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Panthers football searching for identity in ACC

By WTOP Staff

WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tyler Boyd is used to the attention that comes with being among the best players on the football field.

Still, the Pittsburgh sophomore wide receiver’s stellar 2013 season — when he set school freshman marks in receptions (85), yards receiving (1,174) and touchdowns (seven) — wasn’t enough for him to generate much buzz. Boyd didn’t make the preseason All-ACC team.

But neither did any other Panther. And Boyd and his teammates noticed after they were picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC’s crowded Coastal Division.

“We know that people aren’t talking about us,” Boyd said. “But it’s up to us. We walk around and we tell each other, ‘We’re not the seventh best team in the ACC, we’re one of the top two or three.’ But we can’t just say it. We’ve got to go out there and do it.”

The Panthers had an uneven debut in their new conference home after splitting from the Big East. The same team that beat eventual Coastal Division champion Duke and stunned Notre Dame also stumbled against Navy and North Carolina. A victory over Bowling Green in the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl left them at 7-6 for the second straight year.

While coach Paul Chryst enters his third season with his program stable — no coaching changes, no conference switches and no glaring offseason issues — Pitt still has yet to gain much traction. It might be a good time to start.

“I’ve been telling a couple other people, as proud as we are to be members of the ACC, our goal and objective is to make an impact on it,” Chryst said. “We’re certainly not there right now.”

The schedule is hardly intimidating. No Florida State. No Louisville. There will be plenty of chances for the Panthers to prove the prognosticators wrong and prove something to themselves.

“We’re not where we want to be,” Chryst said. “But I sure appreciate and enjoy going through and facing that challenge with this group of guys and for every challenge there’s an opportunity.”

LET BOYD BE BOYD: Boyd quickly delivered on his considerable promise last fall, providing the Panthers with the kind of explosive playmaking at wide receiver they hadn’t seen since Larry Fitzgerald was hauling in catches a decade ago.

Yet the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Boyd is no longer one of the ACC’s best kept secrets. He will be the focal point of opposing defenses, leaving it up to Chryst to find ways to keep Boyd involved. The way Chryst looks at it, there are worse problems.

“If we’re going to be good, if you look back at the end of the year and we’ve had some success, Tyler, my guess, is going to be a big part of that,” Chryst said.

DOUBLE DUTY: The Panthers lost the most dominant defensive player in the nation when tackle Aaron Boyd took his Outland, Nagurski and Lombardi Awards to the NFL. Replacing Boyd with one player will be nearly impossible. Consider running back James Conner, however, part of the process. Conner spent time at defensive end against Bowling Green and expects to see his role expanded this fall even as he carries the load as the team’s top running back.

VOYTIK’S VOYAGE: Chryst is reluctant to name a starting quarterback too early in camp, but barring injury the job will go to sophomore Chad Voytik.

He showed he can produce under pressure in the bowl game, playing the entire second half and leading the Panthers to the winning drive in the final minutes. Generously listed at 6-foot-1, Voytik isn’t the first undersized quarterback Chryst has put to work. Russell Wilson thrived under Chryst’s watch at Wisconsin in 2011 and while Voytik allows he’s nowhere near Wilson in terms of accomplishments, he knows he simply needs to be efficient for the Panthers to be competitive.

LEAKY LINE: Giving Voytik a little time to work would certainly help. Pitt’s offensive line allowed 43 sacks in 2013. Voytik’s mobility should help cut down those numbers. So should a year of experience for the four returning starters.

TODD’S TIME: Senior linebacker Todd Thomas replaces Donald as the Panthers’ best defensive weapon. It’s a role he’s ready for after recording 72 tackles in 2013, including a team-high 12 against Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

“I want to lead by example for the young guys, so they can learn a little bit,” Thomas said. “There are a lot of young guys that are ready to step in the spotlight and go to work.”

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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