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Texas wins Strong debut 38-7 over North Texas

By WTOP Staff

JIM VERTUNO
AP Sports Writer

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — David Ash passed for one touchdown and ran for another and Texas started the Charlie Strong era with an overpowering 38-7 win over North Texas in the season-opener for both teams on Saturday night.

Malcolm Brown ran for two touchdowns and Texas held North Texas to 94 total yards.

Strong replaced Mack Brown, the coach who led Texas for 16 seasons and guided the Longhorns to the 2005 season national championship. Brown was forced out after four sub-par seasons that failed to produce any Big 12 titles.

Strong promised to put a tougher, more rugged team on the field. Texas delivered with a dominating defensive performance that produced three first half interceptions. North Texas’ only touchdown came on a fumble recovery by cornerback James Jones in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Ash also proved durable, taking several hard hits after missing most of last season with concussion symptoms. His favorite target was John Harris, whose seven receptions topped his 2013 season total of five. Harris finished with 110 yards and a touchdown.

Texas hasn’t reached double-digit victories since 2009 and getting the first was a big step for Strong, who pledged he would end what he called a sense of entitlement in the program.

The offseason was filled with get-tough disciplinary messages for the players, ranging from suspensions and outright dismissals to smaller things like making players walk to practice instead of riding a bus and making them wear matching blazers and ties to the game.

The result was an impressive debut.

Offensively, Texas wasn’t flashy, spending much of the game trying to grind out yards behind Brown and Johnathan Gray, who combined for 147 yards rushing. Defensively, the Longhorns were dominant.

Texas’ front four mauled a veteran North Texas offensive line all night. Mean Green quarterback Josh Greer got his first career start but rarely had time to throw and threw two interceptions in his first seven attempts.

Greer and backup Andrew McNulty were just 3 of 17 passing for 15 yards and four interceptions and four sacks. Demarco Cobbs returned a late interception 28 yards for Texas’ final touchdown.

Almost as important as the victory for Texas was knowing Ash could take some punishment and keep playing.

Ash had promised he’d be able to take a hit and that was tested with two big ones early. The first came when he dropped the ball and was bent over when a defender crashed into his head. Two plays later, Ash was sent flying again when he was popped on the sideline.

But Ash later scrambled to complete a 27-yard pass to Harris that set up Brown’s 1-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 Texas lead. Ash’s helmet hit the turf again when he was sacked in the second quarter, but he shook off that hit to pass 28 yards to Harris to set up Brown’s second touchdown.

Ash made it 21-0 at halftime when he scored on a 1-yard run off a 4th down bootlefof-17 passing in the first half and his 1-yard TD. Even on that play, Ash took another hit when his facemask hit the turf.

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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