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Dolphins get 1st preseason win, top Bucs 20-14

By WTOP Staff

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Backup quarterback Matt Moore provided most of the scoring offense for the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night.

Moore led two straight touchdown drives in Miami’s 20-14 preseason victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night.

“We got into a little bit of a rhythm. Guys were in the right spots, making big plays,” said Moore, who completed 13 of 19 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown.

“I was just trying to execute plays and maybe questions were answered, I don’t know. I was just being me.”

The Dolphins took advantage of a mistake by Bucs rookie Mike Evans that turned the game around in the second quarter.

Evans, the Bucs’ first-round pick from Texas A&M, caught a short pass from Mike Glennon and after breaking a tackle, sprinted down the sideline toward a 42-yard touchdown which could have given the Bucs a 14-3 lead.

After a review of the original touchdown call, however, it was ruled that Miami cornerback Brent Grimes had punched the ball out of Evans’ hands just before Evans crossed the goal line. The fumble went through the end zone, giving the Dolphins (1-1) the ball.

“If it’s a game that matters, then (Evans) scores because he’s learned from it,” Bucs quarterback Josh McCown said. “But yeah, he was pretty ticked off at himself.”

Bucs coach Lovie Smith was also inclined to give the rookie some slack.

“I know Mike fumbled the ball, but it was a great play to get it down to there,” Smith said. “He’ll learn from his mistakes. My rookies are doing too many great things for me to harp on that.”

Moore, competing with newcomer Brady Quinn for the No. 2 quarterback spot, drove the Dolphins 71 yards to a touchdown in the final 1:41 of the first half. He completed 6 of 8 passes, including a 9-yard touchdown pass to Rishard Matthews that gave Miami a 10-7 lead over the Bucs (0-2) with 8 seconds left in the half.

Moore completed 21-yard passes to Kevin Cone and Armon Binns on Miami’s first possession of the second half, part of a nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive.

“(Moore) played well. I thought he threw the ball well,” Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said. “We’ll watch the tape. I thought he had a good game.”

Rookie running back Damien Williams ran 1 yard for the touchdown that gave Miami a 17-7 lead with 8:58 left in the third quarter. John Potter added a 51-yard field goal that made it 20-7 with 4:30 left in the third.

Dolphins starter Ryan Tannehill completed 9 of 14 passes for 110 yards, including a 16-yard completion to Matthews that set up the game’s first score. Potter’s 48-yard field goal put the Dolphins up 3-0 with 4:47 left in the first quarter.

Tannehill fumbled on the first play of the second quarter while being sacked by Gerald McCoy. Michael Johnson recovered, setting up the Bucs at the Miami 25-yard line.

Four plays later, McCown threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson to give the Bucs a 7-3 lead.

The Bucs’ other touchdown came with 14 seconds left on Mike Kafka’s 13-yard pass to Lavelle Hawkins.

McCown completed 5 of 7 for 46 yards in three series.

Quinn, who signed with the Dolphins on Tuesday, played the final quarter and part of the third, completing all four of his passes for 22 yards.

“We felt very good about what he knew going into the game,” Philbin said. “The type of game we were in, up by 13 points, it just didn’t make a lot of sense to start chucking it a whole lot.”

NOTES: The Dolphins will play the Dallas Cowboys next Saturday night in their preseason home opener. The Bucs will travel to Buffalo to play the Bills next Saturday.

___

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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