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No. 2 Oregon too much for Wyoming 48-14

By WTOP Staff

NICK DASCHEL
Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — One week after a season-defining win over then-No. 7 Michigan State, No. 2 Oregon spent the first quarter Saturday trying regain its footing against upset-minded Wyoming.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota didn’t let that happen, leading the Ducks on six consecutive scoring drives to lift Oregon to a 48-14 win over the Cowboys.

Mariota became the fourth Oregon quarterback to pass for more than 7,000 yards. The Ducks junior completed 19 of 23 passes with two touchdowns. Mariota also rushed five times for 71 yards, including touchdown runs of 15 and 19 yards.

Mariota has thrown a school-record 71 touchdowns, with at least one TD thrown in all 29 games he’s appeared in.

Oregon (3-0) had a rare scoreless first quarter, and found itself trailing 7-0 heading into the second quarter.

“We were a little sluggish at the beginning in every phase. Whether it’s the early game or whatever, we’re in the business of fighting human nature. It’s impossible to ignore to some degree,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said. “Our guys did a decent job of shaking the hangover.”

Mariota paced Oregon by leading the Ducks on four second-quarter scoring drives. Mariota ran for two scores and threw 16-yard touchdown pass to Devon Allen that gave Oregon a 27-7 halftime lead.

“I don’t know if anyone in this room has a vote for the Heisman Trophy, but I encourage you to take a look at your ballot there for (this) quarterback. He’s a tremendous player and I thought he played extremely well,” Wyoming coach Craig Bohl said.

Highlighting Mariota’s performance was a second-quarter touchdown where the Honolulu junior gave Ducks fans a thrill and scare at the same time.

Scrambling to avoid a pass rush, Mariota ran 19 yards for a touchdown, finishing the play by diving head first over Wyoming tacklers to reach the pylon.

Mariota bounced off the ground and ran to the sideline.

“I hope he never does that ever again. Pretty sure all our coaches don’t want to see him do that again,” said Oregon receiver Keanon Lowe, blocking for Mariota on the play. “I’d rather see him run out of bounds at the 2. That being said, it was an awesome play.”

Helfrich said that play was Mariota being Mariota.

“He can’t sit there and think, don’t do this, don’t do that. The way he plays, that’s one of his biggest strengths,” Helfrich said.

Helfrich wasn’t entirely thrilled with seeing his Heisman Trophy hopeful going airborne, however.

“He told me on the sideline to never do that again. I’ll take that as a warning,” Mariota said.

Byron Marshall ran six times for 80 yards and a touchdown to lead Oregon’s running game. Freshman Royce Freeman had a 12-yard touchdown run. The Ducks had 556 yards, including 263 on the ground.

Oregon safety Erick Dargan had two interceptions, both in the first half.

Wyoming quarterback Colby Kirkegaard completed 19 of 33 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Cowboys running back Shaun Wick ran 16 times for 122 yards.

Wyoming, a 43-point underdog to Oregon, had some moments, but couldn’t stop the Ducks offense after the first quarter.

The Cowboys (2-1) had 439 yards, including 282 during the first half. But Wyoming allowed Oregon to score on six consecutive possessions, three set up by Cowboy turnovers.

The loss ended a personal 26-game winning streak for Bohl, the first-year Cowboys coach who won three consecutive FCS national titles at North Dakota State (2011-13).

“We knew it was going to be an uphill challenge and we were going to have to play error free. We certainly didn’t do that,” Bohl said. “I’m not saying everything was beautiful out there, but by and large, I felt like our guys stayed in it, kept on trucking, kept on believing.”

Wyoming stunned Oregon early, stopping the Ducks’ first drive on fourth down at the Cowboys 2. Wyoming rewarded its defense by driving 98 yards for the game’s first score, an 18-yard touchdown pass from Kirkegaard to Tanner Gentry.

Oregon right tackle Jake Fisher, a three-year starter, left the game during the Ducks’ opening drive with a leg injury.

The Ducks ended Wyoming’s upset hopes with a 27-point second quarter.

“It’s good to go through a little adversity. You have to fight through some things. It wasn’t a factor that we weren’t moving the ball. For us, it’s punching it in and finishing,” Mariota said.

Oregon tied the game at 7-7 just five seconds into the second quarter on a 15-yard touchdown scramble by Mariota. The Ducks took a 13-7 lead four minutes later when Marshall romped 30 yards for a score.

Two interceptions by Dargan set up Oregon’s final two scores of the second quarter.

Allen caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Mariota with 1:34 remaining in the second quarter, giving Oregon a 27-7 lead that it took into halftime.

The Ducks continued their offensive roll into the third quarter, when Oregon scored on its first two possessions to take a 41-7 lead. Mariota left the game after throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Johnathan Loyd with 9:59 remaining in the third.

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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