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SMU ready to throw again after losing season

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

SMU threw a lot last season, as is always the case under coach June Jones.

That certainly isn’t going to change for the Mustangs, who missed a bowl game for the first time in five years.

“We are going to go back to what we do best,” he said.

And that means throwing downfield.

The meshing of Jones’ “Run and Shoot” offense with Hal Mumme’s “Air Raid” philosophy with more horizontal routes produced 341 yards passing a game, by far the best in Jones’ six seasons on The Hilltop.

But the Mustangs still struggled to reach the end zone, and the 10.2 yards per catch was the lowest under Jones. Both receivers with more than 100 catches, including returning junior Darius Joseph (103 yards, 808 yards, five TDS), averaged less than 10 yards.

Mumme spent only one season as Jones’ passing game coordinator before taking his seventh head coaching job, at NAIA school Belhaven in Mississippi. SMU also has to replace two 1,000-yard receivers and quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who was drafted by the St. Louis Rams.

The likely quarterback is sophomore Neal Burcham, who started the final two games last season when Gilbert was hurt, though the Mustangs lost both to finish 5-7.

“Certainly he has waited his turn,” Jones said. “He throws the ball accurately, understands what we’re doing.”

Burcham could be pushed by Matt Davis, who transferred from Tyler Junior College after initially being at Texas A&M in 2012 when Johnny Manziel was a freshman Heisman Trophy winner.

Five things to watch with SMU this season:

BOUNCING BACK: June Jones has never had consecutive losing seasons as a head coach, and bounced back nicely from each of the three sub-.500 records in his 15 years. After a 1-11 debut at SMU in 2008, the Mustangs were 8-5 in 2009. He had six-win improvements after his losing seasons at Hawaii — from 3-9 in 2000 to 9-3, and then from 5-7 in 2005 to 11-3.

CLOSE, BUT … : SMU had 50 drives inside the 20 last season, and scored touchdowns on only 27 of them. Add in 12 field goals and the Mustangs ranked 97th out of 123 FBS teams last year in red-zone scoring at 78 percent. They lost three games by four points or less.

LONE STAR REUNIONS: All four of SMU’s nonconference games are against Texas teams, three of them old Southwest Conference rivals. The Mustangs open Aug. 31 at Big 12 champion Baylor’s new campus stadium, then go to North Texas on Sept. 6. After an off week, they have home games against Texas A&M and TCU before the American Athletic Conference opener Oct. 4 at East Carolina.

NEXT LINE: When Prescott Line was redshirting in his first season at SMU two years ago, he got to watch the end of brother Zach’s standout career. Only Eric Dickerson finished with more yards rushing at SMU than Zach Line’s 4,185, and both had 47 career TDs. Prescott, whose 6-foot, 228-pound frame is almost identical to his brother, was SMU’s top rusher last season as a freshman with 90 carries for 332 yards. Zach had 49 carries for 189 yards as a freshman, then three consecutive 1,200-yard seasons.

BIG LOSSES: While eight starters return on defense, the Mustangs’ two tacklers last season were seniors Randall Joyner (98 tackles) and Kevin Pope (91).

___

Online:

AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org

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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