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Utah State holds off Wake Forest 36-24

By WTOP Staff

JOHN COON
Associated Press

LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Utah State scored defensive touchdowns off a pair of first half turnovers and held Wake Forest to minus 25 yards rushing in a 36-24 win Saturday night that marked its first win over an ACC team.

Darrell Garretson had 121 yards and a touchdown on 11-of-16 passing for the Aggies (2-1) in relief of an injured Chuckie Keeton in the second half. Keeton threw for 166 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-27 passing in the first half.

The junior came up limping after getting hit on an option play near the end of the half. Keeton spent the entire second half on crutches on the USU sideline.

John Wolford threw for 257 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Demon Deacons (1-2). But the true freshman also tossed two interceptions and completed just 20-of-50 passes. He was also sacked six times.

Trailing 29-7 at halftime, Wake Forest briefly rallied in the third quarter after getting a major offensive spark following a turnover.

Hunter Williams picked off Garretson on his first pass attempt and returned it 32 yards to set up a 3 yard TD pass from Wolford to Isaiah Robinson. Then, after forcing a Utah State punt, Wake Forest put together a 78-yard drive covering seven plays – culminating in a 10-yard grab by E.J. Scott in the back of the end zone to make it 29-21 halfway through the third quarter.

Utah State halted the comeback with its own touchdown drive later in the quarter. Garretson found Ronald Butler for a 42-yard pass to get into Demon Deacon territory, setting up a 5 yard strike to Wyatt Houston two plays later and giving USU a 36-21 lead.

Mike Weaver kicked a 30-yard field goal to cut the lead to twelve with 1:01 left in the third. The Demon Deacons could get no closer. Wake Forest did drive down to the Aggie 38 early in the fourth quarter, but B.J. Larsen sacked Wolford on fourth down to stop the drive.

Both teams stalled on offense in the first quarter. That opened the door for each defense to grab the spotlight.

Wake Forest got on the board first when Josh Banks returned an errant pass from Keeton 70 yards to make it 7-0 midway through the first quarter. Keeton backpedaled to avoid a blitz and let the ball fly right into the waiting arms of Banks as he was about to get sacked.

Utah State returned the favor on the Demon Deacons’ next drive. Zach Vigil stepped in front of a pass from Wolford and rumbled 35 yards for his first career touchdown to even the score at 7-7 with 3:03 left in the first quarter.

The Aggies finally generated some offensive momentum off a trick play midway through the second quarter. Keeton gave the ball to Ronald Butler and the senior wide receiver connected with a streaking JoJo Natson down the sideline for a 44-yard scoring strike, giving Utah State a 13-7 lead.

USU went up 19-7 a couple of minutes later on its second defensive score. Nick Vigil forced Wolford to fumble on a pass attempt. Devin Centers scooped up the ball a moment later and returned it 47 yards for the score.

A third Wake Forest turnover, this time an interception by Frankie Sutera, helped set up Chuckie Keeton’s only touchdown pass. Keeton found Jefferson Court for a 6-yard strike, making it 26-7 with 4:46 left before halftime.

Nick Diaz drained a 26 yard field goal on the final play of the half to put the Aggies ahead by three scores at halftime.

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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