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Parting shot: Michigan blanked by Notre Dame, 31-0

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — The Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry is over for now. The Wolverines’ NCAA record streak of games without being shut out is over for good.

Everett Golson threw three touchdown passes and No. 16 Notre Dame said so long to Michigan on Saturday night with a 31-0 victory, the Fighting Irish’s most dominant performance in the historic rivalry that’s about to take a hiatus.

Game No. 42 in a rivalry that has been off-and-on for more than 100 years is the last scheduled. Notre Dame broke off the series to accommodate its new scheduling arrangement with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Michigan didn’t take it well.

But with a chance to take a parting shot at the Irish, the Wolverines got hit with a haymaker and were handed their most lopsided loss in the series. And they were shut out for the first time since 1984, a span of 365 games.

“It’s Notre Dame,” said Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, who committed four second-half turnovers. “It’s the last game in the rivalry, and we wanted to come out on top and obviously that didn’t happen. But it is just one game — it is not even a league game. Our goal is to win this Big Ten championship. We are still on course to do that, and that’s what we are working toward.”

Gardner was 19 for 32 for 189 yards.

The last time Michigan didn’t score in a game was Oct. 20, 1984, against Iowa, a 26-0 loss.

This one will probably sting longer, considering the circumstances.

“We will bounce back,” coach Brady Hoke said. “This is a very resilient, hard-working group of young men, who know what it takes to win.”

Michigan lost its 11th straight road game to a ranked team, the last came in South Bend in 2006, and Hoke fell to 7-12 away from Ann Arbor.

Notre Dame asked out of the series three years ago. Hoke jokingly accused the Fighting Irish of chickening out before last year’s game at The Big House. Then after Michigan beat the Irish, “The Chicken Dance” blared through the sound system at the Big House.

No hard feelings?

“It was great revenge,” Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith said of Irish fans serenading Michigan with “Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Hey, Hey, Hey. Goodbye.”

Well, maybe it was just a coincidence that this week Notre Dame announced a future home-and-home with Ohio State, Michigan’s hated rival — and a team that has owned the Wolverines in recent years.

Still, this is a rivalry that has been generally quite civil in recent years. Two of the bluest of bloods in college football history, they are the winningest programs ever by percentage. They have combined for 1,787 victories. In fact, Michigan had a chance to take back the top spot by beating the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame and Michigan may not love each other, especially these days, but they’ve always seemed to like being associated with one another. Classic uniforms. Recognizable fight songs (they sound a little alike to an untrained ear). They both tout their high academic standards and doing things the right way.

The traditional early season meeting between the Irish and Wolverines has always been a measuring stick.

But things change. Notre Dame now has artificial turf and an interlocking ND logo at midfield. And Michigan has now been shut out for the first time in 30 years.

The golden domes and winged helmets will now go their separate ways. Michigan leads the series 24-17-1, but Notre Dame will get to bask in this one for a while.

Golson mostly worked the intermediate and short middle of the field, until he went deep down the sideline on a third-and-1 to Will Fuller, who stretched to make the catch and still keep a foot inbounds for a 24-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left.

Golson was 23 for 34 for 226 yards.

And Notre Dame still looks as if it can play some defense, though it’s hard to tell just how good the Irish are on that side of the ball from this game. Michigan’s offense, a mess last year, still looks out of sorts under new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.

The Wolverines had a couple of good drives into Notre Dame territory in the first half that stalled and resulted in missed field goals. But the offense devolved into Gardner needing to make a play under pressure far too often.

“Maybe we can run into one another in a playoff game,” Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon said. “That would be great. Or who knows. Things can change over time. But I think for the foreseeable future. We’re going in two different directions.”

___

Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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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