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No. 2 Oregon learns from Pac-12 opener

By WTOP Staff

ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

The second-ranked Ducks were flying high after a nonconference victory over then-No. 7 Michigan State earlier this season, but Washington State and the start of Pac-12 play brought Oregon back to reality.

No one said the march toward college football’s first playoff was going to be easy.

The Cougars and their Air Raid offense under coach Mike Leach pressured the Ducks (4-0, 1-0) throughout, and pulled even at 31 in the final quarter.

That’s when Marcus Mariota took over, leading the Ducks on a 79-yard drive that was capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass to Keanon Lowe with 5:33 left for the final margin.

“We faced a ton of adversity, some self-inflicted, some not,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said. “I thought our guys did a great job of just seeing it through.”

Oregon remained at No. 2 in the AP Top 25 Sunday behind Florida State, which escaped 23-17 in overtime against Clemson on Saturday night.

Mariota was once again the standout for the Ducks.

The junior quarterback raised the stakes in the Heisman Trophy race by throwing for 329 yards and five touchdowns. He completed 21 of 25 passes without an interception and also rushed for 58 yards despite being sacked seven times — the most he’s ever had in a game in his career.

Yep, that was four incompletions.

“Ridiculous,” Helfrich said. “That’s a joke. That guy is special and he did a great job, too, of taking some of the blame and the heat off the o-line and led them through it and did a great job rallying the defense in the second half, as well.”

It was Mariota’s 30th straight game with at least one touchdown pass — that’s every game of his Oregon career — and his seventh game with four or more touchdown passes.

Lowe and speedster Devon Allen each had two touchdown catches for Oregon, which has an off week before hosting Arizona in a Thursday night game.

Mariota’s Washington State counterpart, Connor Halliday, threw for 436 yards and four touchdowns, completing 43 of 63 passes, for Washington State (1-3, 0-1). The Cougars, who boast the nation’s top passing attack, came into the game as 24-point underdogs but kept it close.

Oregon outscored the Cougars 17-10 in the second half to take the lead. After Mariota’s pass to Lowe, the Cougars answered with a drive that stalled on the Oregon 35 and turned the ball over on downs.

The off-week is coming at a good time for the Ducks, who are hurting — especially on the offensive line. The Ducks don’t talk about injuries as a policy, but senior Jake Fisher and junior Andre Yruretagoyena weren’t available Saturday night. The Ducks started true freshman Tyrell Crosby at left tackle, and Matt Pierson made his first start at right tackle.

The Ducks will need to be rested for the Wildcats.

Last season, Mariota was nursing a knee injury when the then-No. 5 Ducks went to Tucson and lost 42-16. It was Oregon’s second loss of the season, and it would effectively drop them out of a shot at a fifth-straight BCS bowl bid.

___

Associated Press Writer Nicholas K. Geranios in Pullman, Washington, contributed to this report.

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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