Skip to main content

Winless Washington State faces Portland State

By WTOP Staff

NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS
Associated Press

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Any chance that Washington State might overlook Portland State evaporated when the Cougars lost their first two games of the season.

Saturday’s game against the Vikings is critical for the Cougars, who are playing their final nonconference game before heading into a tough Pacific-12 schedule.

Washington State (0-2) has lost to Rutgers and Nevada the past two weeks, games it was favored to win. This is their home opener in Pullman.

Portland State is an FCS school, and the Cougars have never lost to such an opponent. But they have had some close games against the lower division opponents.

Portland State (1-1) played in Pullman in 2008, losing 48-9. But the Vikings knocked WSU quarterbacks Kevin Lopina and Gary Rogers out of that game with injuries, leaving third-stringer Marshall Lobbestael to lead his team to victory.

“Our motto is to respect everyone,” offensive lineman Joe Dahl said. “We all know that Big Sky teams are capable of winning every game they play.”

Dahl said a major goal for the offensive line this week is to reduce penalties.

“We can’t be killing drives with penalties,” he said.

This is Portland State’s second game against a Pac-12 team this season. It lost 29-14 at Oregon State on Aug. 30, dropping them to 2-31 all-time against FBS schools. They are 0-13 against Pac-12 schools.

“We are not looking past anyone,” insisted Jamal Morrow, a running back for Washington State.

And Portland State should not ignore the WSU running backs, even though rushers are often considered afterthoughts in coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense.

When the offense is working well, running backs should receive plenty of touches as pass receivers. But the offense was not clicking in a 24-13 loss at Nevada last week.

“In the end they should have more yards than everybody,” Leach said of his running backs. “We need to get it in their hands a bunch.”

Look for Morrow, Gerard Wicks and Theron West to be major targets of quarterback Connor Halliday, the nation’s passing leader.

Leach is impressed by Portland State.

“They’re a good, aggressive team; run a variety of defense,” he said. “They’ll come up on you and press you, and they’ll play off you, and they’ll roll through several things, give you some variety.”

Dahl said the Cougars must stay positive despite the poor start.

“We don’t want to get down on ourselves and squander the entire season,” Dahl said.

What to know about the Portland State at Washington State game:

VIKINGS RAMPAGE: Portland State piled up 507 yards of offense in edging lower-division Western Oregon 45-38 last week. Shaq Richard rushed for a career-high 151 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Quarterbacks Paris Penn and Kieran McDonagh combined for 321 yards of total offense and five touchdowns passing and rushing.

HALLIDAY SHINES: Halliday leads the nation with 921 passing yards, having completed 78 of 113 passes for six touchdowns and three interceptions in two games. The Cougars have run only 32 times for 44 yards. WSU averages 482 yards of offense per game.

RUN PARIS RUN!: Portland State quarterback Paris Penn has run 14 times for 180 yards in two games, an average of 12.1 yards a carry. Penn ran for a career-high 112 yards on nine carries at Oregon State.

WHOA, NELLIE!: Legendary sports broadcaster Keith Jackson, a member of the WSU class of 1954, will be honored this weekend by the school’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. Jackson was the first play-by-play announcer on “Monday Night Football” and a fixture on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” during a career that spanned more than 40 years. A journalism building on the WSU campus will be renamed Keith M. Jackson Hall.

WSU RECEIVERS: Ten WSU players caught a pass against Rutgers and nine made a reception at Nevada. Vince Mayle leads the way with a Pac-12-best 20 catches while Isiah Myers has 15 receptions.

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
Read Next Story

Related Stories

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote