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Bortles hard on self after 33-14 loss to Chargers

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Blake Bortles had a rather harsh self-assessment of his first start for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I know we lost so I don’t know what’s positive or not,” Bortles said after winless Jacksonville failed to hold onto an early lead and fell 33-14 to Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

“I didn’t play very well. I did some stupid things,” said Bortles, the third pick in May’s draft.

Bortles played well for the most part, especially in the first half. He threw one touchdown pass, was intercepted two times and twice had Jacksonville (0-4) in the lead early.

The Jaguars turned to Bortles at halftime of a blowout loss to Indianapolis a week ago. He was the fifth Jaguars QB to start a game during his rookie season. All five lost their first start.

Bortles was 29 of 37 for 253 yards against San Diego. He was intercepted by Brandon Flowers in the third quarter at the Jacksonville 40, setting up Nick Novak’s 34-yard field goal for a 27-14 lead.

It was the fifth straight game the Jaguars lost by double digits dating to last season’s finale. They’ve been outscored 152-58 this season.

“I left some throws out there and didn’t make some plays,” Bortles said. “I thought we had a decent first half and we have to continue to carry that over to the second half.”

Jaguars coach Gus Bradley had a more positive assessment of Bortles.

“Efficiency was good; the decision-making was pretty good — just his overall poise and control and managing the huddle and taking control,” he said. “I thought he did just a great job at that. There’s no doubt he was ready for it.”

Rivers certainly showed Bortles how it’s done. The Chargers’ veteran threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns, two to Eddie Royal.

Royal had scoring catches of 47 and 43 yards, his second straight two-touchdown game. The Chargers (3-1) extended their winning streak to three.

Passing with the Chargers’ running game nonexistent because of injuries to Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, Rivers had his second three-touchdown game of the season. He went 29 of 39.

Royal had five catches for 105 yards. Keenan Allen had 10 for 135, both career highs, and Malcom Floyd had a 24-yard touchdown reception.

Although the Chargers looked out of sync at times, Rivers helped keep it together.

After Toby Gerhart gave Jacksonville a 7-3 lead on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter — the Jaguars’ first TD rushing since Nov. 24 — it took Rivers and the Chargers only five plays to answer. Rivers noticed linebacker Geno Hayes covering Royal, who got wide open for a 47-yard reception to put San Diego up 10-7.

Bortles then took advantage of a breakdown in coverage when he completed a 44-yard pass to Allen Hurns, who made a tumbling catch at the Chargers 2. Bortles found Nic Jacobs in the end zone on the next play.

Two drives later, Royal found a seam in coverage on third-and-10 from the 43, hauled in Rivers’ pass and outran the coverage to put the Chargers ahead 17-14 a minute before halftime.

“We just gave up too many explosive plays,” Bradley said. “A lot of them occurred on defense and third downs at critical times. And when we had a chance to make the plays, we didn’t make them. Some of them were one-on-ones and others were critical coverages blown.”

NOTES: Jacksonville CB Dwayne Gratz sustained a concussion midway through the second quarter. He was down for several minutes before getting up and walking off on his own power. He was taken straight to the locker room. … Jaguars WR Cecil Shorts left with a hamstring injury. … San Diego CB Shareece Wright hurt his knee.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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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