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Utah beats Fresno State 59-27

By WTOP Staff

MATTHEW COLES
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah started so fast against Fresno State in Saturday’s 59-27 win that the real competition was between Ute receivers Dres Anderson and Kenneth Scott.

“There’s always competition between us. When we were coming off the field when I scored the first one, Dres said, ‘I got to get me one of them.’ Then when he scored, I thought, ‘Oh well then,'” Scott laughed.

The friendly fight for bragging rights aside, Anderson said he’s glad Scott is back healthy again.

“It’s way easier for me now. I don’t always see a safety over the top. I’m happy because I get man coverage,” said Anderson, who had three catches for 84 yards. “We have been seeing for a long time that we’d be a great one-two combo.”

Travis Wilson threw for a career-high five touchdowns, and Scott had six receptions for 77 yards.

Wilson completed 11 of 20 passes for 181 yards and left the game early in the third quarter with Utah ahead 38-7.

“I was really pleased with the offense, the tempo and the execution,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “The offense just played a really clean game. Travis looked good today, really distributing the ball for us.”

In the third quarter, Utah’s Nate Orchard recovered a snap that went high over the Fresno quarterback’s head and ended on the Fresno State 1. Two plays later, Wilson threw his career-best fifth touchdown pass to Anderson.

Utah’s defense had seven sacks.

“Guys were just relentless, just wanted to get to the quarterback and help our DBs out and we do that by getting sacks,” Orchard said.

The next Utah possession ended with Wilson’s replacement, Kendal Thompson, scrambling 14 yards to make it 45-7 for Utah (2-0).

“We were really rolling there,” said Whittingham, whose teams have often struggled on offense and have not played in a bowl game the past two seasons.

Wilson connected with Westlee Tonga over the middle on fourth-and-1 and the tight end dragged two Bulldogs into the end zone for 24-0 Utah advantage.

“It affects your psyche when you fall behind early and you’re on the road,” Fresno State coach Tim DeRuyter said.

Brandon Connette threw a 2-yard scoring pass to Malique Micenheimer to get Fresno State (0-2) within 24-7, but Utah poured it on.

Wilson, who has been diagnosed with an abnormal intracranial artery but was cleared to play, ran early and often against the Bulldogs and had his helmet yanked off, which garnered a penalty on Utah’s first touchdown drive.

“Me running every week is part of the game plan. I’m reading the defense off some of our plays and I saw some advantages I could take in running the ball,” Wilson said. “I was really happy how we made plays.”

Wilson’s 41-yard pass to Anderson led to a field goal and then he found Scott for a 7-yard touchdown reception. Just over 9 minutes into the game, Wilson hit Anderson in full stride with a 38-yard pass for another TD and a 17-0 Utah lead.

“I definitely would like to have a few more completions, but we made some big plays off those completions,” Wilson said.

The Bulldogs didn’t earn a first down until the second quarter, after gaining just 4 yards and punting five times in the initial period. Duke transfer Connette relieved Brian Burrell, who started the game 2-for-8 for 14 yards, and the Bulldogs moved down the field in the second quarter, but the drive died on a failed fourth down at the Utah 25.

Connette was 16 of 24 for 177 yards and a touchdown and ran for another. Burrell was much more efficient when he returned in the fourth quarter and threw two touchdown passes, including a 4-yarder to Greg Watson on the final play of the game.

Fresno State had not lost consecutive regular season games under third-year coach Tim Deruyter but has now suffered back-to-back blowouts, after falling to USC 52-13 in the opener.

The last Utah quarterback to throw five TDs in a game was Brian Johnson, against San Diego State on November 15 in Utah’s undefeated 2008 season. Wilson’s previous high was three TD tosses.

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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