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Wilson leads Seattle to 41-14 win over San Diego

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — Russell Wilson’s first appearance at home since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy looked very similar to Seattle’s Super Bowl domination, even in a limited performance.

Wilson threw for 121 yards and ran for two touchdowns, leading Seattle to scores on all four of his possessions as the Seahawks beat the San Diego Chargers 41-14 on Friday night.

“I definitely believe we can be that explosive,” Wilson said. “It starts first of all with the offensive line and how well they’re doing … but then you think about our receivers and we have so many talented receivers.”

Wilson did a little of everything. He was pressured on the first snap of the game and avoided it to complete a pass. He scrambled when the pressure created clear running lanes. He threw sharp passes to open receivers and he operated Seattle’s offense with an efficiency missing in its preseason opener at Denver.

Wilson completed 11 of 13 passes, and connected on his first eight attempts. He ran for another 31 yards as Seattle finished the first half with 260 yards of offense, 255 of those with Wilson at quarterback.

Wilson was the first act. Terrelle Pryor and B.J. Daniels added their own chapters on a night Seattle’s quarterbacks combined for four touchdowns rushing.

Pryor got an extended look in the competition to back up Wilson and showed why Seattle is so enticed. Pryor was 1 of 4 passing, but ran away from San Diego’s defense on a 44-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

Daniels added a 6-yard TD run.

Marshawn Lynch made his preseason debut for all of two plays before giving way to backups Robert Turbin and Christine Michael. Lynch held out of the first week of training camp and did not touch the ball in his two snaps. Seattle did get some of its other stars involved, including Percy Harvin, who had four receptions for 31 yards after catching five passes all of last season.

Turbin finished with 81 yards on 12 carries. He showed open-field speed cutting back on the defense and racing for 47 yards on one carry, and displayed power bulling in for a 1-yard touchdown.

“The offense as a whole probably made some mistakes but I think overall we did well,” Turbin said. “It was continuing to get better and continuing to be disciplined as a runner. It’s not always going to be daylight. Sometimes you have to create some.”

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers played just one series before handing off to Kellen Clemens. San Diego kept most of its starting offense on the field with Clemens, but the Chargers could manage only 42 yards against Seattle’s defensive starters, 37 of those coming on the one drive Rivers led.

“There are some run-game things I’m still working through, some checks, that I know are going to come out today. Still some things that we can improve on in the pass game, me specifically,” Clemens said.

Just when it seemed Wilson’s night should be done, he took one more series as the Seahawks worked on their hurry-up offense. Harvin said that wasn’t the plan. Seattle’s starters were supposed to be done early in the second quarter.

The result: Wilson took Seattle 67 yards in under 4 minutes, capping the drive with a 5-yard touchdown scramble.

“We told Coach we were in a rhythm and wanted to stay in there,” Harvin said.

The drive provided the only moment of apprehension for Seattle when Doug Baldwin was knocked out of the back of the end zone on a big hit from San Diego safety Darrell Stuckey. Baldwin was slow to get up, but was laughing on the sideline when Wilson scrambled for the TD and a 24-0 Seattle lead.

Seattle also cleaned up its penalty problems from the preseason opener, when it was flagged 13 times, and was better on third down. The Seahawks were called for three penalties in the first half and were 5 of 6 on third downs.

“That was about as much as we could hope for,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.

NOTES: Seattle DE Michael Bennett did not play because of a tight hamstring. … San Diego DT Sean Lissemore left in the first quarter with an ankle injury, but walked off the field without help. S Jahleel Addae also left with a hamstring injury. … Seattle K Steven Hauschka made both his attempts including a 55-yarder in the third quarter.

___

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

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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