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Carr’s 3 TDs lead Raiders past Seahawks 41-31

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Russell Wilson and Seattle’s first-team offense needed just four plays to show they are ready for the regular season.

Wilson ended his night after capping a quick opening drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Luke Willson before the Seahawks lost the exhibition finale to the Oakland Raiders 41-31 on Thursday night.

Wilson opened the game with a 44-yard pass to Jermaine Kearse and finished 3-for-3 for 77 yards. He finished the exhibition season with a 78.6 completion percentage, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 133.8 passer rating.

“When I look back at this preseason the thing that jumps out at me is what our offense was able to do when the first group was in there,” coach Pete Carroll said. “Russell had a phenomenal preseason statistically in every way. That group looks ready to play.”

Rookie Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes to make a case he should be Oakland’s starting quarterback. Carr was almost perfect in the start in place of Matt Schaub, completing 11 of 13 passes for 143 yards and led Oakland (2-2) to four touchdowns in four drives.

“Let’s not burry our head in the sand,” coach Dennis Allen said. “But I haven’t changed anything. I think we’re in good shape where we’re at with all of our quarterbacks and I feel good about being in the position we’re in.”

Schaub was anointed the starter after being acquired in an offseason trade from Houston. Coach Dennis Allen hasn’t deviated from that plan even as Schaub struggled in the preseason before resting this game with a sore throwing elbow.

Now the question will be if Carr’s strong performance that included one touchdown drive against Seattle’s first-team defense or Schaub’s health will be enough to change that plan before the opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 7.

“That’s up for coach Allen to talk about,” Carr said. “My job is to come in and compete my tail off and help this team win.”

The Seahawks (2-2) have no questions about their starting quarterback as Wilson is playing even better than he did a season ago when Seattle won the Super Bowl.

“That’s what we want to do, we want to be explosive and make plays,” Wilson said. “We got into a really good rhythm. I thought we did a really good job all preseason with that. Hopefully we can carry that into the regular season.”

The bigger question for the Super Bowl champions coming into this game was whether former Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor could show enough to earn a spot on the roster as a third quarterback.

Pryor, booed by his former fans, played his best game of the preseason, going 11 for 17 for 134 yards and a 33-yard touchdown pass to Phil Bates. He also ran for 12 yards on four carries.

DeShawn Shead also scored on a 55-yard interception return on a pass thrown by Matt McGloin.

But this night was all about Carr, who said he was “less rookie” than he was two weeks ago with the starting offense when he yelled out the play in the huddle so loud that his teammates were afraid the defense could hear the call.

The second-round pick out of Fresno State made the most of the starting assignment. He completed five passes on the opening drive, including a third-down conversion to Denarius Moore, who was covered by All-Pro Richard Sherman. Latavius Murray capped the drive with a 5-yard TD run.

Carr was just getting started, leading back-to-back one-play touchdown drives following big special teams plays.

After a fumbled kickoff by Bryan Walters, Carr threw a 36-yard TD pass to Moore on the following play to give the Raiders a 14-7 lead.

TJ Carrie’s 45-yard punt return set up Oakland’s next drive at the Seattle 20. On the next play, Carr threw a TD pass to Mychal Rivera, who made a great adjustment on a pass that was deflected by Malcolm Smith.

Carr ended his night with an eight-play touchdown drive, capping it with a perfectly placed back-shoulder 11-yard throw to Moore. That gave Oakland a 28-7 lead and sent the crowd into a frenzy rarely seen in the preseason.

“He was really good,” Carroll said. “The Raiders tore us up in every way. They did everything well. They just took it to us. Whatever they needed to do, they did.”

That ended Carr’s night and started what could be more than a week of questions about the opening day starter.

NOTES: Walters had five kick returns for 137 yards, two punt returns for 13 yards and three catches for 47 yards as he tries to earn a spot on Seattle’s roster. … McGloin threw a TD pass to Brice Butler, the fourth time the two had connected on a scoring play this preseason.

___

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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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