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Malzahn: QB Marshall ‘best guy’ with game on line

By WTOP Staff

JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn coach Gus Malzahn found plenty to dislike in the offensive execution against Kansas State, but doesn’t want quarterback Nick Marshall taking more blame than he deserves.

The fifth-ranked Tigers’ 359 total yards marked the fewest Auburn has produced in 17 games under Malzahn. Marshall entered the season on many short lists of potential Heisman Trophy candidates after leading the Tigers to the national title game, and his coach said he’s still coming through by the most important standard.

“The bottom line is our quarterback wins, he knows how to win,” Malzahn said Tuesday. “If you compare him to all the other quarterbacks around the country when the game’s on the line we got the best guy. He’ll continue to work but we have a lot of confidence in him.”

Against Kansas State, Marshall passed for 231 yards and rushed for 46 but threw an interception and had several throws deflected at the line. The receivers also had some drops in the 20-14 victory and Malzahn’s offense didn’t look nearly as unstoppable as it did late last season.

Marshall, who was suspended for the first half of the opener against Arkansas, isn’t ranked among the Southeastern Conference’s Top 10 passers going into Saturday’s game with Louisiana Tech. He has completed 55.4 percent of his passes for 382 yards.

“I know for whatever reason the focus is always on our quarterback and, ‘What’s wrong with Nick?'” Malzahn said. “There’s not a whole lot wrong with Nick. There’s a couple things that we expect him to be really, really good at and if we’re not we’re going to get on him, but what the casual eye doesn’t see is everything around him needs to be right. Need to be at the right depth, we need to have the right protection, everything needs to be right.”

Auburn’s hurry-up offense didn’t really hit its stride last season until after a switch to a heavy reliance on the zone read following the lone regular-season loss, to LSU.

Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee are harping on fixing execution not making big changes this time.

Marshall is the first starting quarterback Malzahn has had return for a second season as a college coach, so he already knows well the things he does best.

When Auburn needed a first down to run out the clock in the final minutes, Auburn let Marshall throw. The result was a 39-yard completion to D’haquille Williams on third and 9.

The Tigers were limited to 128 yards on the ground, the second-fewest of the brief Malzahn era behind the Mississippi State game in 2013. Tailback Cameron Artis-Payne produced just 63 yards on 22 carries.

Lashlee’s blunt assessment: “Well, we didn’t execute worth a crap.”

“We just didn’t play well,” he said. The Wildcats “had a lot to do with that, but when you watch the film, on almost every play you can say, ‘That’s not what we do. That’s not our brand of football.’

“The big positive is we can learn from a win against a really good team on the road. Any time you win on the road against a good team, you’ll never take it for granted. You’ll be very happy with that, but it felt a lot like the Mississippi State game last year.”

That’s when Marshall passed for a career-high 339 yards to compensate for a sputtering running game. After the next game, Auburn revamped its approach and the offense wound up leading the nation in rushing.

This time, Malzahn can take it as a victory of sorts that Auburn got the win even without the offense not at its best.

“Last year at this time, we wouldn’t have won that game,” he said. “But our guys found a way to win and in some areas it was a good wake-up call.”

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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