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Rutgers gearing up to face Navy’s option offense

By WTOP Staff

MATT SUGAM
Associated Press

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Rutgers doesn’t have time to wallow after squandering a chance to win its first Big Ten Conference game.

Coming off a 13-10 loss to Penn State, The Scarlet Knights (2-1) will face Navy and its high-octane option offense on Saturday. Rutgers coach Kyle Flood had one message for his defense about the attack. Nobody does it better than the Midshipman.

The triple option is an offense that is way past its heyday, with only the service academies and Georgia Tech running it. However, Navy runs it to perfection.

The Midshipmen (2-1) lead the country, averaging 403 yards rushing. Much of their success has to do with Keenan Reynolds, who set an NCAA record for quarterbacks last season running for 31 touchdowns.

While he missed last week with a knee injury suffered against Temple on Sept. 6, Reynolds is scheduled to play this week. Flood said he is the best option quarterback he’s seen in his decade at Rutgers.

“When you face the triple option I think it’s everybody knowing their jobs, knowing their assignments,” defensive tackle Darius Hamilton said. “Like I said, playing Navy, they’re great at what they do. Probably the best in the world and being part of the Navy, they’re probably the most disciplined people you ever meet, so you got to pay attention to the little details and this is a game where little details are going to be huge down the line.”

While stopping the run will be the focus for the Scarlet Knights, they have to be ready to defend the pass even though Navy has thrown 19 times this season.

“They do a great job of trying to lull you to sleep and getting big plays with the pass game,” defensive lineman David Milewski said. “If we can make them one dimensional and make them completely run, it’s hard to have a 15, 20 play drive without any mistakes, so that’s the kind of thing that we do. They want to commit to the run and we got to try and stop them in the triple option and we definitely got to make sure we stop them in the passing game.”

While Rutgers has regularly played a service academy, it did not play one last year for the first time since 1978. The last time it faced Navy was in 2011 and only a handful of players have worked against a triple option in college.

“A lot of guys haven’t seen it yet,” linebacker Quentin Gause said. “This is my first time playing against it. But I’ve seen it and I know how we have to prepare for it and everyone else just has to work together as a collective group with (linebackers) coach (Bob) Fraser, who’s seen this offense many years and has prepared our defense for it.”

Milewski said this is a week where the Scarlet Knights’ scout team has to give the defense a good look and play fast.

“We played Navy one time and we played Army twice and I watched all those games, I prepared for them, I sat in the meetings for them, so I was aware of the game plan,” Milewski said. “So I understand the preparation it takes to play these kind of teams. So I’m looking forward to it.”

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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