Skip to main content

No. 4 Oklahoma beats West Virginia 45-33

By WTOP Staff

JOHN RABY
AP Sports Writer

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — All that strength work is paying dividends for Oklahoma’s bruising Samaje Perine.

The 243-pound freshman almost matched his weight, rushing for 242 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 4 Oklahoma to a 45-33 win over West Virginia in their Big 12 opener Saturday night.

Perine had three TDs in the second half as Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0) pulled away from a 24-24 halftime tie. He got the bulk of the carries in place of Keith Ford, who is out for at least a week with a hairline fracture in his right fibula.

Perine became the first Sooner to surpass 200 rushing yards since DeMarco Murray in 2010. Blake Bell was the last Oklahoma player to have four rushing TDs in a game against Texas in 2012.

“We did a good job of hitting the holes,” said Perine, who averaged 7.1 yards on 34 carries. “Coach (Bob) Stoops told me that he had confidence that I could get the job done and I just went out there and did my best.”

Perine was Oklahoma’s No. 3 back entering the season. He’s already built a reputation as a weight room beast, and his power showed against the Mountaineers.

“You know about how powerful and strong he is, but he has great vision,” Stoops said. “He has great stamina and is a very conditioned athlete. He works hard at his conditioning.”

Perine ran over two defenders and scored from 9 yards out early in the third quarter, then went up the middle for a 5-yard TD late in the quarter. His 19-yard scoring romp with 4:21 left in the game put Oklahoma ahead 45-27.

“He’s tough,” West Virginia linebacker Wes Tonkery said. “He’s going to be something here to watch. He does what a running back is supposed to do.”

Oklahoma won its eighth straight game dating to last season and its 11th road game in 12 tries.

Alex Ross scored on a 100-yard kickoff return and quarterback Trevor Knight caught a 4-yard scoring pass on a trick play for the Sooners.

Knight overcame a shaky start and finished 16-of-29 for 205 yards. Sterling Shepard caught six passes for 101 yards.

Knight was wide open when wide receiver Durron Neal found him in the end zone after taking the ball on a double reverse in the second quarter.

Clint Trickett threw for 376 yards and two touchdowns for West Virginia, (2-2, 0-1). But he was intercepted twice and lost a fumble.

Trickett went 25-of-41 a week after throwing for a career-high 511 yards a week ago against Maryland. Kevin White had 10 catches for 173 yards and a score while Mario Alford caught seven passes for 101 yards and a TD.

West Virginia outgained Oklahoma 513-500 but couldn’t match Perine’s power running. Rushel Shell had a team-high 60 yards and a touchdown.

“They played with more effort than we did in the second half,” said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. “They made good adjustments at halftime. They made a bunch of plays in the second half when the game was on the line. You’ve got to give them credit.”

Knight had early accuracy trouble and Oklahoma punted on four of its first five possessions before finding a rhythm with a pair of 75-yard touchdown drives.

Alford, who dropped a pass in the left corner of the end zone in the second quarter, caught a 30-yard pass near the same spot on West Virginia’s next drive that initially was ruled out of bounds. The play was overturned after a review and ruled a touchdown.

Perine and Shell traded short scoring runs before Ross went the length of the field on a kickoff return. It marked the third time in four games that the Mountaineers allowed a score just before halftime.

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