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Raiders rally past Lions 27-26

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Matthew Stafford and Detroit’s passing game looked in midseason form even with star Calvin Johnson on the sideline watching.

Stafford threw touchdown passes on his first two drives of the game for Detroit before Matt McGloin tossed a 19-yard TD pass to Brice Butler with 6 seconds to go to give the Oakland Raiders a 27-26 win over the Lions in a preseason game Friday night.

Oakland’s late comeback couldn’t overshadow a sharp performance from Stafford, who connected on a 28-yard pass to Golden Tate on Detroit’s second play from scrimmage and a 4-yard score to Kris Durham on the second drive.

The Lions’ first-team offense looked sharp even with Johnson held out of his second straight preseason game.

“Obviously, Calvin wasn’t out there today so a lot of guys got opportunities and made the most of them today,” Stafford said. “That’s what we’re looking for this time year.”

McGloin came in after backup Derek Carr left with injured ribs and a concussion earlier in the fourth quarter and led the game-winning 68-yard drive. The victory wasn’t complete until Sebastian Janikowski kicked the 33-yard extra point.

Matt Schaub threw a deflected interception on his first drive, and Oakland’s first-team defense struggled early. But Carr provided a spark before McGloin got the win.

“There are a lot of things we have to learn from, but it’s a lot better to do that after the win,” coach Dennis Allen said.

Schaub started well in his first home game with the Raiders, converting a pair of third downs before his throw to James Jones in coverage was deflected and intercepted by James Ihedigbo.

Two plays later, cornerback Tarell Brown bit on a double move, and Tate raced past him to catch a 28-yard score.

“He’s obviously a talented player and he’s done well in this league and he’s going to get a lot of opportunities playing for us and he’ll make the most of them,” Stafford said.

Nate Freese hit the upright on the extra point from the 15-yard line. Freese, in a competition with Giorgio Tavecchio, made up for that with a 55-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the half.

Stafford picked apart Oakland’s defense in his limited action, completing 9 of 10 passes for 88 yards and capping the second drive when Durham outjumped TJ Carrie for the 4-yard score.

Stafford spread the ball around well, completing passes to five receivers on three drives before calling it a night.

Detroit’s backup Dan Orlovsky also had success, going 8 for 12 for 153 yards and leading an 83-yard TD drive to open the second half.

Schaub at least ended his night on a positive note by leading a 60-yard drive that was capped by a 1-yard TD run from Darren McFadden. Schaub was nearly intercepted by Rashean Mathis early in the drive when he was late on an out pass to Rod Streater.

But Schaub was helped by a pair of penalties on Detroit, after the Lions had appeared to stop the drive, and then threw a 22-yard screen pass to Maurice Jones-Drew to set up the score.

“We just had far too many blunders where we looked a little sloppy from time to time,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said.

Carr led the Raiders to a field goal on his first drive, throwing a 16-yard pass to Jones on a rollout for the key play.

After stalling on his first drive of the second half, Carr looked sharp late in the third quarter when he completed all six passes for 76 yards on a touchdown drive capped by a 3-yard pass to undrafted rookie tight end Jake Murphy.

A 50-yard punt return by Carrie set up Janikowski’s second field goal of the night early in the fourth quarter to cut Detroit’s lead to 23-20.

But Carr left the game holding his ribs later in the fourth quarter after the hard hit from Larry Webster.

Carr, Oakland’s second-round pick in May, went 9 for 16 for 109 yards and looked comfortable in the pocket against Detroit’s reserves.

NOTES: S Tyvon Branch (ankle), Jones-Drew (finger), TE Scott Simonson (concussion) and OL Matt McCants all were hurt for the Raiders. … Lions S DeJon Gomes left with a neck injury after a hard hit on Simonson that forced a fumble.

___

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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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