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South Carolina’s Davis: No RB rivalry with Gurley

By WTOP Staff

PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s Mike Davis isn’t gearing up for a showdown or to stamp himself one of college football’s best back when the Gamecocks host No. 6 Georgia on Saturday.

He is, however, anxious to see a good friend: Todd Gurley.

Davis and Gurley are two of the Southeastern Conference’s elite runners and both have put up strong early performances to help their teams. Davis rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns in South Carolina’s bounce-back, 33-23 victory over East Carolina last week.

Gurley ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns — he had a fourth on a kickoff return — as the Bulldogs defeated Clemson two weeks ago.

This time, South Carolina (1-1, 0-1 SEC) and Georgia (1-0, 0-0) face off for early control of the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division.

Davis said there’s no rivalry with Gurley. There’s no trash talking or bravado between the pals who enjoy watching each other excel.

“He actually came up here and came to my house,” Davis said. We’re real good friends. There’s no competition between me and him.”

Don’t count on anyone else buying into that.

Gurley didn’t have much luck as a freshman with just 39 yards when Georgia last came to Williams-Brice Stadium and left with a humiliating 35-7 victory. Davis actually outgained his Bulldog buddy, 149 yards to 132 a year ago at Georgia. But it was Gurley who walked off elated with the 41-30 win. Davis had a critical late fumble near the Bulldog red when South Carolina was trying to stay in the game.

Davis knows the importance this game has — South Carolina hasn’t started 0-2 in the SEC since 2008 — and thinks the Gamecocks picked up a strong dose of confidence with their last win, capped when the Gamecocks held the ball for nearly 11 of the final 12 minutes.

And Davis won’t let anything, including his friendship with Gurley, keep him from helping South Carolina succeed.

___

Things to Watch when No. 6 Georgia plays No. 24 South Carolina:

ALL EYES ON GURLEY: Georgia’s Todd Gurley almost singlehandedly put Clemson away two weeks ago. He blunted the Tigers momentum with his game-changing kickoff return TD then was near unstoppable in the second half as the Bulldogs outscored Clemson 24-0 on the way to victory. Georgia coach Mark Richt was uncertain whether Gurley would continue running back kicks, particularly if opponents don’t let him return it. As long as Gurley’s healthy to perform like he did last time out, Richt’s happy.

SOUTH CAROLINA’S PASS RUSH: It’s still a work in progress even though the Gamecocks did get more pressure against East Carolina than in the 52-28 loss to Texas A&M two games ago. The Dixon brothers — Gerald and Gerald Jr. — will lead things again this week with J.T. Surratt, the lone starter back from last year’s stellar group, should clog up the middle. They’ll have a tougher test against Georgia’s offensive line, which features two seniors and a junior.

GEORGIA’S PASS: The Bulldogs might have to rely on their run game with so many banged up receivers. Coach Mark Richt said receivers Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley were unlikely to play, although Scott-Wesley did go through some practice drills this week. First-year quarterback starter Hutson Mason played an efficient game against Clemson, hitting on 18 of 26 throws for 131 yards.

SEC EAST RACE: South Carolina spent much of the offseason as favorites to win the East, something that lasted until its embarrassing loss to Texas A&M. Georgia took over as top Dawg following the impressive win over Clemson. While this winner would again be in the driver’s seat, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier understands there are no guarantees: The Georgia-South Carolina winner the past three seasons has not won the East and played in the SEC title game.

SPURRIER’S MILESTONE: South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier became just the third SEC coach to win 200 games, joining Paul “Bear” Byrant (292) and Vince Dooley (201) to reach that milestone. It’s up to the Bulldogs to keep former coach Dooley in second place when they take on Spurrier on Saturday.

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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