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No. 17 USC faces heat wave, regroups in bye week

By WTOP Staff

DAN GREENSPAN
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The heat is on for No. 17 Southern California.

Morning practices are not early enough to allow the Trojans to avoid a September heat wave during their bye week, and those temperatures have paled in comparison to the blistering criticism following their 37-31 loss at Boston College.

After going toe-to-toe with Stanford and its punishing offensive line the previous week, USC (2-1) looked positively baffled by the Eagles’ option attack. BC rushed for 452 yards, with quarterback Tyler Murphy accounting for 191 yards and one touchdown.

Defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox cited mental mistakes, poor communication and missed tackles resulting in those struggles.

“You can’t try and do too much (against the option), and when it is your play to make, we got to make the play,” Wilcox said. “I got to do a better job preparing them, and we got to go out and execute better.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Boston College’s willingness to go right at star defensive end Leonard Williams through the use of the veer option, “where as opposed to reading the outside edge defender, they read the interior guy,” Wilcox said.

Williams finished with five tackles, but had no tackles for loss.

Little went right for the USC defense, which allowed the most rushing yards since the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl, but head coach Steve Sarkisian did praise the performance of sophomore Su’a Cravens.

Cravens, who started 13 games at safety last season and is now being used as a hybrid safety/linebacker, had three tackles for loss at Boston College.

“I think Su’a really made some plays for us last game, which not a lot of the guys on defense did, but he did,” Sarkisian said. “He was able to get around the ball. It’s just more for him about being right all the time at that position, and he will learn that.”

Sarkisian’s offensive play-calling has also come under criticism for his refusal to abandon an ineffective ground game, running the ball 24 times for just 56 yards. USC had eight consecutive drives that ended in punts, while another possession at the end of the first half saw the clock expire after a single play.

But Sarkisian said he would not abandon his desire to have balance between the run and the pass, nor would he reduce his role with the offense going forward.

“I’ve had worse games than scoring 31 points before,” Sarkisian said. “After every game, win (or) lose, I analyze myself first as the head coach and as the play-caller. I look at myself first.”

And with the heart of Pac-12 play ahead, beginning with a home game against Oregon State on Sept. 27, linebacker Hayes Pullard said the team’s focus is now on being in position to win a conference championship.

“We got to win out in the South and just be able to get a chance to play in that Pac-12 championship game,” Pullard said.

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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