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Burrell leads Fresno State past New Mexico, 35-24

By WTOP Staff

T.S. LAST
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Brian Burrell threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns and Fresno State rallied to beat New Mexico 35-24 on Friday night in the Mountain West opener for both teams.

Burrell was 27 of 39 with one interception and ran for 63 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries for the Bulldogs (2-3). Marteze Waller rushed for 163 yards on 19 carries, and Josh Harper had six catches for 94 yards and a touchdown.

“The coaches got us ready, had a good game plan and we just went out there and executed,” Burrell said. “I felt more comfortable as the game went on. The thing about it was I was trusting my receivers and trusting myself. There were several times I just threw the ball up to my receivers and they went up and made plays.”

Burrell threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Harper early in the second quarter, and connected with Josh Quezada on a 10-yard scoring strike with 16 seconds left in the half.

“I’m really pleased with our guys going on the road and getting a good conference win,” Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter said. “We didn’t start off the game particularly well. Credit New Mexico, who came out and played hard and made some things difficult with some wrinkles they added to their offense, but our guys came out and did a great job in the second half.”

The Bulldogs took a 21-17 lead on Burrell’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Greg Watson on the opening drive of the third quarter.

The Lobos (1-3) regained the lead on Lamar Jordan’s 36-yard touchdown pass to David Anaya midway through the third. Fresno State took the lead for good on Quezada’s 1-yard run on fourth down with 56 seconds left in the third. Burrell set up the score with a 45-yard run to the 5.

Burrell capped the scoring with a 3-yard run in the fourth.

“We knew we were capable of it,” DeRuyter said about the Bulldogs’ offensive output. “Last week’s game (a 56-16 victory over Southern Utah) helped our confidence and then this week our guys felt like they had a good grip on the game plan and we executed really well. We moved the ball really well.”

The Bulldogs’ no-huddle offense amassed 30 first downs and 593 yards of total offense.

“We’re just not mature enough right now to execute at an extended period of time against a good team,” New Mexico coach Bob Davie. “We are nowhere near where we will be on defense. Trust me. The stage was set. We’re just not yet seasoned enough. … I think right now, just being brutally honest, the game is too fast for us on defense.”

Crusoe Gongbay ran for 163 yards on 28 carries for New Mexico.

“Offensively we have come a long way to run the dive up in there as much as we ran the dive,” Davie said. “There were a lot of positives. There really were. We were certainly in a position to win the game.”

The Bulldogs held the Lobos to 93 yards in the second half after giving up 289 in the first.

“You just got to get a feel for the play calls, the linemen pulling and just the offensive tendencies,” said linebacker Karl Mickelsen, who had a season-high 12 tackles. “In the option read, a team like this when everything is moving so fast, you just got to slow everything down and play your game.”

Jhurell Pressley and Lamar gave New Mexico a 17-7 lead with scoring runs in a 3:52 span in the second quarter. Pressley scored from 18 yards, and Lamar from 26.

Lamar was 4 of 7 for 97 yards.

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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