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LSU’s No.1 quarterback spot uncertain again

By WTOP Staff

BRYAN LAZARE
Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Which LSU quarterback holds the title of starter is uncertain again.

LSU coach Les Miles, who named Brandon Harris the starter a week ago, now wants to observe Harris and season-opening starter Anthony Jennings in the practices leading up to Saturday’s game at Florida before assigning one of them to take the first snaps.

“We’ll let them both compete at practice and make a decision later in the week,” Miles said Monday. “Both can play better than they played last week.”

Harris was productive in relief outings against Mississippi State and New Mexico State, leading the Tigers to touchdowns on nine of ten possessions. So, Harris got the nod at Auburn, but by his own admission, he was awful. He completed three of 14 passes for 58 yards and compared his outing to “a nightmare.”

Indeed, with a final score of 41-7, it was LSU’s worst loss in 15 years.

Now the Tigers (4-2, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) are unranked for the first time in six seasons and head into the Swamp looking to avoid their first 0-3 start in league play for the first time since 1999 — the season before Nick Saban arrived in Baton Rouge.

“We are disappointed in how we played,” Miles said. Coaches “met all day Sunday to come up with a plan on how we are going to go about improvement. There is a lot of football to play. There is a need for the guys to understand the direction we’re going in.”

Miles has indicated that LSU’s direction at quarterback would require contributions from both Jennings and Harris until one QB demonstrates clearly that he gives the Tigers a greater advantage. That hasn’t happened.

Jennings, a sophomore who started the first five games, turned the ball over three times against New Mexico State two Saturday’s ago before being pulled in favor of Harris, a freshman, in the second quarter.

Harris, who sprained an ankle late in the first half against Auburn, was then replaced by Jennings in the third quarter of that game. Jennings was 5-of-10 for 84 yards, but LSU failed to score with him at quarterback. Miles said Harris was healthy enough to practice Monday.

The offense has struggled in the losses to SEC West foes Mississippi State and Auburn. LSU trailed Mississippi State 31-10 through three quarters, at which point the Tigers’ lone TD had been scored by the defense on a fumble return. After three quarters at Auburn, LSU trailed 34-7.

Meanwhile, LSU’s defense has been porous in those two defeats. Mississippi State gained 570 yards, while Auburn gained 566. Quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Nick Marshall each passed for more than 200 yards and each ran for more than 100 yards.

Miles believes an improved offense will help the defense.

“The reality is we have to get the offense to move the ball,” Miles said. “The defense is giving quality effort. We have quality personnel here. If the offense gets on fire, the defense will click right in.

“The offensive and defensive lines played so much better last week. There are other pieces to attack now. If we do that, we can play best next Saturday,” Miles said. “We haven’t done that yet.”

In Miles’ previous nine seasons at LSU, his teams have had only won losing SEC record — 3-5 in 2008. The Tigers may be hard pressed to do even that well in the SEC this season. Remaining SEC opponents at home are No. 3 Mississippi, No. 7 Alabama and unranked Kentucky, while remaining road opponents include No. 14 Texas A&M and unranked Arkansas.

With such gloomy prospects, LSU fans are unleashing criticism of the Miles regime over the airwaves and online, but the coach doesn’t sound too worried about that.

“I don’t read the papers,” Miles said. “I don’t listen to talk radio. I do that on purpose. I don’t worry about the perimeter. … The perimeter has overtaken a lot of great coaches. It will never overcome my approach.

“We have great kids. They will stay the course,” Miles continued. “No one enjoyed that plane ride Saturday night or those last 48 hours. It’s a mend, a fix and a work-hard. That will happen.”

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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