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No. 25 Louisville steamrolls Murray State 66-21

By WTOP Staff

GARY B. GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville backup quarterback Reggie Bonnafon ran for two touchdowns and passed for another and the No. 25 Cardinals scored on nine straight possessions in a 66-21 victory over Murray State on Saturday night.

After an opening-game test by Miami on Monday night, Louisville (2-0) cruised past its downstate opponent. The Cardinals followed a first-possession punt with the offensive outburst first-year coach Bobby Petrino envisioned, and the list of contributors was long.

Besides Bonnafon’s two TDs, three other Louisville backs rushed for scores. Three receivers caught TD passes from the true freshman and sophomore starter Will Gardner, who threw two in just over a quarter of action. The Cardinals had 357 yards at halftime, 21 more than they totaled against Miami as they outgained the FCS-level Racers (1-1) 603-292.

Bonnafon ran for touchdowns of 8 and 16 yards and threw a 27-yard TD pass to Michaelee Harris.

Brandon Radcliffe rushed for second-half touchdowns of 7 and 5 yards, and freshman L.J. Scott ran for 126 yards and a 1-yard TD on 11 carries. Senior Dominique Brown added a 2-yard TD run before Louisville’s underclassmen picked up where he left off.

The result was a high-octane offensive performance that delighted 50,179 red-clad Cardinals fans and Petrino, who insisted that his team would improve from its showing against Miami.

Janawski Davis had TD receptions of 57 and 9 yards, and Jeremy Harness had a 16-yarder for Murray State, which was outmatched in every phase by the Cardinals.

So much so that Bonnafon almost stole the spotlight from Gardner in his first game action. He had pushed hard for the starting job before Petrino chose the more-experienced Gardner to lead Louisville’s offense.

Gardner appeared much smoother than Monday, completing 13 of 22 for 133 yards and touchdowns to Kai De La Cruz and Gerald Christian before Bonnafon followed. More importantly, he set the tone for an offense that rolled no matter who was in there.

After that initial punt, Louisville scored on its last seven first-half possessions with an 11-play, 32-yard march ending with John Wallace’s 45-yard field goal being the longest. By then the Cardinals had a 42-7 lead behind two touchdown passes from Gardner and a 2-yard run by Brown with contributions from Bonnafon and Scott.

Scott followed his 68-yard sweep run with a 1-yard TD five plays later to cap an 83-yard drive that put Louisville up 21-7 and really get things rolling. Bonnafon relieved Gardner early in the second quarter and added an 8-yard TD run and a 27-yard TD pass to Harris.

The Cardinals’ fast pace resembled Murray State’s last week against NAIA Union College, a game in which Racers senior CJ Bennett hit five short TDs to establish a school record for a first-time starter. Other than hitting Davis with a screen pass for the 57-yard touchdown, Bennett had little success against Louisville’s overwhelming defense in finishing 8 of 19 for 93 yards.

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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