow. Hill threw for 181 yards and ran for 99 more with three touchdowns in BYU’s 41-7 dismantling of the Longhorns.

“He is like a fullback when he gets the ball in his hands,” Bedford said.

Hill has been named the FBS Independents’ player of the week in each of the season’s first three weeks and he’s getting greater national attention with each game. He’s handling it with his usual poise.

“Honestly, it’s kind of hard because you’re getting hit in every direction when that stuff comes up,” he said. “I try to do my best to stay in the moment. We have to keep winning and we’re going to get some great publicity for our program and our school. But I know in order for that to happen we just have to take care of business.”

Against Houston, he threw for 200 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 160 yards on 26 carries with another score. The performance put him over 4,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing for his career, a feat only 14 other quarterbacks have accomplished in FBS history.

He’s averaging 118.7 yards rushing per game this season, most among FBS-level quarterbacks. He also averages 348.3 yards of total offense per game.

And he doesn’t mind all those carries.

“I would say my mindset is, whatever it takes,” he said. “If I have to carry a ball 23 times a game, I’m willing to do that for our football team. As long as we get the ‘W’ I’m cool with that.”

Last season as a sophomore, Hill had six games with 100-plus yards rushing. He finished with 4,282 yards in total offense, fifth on BYU’s accomplished single-season list behind Steve Young, Jim McMahon and Ty Detmer (twice).

Originally committed to Stanford, Hill came to BYU instead following his LDS mission in Australia. He played in six games as a freshman, starting two, before a knee injury cut his season short.

When BYU played Virginia to open last season, the Cavaliers won 19-16 at home after a two-hour lightning delay following the first quarter. But seeing Hill up close convinced Virginia linebacker Henry Coley that the quarterback’s name should be included in any Heisman conversation.

“I thought he should have been up there last year because he definitely put that team on his back, day in and day out. Even last year, he took some hits,” Coley said. “I told him after the game, ‘You got heart, man’ because I don’t want to say he is the team, but in my eyes, he kinda is the team because that sparked everything.”

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote