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No. 10 Baylor overwhelms FCS team NSU 70-6

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

WACO, Texas (AP) — Baylor backup quarterback Seth Russell had a simple plan when throwing toward speedy freshman standout KD Cannon.

“He just knows how to get open,” Russell said. “I just threw it up and he went and got it.”

Russell threw for 438 yards and five touchdowns while playing only the first half, three of those scores to Cannon in the first quarter, as the 10th-ranked Bears overwhelmed FCS team Northwestern State 70-6 on Saturday night.

The Bears (2-0) came through just fine without senior quarterback Bryce Petty and several injured top receivers. They had 720 total yards and won their 12th straight home game, and have scored at least 69 points six times in that streak.

Coach Art Briles had said Petty, the reigning Big 12 offensive player of the year, wouldn’t play unless he was 100 percent healthy after cracking two small bones in his back. He took a hit on his first series in the home season opener six nights earlier.

Petty didn’t even dress out against NSU, and now the Bears have another short week to prepare for Friday night’s game at Buffalo.

“He’s eager to get back out there,” Briles said after the game. “Once again, we’ll make sure he’s healthy. That little flame (to play), I think turned into a pretty big fire.”

Northwestern State (0-2) got only a pair of field goals by Chris Moore (25 and 28 yards) and lost its 17th game in a row to an FBS team since 2005.

Russell completed 16 of 25 passes for the most yards passing in a single half in school history, and third-most in a game, as Baylor built a 49-3 lead. He had only 427 yards in his seven games as a freshman last season, mostly in the second half of blowout victories Petty started, and threw for 121 yards in the second half of the 45-0 win over SMU last week.

Cannon went streaking past the secondary for early TD catches of 50, 81 and 42 yards. He finished with six catches for 223 yards, the second-most in school history even without playing after halftime.

“I’ve watched a lot of receivers, seen a bunch over 30-something years in coaching,” said Briles, recalling his impressions after watching Cannon play a high school game last fall. “I came back and said that’s the best guy I’ve ever seen as a high school receiver, no doubt. He’s good. He’s different.”

The Bears were also without Antwan Goodley (quad) and Levi Norwood (wrist), their top two receivers from last season who also got hurt in the opener, while fellow senior receiver Clay Fuller is still recovering from a broken collarbone.

In a 71-second span just before halftime, Jay Lee had a 61-yard TD catch and freshman Davion Hall had a 57-yard score.

Freshman running back Johnny Jefferson ran 20 times for 107 yards. His 2-yard TD in the third quarter capped an 11-play, 49-yard drive in which he ran on every play.

Silas Nacita ran 14 times for 104 yards with two fourth-quarter TDs.

The start of the game was delayed 16 minutes after a storm system with lightning and heavy rain rolled through the area before players took the field for warmups.

Once the game started, Baylor led 14-0 in less than 5 minutes. Russell hit Cannon for the 50-yarder, then ran 3 yards for a score after Xavien Howard’s second interception of the season for Baylor, an acrobatic pick along the sideline.

“They got to our secondary a little bit. You’ve got to give them credit,” NSU coach Jay Thomas said. “They got off to a quick start. We could never get the field flipped.”

Instead of his usual No. 32 jersey, running back Shock Linwood wore the No. 5 of injured teammate Goodley on the receiver’s 23rd birthday and did a nice early impression of a receiver.

Linwood’s 24-yard catch to midfield came a play before the first Bears touchdown. He caught another pass for 29 yards on Baylor’s second offensive possession, and had a 2-yard TD run before halftime.

Baylor won’t play again in its new $266 million riverfront campus stadium for more than a month. The Bears have three consecutive road games and an open date before playing at home Oct. 11 against TC

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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