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Romo back, Ravens top Cowboys 37-30 in preseason

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tony Romo passed the first test with his surgically repaired back, and Baltimore’s defense and special teams made three more scoring drives from Joe Flacco an afterthought.

Deonte Thompson returned a kickoff 108 yards for a score after Romo threw a touchdown pass in his preseason debut for Dallas, Flacco had a scoring toss and the Ravens beat the Cowboys 37-30 on Saturday night.

The Ravens (2-0) also got a 26-yard fumble return for a touchdown when Courtney Upshaw picked up a botched handoff from Romo and stayed on his feet while Romo tried to drag him down by his jersey.

Romo’s final play was a 31-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant midway through the first quarter.

“He looked good,” Bryant said. “He wanted to show the world he is ‘9’ and he’s a baller.”

Dallas is 0-2 in the preseason.

Baltimore led 14-7 before Flacco took the field for the first time late in the first quarter. He threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Torrey Smith for a 24-10 lead late in the first half.

Romo was expected to take about a dozen snaps in first game since surgery for a herniated disk that kept him out of a loss to Philadelphia in playoffs-or-bust finale last December. That ended up being two possessions after a botched exchange with running back DeMarco Murray led to Upshaw’s score.

“My mindset was to pick it up quickly,” Upshaw said. “Romo was kind of trying to get out of the way, so I just took advantage and broke through his tackle to score a touchdown.”

Murray had 25 of his 34 yards rushing and a 21-yard catch on the next drive, which ended with Bryant leaping over Ravens cornerback Dominique Franks at the goal line and falling into the end zone.

“I thought I got some good carries, got some good work out there today,” Murray said. “Always wish for more, but thought it was a good first game.”

Romo was 4 of 5 for 80 yards, and Bryant had three catches for 59 yards after both skipped the preseason-opening loss at San Diego, along with several other offensive and defensive starters.

“Some things came up that were a little different we hadn’t seen,” Romo said. “We were able to communicate and be on the same page and the receivers, me, the linemen. It just shows we are doing some going things and are further along than you might usually be this early.”

Thompson answered Romo’s touchdown by getting to the left sideline untouched and having only kicker Dan Bailey to beat, which he did easily around midfield to put the Ravens ahead for good. Thompson also had a 50-yard kickoff return.

Flacco had a rougher start than in Baltimore’s win over San Francisco in the exhibition opener, when he led an 80-yard scoring drive on his only possession. But he finished 9 of 14 for 133 yards in what turned into another solid showing with first-year offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s version of the West Coast offense.

After punts on either side of a drive to the first of three field goals from Justin Tucker, Flacco’s only touchdown drive was kept alive by a roughing-the-passer penalty against George Selvie on a third-down incompletion.

The Ravens scored two plays later after Flacco’s longest pass of the night — a 38-yard to Jacoby Jones — and Smith’s over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone despite tight coverage from rookie cornerback Terrance Mitchell.

“We came out slow, weren’t really firing on all cylinders, and didn’t keep ourselves on the field,” Flacco said. “But I thought we did a good job of fighting through it.”

Like Flacco, Romo backup Brandon Weeden wasn’t as smooth in his second preseason game. He underthrew Terrance Williams just enough to give Baltimore’s Chykie Brown a chance to break up what otherwise would have been a scoring pass and finished 10 of 19 for 129 yards with a sack and an interception.

The Ravens gave up 184 yards and 11 first downs with their first team on the field in the first quarter, including Romo’s 83-yard scoring drive. But the backups were solid for a team looking for depth on a unit struggling with injuries.

NOTES: Ravens RB Ray Rice played only the second series and had two carries for 21 yards, including an 18-yarder. He has a shoulder bruise that isn’t considered serious. … Baltimore CB Jimmy Smith left the game early with a chest contusion that is considered mild. … Cowboys LB DeVonte Holloman was sidelined by a neck injury. … Cowboys S Ahmad Dixon was benched because he was late to a walkthrough practice. He was the defensive standout for Dallas against San Diego.

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

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Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

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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