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Richardson rallies Iowa State past Toledo 37-30

By WTOP Staff

CHUCK SCHOFFNER
Associated Press

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Sam Richardson threw for a career-high 351 yards and three second-half touchdowns Saturday, rallying Iowa State to a 37-30 victory over Toledo.

Unable to finish drives in the first half, Richardson and the offense got rolling in the second and gave the Cyclones (2-4) a much needed victory in a rare October break from Big 12 play.

Toledo (4-2), which had a three-game winning streak broken, ran the ball well and pulled into a 23-23 tie in the fourth quarter. But the Cyclones took the lead on Richardson’s 5-yard TD pass to E.J. Bibbs and secured the victory with a 16-play, 85-yard drive that Richardson finished with a 14-yard scoring pass to Alan Lazard, making it 37-23.

Richardson finished with a school-record 37 completions in 53 attempts and connected with nine different receivers, including a lineman.

Toledo drew to within a touchdown on Logan Woodside’s 4-yard TD pass to Marc Remy with 56 seconds left. But Iowa State’s Luke Knott recovered an onside kick and the Cyclones ran out the clock.

The back-and-forth game wasn’t unexpected. Toledo came in averaging 516 yards a game — 17th nationally — but the Rockets were giving up 326 yards a game passing, and Richardson’s receivers found plenty of space in the secondary.

Lazard, a freshman, had season bests of eight catches for 96 yards. D’Vario Montgomery caught nine balls for 90 yards, both career bests.

Richard’s previous best had been 262 yards against Texas last year. The old school record for completions was 36, shared by Austen Arnaud and Steele Jantz.

Toledo played its third straight game without running back Kareem Hunt, who leads the nation with 8.9 yards a carry. The Rockets got 124 yards in 17 carries and two touchdowns from freshman Terry Swanson, but he was held to 18 yards on five second-half rushes.

Swanson’s 1-yard touchdown dive and Jeremiah Detmer’s 41-yard field goal, his third of the game, pulled Toledo into the tie at 23 early in the fourth quarter after Iowa State had built a 10-point lead with two crisp drives to open the second half.

With the Cyclones trailing 13-9, Richardson hit Tad Ecby with a perfectly thrown 23-yard pass to the end zone. Iowa State’s defense forced a quick three-and-out and the offense responded again, moving 65 yards in 10 plays to go up 23-13.

The officials ruled Richardson had scored on a 3-yard run, but the call was reversed on review, the replay showing his knee was down just inside the 1. It became moot when Martinez Syria stormed into the end zone on the next play.

Iowa State put together good drives on three of its four first-half possessions, but couldn’t finish any of them and had to settle for Cole Netten field goals of 32, 36 and 37 yards.

The 36-yarder put ISU up 6-3 and came after the Cyclones marched to a first-and-goal at the 3, only to be set back by Richardson’s 3-yard loss on a keeper, an incompletion and a pass that guard Daniel Burton caught, resulting in a 12-yard loss.

Toledo answered with its best drive of the half. The Rockets went 4-for-4 on third-down conversions during a 14-play, 75-yard drive that ended when Swanson weaved 14 yards through the defense and leaped into the end zone.

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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