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Mauk leads No. 24 Missouri over Toledo 49-24

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Maty Mauk was sharp for most of the day — and when he did make a big mistake in the first half, receiver Bud Sasser was there to bail him out.

Sasser hustled back and forced a fumble after Mauk threw an interception in the first quarter, and No. 24 Missouri had a fairly easy time after that in a 49-24 victory over Toledo on Saturday. Sasser also caught a touchdown pass in the third quarter, helping coach Gary Pinkel to a win against his former program.

The Tigers (2-0) were only up 14-7 when Jordan Haden intercepted a pass by Mauk and returned it all the way to the Missouri 12 before Sasser caught him and forced the fumble. Missouri recovered.

“I started to follow him as soon as he picked it off, and I knew he didn’t know where I was. So I was just hoping that I was going to be able to catch him,” Sasser said. “That was the first thing that went through my mind — get the ball back, get it out and give someone else a chance to hop on it.”

Mauk threw for 325 yards and five touchdowns and ran for a TD. The Tigers never trailed in what was expected to be a tricky road game against one of the top teams in the Mid-American Conference. Missouri led 35-7 in the third quarter, and the Rockets (1-1) could get no closer than 14 points in the second half.

Pinkel coached Toledo from 1991-2000 before taking over at Missouri. He is the winningest coach at both schools.

Toledo’s Kareem Hunt ran for 148 yards and three touchdowns, but Rockets quarterback Phillip Ely went down with a right knee injury late in the third quarter.

Toledo coach Matt Campbell said it was too early to make a final determination on the severity of the injury.

“Doesn’t look good,” Campbell said. “That’s all I know.”

Mauk went 21 of 32 and was intercepted twice. His five touchdown passes equaled a career high, and this was his first time surpassing 300 yards passing.

“We came out and had a really good game plan,” Mauk said. “We knew when we wanted to take shots, based on alignment. There were multiple things we practiced all week that we were able to execute today.”

Missouri was the first Southeastern Conference school to play at Toledo’s Glass Bowl. The Tigers hosted the Rockets last year — but Pinkel doesn’t sound interested in another home-and-home series any time soon.

“I don’t think that would be a very good idea, just because Toledo’s too good,” Pinkel said.

The Tigers opened the scoring on Russell Hansbrough’s 16-yard touchdown run. Hunt answered with a 38-yard scoring run later in the first quarter.

Mauk threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Darius White and added a 1-yard scoring run of his own to make it 21-7. He then threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jimmie Hunt with 6:12 remaining in the second quarter.

The Tigers led 28-7 at halftime, although Toledo could have kept it closer if not for a couple mishaps deep in Missouri territory. Haden’s interception-turned-fumble was one of them. Then in the second quarter, with Missouri up 21-7, Toledo had first-and-goal from the 6, but a false start and a 17-yard sack forced the Rockets to try a field goal, which was blocked.

Mauk threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Murphy early in the third, but Kareem Hunt answered with two touchdowns for Toledo. The Rockets had a chance to get the ball back again, but Mauk found Sasser for 47 yards on third-and-7, and on the next play those two connected again for a 25-yard touchdown.

That 75-yard drive took only 57 seconds, and Missouri led 42-21. Mauk also threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jimmie Hunt in the fourth.

Of the game’s 10 touchdown drives, only two were longer than 1:31, and four took less than a minute.

Ely went 17 of 34 for 204 yards with an interception. Kareem Hunt rushed for more than two touchdowns for the first time, but his statistical output was small consolation afterward.

“I feel like it doesn’t really mean that much, because we didn’t get the win,” he said. “I can rush for like 57 yards, and if we win, I’ll accept that.”

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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