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UNC ‘D’ hopes to get right against Virginia Tech

By WTOP Staff

JOEDY McCREARY
AP Sports Writer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Maybe this is the week North Carolina’s beleaguered defense will finally catch a break.

Or maybe it’s the week Virginia Tech — and its rather pedestrian offense — becomes the latest team to hang a big number on the Tar Heels.

North Carolina (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) has allowed 70 and 50 points in its past two games.

The challenge is to keep the Hokies (3-2, 0-1) from doing the same thing.

No power-conference team is allowing more yards (543) or points (44) per game than UNC. It ranks 123rd nationally in scoring defense and 120th in total defense.

Coach Larry Fedora says the 50-35 loss at Clemson is deceptive because the Tar Heels held the Tigers to 92 yards rushing — although they also allowed six touchdown passes.

“When you look at the whole body of work, and you really break it down, there were some really good things,” Fedora said Monday. “You hold them under 100 yards (rushing). We had multiple guys getting to the football. We tackled much better. So there were some bright spots defensively, yes.”

But clearly not enough of them.

For the second straight week, North Carolina’s defense was responsible for a rewrite of a record book.

Clemson freshman DeShaun Watson set a school record with his six touchdown passes in the victory — with four of them covering at least 33 yards.

“As a front seven, we did what we were supposed to do — we stopped the run,” defensive tackle Ethan Farmer said. “We’ve just got to get better in the secondary.”

That came after a humiliating loss at East Carolina in which the Tar Heels gave up school-records of 70 points and 789 total yards.

“We understand how good East Carolina is,” said Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose team lost at home to the Pirates the week before they routed UNC.

“That’s No. 1. No. 2 is some breakdowns,” Beamer added. “They had some breakdowns and they cause long plays. It’s been most of the long plays that got the stats like that but if you look at them, they’re very, very capable.”

It might be the Hokies’ turn to pad the stat sheet.

“You cannot fall into that trap,” Tech quarterback Michael Brewer said. “If you give them life and let them make some plays and stick around, they’re going to be really tough.”

Virginia Tech is 63rd in total offense, 69th in scoring and doesn’t rank better than the mid-50s in any of the major offensive yardage categories.

While that’s markedly better than the Hokies were last year — when they had the second-worst total offense in the ACC — their current average of 421 total yards is only good enough for 10th in the league.

Brewer, a transfer from Texas Tech, has an ACC-best 118 completions in five starts but also has thrown 10 interceptions — tied for the most in the conference.

Fedora intimated that it might be up to the offensive and special teams units to help bail out the Tar Heels’ defense, saying “you have to understand when one side’s down, you have to pick them up.”

North Carolina is scoring in bunches — leading the league with an average of 40.8 points — but also is giving up points at an even higher pace.

“I don’t have the luxury of being a fan and saying, ‘This side is the reason we didn’t win the football game,'” he added. “There’s going to come times when the offense is going to struggle and the defense is going to have to pick it up, and they’re going to have to make it happen for the offense.”

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AP Sports Writer Hank Kurz Jr. in Blacksburg, Virginia, contributed to this report.

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Follow Joedy McCreary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joedyap

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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