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Jaguars turn things over to rookie Blake Bortles

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Blake Bortles era has officially begun in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars are counting on it resulting in more wins than the Byron Leftwich era, the David Garrard era, the Blaine Gabbert era and the Chad Henne era.

Jacksonville turned things over to Bortles on Sunday, making the switch at halftime of what ended up being the team’s third lopsided loss in as many games this season.

Bortles threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions in his NFL debut, a 44-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

“He’s going to learn, but he made some plays,” coach Gus Bradley said. “He kept plays alive and he’s got really good instincts and made some really good decisions and some good throws. Some of the throws that you saw I’m sure he wishes he had back, but we will learn through those.”

Bortles completed 14 of 24 passes for 223 yards. He also ran for 30 yards and was sacked once.

“It was average,” Bortles said. “I mean, I thought there was some good stuff and there was some bad stuff we need to correct. You can’t throw two picks. … The last one was definitely a stupid throw.”

Since selecting Bortles with the third overall pick in May’s NFL draft, the Jaguars (0-3) talked about bringing him along slowly and even suggested he might sit out the entire season.

But as the losses mounted, it became clear Bortles would be on the field sooner rather than later. Bradley told both quarterbacks earlier in the week that the change was on the horizon, and after a dismal first half against the Colts (1-2), the coach made the call.

Bradley told Henne just after they entered the locker room. And as Bradley went to talk to his defense, which allowed 330 yards and 30 points in the first half, Henne stood up in front of the offense and announced the change.

“The biggest thing for me is to just keep my head held high and try to be the captain that I was voted to be for this year and help Blake out as much as I can and really try to help this offense grow,” Henne said later.

“He was drafted for this moment, and I understood it from Day 1. We had to do some really good things at the beginning of the year for keep my job.

“I hope he plays really well. I’m really pulling for him, and I’m going to be his biggest cheerleader on the sideline.”

Bortles drove the Jaguars past the 50-yard line for the first time in the game on his opening drive. He led the offense to a field goal on his second possession.

He went interception-touchdown-interception-touchdown in the fourth quarter. He found Allen Hurns near midfield, and the rookie escaped two tackles en route to his third touchdown in three games.

Bortles faked a spike and threw a strike to Cecil Shorts III with 18 seconds remaining.

“He brings excitement,” Shorts said. “He’s a first-round guy for a reason, first quarterback chosen for a reason.”

The Jaguars have been searching for a franchise quarterback for years, since Mark Brunell left after the 2003 season. They whiffed on Leftwich, Garrard and Gabbert. But believe Bortles will be the guy.

“I just love his mindset,” Bradley said. “I love the strength that he has. He is a tough, hard-nosed competitor and he will attack. The team felt that part of it, and I think it’s no coincidence that all of a sudden we blocked a little bit better, the receivers played a little bit better and he has a way to uplift people and uplift the team.

“It’s still not good enough and still not good enough as a team where we need to be. We’ve got to use this momentum, the little bit that we had in the second half, we have to build on that. It will be a challenge for the whole team.”

Getting the defense turned around might be as important as the quarterback switch.

The unit struggled against Philadelphia’s Nick Foles and Washington’s Kirk Cousins in the first two weeks. Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck picked the Jaguars apart for 370 yards and four touchdowns Sunday.

“It’s disappointing,” Bradley said. “We really need to take a look at it and find out the accountability. … When we come in and meet as a team we’ve got to have them hold themselves accountable to it because that’s not how it should look.

“If you ask every man in that locker room that plays defense they would say that’s not how it’s supposed to look, so we’ve got to find the answer.”

NOTES: Colts WR T.Y. Hilton (ankle) and LB Andy Studebaker (hamstring) left the game and did not return. … Luck is first Colts QB since Johnny Unitas in 1967 to complete at least 75 percent of his passes for 350 yards, with four TDs and no INTs, in a game. … Jaguars have been outscored 119-27 since leading Philadelphia 17-0 at halftime in the season opener.

___

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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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