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After stunning loss, Fisher accentuates positives

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Rams enter their bye at 1-2, and seemingly with a lengthy to-do list.

They’ve been sloppy in critical times both of their home games. About the only good news after blowing a 21-point lead against the Cowboys is no one got hurt.

Rather than rant, coach Jeff Fisher’s strategy in the wake of a dispiriting 34-31 loss is that the Rams remain a franchise on the rise, and that warts and all, there was improvement in all three phases. What else can he do?

“As I said to the team and we agree wholeheartedly with the staff, we took a step forward,” Fisher said Monday. “I thought we played much better. We’ve got to continue to build from that and we’ve got some time to make some little adjustments, look at what we’re doing and get some things corrected.”

At least publicly, he’s still in Shaun Hill’s corner.

Austin Davis generally got a thumbs-up after throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns in his second career start, an effort marred by a pick six that gave Dallas a 10-point cushion. Hill was the backup after taking numerous snaps during pre-game warmups, and Fisher said he’ll be the starter when he’s over a strained left quadriceps.

The Rams return Oct. 5 at Philadelphia.

“We’ll see how things go this week,” Fisher said. “We’ll see how Shaun is, but as I’ve maintained, Shaun is our starter and Austin is our backup.”

There’ll no doubt be plenty of time to stew when players clear out Friday for a four-day break.

“Extremely frustrating,” middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “At home up 21-0, that’s got to be a blowout.”

Penalties are easy to pinpoint. The Rams are second-highest in the NFL with 305 yards in penalties, including 119 yards on eight calls Sunday, while the Cowboys had just three penalties for 15 yards.

Fisher’s teams have always played with an edge.

The Rams were third in yards penalized in 2012, Fisher’s first season in St. Louis, and fourth last season.

Fisher disputed several calls, in particular defensive holding on Eugene Sims to give the Cowboys a first down late. He wasn’t happy with holding calls on Janoris Jenkins and Kenny Britt, either, and thought Kendall Langford had been pulled down on Dez Bryant’s 68-yard touchdown catch.

“In my opinion, there were a dozen or so, maybe more, offensive holds that weren’t called (on) the Cowboys,” Fisher said.

Play calling, not so much.

Fisher refused to second-guess the delayed hand-off on fourth and inches that resulted in a 1-yard loss for Zac Stacy in the second half that led to a Dallas field goal. The Rams converted on fourth down on a similar play in the second quarter and the Cowboys were ready for the repeat.

“There’s no secret to what we’re doing,” Fisher said. “And that’s OK. Good running teams do that. You get the first down if you block it right.”

The offense was very productive, but could have had more. Jared Cook dropped a certain touchdown pass and the Rams settled for a chip shot field goal. Scott Wells flubbed a snap that resulted in a lost fumble that gave the Cowboys time for a field goal at the end of the half.

Cook barged into Davis on the sideline when it appeared the quarterback was about to offer support, leading to a confrontation with defensive end William Hayes.

“Well, obviously he can’t put this game on himself,” Davis said. “On the sideline we’re all frustrated, trying to keep it together. I mean, that stuff happens all the time.”

There were numerous culprits on defense for the blown lead that matched the second-worst in franchise history.

On the go-ahead drive, Alec Ogletree got juked by Tony Romo scrambling to convert on third-and-13, and Dallas picked up 33 yards on Jenkins’ interference penalty.

Jenkins scored his fifth career defensive touchdown on an interception return that made it 21-0, but also shares blame along with safety Rodney McLeod for allowing Bryant to get away by at least 20 yards on his 68-yard TD.

McLeod was trying to cover for rookie E.J. Gaines, who’d blown an assignment, and Fisher said he should have told Jenkins to stay with Bryant.

“It was supposed to be passed off, but it was not communicated,” Fisher said.

___

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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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