Skip to main content

No. 18 USC roars past Oregon State, 35-10

By WTOP Staff

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When Su’a Cravens intercepted Sean Mannion’s pass and returned it 31 yards untouched for the game’s first score, he perked up everybody on the Southern California sideline.

The Trojans’ two-week hangover from an embarrassing loss evaporated in a surge of big plays against Oregon State, keeping USC right on course in the Pac-12 race.

Cody Kessler passed for 261 yards and two touchdowns, and Justin Davis scored twice in No. 18 USC’s 35-10 victory over Oregon State on Saturday night.

Darreus Rogers caught a 48-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass at the halftime gun as the Trojans (3-1, 2-0 Pac-12) rebounded smartly from their first loss with solid defense and another stellar game from Kessler, who went 24 for 32 while leading a 461-yard offensive performance.

The Trojans had a bye after their upset loss at Boston College knocked them out of the Top 10. USC started tentatively in its first game back at the Coliseum, but Cravens’ clever interception lit a spark.

“That big play that Su’a had, our defense was doing a great job, and that pressured our offense,” Kessler said. “It got our guys pumped up and the crowd fired up.”

Davis caught a 16-yard TD pass and ran for a fourth-quarter score for the Trojans. Javorius Allen added 115 yards rushing and a touchdown as USC roared back from an early deficit, scoring the final 28 points and playing 41 shutout minutes.

“We just had to get back to the basics to get over a loss,” said Cravens, who also had a team-leading six tackles and a sack. “We had to do our job and execute.”

Despite 14 penalties for 124 yards, the Trojans moved the ball steadily when their defense wasn’t thoroughly stifling Oregon State, which managed only 63 yards and no points after taking a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Ryan Murphy returned a kickoff 97 yards for a TD for Oregon State (3-1, 0-1), which struggled in its first serious test of the season. Mannion went 15 of 32 for 123 yards with two interceptions for the Beavers, who haven’t won at the Coliseum since 1960.

“Even though we weren’t doing much offensively, our defense played a lot of good football there for a long time,” Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. “I think our team had some confidence we could do some stuff. The story of the game was we never responded offensively, to score points or to control the ball, and our defense wore out.”

Indeed, Oregon State showed little of its usual offensive pop after three straight victories over lower-tier opponents to open the season, and Mannion didn’t look sharp in the California native’s first appearance at the Coliseum.

“We knew that the quarterback was one of their best players, so we tried to get after him,” USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. “But the biggest thing we did was just stopping the running plays on first and second down. Everything else came from that.”

After Cravens’ first career touchdown in the first quarter, Murphy took the ensuing kickoff straight down the Beavers’ sideline for a TD, making the fifth-longest kick return in school history on his first career return. Murphy has been lobbying Riley for a spot on kick returns.

“I guess he proved his point tonight,” Riley said. “He’s a good football player. He made a lot of good plays in this game and really played his heart out, too.”

Davis capped a steady USC drive with his TD catch on a short wheel route midway through the second quarter, putting the Trojans ahead to stay. USC stopped the Beavers’ next drive when Adoree Jackson tipped a pass to Leon McQuay III for an end-zone interception.

As the first half ended, Kessler ducked away from several tacklers and launched a pass to the goal line. Several Beavers defenders did little to stop Rogers, whose biggest competition for the ball was from a teammate.

After USC largely dominated a scoreless third quarter, Allen ran 17 yards straight up the middle for a score early in the fourth. Davis added a 21-yard TD run with 5:02 to play.

USC still hasn’t allowed a touchdown pass this season, and Kessler still hasn’t thrown an interception.

The Beavers have lost 23 straight games at the Coliseum.

Oregon State lost starting defensive tackle Jalen Grimble, the brother of former USC tight end Xavier Grimble, to a knee injury.

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