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Miles: No. 10 LSU has been ‘warned’ about ULM

By WTOP Staff

BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — For a second straight week, LSU coach Les Miles is looking for the right message to keep his 10th-ranked Tigers sharp against a heavy underdog.

That’s a somewhat easier task this week, thanks to the recent history of Louisiana-Monroe.

ULM, which plays in the Sun Belt Conference, has demonstrated that it’ll knock off teams from power conferences from time to time.

The Warhawks beat Alabama in 2007, tripped up Arkansas in 2012 and nearly did the same to Auburn in overtime that season. They beat Wake Forest last season and again this season. They’re also 2-0 now as coach Todd Berry, who led the Warhawks to their first bowl two seasons ago, looks to make his fifth season at ULM his best yet.

“Todd Berry is doing a great job there. They are athletic. They are very capable,” Miles said as he made note of ULM’s recent success against major-conference teams. “We are so warned and we recognize and respect that opponent.”

Oddmakers have listed LSU (2-0) as a more than four-touchdown favorite. LSU won 56-0 last weekend against Sam Houston State, widely regarded as one of the better teams in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.

After seeing that kind of dominance from LSU, Berry is on one hand eager to see how his team handles a game in Death Valley, but also keenly aware of the challenge that looms.

“I am encouraged by what has happened and where we are at, and now we need to continue to move forward against a team this week that is just tremendously talented in LSU. They are big. They are powerful. They are physical. They have great speed at the skill positions,” Berry said. “I think their athletic budget is 10 times greater than ours. They have five-star guys; we have two-star guys. You look at all the stuff that’s out there and say 32-point underdogs — all that doesn’t sound good, but our guys have been in environments like this before, and we will show up and we’ll play.”

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Here are some things to know about LSU’s match-up with ULM:

FIELDING FRESHMEN: LSU has played 16 true freshmen through its first two games and could very well look to continue developing those players against ULM,. Last weekend, four freshmen scored touchdowns, LSU’s top two rushers — Leonard Fournette and Darrel Williams — were freshmen, while freshmen on defense accounted for two sacks and 17 tackles.

SEC NEOPHYTE: Louisiana-Monroe QB Pete Thomas, who passed for 384 yards and two scores against Idaho last weekend, has never faced an SEC team. That’s despite getting his share of playing time at two other Football Bowl Subdivision schools prior to transferring to ULM as a graduate student. Thomas started his career at Colorado State, then transferred after two seasons to North Carolina State, where he played last season. He’ll get two more SEC foes after LSU. ULM also meets Kentucky and Texas A&M this season.

TAKING SHOTS: While LSU is running the ball on more than two-thirds of its offensive plays, the Tigers have gained more yardage and scored more TDs through the air. Much of that can be traced to the connection between sophomore QB Anthony Jennings and redshirt sophomore receiver Travin Dural, who’ve connected six times for 291 yards and four scores, including TDs of 94 and 80 yards. Through two games, LSU has passed for 486 yards and six TDs, while rushing for 460 yards and five TDs.

PASS RUSH: ULM’s pass rush looks vastly improved this season. The Warhawks have 10 sacks through two games. They had 16 all of last season. Linebacker Ray Stovall has a team-leading 2 1/2 sacks, while cornerback Lenzy Pipkins and defensive end Jacob Tyson each have two apiece.

YOUNG GUNS: Of LSU’s 11 TDs, nine have been scored by freshmen and sophomores, with the other two being scored by senior running back Kenny Hilliard. The rest of LSU’s TDs have been scored by Dural (4); freshman running backs Fournette (1) and Williams (1); freshmen receivers John Diarse (1) and Malachi Dupre (1); and freshman QB Brandon Harris (1).

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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