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Arkansas snaps streak with 73-7 win over Nicholls

By WTOP Staff

KURT VOIGT
AP Sports Writer

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — For a team that hadn’t won in nearly a year, Arkansas made it look easy.

Brandon Allen threw four touchdown passes and Alex Collins ran for three more as Arkansas put an emphatic end to the longest losing streak in school history with a 73-7 win over Nicholls State on Saturday.

The Razorbacks (1-1), whose last win was in the third game of the season last year against Southern Mississippi, ended a 10-game losing streak with the win. They led 56-0 at halftime and outgained the Colonels 684-282 in total yardage.

Allen finished 4-of-5 passing for 117 yards — throwing touchdowns on each of his completions.

Jonathan Williams led Arkansas with 143 yards rushing on just four carries, including a 90-yard touchdown run. Collins finished with 131 yards rushing on 13 carries, scoring on runs of 33, 2 and 13 yards in the first half.

Kale Henderson completed 12 of 30 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown for Nicholls State (0-2), which has lost eight straight games.

Arkansas’ 73 points are tied for the third most in school history, trailing only a 100-point effort in 1911 and 82 in 1916. The Razorbacks also scored 73 points in a win over Southwestern in 1928.

After ending last season on a nine-game losing streak in coach Bret Bielema’s first season, the Razorbacks extended their losing streak to 10 games with a season-opening loss at No. 6 Auburn.

They wasted little time in putting the game out of reach on Saturday — building a 35-0 lead after the first quarter and scoring touchdowns on five one-play drives in the first half.

Keon Hatcher scored on two of the one-play drives, an 82-yard run on an end-around on Arkansas’ first play and a 50-yard catch from Allen that put the Razorbacks up 42-0 early in the second quarter.

The highlights came early and often for Arkansas, which finished with 495 yards rushing on 40 carries — an average of 12.4 yards per carry.

Collins’ 33-yard touchdown run was the Razorbacks’ second score in as many plays and put them up 14-0. Allen followed with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Drew Morgan on the third play of Arkansas’ third drive, giving the Razorbacks three touchdowns in their first five offensive plays.

Allen also had a touchdown pass to Cody Hollister, and his only incompletion was an overthrown ball to Hatcher on the sideline in the second quarter.

Arkansas’ lead swelled to as much as 63-0 in the third quarter after Allen’s final touchdown throw, a 38-yard shovel pass to Jared Cornelius.

Nicholls State’s only touchdown came on a 10-yard pass from Henderson to Keenan Canty in the third quarter. The Football Championship Subdivision Colonels, who opened the season with a loss at Air Force, finished with 34 yards rushing on 28 attempts in their first game against a Southeastern Conference opponent.

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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