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Conner runs for 213 yards, Pitt beats BC 30-20

By WTOP Staff

JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — If James Conner complained about getting tired, imagine how the Boston College defense felt after trying to tackle the Pittsburgh running back during his 35-carry, 213-yard performance Friday night.

A week after running for 153 yards and four touchdowns against Delaware of the FCS, Conner backed it up in the Panthers’ Atlantic Coast Conference opener. The 250-pound sophomore accounted for more than half of Pitt’s offense in a 30-20 victory over BC.

“I like when I keep getting my number called,” said Conner, who had a 9-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put the game out of reach. “We wanted to send a message to the ACC. People wanted to see what I could do next, see if I can do it against a little better opponent.”

Chad Voytik completed 10 of 21 passes for 111 yards, connecting with Tyler Boyd for two touchdowns. A week after rushing for 409 yards in a 62-0 victory over Delaware, the Panthers (2-0, 1-0) ran for 305 against the Eagles (1-1, 0-1) — and Conner was again the star.

“He ran hard,” Voytik said. “It’s hard to get him down. He breaks tackles left and right. When you’re running the ball so consistently, I don’t know how many times we passed tonight, but who cares?”

Tyler Murphy completed 10 of 28 passes for 134 yards for BC, with a touchdown and two interceptions. The transfer quarterback also ran 15 times for 92 yards and a 2-yard touchdown run that, with the missed 2-point conversion, made it 30-20 with 43 seconds left.

BC recovered the onside kick, but Murphy’s meaningless desperation pass was intercepted in the end zone with 6 seconds left.

“Real simple equation here, in my opinion: We couldn’t stop the run on defense and couldn’t establish the run on offense,” BC coach Steve Addazio said. “We knew coming into this game that we had to stop the run, and we didn’t do it. I knew (Conner) would be good. None of us had any illusions. He was going to run inside. He’s a strong runner. He’s a heck of a back. We had to tackle him.”

BC knows a little about the power running game, riding 2,177 yards from Heisman Trophy finalist Andre Williams last season to its first bowl game in four years. In their opener last week against UMass, the Eagles ran for 338 yards.

But BC gained only 142 on the ground on Friday against Pitt. Murphy had 92 net yards, gaining 51 when he broke free on the opening drive and 51 on the final scoring drive, when the game was already out of reach. The top BC running back, Myles Willis, gained 14 yards on seven carries.

Conner ran three times for 17 yards on the opening drive before it stalled at the BC 31 and Pitt settled for a field goal. On BC’s first possession, Murphy broke free on a keeper for 51 yards before he was pushed out at the 1 while diving for the pylon.

Originally ruled a touchdown, it didn’t go on the board until one play later when Tyler Rouse went up the middle to make it 7-3.

It stayed that way until Pitt scored on a 71-yard drive early in the second. The Panthers got 41 yards on carries by Conner before Voytik connected with Boyd on a 15-yard jump ball in the end zone to give the Panthers a 10-7 lead.

It was 13-7 when BC drove to the Pitt 27 but then took a 3-yard loss and a penalty to fall out of field goal range. The punt went into the end zone and left Pitt with 1:15 left in the half.

Boyd ran for 19 yards and picked up another 15 on a horse-collar tackle, then Voytik led the Panthers to the 5 before hitting Boyd for the touchdown that made it 20-7 at the half.

Pittsburgh made it 27-7 thanks to a 41-yard pass to Boyd that set up Conner’s 9-yard touchdown run. BC answered with a 48-yard pass to Shakim Phillips, but could never get any closer until it was too late.

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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