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Florida’s Driskel better prepared for No. 3 ‘Bama

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Driskel’s first game against Alabama was a blur.

The Florida quarterback was thrust onto the field as a freshman in 2011 because of an injury to starter John Brantley, played the entire second half and failed to get the Gators past their 45-yard line. He completed two passes for 14 yards, fumbled a snap that led to a turnover, was sacked twice and also sprained an ankle in the 38-10 home loss to the eventual national champions.

Driskel gets another shot at the Crimson Tide on Saturday, when Florida (2-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) plays at third-ranked Alabama (3-0, 0-0).

“I’m going to be prepared this time around,” Driskel said.

Driskel has started 17 games since that folly, including road wins at Texas A&M, Tennessee and Florida State, both this could be his biggest test. The Gators are counting on him being a difference-maker, too.

“The key ingredient is having an experienced quarterback,” coach Will Muschamp said. “That, to me, is critical. We have an experienced quarterback that’s won big on the road in some tough places. We’ll be fine.”

Florida probably will need a big game from Driskel.

He wasn’t at his best last week against Kentucky, and the Gators struggled at times in the 36-30 win in triple overtime. He completed 25 of 43 passes for 295 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception.

Although he was hampered by poor protection and two dropped passes, he also misfired on four deep balls that would have given the Gators some breathing room and possibly helped them avoid overtime.

“Yeah, I had some open guys,” Driskel said. “Just got to give those guys a chance. That’s something that we’ll get corrected. I’m not too worried about it. I know I did miss a few, but I’d rather me miss the open receivers than not have the open receivers. We’re going to get that corrected, and I’m going to have to do that in order for us to be successful down the road.”

Running more might open things up, too.

For whatever reason — maybe the Gators have been vanilla or maybe they’re trying to keep Driskel healthy — Driskel ran little in the first two games.

He carried seven times for 24 yards, most of those on scrambles.

And with Florida running a spread offense, the threat of the quarterback running — especially on zone-read plays — makes a huge difference.

“We can talk about scheme and stuff all day, but I feel like that just makes the defense concerned about another threat in our offense,” center Max Garcia said. “Jeff is really quick and makes good decisions. If he uses his legs, it’s just another tool that we have in our offense that can hurt a defense.”

The only play Driskel made in that first game against Alabama was with his legs: a 31-yard run that ended up being one of the team’s few highlights.

For Florida to reach its potential under new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, Driskel has to be dual threat. He hasn’t shown that ability this season, but he hasn’t really had to, either.

But he did come up big when Florida needed him most Saturday.

Facing a fourth-and-7 play from the 9-yard line in the first overtime, Driskel lofted a perfectly thrown pass to Demarcus Robinson in the back of the end zone to keep the game going.

“That was really, shoot, saved us all,” Roper said. “That was a big-time play, and I think it was a big-time understanding on his part. It speaks to his understanding of what we’re doing.”

Muschamp called it the biggest play of Driskel’s career.

It surely beat anything that Driskel did against the Crimson Tide three years ago.

“Definitely underprepared,” he said. “Didn’t know how to prepare at that time to play anybody, especially Alabama as good as they were. Just going in not knowing what you’re doing is not a good situation.

“I’m not going to let that happen again. I’m going to do whatever I can this week to prepare and be as ready as I can.”

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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