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Hedrick, Miller lead Boise State over UConn 38-21

By WTOP Staff

PAT EATON-ROBB
Associated Press

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Grant Hedrick threw two touchdown passes to Matt Miller and caught one from the senior receiver on a trick play as Boise State beat UConn 38-21 on Saturday.

The Broncos (2-1), who put up 676 yards of offense a week ago, saw their defense make the big plays this week.

They scored on a fumble recovery in the first quarter and an interception in the fourth, held UConn (1-2) to 48 yards rushing and sacked the Huskies quarterbacks eight times.

“You don’t score two touchdowns on defense very often,” said coach Bryan Harsin. “Especially early on in the game you never know if fumbles are going to happen. But good defenses are opportunistic.”

Boise State, which ran 89 plays a week ago (60 in the first half) had just 56 this week and did not have an offense snap for the first eight minutes of the game.

But by that time the Broncos were up 7-3.

UConn Tailback Arkeel Newsome fumbled on Huskies fifth play from scrimmage and Boise’s Tanner Vallejo picked the ball up in the backfield and ran untouched 31-yards for a touchdown.

Hedrick found Miller for a 35-yard score in the second quarter, and Miller returned the favor on a trick play a few minutes later, hitting Hedrick for a 7-yard touchdown after getting the ball on an end-around.

“That pass I caught was kind of scary it was so wide open,” Hedrick said. “It seemed like the ball was in the air forever.”

UConn, a 16-point underdog, closed the gap to 24-21 in the third quarter. Shane Williams-Rhodes muffed a punt return and UConn’s Jon Hicks recovered. Whitmer then found Geremy Davis for a 10-yard touchdown, and hit Arkeel Newsome for a 2-point conversion.

But Jonathan Moxey made a key fourth-quarter interception, stepping in front of UConn’s Deshon Foxx at the UConn 37-yard line. That that led to a 9-yard touchdown pass from Hedrick to Miller in the back of the end zone.

Hedrick completed 19 of 27 passes for 233 yards and the two scores.

The Broncos got their second defensive score with 4 minutes left in the game when Donte Deayon ripped the ball from receiver Geremy Davis and ran 50 yards down the right sideline for the score.

“You are not going to win a game if you give them 14 points without putting their offense or special teams on the field,” said UConn quarterback Chandler Whitmer, who completed 16 of 29 passes for 209 yards. He threw two touchdowns, but was intercepted twice.

He drove UConn 83 yards for its first touchdown, finding Deshon Foxx down the left sideline for a 48-yard reception and hitting tight end Alex Bloom over the middle for a 16-yard touchdown that gave the Huskies a 10-7 lead.

Foxx finished with 107 yards receiving on six catches.

Boise State running back Jay Ajayi, who came in averaging 158 yards a game and nearly 6 yards a run, was held to just 39 yards on 18 carries. The Huskies had just 290 yards of offense, but held Boise State to 292.

“There is some moments that we can hang our hats on, sink our teeth into and say, ‘Yes this is something that we accomplished. We can build on this; we can move forward on this,'” said UConn coach Bob Diaco.

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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