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Texas falls 31-26 to Oklahoma in Red River rivalry

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

DALLAS (AP) — A false start for Texas was coach Charlie Strong’s first taste of the Red River rivalry.

No. 11 Oklahoma had two big early returns for touchdowns before its offense finally contributed after halftime and the Sooners avenged yet another loss, holding on for a 31-26 win Saturday after the Longhorns had a couple of late scores.

“It’s something that’s heartbreaking for us. Coming off a win last year, it’s probably my most favorite moment,” said Jaxon Shipley, part of the Texas senior class that went 1-3 against the Sooners.

“That taste after you win, it’s an unbelievable feeling. Not to have that (this year), is not a good feeling at all.”

Texas (2-4, 1-2 Big 12), which was also a two-touchdown underdog when it beat Oklahoma a year ago, is off to its worst start since going 1-9 in 1956, the year before Darrell Royal became the coach in Austin.

In each of the Sooners’ 11 losses overall since 2009, they have beaten that team the next season, now including that unexpected 36-20 loss to Texas a year ago.

Oklahoma (5-1, 2-1), whose loss last weekend at TCU was among an unprecedented series of upsets across the country, is also 32-0 in regular-season games after a loss since the start of the 2000 season.

The Longhorns, who got two touchdowns from Tyrone Swoopes in a 3 1/2-minute span of the fourth quarter, led only after Nick Rose kicked a 28-yard field goal on the game-opening, 13-play drive when they had three false starts and a delay of game penalty.

“Overall, I was very pleased with the way we played, but you just can’t give away opportunities, especially when you are playing a very good football team,” Strong said. “You have to take advantage of everything.”

The Longhorns had 11 penalties for 85 yards, including five false starts, an illegal formation and two holding calls.

Swoopes finished 27 of 44 for 334 yards with two touchdowns to John Harris. Shipley caught nine passes for 115 yards.

After the opening field goal, Alex Ross took the ensuing kickoff on the right side of the field, cut to the left and through an open gap for a 91-yard kickoff return.

Oklahoma went up 17-3 early in the second quarter when Zack Sanchez had his Big 12-leading fifth interception. He has picks in seven of the past nine games.

Trevor Knight threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard late in the third quarter for Oklahoma, which finished with 232 total yards. Samaje Perine then had a 13-yard TD run with 12:50 left that made it 31-13.

Swoopes then had a 6-yard TD to Harris with 8:24 left to cap a 12-play, 75-yard drive. The Sooners then went three-and-out before Swoopes scored on a 12-yard keeper.

The Longhorns kicked off after Swoopes was stopped short on a 2-point try. Oklahoma then picked up a couple of first downs before punting and leaving Texas only 18 seconds without any timeouts. The Longhorns had an incompletion and another penalty before a game-ending incompletion from their 10.

“We’d like to see the whole team (build off this performance), not just Tyrone,” Strong said. “Tyrone played a really good game, but when you look all around, there’s a lot of people that did a good job.”

Not good enough to beat the Sooners, even when they had only 29 total yards on offense in the first half.

This was the first time Stoops coached the annual game at the State Fair of Texas against anyone other than Mack Brown. Stoops was 9-6 against Brown, and is now 1-0 with a much-needed victory for the Sooners against Strong.

A second loss by the midpoint of the season would have made it difficult, maybe impossible, for Oklahoma to get back in the mix for a spot in the new four-team College Football Playoff.

“I feel like we’re improving as a team. Do I like everything that happened today? Heck no,” Stoops said. “We’ve got a lot to work on, that’s obvious, but it always good when you win and you didn’t play well and you know you’ve got things you can correct.”

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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