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Kansas loses 27-20 to No. 16 Oklahoma State

By WTOP Staff

DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Clint Bowen had a chance to make a splash in his first home game since taking over as interim coach at Kansas.

Instead, he kicked a field goal and it cost him.

Oklahoma State’s Tyreek Hill took the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown, sending the No. 16 Cowboys to a 27-20 victory over the Jayhawks on Saturday.

“We just felt we had to tie the game,” Bowen said of his crucial call with 6:55 left in the game, when the Jayhawks were facing fourth-and-1 at the Oklahoma State 18.

Rather than gamble, Bowen opted for the safe call.

“I think the field goal was a good move at the time,” said Jayhawks quarterback Michael Cummings, who started his first game since 2012. “I think that was the right decision.”

Daxx Garman threw for 161 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Cowboys (5-1, 3-0), while Desmond Roland ran for 87 yards and another score. But their offense otherwise struggled against a Kansas defense that hasn’t always been that stingy.

“You never want to go to a place and lose,” said Cowboys wide receiver Jhajuan Seales, who caught a touchdown pass. “Kansas had a great scheme and came out and played well.”

Cummings threw for 288 yards and ran for a touchdown for Kansas (2-4, 0-3) in place of Montell Cozart. Corey Avery also ran for a score for the Jayhawks.

Oklahoma State led 20-7 at halftime, but the Jayhawks rallied to tie the game 20-all late in the fourth quarter. It didn’t last that way for long.

Hill, whom the Jayhawks had avoided kicking to all game, took the kickoff up the Kansas sideline for the go-ahead touchdown. The junior college transfer also returned a kickoff 97 yards in the Cowboys’ win over Iowa State last week.

Cummings was picked off with 53 seconds left to seal the outcome.

“We were trying to get it done,” he said.

Playing its first true road game, Oklahoma State won its sixth straight at Memorial Stadium. It was also its fifth straight Big 12 road win.

The Cowboys got off to a slow start, though, a problem that has plagued them throughout the season. They had to settle for Ben Grogan’s 43-yard field goal on their opening drive, and then allowed the Jayhawks to drive 81 yards the other way for a touchdown.

The big play was a 51-yard pass from Cummings to Nick Harwell down the sideline.

Oklahoma State answered with a 33-yard touchdown run by Roland, but the Cowboys kept squandering chances to put the game away. They settled for another field goal, went three-and-out on their next drive, and then kicked yet another field goal.

It wasn’t until a shanked punt by Trevor Pardula with just over a minute left in the half gave the Cowboys prime field position that they threatened to put the game away. Five plays later, Seales hauled in a short touchdown pass for a 20-7 lead.

Unlike so many times the past few years, Kansas refused to fold.

Cassius Sendish picked off a pass to foil Oklahoma State’s first drive of the second half.

Moments later, Tevin Shaw jumped on a fumble that everybody in orange seemed to think was an incomplete pass and returned it to the Cowboys 15, setting up a short field goal.

It remained 20-10 until early in the fourth quarter, when Kansas needed four plays to go 83 yards.

Avery capped the drive with a 23-yard touchdown run, energizing a paltry crowd of roughly 15,000 — the combination of Late Night in the Phog the previous night, fall break for students and the Royals-Orioles playoff game did a number on attendance.

Kansas quickly forced a punt, and then went 72 yards, converting a key fourth-and-2 along the way. But when Bowen was faced with going for it on fourth-and-inches at the Cowboys 18 with 6:55 left, he elected to kick a 35-yard field goal to tie the game instead.

It stayed tied for as long as it took Hill to return the kickoff 99 yards.

“Big plays change games,” Oklahoma State wide receiver David Glidden said. “We were fortunate that the big play happened for us.”

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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