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No. 9 USC pushed around in 37-31 loss to BC

By WTOP Staff

BOSTON (AP) — The talented Southern California defensive line was no match for Boston College’s running quarterback.

Boston College QB Tyler Murphy rushed for 191 yards, breaking free for a 66-yard touchdown with 3:30 to play on Saturday night as Boston College beat No. 9 Southern California 37-31 — the Eagles’ first victory over a top 10 team in a decade.

A week after controlling then-No. 13 Stanford in a tough 13-10 road win, the Trojans were beaten badly on the defensive line and gave up 452 rushing yards. They had their most trouble stopping Murphy late in the game.

“Going into the game one of the things that was concerning was the quarterback running the ball,” USC coach Steve Sarkisian said. “He’s a heck of a player. We knew that. When you get momentum and start running the ball, it kind of feeds off itself. The quarterback started running the ball and got confidence. The running backs started getting confidence.”

A week ago, the Trojans held Stanford to 128 rushing yards. On Saturday, they allowed three backs to each nearly each 100 yards.

“They outplayed us. They beat us in all three phases,” Sarkisian said. “They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The end result was we didn’t get it done. It starts with me coaching and goes to everyone in that locker room. We need to improve.”

Jon Hilliman ran for 89 yards and two touchdowns, and Myles Willis and receiver Sherman Alston each broke off runs of 50-plus yards to help BC (2-1) amass its huge rushing night.

USC (2-1) was coming off its emotional victory over Stanford that moved the Trojans up five spots in The Associated Press Top 25. Cody Kessler completed 31 of 41 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns, but he was also sacked five times.

Kessler felt the Eagles’ blitz packages gave his team trouble all night.

“They did a good job of getting to me,” he said. “We missed some assignments up front and we should have made some better calls both offensively and by me.”

So now USC has a week off before going back to Pac-12 play when the Trojans host Oregon State.

“Don’t look too far into the season,” USC safety Su’a Cravens said the team learned.

The Eagles had not beaten a top 10 team since a victory over 10th-ranked West Virginia in 2004. The last time an unranked BC team beat a top 10 team was a 2002 victory over No. 4 Notre Dame in South Bend that cost the Irish a chance at the national championship.

Wearing uniforms decorated with red bandannas to honor Welles Crowther, a BC graduate who died in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 after helping usher others to safety, the Eagles delivered an emotional follow-up to a lackluster loss to Pittsburgh. Fans wearing their own red bandannas in tribute stormed the field after Murphy’s final kneel-down, celebrating the biggest win in coach Steve Addazio’s tenure and BC’s first-ever over USC.

The Eagles trailed 17-6 in the second quarter before scoring 24 unanswered points.

Leading 27-17 with 12:22 to play, Murphy started the drive with back-to-back runs for a combined 52 yards and BC moved to the USC 5 yard-line. But the Eagles settled for a 25-yard field goal that — thanks to a missed extra point on their opening score — left them with a 13-point lead.

USC took over at its own 25 with 7:42 left and engineered a 10-play drive that finished with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Kessler to Nelson Agholor. Getting the ball at its 28 with 4:25 left, Murphy moved BC to the 34 before breaking through the line and streaking into the end zone.

Kessler led USC to another score, hitting Darreus Rogers from 14-yards out to make it a six-point game with 78 seconds left. Shakim Phillips covered the onside kick for BC, and Hilliman broke off a 22-yard run to help the Eagles milk the clock.

The Trojans gained their first advantage when punter Kris Albarado couldn’t handle the snap but he recovered to launch a low line drive that rolled all the way to the BC 10-yard line. The Eagles couldn’t move the ball before a punt that set USC up at the BC 38.

An 18-yard pass from Kessler to Randall Teifer moved the Trojans inside the 10, and two plays later Kessler hit George Farmer for an 8-yard score. The Eagles again went three-and-out before a punt that allowed USC to start at the BC 33; the field goal made it 10-0.

But what looked like the start of an expected rout never materialized.

On BC’s next play, Willis broke free on a 52-yard run to the USC 26, and BC moved easily before Tyler Rouse ran it in from the 4 on the first play of the second quarter. The kick failed, leaving USC with a 10-6 lead, and the Trojans made it 17-6 with a 51-yard pass to Javorius Allen on a third-and-12.

Again BC responded, thanks to a 16-yard run by Murphy, and a 23-yarder before he was pushed out at the 3. Hilliman took it in from there to make it 17-13. It stayed that way until the Eagles took over at their own 46-yard line and Sherman Alston broke loose on the opening play of the drive for a 54 yard touchdown run that give the Eagles a 20-17 lead.

BC got the ball back and advanced to the Trojans’ 30 but missed a field goal in the closing seconds of the quarter.

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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