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Bears, Wildcats to kick off Pac-12 season

By WTOP Staff

JOHN MARSHALL
AP College Football Writer

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Sonny Dykes knew his first season as California’s coach would be a struggle. The Bears had a new system, new coaches and would be starting a freshman at quarterback.

Despite all that was working against his team, even he was surprised when Cal finished 1-11 last season.

But when a team wins just one game, there’s no other direction to go but up and Dykes had a feeling it wasn’t just going to be a small leap this season.

“We came into (this) year feeling like this team had a chance to be very much improved,” Dykes said. “The real reason was not because of the talent or any of that kind of thing as much as it was just the work ethic and commitment, the grit that the guys had shown through adversity. If you can get that from a team, then that’s going to give you a chance to be successful.”

So far, so good.

Cal (2-0) turned a few heads by opening the season with a road victory over Northwestern. The Bears backed that up with a rout of Sacramento State, which, for a team that had to hold on to beat Portland State last season, was another positive step.

Their win total doubled from a year ago, the Bears get a real litmus test Saturday night.

That’s when Cal will face Arizona, another undefeated team that has one of the best and most balanced offenses in the country.

“We’re going to have our hands full,” Cal linebacker Hardy Nickerson said.

The Wildcats will be facing their first real test, too.

Arizona opened the season by crushing UNLV, pulled out a road win over Texas-San Antonio and outlasted Nevada last week. That puts the Wildcats at 3-0 for the third straight season under coach Rich Rodriguez, the first time that’s happened since Jim Young did it from 1973-75.

But Cal, despite its struggles last season, figures to be a step up in competition in the first Pac-12 game for both teams.

Here’s a few more things to look for in Saturday’s game:

OFFENSIVE SHOW: From an offensive standpoint, this should be a fun game to watch. Arizona is eighth nationally, averaging 582.7 yards per game and is one of four FBS teams with at least 800 yards rushing and 800 passing. Dykes and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin had the nation’s highest-scoring offense at Louisiana Tech and the Bears were able to move the ball in the up-tempo system even as they struggled last season. Behind QB Jared Goff, Cal is again explosive offensively, averaging nearly 500 yards per game.

CLOSE GAMES: The games between Cal and Arizona tend to be close. In the series’ 31 games, 21 have been decided by eight points or less, including 10 by a field goal or less. Despite winning just one game last season, the Bears gave the Wildcats all kinds of trouble in Berkeley. Arizona won it 33-28, surviving by recovering an onside kick after Cal scored with 1:42 left.

SOLOMON’S MATURATION: Anu Solomon won a four-way battle to become Arizona’s starting quarterback this season. The redshirt freshman seems to be a solid choice so far, leading all FBS freshmen with 934 yards passing, with eight touchdowns and an interception. Solomon has made a few mistakes, including an interception while in the grasp of a defender against Nevada last week, but has been a quick learner.

NUMBERS: Arizona WR Austin Hill has a catch in 20 straight games. … Cal is 1-5 in its past six conference openers. … Arizona has had a 100-yard rusher in 20 straight games, tied with Nebraska (1999-2000) for longest in the FBS since 1996. … The Bears have outscored opponents 42-0 in the first quarter this season.

GOFF’S RISE: Goff went through a few growing pains last season as the Bears struggled, but still managed to set numerous single-season records, including passing yards (3,508) and total offense (3,446). He’s shown no ill effects from offseason shoulder surgery, appearing even stronger heading into his sophomore season. Goff is seventh nationally in passing efficiency at 182.0 and is 20th nationally with seven TD passes even though he’s played two games while some other QBs have played three.

“He has an NFL arm, he sees the field well and he’s a tough competitor,” Rodriguez said. “He looks even bigger and stronger now, and he’s throwing the ball even better than he did last year.”

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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