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Rumble in Starkvegas: No. 6 A&M vs No. 12 Miss St

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

Viva Starkvegas!

Rarely have there been football games played in Starkville, Mississippi — affectionately dubbed Starkvegas by residents and visitors alike — as big as No. 6 Texas A&M vs. No. 12 Mississippi State.

It’s the opening game of a huge doubleheader in the Magnolia State on sort’em out Saturday in the SEC West. But don’t dare call Aggies-Bulldogs the undercard.

While ESPN “College GameDay” will be about 90 miles up the road in Oxford for No. 3 Alabama against No. 11 Ole Miss, the SEC Network will set up shop with its pregame show in Starkville. If Tim Tebow’s in town, it must be huge.

“Everyone around the country gets to see what Starkville, Mississippi, is all about,” Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen said. And maybe hear a cowbell or two. Noisemakers are banned in stadiums by the Southeastern Conference, but don’t be surprised if a few Bulldogs fans sneak their beloved clangers through security.

The first of six games matching ranked teams around the country, three in the Southeastern Conference’s daunting western division, features two offenses that have been humming.

The Aggies (5-0, 2-0) rank in the top of five nationally in scoring, passing and total offense. First-year starting quarterback Kenny Hill is putting up passing numbers reminiscent of Johnny Manziel with 1,881 yards and 17 TD passes.

“You’re going to have to manage the game and manage the tempo of the game,” Mullen said. “You know you’re going to have to score. They’re averaging 51 points per game. If they hit their average, it means we have to score 52. If you hold them just below the average, we’ll have to score 50.”

It’ll be interesting to see if Mississippi State (4-0, 1-0) tries to slow it down against Texas A&M, which prefers fast ball. The Bulldogs can get up and go, too, and offense hasn’t been a problem. Mississippi State has topped 500 total yards in each of its games and has a quarterback who draws comparisons to Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winner-turned-TV analyst who Mullen coached at Florida as offensive coordinator.

Dak Prescott has three straight games of at least 200 yards passing and 100 rushing for the Bulldogs.

“Dak Prescott is a great player,” Aggies defensive end Julien Obioha. “You watch Mississippi State film and there’s a lot of things they’re good at and things they’re great at, but one thing you see consistently is a quarterback run. We’re going to have to study film, pick up tendencies, find something that takes the quarterback run away.”

The last time two top-15 teams played at Davis Wade Stadium was 1986. That didn’t work out for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs lost 35-6 to Auburn and didn’t win another game that season.

Here are some things to watch for when Texas A&M and Mississippi State kickoff what promises to be the best Saturday of the college football season so far:

SECONDARY IS PRIMARY CONCERN: Mississippi State’s defense is big and athletic in the front seven and good at getting into the backfield. The Bulldogs lead the SEC in tackles for loss with 34. The secondary, though, has been leaky. The Bulldogs rank 124th in the nation in pass defense. The Bulldogs’ pass rushers, defensive end Preston Smith, defensive tackle Chris Jones and linebacker Benardrick McKinney will need to put plenty of heat on Hill.

YOUNG AGGIES: Texas A&M has already played 14 true freshman, including defensive end Myles Garrett and defensive back Armani Watts. Garrett leads the team in sacks with 5 1-2 and made his first start last week in a victory against Arkansas. The inexperienced players have helped the Aggies field a better and deeper defense than they did last year, though coach Kevin Sumlin said it was the older player who made the difference in last week’s overtime victory against Arkansas.

“Based on how we played, the older guys pulled us out of it, the more you look at that video,” he said. “The young guys you didn’t see have an impact as much as they did at South Carolina; they were a bit overwhelmed. The intensity of that game was pretty high. “

HEISMAN WATCH: Hill can move around but isn’t the improviser Manziel was for the Aggies. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sumlin’s offense creates plenty of mismatches and open receivers for a quarterback content with being a distributor.

Prescott has a little of that Manziel magic in his game, which showed on his weaving 56-yard touchdown run in Mississippi State’s victory at LSU.

Both quarterbacks might come away from this game looking Heisman worthy.

___

Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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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