Skip to main content

Illini come back to knock off W. Kentucky, 42-34

By WTOP Staff

DAVID MERCER
Associated Press

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois found itself on Saturday in the same place it was a week ago: down in the second half to the kind of team Big Ten schools schedule with comfortable wins in mind.

And for the second straight week, they looked to quarterback Wes Lunt to bail them out.

Lunt, with a big hand from safety Taylor Barton, delivered, turning what would have been an embarrassing loss into a 42-34 win over Western Kentucky. A week earlier Illinois (2-0) had to come from behind to beat Football Championship Subdivision school Youngstown State.

“I asked them in the locker room, ‘Please don’t do that anymore. I’m getting old, my heart is getting bad,'” Illinois coach Tim Beckman said. “We’re not where we want to be by any means, but it was good to see and I was glad for our kids.”

The Hilltoppers (1-1) believed they let a potential win slip through their fingers. They led 17-7 in the second quarter and 24-21 in the third.

“We thought momentum completely swung our way. We feel like this one did get away from us,” said linebacker Nick Holt, who led Western Kentucky with 12 tackles. “We’ve got to finish in the fourth quarter.”

The undefeated start for Illinois looks good in the standings, and Lunt had a big day with three touchdowns and 456 yards on 35-50 passing.

But a week after Youngstown State, the Illini again tip-toed toward disaster.

The Hilltoppers opened up that 17-7 lead while Illinois’ offense sputtered. And after Illinois took a 21-17 lead in the third quarter, the Illini gave it right back with a big turnover, a 95-yard fumble return by Western Kentucky cornerback Wonderful Terry.

On the other hand, after failing to create a turnover in two-plus games dating to last season the Illini enjoyed three Saturday. The biggest was Barton’s fourth-quarter interception.

The Illini were up 28-27 with less than 11 minutes to play. Western Kentucky had the ball at the Illinois 30-yard line and was moving with ease.

Hilltoppers quarterback Brandon Doughty looked over the middle and threw deep for a receiver, apparently never seeing Barton waiting between him and his target.

Barton pulled down the pick, cut left and was quickly past the last defender for a 77-yard touchdown return and a 35-27 lead.

“I’m just reading the quarterback at that point,” Barton said. “When I caught it and looked up, I saw there was a crease and I just tried to hit the crease. After that, I just ran as fast as I could.”

The Illini hadn’t returned an interception for a touchdown since September 2012, early in coach Tim Beckman’s first season in Champaign.

“Those are the things that hurt us last year,” Western Kentucky coach Jeff Brohm said. “When you talk about turnovers, especially for touchdowns.”

Illinois was also 9-13 on third-down conversions, a frustration noted by Brohm and Holt.

After throwing for more than 500 yards against Bowling Green a week earlier, Doughty grabbed the headlines coming into the game. But running back Leon Allen was the hammer Western Kentucky used to pound down the Illini early Saturday.

Allen was the big reason the Hilltoppers were able to turn a defensive stand late in the first quarter into a 99-yard touchdown drive that silenced a sparse Memorial Stadium crowd, stunned Illinois and gave Western Kentucky its first lead.

After holding Illinois four times inside its own 6-yard line, including the stop on fourth down at the goal line that gave them the ball, the Hilltoppers started pushing their way up field.

Allen carried the ball nine times for 36 yards and caught two passes during the 18-play, 5:58 drive. His last carry was the 1-yard touchdown run that, with the extra point, gave Western Kentucky a 10-7 edge.

He finished with 24 carries, 118 yards and the touchdown. But he carried the ball just five times for six yards in the second half.

“They ran the ball a little bit more than they had shown on film but once we showed it to the kids, they understood exactly how they were getting attacked,” Illinois defensive coordinator Tim Banks said.

Doughty was 28 of 48 for 297 yards, two touchdowns and the interception.

Illinois wide receiver Justin Hardee caught six balls for 110 yards and one touchdown.

The Illini travel to Washington next Saturday for their first road game of the season and first game against a major-conference team. Western Kentucky heads to Middle Tennessee.

___

Follow David Mercer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidmercerap

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote