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Colorado braces for explosive No. 16 Arizona State

By WTOP Staff

PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly will be the primary focus of Colorado’s defense.

Wait, make that running back D.J. Foster. No, wide receiver Jaelen Strong.

That’s the thing about the Sun Devils’ quick-strike offense: Too many options to converge on just one. The tricky task for Colorado (1-1) is finding a way to somehow stifle No. 16 Arizona State (2-0) in the Pac-12 opener for both schools on Saturday night. The Buffaloes are certainly hoping to avoid a repeat of last season when the Sun Devils raced out to a 25-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes and cruised to a 54-13 win.

No need to mention that score. Colorado is still smarting from that drubbing.

“That was one of the worst games,” Buffs linebacker Addison Gillam said. “We got just physically beat. I think that was the hardest thing. We were just physically beat. We didn’t really have an answer for much. That was hard.”

Arizona State may be even more explosive this season. Can’t lose track of Kelly, who’s thrown for 430 yards and three TDs this season. He’s also run for another 98 yards and a score.

Certainly can’t forget about Foster, especially after a game in which he went for a career-high 216 yards rushing.

Then there’s Strong, who has 13 catches for 189 yards.

“They’re a very talented football team and it’s going to be a great test for us,” Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre said.

The Buffaloes are actually trying to be a lot like the Sun Devils — a fast-paced offensive team that’s too dynamic to centralize on one player.

“Their scheme is very similar to what our offensive scheme is,” Arizona State coach Todd Graham said. “We have an offense that’s going to score a lot of points.”

Especially early in games. With Graham in charge, the Sun Devils have outscored teams 317-146 in the first quarter. They’re also 18-0 under Graham when leading at halftime.

“They’re fast. They’re physical,” Gillam said. “They’re a strong team.

“I think that as long as everybody does their job and is responsible and consistent with doing their job, we’ll be good.”

Things to consider as Colorado tries to end an 0-for-5 streak against Arizona State:

MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Kelly is four TD passes away from tying Danny White for fourth-most in school history. “Kelly doesn’t get all the big-time accolades that probably the other big-time quarterbacks in our league do,” MacIntyre said. “He makes plays. He runs their offense really well.”

POINTS IN BUNCHES: The Sun Devils scored 58 points last weekend in New Mexico. That’s the 10th time since Graham and offensive coordinator Mike Norvell came on board in 2012 the team has eclipsed 50 points. Before their arrival, the team scored 50 or more points in a game 10 times over a 10-year span.

RANKLED: The Buffaloes have lost 14 straight games against ranked team. Their last win was 34-30 over Kansas in 2009. “Is (Arizona State) one of the top-25 football teams in the country? Yes. There’s no doubt in my mind,” MacIntyre said. “Are they talented that way? Yes. So, as far as: Is this a test against a top-caliber team? Yes, this is a top-caliber football team.”

NO MEASURING STICK: MacIntyre emphatically dismissed the notion his team needed a big-time win to propel the program forward. “I don’t think the kids go, ‘Wow, we had a marquee win. Now we can keep going and getting better,'” MacIntyre said. “I do not believe that. I believe you just keep playing then I think the marquee win happens and I think you’ve improved well enough that you can keep doing that.”

TAKE A SEAT: As part of a $156 million athletics complex expansion project, the Buffaloes added luxury seats in the northeast corner of Folsom Field. The construction was going down to the wire — workers were still installing seats on Tuesday — but expected to be finished by kickoff. The stadium’s capacity will now be about 50,548, down about 3,000 seats. “That just shows the program, the school, they believe in us,” Gillam said. “They trust us to get done what we need to do.”

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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