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Driskel returns as Florida opens season vs Idaho

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Driskel’s last pass at Florida Field ended in severe pain.

He broke his right leg against Tennessee in September, causing him to miss the final nine games of the season and leaving the Gators reeling on offense.

Driskel got up and walked off the field after the gruesome injury, which gave teammates and coaches a new level of respect for their starting quarterback.

“He’s as tough a competitor that I’ve been around,” coach Will Muschamp said. “To have him walk off the field with what happened to him, he’s a lot tougher than me. It just says something about his toughness, his mental edge and what he’s got about him.”

Nearly a year later, Driskel is healthy and hoping to lead the Gators back to prominence in the Southeastern Conference. Florida opens the season Saturday against Idaho, a seemingly overmatched opponent that should provide the Gators a better-than-decent chance at ending a seven-game losing streak.

But if the Gators are going to have the kind of season they envision — a turnaround similar to what fellow SEC teams Auburn and Missouri enjoyed last year — they need Driskel to stay healthy. It’s something he hasn’t done in three years in Gainesville.

In an effort to keep Driskel upright, on the field and more comfortable, Florida overhauled its scheme after three years of ground-and-pound offense that resulted in more contempt than cheer.

Muschamp hired Kurt Roper as offensive coordinator, and the former Duke play-caller installed an up-tempo spread system that puts Driskel in the shotgun and gets the ball out of his hands considerably quicker than before.

“I think I understand what we’re doing really well,” Driskel said. “Schematically, where we want to go with the ball in certain situations, when we want to do run checks. I really do have an understanding of how to study film, how to look at an opponent and what to look for. All the time I’ve put in is really starting to payoff. The game has really slowed down a lot.”

Driskel’s season came to a halt in the first quarter against Tennessee when he fell to the ground following an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Trainers wanted to cart him off the field, but he refused.

It was a memorable moment for Driskel, the team and the 90,000 in attendance.

“I wasn’t trying to be a hero,” said Driskel said. “I wasn’t trying to have any kind of moment or anything like that. I don’t know if it shows toughness or shows leadership, but at the end of the day, football is a tough sport and you’ve got to be able to show off that toughness at times. I’m just looking forward to this year and trying not to think about that.”

___

Aside from Driskel’s return, here are five things to know about the Idaho-Florida game:

OPENING-DAY STREAK: Florida has the second-longest opening-day streak in the nation. The Gators have won 24 straight openers, four shy of Nebraska. They have outscored opponents by a combined 327-58 over the last eight season-opening victories, but have been less-than-impressive the last two years under Muschamp. The Gators beat Toledo 24-6 last season and edged Bowling Green 27-14 in 2012.

OVERMATCHED OPPONENT? The Vandals have been one of the worst teams in the country recently. They have four wins over the last three years, including back-to-back one-win seasons. Idaho’s biggest problem in 2013 was defense, where coach Paul Petrino’s unit ranked 121st nationally out of 123 teams.

IMPROVED O-LINE? Florida’s offensive line was a weak spot last season. The Gators were manhandled up front by just about everyone down the stretch, even lower-division Georgia Southern. Line coach Tim Davis was fired a day after the season ended, and Florida has spent the nine months since trying to get better. Showing progress in games is the next step. “We’ve had a lot of mentality changes for a lot of things that happened last year,” center Max Garcia said. “Got to grow from that and learn from that, look at that from a distance and just try to move forward.”

BOTTOM LINE: Muschamp is a bottom-line guy who cares about the final result. That approach hasn’t gotten him a lot of love in Gainesville, where former coach Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer were always willing to run up the score. Even though Muschamp is squarely on the hot seat after the program’s first losing season since 1979, it doesn’t sound like he’s planning to change. “I anticipate doing what we need to do to win the game,” he said.

SUSPENSIONS LOOM: Florida usually has a few guys suspended for the opener, punishment from rules violations made during the previous eight months. Muschamp declined to announce any this week, but hinted they’re coming: “I’ll address anything at the appropriate time, but not right now.”

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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