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QB Hill leads No. 25 BYU past Houston 33-25

By WTOP Staff

ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PROVO, Utah (AP) — If Taysom Hill needs to take off running 26 times every game, so be it. As long as BYU is winning.

The dual-threat junior quarterback ran for 160 yards on 26 carries with one score, and threw for 200 yards and another in No. 25 BYU’s 33-25 victory over Houston on Thursday night.

“My mindset is, whatever it takes,” he said.

Jamaal Williams rushed for 139 yards and two TDs for BYU, which has won its opening three games for the first time since 2008. BYU moved into the rankings after a 41-7 victory over Texas last weekend.

But it wasn’t pretty.

BYU jumped out to an early 23-0 lead, but Houston (1-2) scored 15 straight points before halftime. Overall, BYU had 11 penalties for 98 yards, had a player ejected, and committed three turnovers.

“I’m glad that we continues to battle, continued to fight,” coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “We had some offensive momentum in the first half, and we moved it when we needed to. Overall, it was a hard fought win. There’s plenty to work on, but a lot of things that I was pleased with.”

Houston’s John O’Korn passed for 307 yards and three touchdowns, including a 45-yard desperation heave to Daniel Spencer as time ran out in the first half. Deontay Greenberry made a pair of touchdown catches.

“You have to give a lot of credit to our team for not giving up and not folding. We just kept fighting,” linebacker Derrick Matthews said. “When we were down 23-0 early it could have been easy for us to lay down, but that’s not who we are. I feel like we showed a lot of passion and a lot of heart.”

The teams met last season with BYU pulling out the win on Hill’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Skyler Ridley with less than two minutes to go for a 47-46 win.

BYU’s fake punt to cap its opening drive of the second half Thursday failed and the team was also hurt by a personal foul penalty on Tejan Koroma, who was ejected from the game.

Trevor Samson kicked a 26-yard field goal to extend BYU’s lead to 26-15 late in the third quarter. Williams added a 2-yard touchdown run early in the final period.

BYU appeared to score on its first drive of the game, but Hill’s 32-yard pass to Devon Blackmon was called back by an illegal formation penalty.

Houston’s Ryan Jackson later fumbled in the end zone, and the ball was recovered by Zac Stout for the safety to put BYU up 2-0. Williams’ 11-yard touchdown run pushed the lead to 9-0 before Hill scored on a 5-yard keeper.

Houston’s Kyle Bullard attempted a 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter but the ball barely got off the ground because of a muffed hold.

Hill hit Mitch Matthews with a 6-yard scoring pass to make it 23-0 with 8:57 to go before halftime.

Houston rallied, and after Bullard made a 29-yard field goal, defensive tackle Joey Mbu intercepted Hill at the BYU 29. Houston capped the ensuing series with O’Korn’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Greenberry.

Hill found Mitch Juergens with a 38-yard pass, but safety Adrian McDonald forced a fumble and ran the ball back 28 yards to the BYU 45. With time running out, Spencer pulled down O’Korn’s 45-yard heave to make it 23-15 at the break.

“It was one of those unbelievable plays that worked out. That’s what happens when you give your guys a chance,” O’Korn said.

Bullard missed the extra points after both Houston touchdowns.

“We started out great. We just come off the gas a little bit,” Williams said. “We weren’t used to getting up so quickly in the first half. Defense always holds up, but the offense just can’t take the foot off the gas.”

Hill had 360 yards of total offense, and he and Williams combined for nearly 300 of BYU’s 323 yards rushing.

Hill, who has been popping up as a Heisman Trophy contender, has been chosen as the FBS Independents’ player of the week after each of the season’s first two weekends.

He rushed for five touchdowns and threw for three more and accounted for an average of 342.5 yards in total offense in those first two games.

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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