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Anthony Boone leads Duke past Troy, 34-17

By WTOP Staff

JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer

TROY, Ala. (AP) — The Duke Blue Devils didn’t get going until they found themselves in a surprising hole.

Anthony Boone passed for 268 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores to lead Duke to a come-from-behind 34-17 victory over Troy on Saturday night.

The Blue Devils (2-0) trailed 14-3 in the second quarter before Boone sparked the comeback for the 19-point favorites with a 30-yard TD run.

“I think our team maybe didn’t understand, although we tried to tell them what it meant to come in here,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. “I don’t think they understood it. I think not only did we come back from being down, we had to come back from being shocked.”

Boone led the way. He was 27-of-41 passing and gained 47 yards on nine carries. It’s the second time Boone has had a pair of TD runs in a game, having also done it against Wake Forest in 2011.

Brandon Silvers completed 19 of 27 passes for 160 yards for Troy (0-2). Silvers also scored on an early 2-yard run one play set up by his 31-yard pass to B.J. Chitty.

The Blue Devils had started last season’s eight-game win streak with a 38-31 victory over the Trojans in a game that wasn’t decided until the final play. They’ve won 10 of 12 games since then.

This time Boone & Co. didn’t let it get to that point. It’s the first time Duke has started 2-0 in back to back seasons since 1987 and 1988. It was also the Blue Devils’ eighth straight nonconference win, matching the program’s best streak set from 1931-33.

Duke outgained Troy 452-396 in total yards.

The Trojans jumped ahead by 11 points on Jordan Chunn’s 1-yard run to start the second quarter but couldn’t cash in with touchdowns on several promising drives after that.

Boone and Duke scored 21 points in a 7:18 span for a 24-14 halftime lead. Troy only managed a field goal after that.

“A year ago these guys had 500-something yards (against Duke), and they didn’t do much the second half,” Cutcliffe said.

Boone, who had thrown for four touchdowns in the opener against Elon, got the Blue Devils going with his long touchdown run. He started right after faking a handoff, then sprinted back across the field for the 30-yarder.

“We threw a couple of quick screens out to the receiver,” Boone said. “I pulled it and I was going to throw a quick screen. I saw everybody take off, so I saw there was nobody there. The safety, the linebacker and the corner were all playing the receiver, and there was nobody in the middle.

“So I just ran straight. I’m not the fastest guy and I saw my receiver to the left and he kind of had him leveraged, so I just cut off of him and made a race for the pylon.”

Then the Blue Devils stuffed Troy on fourth and 1 from its 41 midway through the second quarter to set up another score, but Jonathan Jones stopped Chunn for a loss. Backup quarterback Thomas Sirk capitalized. He ran up the middle for a 5-yard gain then hit David Reeves for the TD on a 2-yard jump pass after first heading toward the line again.

“I made a bad decision to go for it,” Troy coach Larry Blakeney said. “If I could have envisioned that free safety running straight ahead and hitting our running back straight in the hole, I wouldn’t have gone for it.”

Boone’s 49-yard pass to Isaac Blakeney capped the scoring spurt.

The Trojans drove to Duke’s 22 late in the half but DeVon Edwards punched the ball loose from Chunn on another fourth-down play.

They drove across midfield again to start the second half before Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo sacked Silvers twice.

Blakeney finished with five catches for a career-high 90 yards for the Blue Devils.

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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