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Missouri faces Georgia, chance to grab SEC East

By WTOP Staff

JAKE KREINBERG
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — No. 23 Missouri has a somewhat unexpected chance to seize control of the SEC East.

The Tigers’ only blemish of the year was a four-point loss at home to Indiana. Missouri rebounded to beat South Carolina on the road, erasing a 13-point deficit to win its SEC opener.

Missouri is the only team in the division without an SEC loss and gets a chance to take hold of the race with a home game Saturday against No. 13 Georgia. The Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1 SEC) were expected to be without star running back Todd Gurley, suspended indefinitely for an alleged violation of NCAA rules.

Whether they see Gurley or not — he missed last year’s loss to the Tigers with an ankle injury — Missouri (4-1, 1-0) knows it has a shot to beat the another SEC East favorite.

“That’s pretty tough to overcome,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “They’d have to lose three times to give us a chance. We don’t want to think about that.”

Missouri centered its game plan on slowing Gurley, who leads the SEC with 773 rushing yards for eight touchdowns. The team utilized freshman safety Tavon Ross as a running back this week in practice to mimic Gurley’s 225-pound frame, and extra drills on tackling may come in handy no matter who starts.

The Tigers insist they aren’t thinking much about the implications of a win.

“This is our second conference game,” coach Gary Pinkel said. “My goodness. One at a time, that’s the best way that I know how to do it.”

Here are some things to know about the matchup:

CHUBB IN SPOTLIGHT: Georgia’s freshman running back will likely start, entering the game with 31 carries for 224 yards this season. Similar in stature to Gurley, Chubb remains an unknown quantity this early in his career. The Bulldogs rank second in the conference with 288.8 rushing yards per game, but Gurley, Keith Marshall (knee and ankle) and Sony Michel (shoulder) account for a combined 70 percent of that total. None was expected to play against Missouri.

MASON LEADS: Hutson Mason, Georgia’s senior quarterback, is averaging 137.4 passing yards per game and will face increased scrutiny without Gurley. Freshman Brice Ramsey led one first-half series last week against Vanderbilt, but Richt ruled out a rotation at the position. Georgia ranks 12th in the SEC with 170.2 passing yards per game, and Gurley owns the team’s longest pass, a 50-yarder to tight end Jeb Blazevich against the Commodores.

MISSOURI’S D-ENDS: Defensive end Shane Ray leads the league with eight sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, while fellow end Markus Golden has four sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. Defensive coordinator Dave Steckel has lined the duo up in various positions on the line, utilizing Ray’s speed and Golden’s strength. Missouri has allowed 144.2 rushing yards per game, though.

MAUK’S DRIVES: The Missouri sophomore quarterback only completed 12 of 34 passes for 132 yards at South Carolina, but did lead two fourth-quarter touchdown drives. He’ll benefit from the expected return of senior receivers Jimmie Hunt (knee) and Darius White (groin), both of whom missed the Gamecocks game.

MISSOURI’S O-LINE: The Tigers mostly held up well two weeks ago after losing left guard Anthony Gatti to a season-ending knee injury. Changes on the offensive line two years ago plagued the team, which finished 5-7. Fending off Georgia’s pressure will be critical to allow more time in the pocket for Mauk, who has thrown four interceptions in addition to his 14 touchdowns.

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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