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Texas Tech hangs on to beat Central Arkansas 42-35

By WTOP Staff

BETSY BLANEY
Associated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Davis Webb threw for 452 yards and four touchdowns to lead Texas Tech to a 42-35 win over Central Arkansas Saturday night.

The sophomore quarterback also had two interceptions, a fifth what he threw all last season.

Webb completed 39 of 52 passes and threw TDs of 6, 5 and 70 yards. The 70-yarder early in the fourth quarter was a career high for Webb and receiver Bradley Marquez.

Central Arkansas (0-1) of the Football Championship Subdivision was ahead midway through the second quarter. Once Texas Tech led, the Bears pulled within 42-35 late in the game when backup quarterback Ryan Howard threw an 8-yard TD to Damien Watts.

Bears starting QB Taylor Reed threw for 140 yards and scored on a 1-yard run.

DeAndre Washington of Texas Tech (1-0) rushed for a career-high 104 yards on 20 carries. The team beat last season’s rushing average by 66 yards.

Marquez had two touchdown catches, grabbing a 27-yarder from Webb about 7 minutes after the first.

The Red Raiders came out after halftime and put together an 11-play scoring drive. Webb found Reginald Davis over the middle on a 5-yard slant to put Texas Tech up 28-16.

Webb hit Bradley Marquez on a crossing route and he scampered along the near sideline for a 70-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put the Red Raiders up 35-21.

The Bears kept plugging, scoring after each of the Red Raiders touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Early in the week, Red Raiders coached Kliff Kingsbury said his goals for the game were to reduce penalties and turnovers. Last season the Red Raiders had 18 interceptions (113th in nation) and the team lost 15 fumbles (116th).

Webb, who had nine interceptions in 10 games last season, had two before halftime. Both picks seemed to come on plays where Webb forced the pass. Both picks led to scores for the Bears.

Texas Tech finished with 114 yards on 15 penalties; last year they averaged eight penalites and 75.2 yards per game.

Webb’s first pick came on first down at the Bears 11-yard line. Webb rolled to left and tried to force the ball to Devin Lauderdale, who was being covered by Prince Ene. The ball popped up and was intercepted by Dawson Hadnot.

From there, the Bears put together a 12-play drive to go up 10-7.

Webb’s second interception came when he tried to hit Jakeem Grant on the far sideline. There wasn’t a lot of space to get it to Grant and the ball was picked off by Artez Williams at Texas Tech’s 40. Williams returned it to the Red Raiders 2-yard line, and Willie Matthews took it in on the first play to put Central Arkansas up 16-7 early in the second half.

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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