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Titans pull out 20-16 win over Packers in rain

By WTOP Staff

TERESA M. WALKER
AP Pro Football Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Titans made Ken Whisenhunt a winner in his coaching debut in Tennessee in a wet, sloppy game where the best decision might have been Packers coach Mike McCarthy scratching Aaron Rodgers before kickoff.

Jackie Battle scored on a 7-yard touchdown run with 5:02 left, and the Titans rallied to beat Green Bay 20-16 on Saturday night in the preseason opener for both teams.

Rookie Zach Mettenberger made up for two turnovers in the fourth quarter by completing all three passes for 71 yards to set up Battle’s go-ahead touchdown for Tennessee’s first lead in a preseason opener played mostly in a pouring rain. Whisenhunt said it was the worst weather he’s coached in, though he once played in uglier conditions.

“A lot of things we had planned went out the window with the rain, so for nothing else it was a good opportunity to work on that,” Whisenhunt said. “We learned a lot about ourselves and what we have to do to prepare for that. Those aren’t conditions you generally replicate or practice.”

With quarterbacks having trouble holding onto the ball, McCarthy had to feel good about his pregame decision to scratch not only Rodgers, but also Eddie Lacy along with eight other Packers. McCarthy said he just wanted to get his other three quarterbacks work in a game Rodgers would have played only a series in anyway.

The Packers fumbled five times, losing only one. Tennessee lost one of three fumbles.

“We probably didn’t do quite as good as we’d like there with the number of times we had the ball on the ground and with the drops,” McCarthy said. “To play in this environment was an incredible experience for our team.”

Not so much for the fans. The biggest cheer of the game came early in the second quarter, when rain finally eased up for the first time in nearly two hours. But heavy rain returned late in the first half and stuck around most of the third quarter.

Davante Adams fumbled a punt in the first quarter that led to the Titans’ first touchdown, a 13-yard run by Shonn Greene, who’s had two arthroscopic surgeries in the past year on his right knee. Rookie Bishop Sankey caught a 5-yard TD pass from Charlie Whitehurst.

Matt Flynn started for Rodgers and was 5 of 10 for 49 yards playing most of the first half. He left with the Packers leading 7-6 thanks to James Starks’ TD capping the opening drive. Starks played only the first series in place of Lacy, and he finished with six carries for 49 yards.

“Physically it’s just one of those weird games,” Flynn said. “You can’t really go back and critique your mechanics, and receivers can’t really critique their routes too much because it was a sloppy game.”

Whisenhunt brought in defensive coordinator Ray Horton, who’s using a hybrid 3-4 scheme, and he couldn’t be too happy even with the sloppy conditions. The Titans, who pulled their defensive starters after the Packers’ second offensive series, allowed 90 yards rushing in the first half.

Jake Locker played only the first quarter and was 1 of 2 for 5 yards. He bobbled a snap, though he recovered. He could have left with the score tied except Maikon Bonani missed the 33-yard extra point after Greene’s 13-yard TD run. Whisenhunt wanted to see Locker do more work in the pocket before finally deciding to pull him.

“I never played in a rain like this,” Locker said. “This is definitely the hardest rain I’ve played in to this point.”

Whitehurst took over for the first series of the second quarter with rookie Taylor Lewan, the No. 11 draft pick overall, taking over at left tackle for veteran Michael Roos. Whitehurst was 10 of 15 for 94 yards.

Scott Tolzien simply lost the ball out of his hand trying to pass midway through the third quarter, then he grabbed the jersey of Titans linebacker Brandon Copeland holding until he could recover his fumble. Tolzien then found Chris Harper for a 38-yard pass, and rookie Rajion Neal, who played at the University of Tennessee, capped the drive with a 12-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.

The sloppiness wasn’t limited to players on the field.

After Neal’s touchdown run was reviewed, the Packers sent the offense out a 2-point conversion pass that failed. The TD was taken off the scoreboard with some thinking the TD had been overturned.

Notes: Titans LB Zach Brown didn’t start the game for what Whisenhunt called punishment for violating a team rule. Zaviar Gooden started instead inside next to Wesley Woodyard.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

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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