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Akron stuffs Conner, stuns Pitt 21-10

By WTOP Staff

WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Conor Hundley one-upped the nation’s leading rusher, gaining 148 yards on 19 carries as Akron upset Pittsburgh 21-10 on Saturday.

Kyle Pohl passed for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception and defensive lineman Cody Grice — moonlighting at fullback — put together a pair of short scoring runs as the Zips (2-2) beat a team from a power conference for the first time in six years.

Akron outgained the Panthers 382-349 and kept Pitt sophomore running back James Conner in check to give coach Terry Bowden the biggest victory of his three-year tenure.

Conner came in with 699 yards but was held to 92 yards on 25 carries as the Panthers (3-2) lost their second straight. Chad Voytik completed 20 of 34 passes for 220 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The Panthers saw their early season momentum slowed in a tough loss to Iowa last week. It came to a complete stop as the Zips — sporting gold chrome helmets that reflected brilliantly at sun-splashed Heinz Field — dominated.

Yes, dominated.

This was no last-second stunner. Akron controlled the second half, taking the lead for good early in the third quarter when a 42-yard sprint by Hundley set up a 1-yard plunge by the 283-pound Grice to make it 14-7 early in the third quarter.

The Panthers responded by driving to the Akron 6 and appeared to tie the score when Voytik hit Tyler Boyd for a touchdown. A holding penalty, however, wiped out the score and when Voytik’s fade to the corner of the end zone glanced off Kevin Weatherspoon’s fingertips, Pitt had to settle for a 34-yard field goal by Chris Blewitt that made it 14-10.

Akron, which had been outscored 69-20 in losses to Penn State and Marshall, simply kept coming. With Pohl’s steady hand leading the way, the Zips moved 70 yards in 10 plays, the last two with Grice bulling his way across the goal line.

Pitt’s last legitimate threat ended when Akron’s DeAndre Scott picked off Voytik deep in Zips’ territory midway through the fourth quarter. When Akron stuffed Pitt on fourth down with 1:34 remaining, the Zips erupted in celebration.

The victory marked a significant step in Bowden’s rebuilding project. The Zips went 1-11 during his first season in 2012 and upped that mark to 5-7 last season, though the Zips showed little signs of a breakout while getting worked over at home last week against Marshall.

Akron gave up 284 yards on the ground to the Thundering Herd. The Zips were determined not to let Pitt do the same.

Stacking eight or nine defenders near the line of scrimmage to stop Conner, Akron dared Voytik to beat them. The sophomore struggled with the task.

Pitt punted on its first five possessions as Conner struggled slogging through a seemingly endless wave of guys in white jerseys. The Panthers eventually took a 7-0 lead on an 8-yard pass from Voytik to Manasseh Garner with 4:28 left in the first half.

The edge lasted less than a minute. Pohl — benched briefly earlier in the half after throwing an interception in the end zone — threw a jump ball to Mykel Traylor-Bennett, who hauled it in with ease then trotted the rest of the way for a 52-yard score that left the Panthers stunned and the Zips emboldened.

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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