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Duke hosts Kansas hoping for rare 3-0 start

By WTOP Staff

JOEDY McCREARY
AP Sports Writer

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — For all of Duke’s accomplishments during its recent rise to relevance, it’s still been 20 years since the Blue Devils started a season with three straight victories.

Duke is looking to check that off its to-do list when the Blue Devils host rebuilding Kansas on Saturday.

The Blue Devils’ 1994 team had been the most recent standard of success for a program that had been near the bottom of the Bowl Subdivision before starting its climb in 2012.

Since then, Duke has earned a winning season, bowl berths and national rankings — all were firsts since ’94. But each of the last two seasons also included early slip-ups.

A win over Kansas (1-0) will give the Blue Devils (2-0) their best start since the 1994 team opened with seven victories.

Kansas coach Charlie Weis was talking about Duke’s offense but could have been referring to the program as a whole when he said, “They’ve been on a roll now for over a year and it doesn’t look like they’re going to slow down.”

If the Jayhawks can find a way to stop them, they’ll earn a bit of history of their own: Kansas hasn’t won a road game since 2009 and has yet to start 2-0 under Weis.

“They had a lot of work to do — that’s obvious — but their personnel is starting to come into play,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. “This team looks more like a Charlie Weis football team, for obvious reasons. … Their personnel is starting to show up.”

And perhaps more importantly, the Jayhawks believe they can win. Duke learned to clear that mental hurdle during its recent revival and now that’s something Kansas is starting to figure out, Weis said.

“I think that our players have visual evidence on tape that they have a legitimate chance of winning,” Weis said. “Based off of what they’ve seen last year and what they’ve seen these first two games … they should go down there with the anticipation of winning the game, not just hoping to win.”

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Some things to know about Duke’s first visit from Kansas:

MEETING HIS FORMER BOSS: Cutcliffe was supposed to be Weis’ associate head coach at Notre Dame in 2005 but had to resign the position without ever coaching a game because of complications from open heart surgery. Cutcliffe calls that decision “one of the toughest things I’ve had to do, by far, in the business.” He sat out that season while he recovered, returned to Tennessee as an assistant in 2006 and was hired by Duke after the 2007 season.

KANSAS’ FIREPOWER: The Blue Devils are especially wary of sophomore quarterback Montell Cozart, who threw for three touchdowns in the opening victory over Southeast Missouri State, and receiver Nick Harwell, a transfer from Miami of Ohio who caught two of those scores.

STRENGTH ON STRENGTH: The reason for Weis’ optimism is that he feels his secondary is best equipped to handle the deepest position on Duke’s depth chart — its receiving corps. Jamison Crowder and Issac Blakeney have combined for five touchdowns while the Jayhawks’ secondary — led by senior Dexter McDonald’s two interceptions — picked off three passes last week.

STEADY BOONE: Duke quarterback Anthony Boone has started this season by throwing 74 straight passes without an interception. Last year he was picked off 13 times in 11 games — including one that was returned 55 yards for the winning touchdown in the final minutes of the Chick-fil-A Bowl loss to Texas A&M. Cutcliffe says Boone has “worked really hard … understanding when he can pull the trigger and when he can’t.”

IT’S BEEN A WHILE: This marks the second game of a home-and-home series that started in 2009 — when Kansas wasn’t far removed from its Orange Bowl victory and Duke’s rebuilding project was still in its infancy. The Jayhawks won 44-16. “They were a good football team and we weren’t there yet,” Cutcliffe said. “Athletically, there’s a significant difference (in Duke now). No offense to any of our good folk from 2009, but it’s just a fact.”

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AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Lawrence, Kansas, contributed to this report.

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Follow Joedy McCreary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joedyap

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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