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Mariota leads No. 12 Oregon’s 42-30 rout of UCLA

By WTOP Staff

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — One snap after Oregon’s defense recovered Brett Hundley’s fumble deep in UCLA territory, Marcus Mariota found an edge and scampered around it, diving for the Ducks’ first touchdown.

With those back-to-back plays, the Ducks demonstrated why it has been seven years since they lost back-to-back games in the same season — and why it certainly wasn’t about to happen again at the Rose Bowl.

Mariota ran for two touchdowns and passed for 210 yards and two more scores as No. 12 Oregon rebounded from its first defeat with a 42-30 victory over No. 18 UCLA on Saturday.

Royce Freeman rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns for the Ducks (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12), who built a 42-10 lead early in the fourth quarter with systematic superiority over UCLA, a preseason Top-10 team. Thomas Tyner and Pharaoh Brown caught TD passes as Oregon coasted home in its sixth straight win over the Bruins (4-2, 1-2).

A week after a 31-24 home loss to Arizona, Oregon showed no symptoms from the loss.

“It says a lot about the character of this team that they were able to flush (last week) and just keep chugging,” Mariota said. “We came out this Monday, and you could feel the intensity pick up. … We believed in what we could do.”

Left tackle Jake Fisher’s return from injury boosted the offense and encouraged Mariota, who had been sacked 12 times in the past two games without Fisher watching his back. The defense kept Hundley uncomfortable for most of the day, giving up just 232 yards in the first three quarters while Oregon built an insurmountable lead.

“I know that our guys were ready to go today,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said. “It meant a ton to them in every phase, and they earned it.”

Mariota also made the game’s most entertaining play when he recovered his own fumble while rushing for a 23-yard score early in the second half, impressing his teammates and coaches with his dribbling skills.

“Next time, I want him to do a 360, pick it up and score,” Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost said with a grin.

Hundley passed for 216 yards and ran for a score for the Bruins, who followed up their last-minute loss to Utah by falling into a huge early hole. The Bruins are probably out of the national title race after back-to-back defeats, and their large home crowd trickled out of Arroyo Seco throughout the second half.

Paul Perkins rushed for 190 yards and Jordan Payton caught two fourth-quarter TD passes for UCLA. But the Bruins failed to contend with Oregon’s speed and sophistication.

“When you play a team like Oregon, you’ve got to be almost perfect to beat them,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said. “They are just so explosive and so good. I think that we did some things today that were really positive, but we shot ourselves in the foot a couple times.”

Mora and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich got into a heated exchange on the sideline after Oregon’s second touchdown. While their players looked on uncomfortably, Ulbrich removed his headset and handed what appeared to be his play sheet to Mora during the discussion. Mora grabbed Ulbrich’s face in both hands as the coaches calmed down.

“He is one of my closest friends, and we are both very passionate and very competitive,” said Mora, who coached Ulbrich with the San Francisco 49ers. “If you don’t have that fire, then something is wrong in this business.”

But neither coach had an answer for Mariota, who revitalized his Heisman Trophy hopes with a stellar effort in his second career head-to-head meeting with Hundley.

After UCLA got only a field goal out of an 83-yard drive, Mariota hit Tyner for a 21-yard TD on a screen pass, prompting the sideline dispute between Mora and Ulbrich.

UCLA defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes also threw a punch after a play during the first half. He was penalized, but not ejected, and Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said the league would review the play.

UCLA pulled to 21-10 at halftime on Hundley’s gutsy 16-yard TD run up the middle with 3 seconds left. But Mariota capped the Ducks’ first drive after halftime with his dribbling TD run up the middle, and Iko Ekpre-Olomu returned an interception moments later to the UCLA 10, setting up Freeman’s second TD run and a 35-10 lead.

“He’s a dynamic quarterback, as everyone knows,” UCLA safety Anthony Jefferson said about Mariota. “He finds a way to make plays on his feet. Throughout the game, he rarely just made throws in the pocket. Most of his throws were him scrambling around and making something happen.”

Payton and Nate Starks scored fourth-quarter TDs, and UCLA recovered one onside kick before Freeman recovered the Bruins’ second onside attempt.

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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