Skip to main content

Bama fullback: ‘It’s like we were scared to lose’

By WTOP Staff

JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — It’s not like Alabama hasn’t been in these situations before: Facing intense pressure against a highly-ranked opponent with much of the nation watching.

The seventh-ranked Crimson Tide wilted late under those circumstances against No. 3 Mississippi, ending the final two drives with a fumble and an interception in a 23-17 loss that leaves no margin for error the rest of the way.

“It’s like we were scared to lose,” Alabama fullback Jalston Fowler said. “Everybody wasn’t playing their A-Game. They were just ‘Oh, if we escape with a win we’ll be all right.'”

Win or lose the tight games, and Bama has been on both sides, that’s far from the impose-your-will mentality that has helped the Tide (4-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) win three national titles under coach Nick Saban and get penciled in before every season as a contender. Now, Alabama probably has to win out to remain in contention for the SEC West title and a spot in the playoffs, barring repeated rounds of attrition in the powerhouse division.

It’s not an altogether unfamiliar position. Alabama overcame similar down-to-the-wire regular-season defeats to win the national titles in both 2011 and 2012.

The difficult road back starts Saturday at Arkansas (3-2, 0-2), which Alabama coach Nick Saban calls the nation’s most improved team. The task is made even more challenging with injuries to three key players.

Versatile tailback Kenyan Drake is almost certainly out for the season after having surgery to repair a broken left leg. Saban said linebacker Denzel Devall, who has a leg injury, also had surgery and is likely out for three or four weeks.

Center Ryan Kelly (sprained knee) is sidelined for “at least a couple weeks, depending on how his rehab goes as to when we can possibly get him back,” Saban said.

“This is obviously a situation where we’re going to need some other guys to step up big to take the roles of what these guys have been able to accomplish and do,” Saban said.

Alabama also hasn’t fared that well in its first two games away from Bryant-Denny Stadium, including an opening win over West Virginia in Atlanta.

This team has had some deficiencies that finally cost them dearly. Alabama ranks 13th in the league in turnover margin, 10th in red zone offense and ninth in penalties.

The four turnovers and 11 penalties against Florida hardly mattered in a three-touchdown victory. Overcoming mistakes was much harder against Ole Miss, which had dropped 10 straight in the series.

Now, Saban is stressing the importance of how Alabama, from him down to the players, answers the question: “Who’s making this team better?”

“Look, playing in our league is like climbing a mountain,” Saban said. “Every game is a critical game, every game is an important game and every team that you play in our division could beat anybody.

“And there are some very, very good teams in our league, including the one that we’re playing this week. So people make assumptions that just because it’s a certain team that you’ve beat for the last 10 years that you’re going to beat them again. I don’t think that’s necessarily true — especially this year, especially the competition that we have.”

The Tide rebounded from losses to SEC West rivals Texas A&M and LSU during its latest national title runs, following them up with dominating wins to close the regular season.

Alabama didn’t respond well to a last-second loss to Auburn in last season’s finale that knocked Saban’s team from the national and SEC races. With none of the loftier goals left to play for, the Tide was manhandled by Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema digs a little deeper in Alabama’s history under Saban, though.

“I think Alabama is a tough football team coming off a win or a loss,” Bielema said. “I did the research as well and realized they had not lost two conference games back to back since his first year.

“Whatever it is, however it is, the one thing you see about Alabama is they stand the test of time and especially under Nick they are very, very good every game.”

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Senate OKs $70B immigration bill after rejecting efforts to permanently ban Trump’s settlement fund

Senate blocks extending key surveillance program following backlash over Trump pick to lead intel

Kennedy Center moves to erase Trump references after judge said they were illegally added