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No. 17 Wisconsin looking to start faster

By WTOP Staff

JIM HOEHN
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Although Wisconsin’s potent offense eventually has shifted into gear during three consecutive victories, the 17th-ranked Badgers may not be able to wait until the second half to get going when they open their Big Ten schedule at Northwestern.

Wisconsin (3-1) is ranked No. 3 in the nation in rushing with 343.3 yards per game, and the Badgers’ average of 7.04 yards per carry is the best in the country. Wisconsin, however, has not won at Ryan Field since 1999 and is facing a Northwestern defense that’s allowed just 13 points in its last two games, including a 29-6 victory at Penn State last Saturday.

“If we’re going to win all the games we want to win, we’re going to have to have an all-around performance from everyone from the start of the game to the finish of the game,” said quarterback Tanner McEvoy, who has struggled at times after unseating incumbent Joel Stave. “We’ve got to work on fixing that.”

After a season-opening loss to LSU, the final score of each of the successive games appears to indicate that the Badgers won convincingly. Yet in each of those games, Wisconsin needed a huge second-half effort to pull away.

Wisconsin defeated Western Illinois 37-3, but led only 9-3 at halftime. The Badgers then routed Bowling Green 68-17, rushing for a Big Ten-record 644 yards, but were up just 14-10 after one quarter. Last Saturday, the heavily favored Badgers pulled away from a 3-all halftime tie to defeat South Florida 27-10.

The first half against South Florida was a microcosm of the early offensive inconsistencies that have plagued the Badgers.

On their opening possession, Melvin Gordon’s 55-yard run was negated by offsetting penalties. On the next possession, McEvoy completed just two of six passes, including a pair of incompletions after a first down at the Bulls 11-yard line, as Wisconsin settled for a field goal.

“I think every game has one or two plays that you think you could have had. I think there’s one or two that I left on the field,” said McEvoy, who is playing with an inexperienced receiving corps. “We had some penalties that were hurting us. It comes with the game. We’ve just got to stay focused and try to fix those problems and get on the board early and get ahead.”

Gordon, mentioned as a preseason Heisman Trophy hopeful, is averaging 159.8 yards per game and 7.8 yards per carry. He has helped jump-start the Badgers’ second-half efforts, averaging 38.3 yards on his first carry after halftime.

When Western Illinois stacked the line of scrimmage to stop the run, McEvoy completed 23 of 28 passes for 283 yards and three short touchdown passes. However, he has struggled passing in the other three games.

“There’s some opportunities to get Tanner involved in high-percentage throws hopefully early on, and that’s something that we’ll look at and we’ll see,” Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen said.

“And, again, I’m not an offensive guru or a quarterback guru, but our staff is working hard at it and so is Tanner to get early success and sustain drives and don’t shoot ourselves in the foot with maybe it’s a holding call, maybe it’s a procedure, maybe it’s a fumbled snap or whatever it may be, to find a way to sustain and maintain early and get ourselves rolling down the field and hopefully get a score.”

After not playing each other in 2011 and 2012, Wisconsin defeated Northwestern 30-6 last season. However, Northwestern has won the last three games at Ryan Field. Two of the Wildcats’ last three victories in the series have come against top-20 Wisconsin teams.

In the victory over Penn State, Northwestern (2-2, 1-0 Big Ten) held the Nittany Lions to 50 yards rushing on 25 attempts.

“Northwestern is a very good defense,” Andersen said. “Longtime defensive coordinator who is very, very sound. Ton of respect the way they line up, the way they play, the techniques that they use in the front end, the techniques that they use in the back end. That’s gone on for years.”

McEvoy said the Badgers need to take advantage of whatever opportunities Northwestern presents.

“We’ve just got to carry over from practice and just be loose in the beginning of the games and just kind of take what the defense gives you and then take it from there,” McEvoy said. “That’s really all you can do.”

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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