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West Virginia can’t grab upset of No. 2 Alabama

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — A huge upset was in West Virginia’s reach against No. 2 Alabama. The Mountaineers just couldn’t grab it.

Clint Trickett passed for 365 yards and Mario Alford returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, but too many dropped passes and missed opportunities left West Virginia unable to keep up with the Crimson Tide in a 33-23 loss Saturday.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. “You play against a really good team and you’re in position to in the fourth quarter to be able to win the game. I mean, you don’t have those opportunities very often.”

The Mountaineers’ up-tempo spread gave Trickett his pick of open receivers, and he took advantage, going 29 for 45 with a touchdown. Kevin White gave Alabama’s defensive backs fits, catching nine passes for 143 yards and a score.

But West Virginia didn’t take full advantage, dropping more than a half-dozen catchable passes, including one off the hands of Elijah Wellman near the goal line that would have been a sure TD early in the fourth quarter. Then two plays later, a shotgun snap went over Trickett’s head and the Mountaineers settled for Josh Lambert’s 41-yard field goal to make it 30-23.

Coming off a 4-8 season, West Virginia was a 26½-point underdog. The Mountaineers seemed like nothing more than the backdrop to Alabama’s quarterback competition. They didn’t play that way. Alford’s return for a score with 1:43 left in the first half tied the score at 17.

“We really had the confidence that we were going to compete,” Trickett said.

That’s no easy task.

Blake Sims was 24-for-33 for 250 yards and added 42 running, playing every meaningful series in his first start. The fifth-year senior beat out Florida State transfer Jake Coker for the start. Tide coach Nick Saban had suggested both quarterbacks would play, but Coker only came in to take a knee at the end.

T.J. Yeldon (126 yards rushing and two touchdowns), Derrick Henry (113 yards rushing and a score) and Amari Cooper (12 catches for 130 yards) provided plenty of support for Sims. Alabama needed all the offense it could get because West Virginia found plenty of soft spots in the Tide’s D.

“I know that we made a lot of mental errors,” Saban said. “And I think at times, the coordination between what the secondary was doing and what the linebackers were doing what they were all supposed to be doing was not exactly what it should have been.”

Henry scored the only touchdown of the second half on a 19-yard run midway through the third quarter to put Alabama up 27-17. It was all field goals from there.

No matter who plays quarterback for Alabama, he’ll have a treasure trove of talent with which to work. Sims only had to complete three passes on a 14-play, 95-yard touchdown drive that Yeldon finished with a 15-yard run, diving into the end zone for a 10-3 lead. That drive took 6:57.

Trickett responded with a 19-yard touchdown pass to White, who went high over Bradley Sylve in the corner of the end zone. That 75-yard drive took 2:13 and tied it at 10-10.

Alabama slowly drove to another Yeldon touchdown, this one from a yard out with 1:54 left in the half.

West Virginia responded even faster this time. Alford sidestepped one tackler and flashed some Big 12 speed, outrunning the Tide to the end zone.

The Mountaineers allowed 538 yards, so a defense that has been poor the last two seasons still needs a lot of work.

But Holgorsen was hired to bring an explosive offense to Morgantown, West Virginia, and even that was lacking at time during a dreary 2013.

With Trickett healthy after struggling with injuries last year, West Virginia showed signs of being potent again — if it can hold on to a few more passes.

“I told these guys to hold their heads up high,” Holgorsen said. “We’re not here for moral victories. We played hard and put ourselves in position to win, but we didn’t achieve our goal when it comes to finishing the game and getting a victory.”

___

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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