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Cal, Colorado combine for prolific passing game

By WTOP Staff

LUKE MEREDITH
AP Sports Writer

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — California’s Jared Goff and Colorado’s Sefo Liufau were near equal partners in one of the most prolific passing games in NCAA history.

Goff and Liufau each topped 450 yards passing with seven touchdowns and one interception on Saturday. Each also opened overtime with 25-yard TD throws. The difference in one of the wackiest games in years was James Langford’s 34-yard field goal, which pushed Cal past the Buffaloes 59-56 and ended its 15-game Pac-12 losing streak.

The Golden Bears also erased the sting of a loss to Arizona the week before on a Hail Mary toss to end the game.

“I think I aged like 100 years in the last two weeks,” Cal coach Sonny Dykes said.

Despite the eerily similar stat lines, Goff was the more efficient passer in Berkeley. He went 24 for 42 for 458 yards averaging nearly 11 yards a throw. Liufau needed 67 attempts — and 19 completions to star Nelson Spruce — to get to 455 yards.

The Buffaloes lost despite recording 39 first downs and gaining 630 yards.

Here are some of the other spectacular statistical performances that highlighted the last weekend of September in college football:

BIG TEN BRUISERS: The competition for Big Ten’s running back of the year award might be as hotly contested as the Heisman Trophy. Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah, Minnesota’s David Cobb, Indiana’s Tevin Coleman and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon all rank in the top seven nationally in rushing yards heading into October. Abdullah leads the country with 833 yards after a 208-yard outburst in a win over Illinois. Cobb is third after abusing beleaguered Michigan for 183 yards on 32 carries Saturday. Coleman is fourth — but first in yards per game with 172.8 — and Gordon is seventh after a 181-yard effort in a win over South Florida.

AERIAL ASSUALT IN AMHERST: UMass’s first game on campus since 2011 featured a falling video board and plenty of shell-shocked defensive backs. Minutemen quarterback Blake Frohnapfel threw for 589 yards — 101 more than any other QB in the country this week — and five TDs against Bowling Green. But it wasn’t enough. Bowling Green’s James Knapke had 443 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons rallied for a 47-42 win. UMass is now 0-5, but three of its losses (Colorado, Vanderbilt and Bowling Green) have come by a total of just 11 points.

MORE MOORE, PLEASE: Somewhat lost in Cincinnati’s 50-28 loss at instate rival Ohio State was the staggering production of wide receiver Chris Moore. He had 221 yards on just three receptions, averaging of 73.7 yards every time he caught the ball. Moore caught a 60-yarder to open the scoring. He had an 83-yarder to pull the Bearcats within 30-21 by halftime and finished with a 78-yard grab early in the third quarter. Oh, and each reception finished in the end zone. Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel completed 21 passes, but the 18 that went to guys other than Moore totaled just 131 yards.

COLEMAN COOL WITH GRASS: The top performance by a receiver whose team wound up winning was Baylor’s Corey Coleman. He returned from injury to post career highs with 12 catches for 154 yards in a 49-28 win at Iowa State. According to STATS, it was just the fourth win in 15 tries on a grass surface for the Bears under coach Art Briles. Though that might sound like a silly stat, the contest many have pegged as the de facto Big 12 title; Baylor at Oklahoma on Nov. 8 will be played on the real stuff.

LEADERS: Washington State’s Connor Halliday still leads the nation with 2,318 yards passing, nearly 500 more than Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty. Texas A&M’s Kenny Hill is third with 1,745 yards. … Spruce is now first in the country with 694 yards receiving, followed by Alabama star Amari Cooper (655). … Washington has a pair of players with seven sacks in Danny Shelton and Hau’oli Kikaha. They’re each second behind Missouri’s Shane Ray, who has eight…Louisville safety Gerod Holliman has six interceptions, including five in the last three weeks.

___

Follow Luke Meredith on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LukeMeredithAP

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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