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No. 14 South Carolina rallies, beats Vandy 48-34

By WTOP Staff

TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steve Spurrier now trails only Paul “Bear” Bryant for the most Southeastern Conference wins by a coach. Not that the old ball coach is celebrating a win he called one of the worst he’s ever had.

Dylan Thompson threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for another score as 14th-ranked South Carolina beat Vanderbilt 48-34 Saturday night for its third straight victory. But the Gamecocks fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter and didn’t put away a team playing the most freshmen in the country until the final minutes.

“We’ve all seen good football teams, we ain’t one,” Spurrier said. “Don’t say we’re one right now. The way we play? Maybe we can be? I don’t know . It’s no fun for me watching us play tonight.”

Spurrier now has 202 Southeastern Conference wins, breaking a tie with Vince Dooley and putting him second only to Bryant (292). Spurrier also got his 20th win all-time against the Commodores.

The Gamecocks (3-1, 2-1) started slow coming off their 38-35 win over Georgia in their first road trip this season. They got going by scoring 17 points in the second quarter, part of 24 straight points that gave them the lead for good, and beat Vanderbilt for a sixth straight time in this series.

Darrius Sims returned two kickoffs for touchdowns for Vanderbilt. The Commodores (1-3, 0-2) pulled to 34-27 with 5:57 left but couldn’t get closer.

“We’ll take a look at the tape and fix what needs to be fixed,” first-year Vandy coach Derek Mason said. “Our kids got better tonight … When we get it right, we look pretty good.”

Vanderbilt has played 31 combined freshmen this season, and the Commodores lost starting quarterback Patton Robinette to an apparent injury after he threw a TD pass for a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter. Freshman Wade Freebeck replaced Robinette, and he drove the Commodores to two field goals by Tommy Openshaw in the second half.

It just wasn’t enough against the Gamecocks who answered with two TDs in the final 4:35. Pharoh Cooper set up the first, a 1-yard TD plunge by Thompson, with a 70-yard run off the wildcat after Vandy pulled within 34-27.

Thompson finished 22 of 34 passing with his TD passes to three different players as he completed passes to seven receivers. South Carolina outgained Vanderbilt 449-379 in total offense, and the Gamecocks turned two turnovers into 14 points, including a 53-yard interception return by Brison Williams late in the first half.

“Well, Vanderbilt has not been an offensive juggernaut in the SEC, and let’s see, we did hold them to really not a lot of points,” Spurrier said.

Thompson said he probably hasn’t seen Spurrier this upset.

“We can’t play like that,” Thompson said. “We have to sharpen up every facet of the game. We come in here and played sloppy. It was a sloppy game. Hard to watch as a fan I’m sure. But we did get the win. You appreciate wins, especially road wins in the SEC, but we have to sharpen up.”

Sims tied an NCAA record in the Football Bowl Subdivision with his two TDs off kick returns in the same game, the 18th time that’s happened and first since 2012. He returned the opening kick 91 yards for a TD and then took Vanderbilt’s first kickoff in the second half 100 yards to pull the Commodores to 24-21.

“We kept running right by the kickoff return guy, and he split us just about every time,” Spurrier said.

Vanderbilt got the start Mason needed off Sims’ kickoff return. Robinette made it 14-0 with an 8-yard TD pass to C.J. Duncan in the final minute of the first quarter. Vanderbilt held the ball for more than 9 minutes and outgained the Gamecocks 86-30.

Then Robinette went to the locker room with an apparent injury after he started 4 of 5 for 55 yards. Freebeck came on, and the Commodores stalled.

The Gamecocks took control scoring with a 45-yard field goal by Elliott Fly, a 29-yard pass from Thompson to Damiere Byrd for a TD. Vanderbilt was driving when Freebeck threw off his back foot and was intercepted by Williams.

Vanderbilt had its chances to recover three fumbles in the second half only to see the Gamecocks get the ball back each time.

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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