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South Carolina RB Davis hopes to regain form

By WTOP Staff

PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s Mike Davis believes he’s ready to start having the season he and many others expected from him when the year began.

The Gamecocks’ 1,000-yard rusher was one of the most dynamic backs in the Southeastern Conference a year ago, breaking tackles and breaking long runs to help his team go 11-2.

But Davis has been bothered by rib problems and a sore ankle through the first month. He said he feels healthier than he has all season as South Carolina (3-2, 2-2 SEC) heads to Kentucky (3-1, 1-1) on Saturday.

“I can tell you I feel better than I had a couple of weeks back,” he said this week.

That’s welcome news for a South Carolina team needing playmakers.

Davis showed signs of the player he was in 2013, putting up 104 yards rushing and a touchdown in the Gamecocks’ 21-20 loss to Missouri last weekend. It just Davis’ second game of 100 yards this season. He had seven such showings in South Carolina’s opening nine games last fall and finished with 1,183 yards, the fourth highest single-season total in school history.

The 5-foot-9, 223-pound Davis was considered a likely candidate to jump to the NFL — Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said as much several times this offseason — with a similarly strong season.

Davis acknowledge in August that if he performed the way he knew he could, the NFL was his next step.

Instead, the younger brother of former Clemson 1,000-yard rusher James Davis has gone missing at key points in games and gone down easier than he did before.

He had just six carries for 15 yards in the season opening loss to Texas A&M before leaving the game with bruised ribs. In a win over Georgia with the Gamecocks looking to run out the clock, backup runner Brandon Wilds got the bulk of carries (four rushes to Davis’ one) on the game-clinching series. While Davis broke the century mark against Missouri, a large chunk of it came in the second quarter when he had his only three runs of 10 yards or more.

Davis called his season “shaky.”

“It could be better without these nagging injuries,” he said. “I’m doing OK, not great. But it’s a team effort.”

And South Carolina is a team with a banged up offense.

The Gamecocks are 11th in SEC points scored this season at 33 a game. Quarterback Dylan Thompson missed Monday’s practice with what Spurrier called a sprained neck. Top receiver Pharoh Cooper missed practice Monday and Tuesday because of a foot injury.

Both returned to work later in the week and are expected to play at Kentucky.

Spurrier said the Gamecocks wasted Davis’ strong game by giving up two late touchdowns to Missouri over the final seven minutes. “We lost a lot of good statistics last week. Mike Davis had over 100 yards, had over 18 carries, and we ended up losing the game, which is the first time, I think, that’s happened,” he said.

Davis was fourth in SEC rushing last fall. His 368 yards this season leave him ninth in the league this year, including behind Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott.

Davis’ slow start doesn’t make him any less dangerous, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said.

“Mike is just a very good football player, always going forward. Very difficult to tackle. He’s got everything you want in a running back, just the balance, the speed, the vision,” he said.

Davis hopes he’ll start showing all that again this weekend against the Wildcats. He ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-28 win over Kentucky last year, a game better remembered for NFL No. 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney drawing Spurrier’s anger for pulling himself out with an injury a short time before kickoff.

Davis felt strong and healthy in that one and believes he’s close to regaining that form.

“I’ll just try and play my best and lay (it) on the line for my teammates,” he said. “As long as we win and it’s productive, I don’t care what my stats are.”

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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