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No. 22 Cornhuskers open against Florida Atlantic

By WTOP Staff

ERIC OLSON
AP College Football Writer

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska came out of preseason practice calling its offense the “Red Storm” and confident its defense will be better than the middling unit of a year ago.

“Now the test will come,” coach Bo Pelini said. “Once we get to the first game, the question will be can we apply what we’ve learned? Can we react with 93,000 in the stands?”

The 22nd-ranked Cornhuskers will begin to find out against Florida Atlantic on Saturday if they can match their happy talk with performance.

Talent isn’t a question. They have a second-year starter in quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., the nation’s top returning rusher in Ameer Abdullah and one of the Big Ten’s best receivers in Kenny Bell. They also have what could be one of the Big Ten’s most dominant defensive lines, led by projected NFL first-round pick Randy Gregory.

But the Huskers have been hamstrung in recent seasons by turnovers and penalties. They’ve lost four games each of Pelini’s six years, and the program hasn’t won a conference championship since 1999.

Cornerback Josh Mitchell said the Huskers are poised to break through.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that played a lot of football last year that were playing at this level for the first time,” Mitchell said. “I think we’re a lot farther ahead going into week one than we were last season.”

For FAU, this will be the first of two straight “money” games. Next week the Owls travel to No. 2 Alabama. They’re being paid $1 million for each game.

FAU played at Miami and Auburn last year, its first season in Conference USA. The Owls went to Georgia and Alabama in back-to-back weeks in 2012, and they played at Florida, Michigan State and Auburn in succession in 2011.

FAU is 1-25 all-time against teams in the Power 5 conferences, with its only win against Minnesota in 2007.

“We’ve been in some hostile environments,” defensive tackle Brandin Bryant said. “We’ve played against A.J. McCarron, Tre Mason, Duke Johnson, Aaron Murray. We look at it as a challenge. We don’t believe anyone can beat us if we do what we have to do. If we accomplish our goals, there’s no doubt we’ll be satisfied with the result.”

Things to watch as Nebraska begins its 125th football season and goes for its nation-best 29th consecutive win in an opener:

PARTRIDGE’S DEBUT: Former Arkansas defensive line coach Charlie Partridge begins his first season as FAU coach. The Owls had a tumultuous 2013, with head coach Carl Pelini, Bo’s brother, forced out with four games left amid allegations of drug use. Carl Pelini has denied involvement with drugs. Brian Wright won four straight as FAU’s interim coach, and the Owls finished 6-6. Wright remains on staff as offensive coordinator.

HOW LONG WILL ARMSTRONG PLAY? Nebraska offensive coordinator Tim Beck says it’s critical to get a backup quarterback game experience. The first two weeks — McNeese State visits next Saturday — should provide opportunities for Ryker Fyfe and Johnny Stanton if all goes as planned.

NEARING 3,000: Abdullah needs 23 yards to become the eighth player in Nebraska history to rush for 3,000 in a career. Abdullah’s 1,690 yards in 2013 put him over 1,000 two years in a row. He’s trying to become the first Nebraska player to have three 1,000-yard seasons.

COMPLETE RECEIVER: William Dukes has been FAU’s leading receiver the past two seasons, and Partridge expects him to be even better as a senior. “I’m not always going to be a deep-ball threat like I have been,” Dukes said. “I’m going to be catching short passes and taking them for 5 or 6 more yards and make people miss.”

SELLOUT STREAK: Nebraska at mid-week had about 50 tickets remaining for the opener, and spokesman Chris Anderson said the nation’s longest sellout streak would remain intact. Memorial Stadium has been full for all 333 games since Nov. 3, 1962.

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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