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Abdullah, No. 21 Nebraska run over Illinois 45-14

By WTOP Staff

ERIC OLSON
AP College Football Writer

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s marching band spelled out “Fear Ameer” at midfield to highlight its halftime show.

That warning came a little late for Illinois on Saturday night.

By then, Ameer Abdullah already had run for 196 of his 208 yards in the 21st-ranked Cornhuskers’ 45-14 victory.

“I like everything I see from Ameer. He’s a special player,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. “He got hit in the knee and had a little bruise. We felt the game was in hand, we have a lot of good running backs, so we got him out in the third quarter and thought that was the right thing to do.”

No problem. Imani Cross added a career-high 109 yards and a TD to help the Cornhuskers (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) to their best start since 2010 heading into next week’s game at No. 9 Michigan State.

Wearing all-red alternate uniforms on homecoming, the Huskers rushed for 458 of their 624 total yards. The Huskers had 190 yards on the ground in the first quarter alone.

“Some teams are happy to do that in a game,” Pelini said. “It changes a game, it wears on people. There’s nothing more demoralizing than when you can’t stop the run. I thought that really set the tone.”

Illinois (3-2, 0-1) started Reilly O’Toole at quarterback in place of Wes Lunt, who was held out because he still was feeling the effects of a leg injury from last week’s game against Texas State. The Big Ten’s second-leading passer went through pregame warmups and was available if needed.

O’Toole was 17 for 38 for 261 yards and two touchdowns and was intercepted three times, twice by Daniel Davie.

The way Nebraska gashed the Illini, a different starter at quarterback likely wouldn’t have made a difference.

“The game comes down to not stopping the run and not having enough consistency on the offensive side of the ball,” Illinois coach Tim Beckman said.

It was Abdullah’s third 200-yard rushing game of the season and fourth of his career, second-most in program history behind 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier’s seven.

“The way we’re playing, we’re running the ball, the offense is running fast and we’re enjoying ourselves,” quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. said. “I know Ameer was enjoying himself.”

Abdullah went over 100 yards nine minutes into the game and scored the Huskers’ first three touchdowns on runs of 12, 8 and 2 yards. Abdullah broke four runs of 20 yards or longer, had three others longer than 10 and left after his 22nd carry after he went over 200 for the second straight year against the Illini.

“We knew from coming into this week that they wanted to run the ball. Outside zone, inside zone, they wanted to run the ball,” linebacker T.J. Neal Jr. said. “They’re a running team. And they had an aggressive offensive line that made it hard to get to the running back.”

Armstrong was 10 of 21 for 166 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He attempted only three passes through the first quarter and a half, each one incomplete. On the fourth, he hit Kenny Bell in stride on a fly pattern for a 63-yard touchdown that made it 28-7.

Illinois turned a couple big plays into first-half touchdowns. Josh Ferguson left safety Corey Cooper on his heels with a slick move on a 41-yard run that marked the fourth time in five games that Nebraska has allowed a touchdown on its first defensive series. Geronimo Allison used his 5-inch height advantage to grab a deep ball over cornerback Josh Mitchell, then turned and ran the rest of the way for a 58-yard TD.

Those two drives accounted for 145 yards. The Illini totaled 161 yards on their other 11 possessions against Nebraska’s No. 1 defense.

Illinois’ offensive line had more than it could handle dealing with defensive end Randy Gregory, who had 2 1/2 sacks and three quarterback hurries — not to mention a bone-jarring block on Malik Turner to help facilitate Nate Gerry’s 53-yard interception return that set up a short scoring drive.

The Illini have lost 16 of 17 Big Ten games in three seasons under Beckman and eight in a row against Top 25 opponents since 2011.

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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