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White throws for TD, USF holds off UConn 17-14

By WTOP Staff

FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Willie Taggart is confident his plan to turn around South Florida’s struggling football program is working.

Shrugging off a week of criticism in the wake of a lopsided loss to North Carolina State, the Bulls opened American Athletic Conference play with a 17-14 victory over Connecticut on Friday night.

“We’ve got to stay positive,” Taggart said after Mike White passed for 113 yards and a touchdown in the rain to help the Bulls (2-2, 1-0) hold off the Huskies (1-3, 0-1).

White threw 30 yards to Rodney Adams and Marlon Mack ran a yard for first-quarter TDs that provided USF’s defense with much of the offensive support needed to prevail.

USF rebounded from a 49-17 loss to N.C. State in which they were limited to 159 yards total offense, with nearly half of that coming on White’s 75-yard TD pass to Ryeshene Bronson. Friday’s win matched their victory for all of last season, when they beat Cincinnati and UConn before ending the year on a six-game conference skid.

“Last week we stepped in a ditch. I told our guys we needed to stay focused on the plan, block out distractions and get out of that ditch,” Taggart said. “Our guys were confident all week. … When things went wrong, they didn’t get down on themselves. They stayed upbeat.”

Chris Dunkley sacked UConn’s Chandler Whitmer, forcing a fumble that the USF cornerback recovered at the Huskies 19 to set up Mack’s TD for a quick 7-0 lead. White’s scoring pass to a wide-open Adams on fourth-and-10 made it 14-0 late in the opening quarter, and the Bulls added a fourth-quarter field goal to make it 17-7.

UConn pulled with three points on Whitmer’s 32-yard TD pass to Geremy Davis with 1:19 remaining. USF recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.

First-year UConn coach Bob Diaco said despite his team’s slow start, which also includes losses to BYU and Boise State, the Huskies are building an identity.

“I continue to be proud of a lot of the work that’s done and a lot of the investment that’s made. You can see a DNA. You can see a culture fortifying itself, and you can see that in a lot of areas,” the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator said. “We still are not executing on offense right now, and it’s much harder to operate at the beginnings of the program. There are a lot of immature players there, and we did things throughout the game, and in the beginning in particular, that create losing. You can’t start winning until you start losing.”

It was another close game in a series USF leads 7-5. The last eight meetings have been decided by seven or fewer points, and neither team has scored more than 19 in the last five matchups.

UConn scored on Byron Jones’ 70-yard interception return just before halftime, but had little success moving the ball until their final possession of the night.

The Huskies managed only 41 yards and on 18 plays in the first half and finished with a season-low 145 yards overall — more than half coming on the drive that ended with Whitmer’s TD pass to Davis.

UConn didn’t pick up its second first down of the night until Arkeel Newsome broke a 16-yard run midway through the third quarter. Three plays later, Whitmer got his first completion.

The UConn quarterback finished 6 of 10 for 88 yards and no interceptions. The TD pass to Davis extended the receiver’s streak of consecutive games with at least one catch to 30.

A week after yielding 589 yards to North Carolina State, the USF defense limited UConn to 57 rushing and didn’t allow the Huskies offense to cross midfield until the final two minutes.

Mack rushed for 103 yards on 31 carries for the Bulls, and White completed 10 of 18 passes with one interception.

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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