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Bucs, Dolphins eye improvement in 2nd exhibition

By WTOP Staff

FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Lovie Smith believes NFL teams typically show significant improvement from the first to the second preseason game.

The coach and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers certainly are counting on that, especially on offense, when they face the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night.

Little went right for Josh McCown and the remainder of the first team offense during last week’s 16-10 at Jacksonville. The 35-year-old quarterback had an interception returned for a touchdown, lost one of his two fumbles, was sacked twice and also took a hard hit at the end of a scramble.

To put it mildly, the Bucs look bad. But Smith isn’t concerned.

“This is how I look at it. It’s the first preseason game,” said Smith, who replaced Greg Schiano after last season, inheriting a team that went 4-12 in 2013.

“Like I look at practices, you want to have a good one each day, but it doesn’t work out that way always. … What you can’t do after the first preseason game” is over-react,” the coach added. “If we had scored 100 points, I would come in the same way. Don’t look into it too much, good or bad. It was just a starting spot.”

Smith expects his starters to play into the second quarter against the Dolphins, who also expect to play their regulars more than they did during a 16-10 loss at Atlanta.

Receivers Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline are expected to get some playing time while Ryan Tannehill is running the offense. Brady Quinn likely will get some snaps in the race with Matt Moore for the No. 2 quarterback job.

Coach Joe Philbin hasn’t determined if running back Knowshon Moreno will play.

“The first three practices of the week were really focused on our own improvement, our own football team. But, we’ve got our game plan in and guys are excited about playing,” Philbin said. “They’re a good football team. They played well the other night. Their defense looked extremely good and we’re going to have to play well.”

Jacksonville’s starting offense produced little in five possessions against the Gerald McCoy-led Bucs defense. Still, the two-time Pro Bowl tackle said it’s important to take another step forward against Miami as Tampa Bay tries to win back fan support that’s eroded during a stretch in which the team has missed the playoffs six consecutive seasons.

“First outing at home. New regime, new uniforms, new logo, new everything,” McCoy said.

“All we have of what people think about the Bucs is from game one (of the preseason). So we know we have to come out better, we have to come out and start a lot faster, and give the hometown fans something to hope for,” the fifth-year pro added. “All people want is hope. You don’t have to win the Super Bowl on Saturday. People just want hope, and we want to be able to give them that.”

Philbin expects the Dolphins to look better, too.

“We want to see our team tackle better and we want to get off the field better on third down,” the coach said. “Offensively, it’s really consistency. Again, our first group only had one drive and it was a good drive. But they didn’t play a ton of football. So we’re going to get them on the field a little bit more and we’re looking to see consistent production.”

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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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