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O’Brien looks to bright side after dismal opener

By WTOP Staff

CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — The offense went nowhere, the defense was picked apart and the mistakes and penalties mounted. Bill O’Brien’s first game as Houston Texans coach could’ve hardly gone worse.

A day after Houston’s 32-0 loss in Arizona on Saturday night, O’Brien wasn’t overreacting. It’s just one game, the first game, and the more O’Brien watched film, the more positive signs for a team rebuilding off a 2-14 season.

“In any game like this, when you walk off the field, you feel like there are so many things that went wrong,” O’Brien said. “There were a lot of negatives out there, as far as penalties and turnovers and not being able to get off the field on third down. But just like anything else, there are also some good things.”

Just not too many.

The Texans mustered only 172 yards and nine first downs and went 0 for 8 on third down. They also committed 13 penalties for 126 yards.

Starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played the entire first half and looked shaky, completing only 6 of 14 passes for 55 yards with two interceptions. He finally got the offense moving late in the first half, only to have a pass picked off by Marcus Benard.

“We were driving the ball well there,” O’Brien said. “It was a good moment of situational football, obviously, until he threw the interception. We can’t do that.”

Case Keenum and Tom Savage, competing for the No. 2 spot, hardly played in the second half, because the Cardinals had their way with Houston’s defense, converting 11 of 17 third downs. Arizona held the ball for more than 42 minutes.

Keenum and Savage got only two series apiece in the second half — a total of 14 plays.

“Certainly, you would’ve liked to have had more plays, no question about it,” O’Brien said.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, breezed for touchdowns on their first two series. Carson Palmer went 5-for-5 on his only series and he, Drew Stanton and Logan Thomas completed 27 of 34 passes for 349 yards overall without an interception.

O’Brien and his staff watched the game film on the plane ride home and again on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, O’Brien said he and his staff will meet with the players and go over “the good, the bad and the ugly.”

“I’m sure people are disappointed in what they saw,” O’Brien said, “but we’re working hard to fix it and we’re going to continue to work hard to get these guys on the same page with us and go out there and win some games.”

Just about all of the positive plays the Texans made came early. J.J. Watt sacked Palmer on the second play from scrimmage and top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney corralled a running back behind the line on the second series. O’Brien also liked what he saw from linebackers Brooks Reed, Mike Mohamed and Jeff Tarpinian and rookie lineman Xavier Su’a-Filo, who took snaps at left tackle and left guard.

The Texans will have joint practices with Atlanta this week before playing the Falcons on Saturday night. O’Brien said “there’s a shot” that running back Arian Foster and receiver Andre Johnson will both play in the game after missing most of training camp with injuries.

O’Brien said linebacker Brian Cushing, who was placed on the physically unable to perform list before training camp, “may do some things” at practice this week but is unlikely to be ready for the Atlanta game.

___

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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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