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Michigan St, Nebraska have gaudy offensive numbers

By WTOP Staff

DAN KILBRIDGE
Associated Press

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State is off to a historic start on offense and welcomes another high-scoring team to begin Big Ten play against Nebraska at 8 p.m. Saturday at Spartan Stadium.

MSU (3-1) is ranked No. 10 in the AP poll and has scored 201 points through four games, best in school history. No. 19 Nebraska (5-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) is averaging 45.4 points per game.

“Two competitive football teams, two teams that don’t want to lose,” MSU coach Mark Dantonio said. “You can feel the emotion from both football teams. . That’s what makes college football so great, so unique.”

Emotions will be higher than usual Saturday in what could be a preview of this year’s Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis. MSU must run the table in conference play if it hopes to earn a playoff berth, and Nebraska might be the toughest remaining opponent on the Spartans’ schedule. So this is certainly a game with big postseason implications for both teams.

“I think it’s gonna be a classic Big Ten game,” left tackle Jack Conklin said. “It’s a night game with another great Big Ten team, especially for me going against a guy like (Nebraska defensive end) Randy Gregory. It doesn’t get much better for me competition-wise.”

The Spartans are first in the Big Ten in scoring offense with the Cornhuskers No. 2 — an interesting dynamic considering Dantonio and Nebraska coach Bo Pelini are former defensive coordinators. Nebraska beat MSU 28-24 in 2012 at Spartan Stadium, but this game should feature more offensive highlights.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s out of the norm in this day and age in college football,” Dantonio said of high-scoring affairs. “There are so many different ways people are lining up and creating motion and creating different formations, and it’s sort of cutting edge. You see that from our offense as well.”

The Spartans showed some new wrinkles on offense during a 56-14 win over Wyoming Saturday. Co-offensive coordinators Dave Warner and Jim Bollman called a variety of end-around plays for the wide receivers and stretched the defense in different ways. Five different players had rushing touchdowns, and wideout Keith Mumphery tallied 46 rushing yards and one score on three carries. MSU has gained more than 300 yards in its last two games, but Nebraska boasts the top rushing attack in the conference.

“We definitely want to keep up our run game and we want to be known as the run team in the Big Ten,” Conklin said. “We’re supposed to be this power team that runs the ball right at you, and it’s gonna be a good game with two strong, physical teams.”

Nebraska is looking to stay in first place of the West Division coming off a 45-14 win over Illinois Saturday, during which star running back Ameer Abdullah racked up 208 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Backup tailback Imani Cross also ran for 100-plus yards.

It’s a tough challenge for a Spartans defense that is giving up more big plays than the 2013 installment, a unit that was No. 1 in the nation in total defense for most of last season. Dantonio said he isn’t as concerned as some, with MSU playing six new starters on defense this year.

“Last year’s defense set the bar very high,” Dantonio said. “Our defense is not broke. I know that we gave up a whopping 14 points last week, but our defense is not broke.”

Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun isn’t satisfied with the Spartans’ defense through four games, so Saturday is the perfect opportunity to make a conference-wide statement.

“We have been giving up too many points,” Calhoun said. “Can we be at our best this week? They’re a great team and we want to be known as a great team. . It’s time for us to fix our mistakes.”

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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