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Next question for 3-1 Cowboys is keeping it going

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Tony Romo keeps handing the ball to DeMarco Murray, and the league’s worst defense from a year ago keeps making enough plays to finish off wins for Dallas.

Now the Cowboys just have to keep it going after a head-turning 38-17 victory over New Orleans that set up an in-state battle between a pair of surprising 3-1 teams with the Houston Texans visiting Sunday.

“You go out and lose next week and you lose all the luster and good feelings from this week,” Romo said after throwing for three touchdowns against the Saints to go with two scores from Murray in his fourth straight 100-yard game. “I think what you find is that we are consistently doing the same things each week, and in the past we weren’t able to do that.”

Dallas answered one of the worst days in franchise history a year ago in New Orleans. The Saints had an NFL-record 40 first downs and team-record 625 total yards, while the Cowboys didn’t even get to 200 yards in a 49-17 loss.

The Cowboys are showing an unflinching commitment to the running game, with Murray leading the league in rushing (534 yards so far) and averaging 25 carries and 134 yards per game. His career high in carries coming into the season was 26.

That’s the primary reason Dallas has bounced back from an opening loss to San Francisco by winning three straight to get two games over .500 for the first time since 2012.

Two seasons ago, the Cowboys lost their last two games in the second of three straight 8-8 seasons to miss the playoffs. A year earlier, they answered a four-game winning streak by dropping four of the last five.

“We can’t let the success get to our heads,” said receiver Dez Bryant, who had a touchdown on a mostly quiet night for him against the Saints. “We have to take it game by game, practice by practice and day by day. If we do that, there’s no telling what can happen.”

Even when Tennessee and St. Louis geared up to stop Murray in a pair of Dallas road wins to start the current streak, he still found his way to triple digits. The only other Dallas back with four straight 100-yard games to start the season was Emmitt Smith in 1995.

As Murray’s yards pile up, there’s a growing focus on an offensive line featuring three first-round picks the past four drafts in tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick and guard Zack Martin.

The protection for Romo was iffy in the first two games, but the 34-year-old quarterback coming off back surgery has been sacked just once the past two weeks.

“We’re convicted about how we put this team together,” coach Jason Garrett said. “The physical nature that we want to play with, we have strong convictions about that.”

The defense isn’t ranked among the league’s statistical leaders because it struggled before the Cowboys rallied for beat the Rams 34-31 in Week 3. And Drew Brees bounced back with a strong second half Sunday night, allowing the Saints to finish with 438 total yards.

But Dallas kept New Orleans out of the end zone until the lead was 31-3 in the fourth quarter, and forced a three-and-out that led to a failed fake punt and the clinching score after the Saints had scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions.

The Cowboys are playing without linebacker Sean Lee because of a season-ending knee injury after cutting franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware in a salary cap move. That’s why the defenders at the top of the tackles sheet are far from household names.

“We’ve just got a lot of guys that go to work, just practice and want to win,” said defensive tackle Henry Melton, who had the only sack of Brees. “It doesn’t just take all the big names to be a good defense.”

NOTES: DE Anthony Spencer played for the first time in more than a year after microfracture surgery on his left knee last October. He played 22 snaps and had three tackles and one quarterback hit. … LB Justin Durant led Dallas with eight tackles after missing two games with a groin injury. Fellow LB Rolando McClain returned after one game out with a groin problem.

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Online:

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

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Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

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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