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Loss to Miss St. yields QB questions for LSU

By WTOP Staff

BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — In LSU’s worst game of this young season, reserve quarterback Brandon Harris looked better than ever in the little playing time he had.

The freshman’s stirring performance in the dying minutes of a humbling 34-29 loss to Mississippi State begged the question of what might have been if the young quarterback with the big arm had more snaps. And with the Tigers sliding from a No. 8 ranking down to No. 17 this week, it sounds like coach Les Miles is considering that question seriously.

“He definitely gave a strong performance when he came in,” Miles said. “We are still going to look at the overall body of work and the things that we can do with him.”

Mississippi State, which went from unranked up to No. 14 in the AP Poll on Sunday, appeared to have LSU down for the count when the Bulldogs kicked a field goal to make it 34-10 early in the fourth quarter. Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott was having his way with an LSU defense plagued by communication problems and missed assignments in giving up 10 plays of 20-yards or more, including touchdowns of 74 and 56 yards.

But just inside the final two minutes, Harris found fellow freshman Malachi Dupre for touchdowns of 31 and 30 yards in a span of just 27 seconds. The first score capped a 95-yard drive that took only 1:48 as Harris also hit on passes of 19, 13 and 25 yards while mixing in a 7-yard run. The second score came just two plays after the Bulldogs fumbled in their own territory.

Unable to recover an onside kick with 1:27 to go, LSU still got the ball back on its own 20 with 20 seconds left after a punt through the end zone. Harris quickly found Travin Dural for a 22-yard gain and then scrambled 12 yards before spiking the ball to stop the clock with about 5 seconds to go — enough time to roll out and launch a Hail Mary attempt.

Will Redmond’s interception at the goal line as time ran out finally ended the threat and secured the Bulldogs’ first victory over LSU since 1999, and first triumph in Death Valley since 1991.

“Give us a couple more yards, a couple more seconds and I don’t know that we wouldn’t have won that game,” Miles said. “That’s just maybe a coach being very optimistic.”

Jennings had been solid under center for the first three games, hitting just enough key passes for a comeback victory over Wisconsin before cruising through a pair of lopsided victories against overmatched Sam Houston State and Louisiana-Monroe.

Against, Mississippi State, however, Jennings was under constant pressure an appeared hurt after Ethan Pocic, a fill-in starter at right guard, didn’t pick up stunting defensive end Preston Smith, who stormed into the backfield unabated for a jarring sack.

Jennings returned and played into the fourth quarter, but through the first three quarters, LSU had only 211 total yards, including 98 passing, and accounted for only a field goal as the Tigers fell behind 31-10.

Jennings finished 13 of 26 for 157 yards and no touchdowns. He was also sacked three times and took some heavy hits on designed quarterback runs, and Miles indicated that Jennings’ blockers hadn’t done him a lot of favors when he noted that a lack of “protection is something that makes every quarterback struggle.”

New Orleans couldn’t run the ball much either, for that matter, finishing with 89 yards.

LSU players were predictably diplomatic in their assessment of the quarterback situation.

“Brandon made some plays, and that is what is expected of him,” Dural said. “Coach Miles has done a great job on letting those two guys have a week of practice to see who’s ready. I can’t say if Brandon should get a starting job.

“Every week we go to practice, and those two guys battle,” Dural added. “Whichever one looks like they have the most talent and the coaches feel are most prepared will earn a starting spot.”

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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