Skip to main content

Matchup problems when UMass travels to Penn State

By WTOP Staff

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Coaches know when their teams match up well with their opponents.

Massachusetts coach Mark Whipple tends to think that his Minutemen will have problems against Penn State (3-0) on Saturday.

When asked about how his offense matches up against Penn State’s defense, Whipple said, “We don’t.”

He added, “We haven’t really run the ball very well versus the people we’ve played against. None of them have guys like Penn State does.”

In their third season as an FBS team, the Minutemen (0-3) are coming off back-to-back 1-11 seasons. They’ll play their final non-conference game Saturday before starting an eight-game Mid-American Conference schedule.

Despite scoring 69 points in its past two games, UMass gave up 75 and lost three-point games to Colorado and Vanderbilt after dropping its opener to Boston College 30-7.

Special-teams blunders (blocked field goal and punt) against Vanderbilt prompted Whipple to fire special teams coach Ted Daisher on Tuesday and take over that role.

Whipple’s defense will be going against sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg, whom he says would be a first-round NFL draft pick next year if he were eligible.

Penn State is unbeaten but not without its problems. Coach James Franklin is still trying to develop a consistent running game; the Nittany Lions are ranked 117th in rushing offense among 125 FBS teams.

Penn State is 9 of 12 in the red zone but just three of those scores have gone for touchdowns. And the Nittany Lions yielded a blocked field goal and punt against Rutgers last week in a game in which they scored with 1:13 remaining to win their Big Ten opener 13-10.

Here are things to watch in Saturday’s Penn State-UMass game:

FANCY PASSING: Hackenberg became the first Penn State player to throw for more than 400 yards (454) against Central Florida in the team’s opener in Dublin, Ireland. Hackenberg has thrown for more than 300 yards in four straight games. Franklin said this week, barring injury, he plans to redshirt backup quarterbacks Trace McSorley and Michael O’Connor. D.J. Crook would play for Hackenberg in a mop-up role.

PERSONAL SCOUTING REPORT: Whipple has not only seen Penn State’s Hackenberg on film but at Penn State’s practice and in his dorm room. Whipple’s son, Austin, now a reserve quarterback at UMass, was a walk-on at Penn State who played for former coach Bill O’Brien. Mark Whipple and O’Brien are longtime friends, and Austin Whipple and Hackenberg are former roommates. “He (Hackenberg) reminds me of a guy I had in Pittsburgh with the Steelers,” said Whipple, who was a quarterback coach with Pittsburgh when Ben Roethlisberger was a rookie in 2004.

STEPPING IN: UMass quarterback Blake Frohnapfel transferred from Marshall after backing up Conference USA MVP Rakeem Cato. Frohnapfel has given the Minutemen some offensive spark, going 46 of 94 for 619 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

THEY’RE BACK: Whipple coached at UMass from 1998-2003, compiled a 49-26 record and won the Division I-AA title in 1998. He moved around the NFL and coached at Miami (Florida) before returning to Massachusetts in January. And, not only is Austin Whipple returning to State College, so is UMass receiver Alex Kenney. He transferred to UMass after a redshirt year and three seasons with Penn State and is a graduate of State College Area High School. He’s listed as a starter but has caught just one pass this season.

OFF THE FIELD: A Facebook movement labeled a “Joe-out” to honor former Penn State coach Joe Paterno has been organized for Saturday. People are urged to either dress like Paterno or display the number 409 to signify the late coach’s overall total number of victories. The NCAA restored Penn State’s available scholarships to a full allotment of 85 last week and also made the school eligible for the postseason. Those were sanctions the university received from the NCAA after the Jerry Sandusky child-abuse scandal. The NCAA also removed 111 Paterno-led victories from the record book. Penn State has no affiliation with the event.

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 News

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