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Syracuse hurting after 3rd straight loss

By WTOP Staff

JOHN KEKIS
AP Sports Writer

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Riding a three-game losing streak, Syracuse is hurting big-time and its schedule is no friend.

Starting quarterback Terrel Hunt suffered a broken calf bone late in Friday night’s 28-6 home loss to Louisville in Syracuse’s Atlantic Coast Conference opener and is out 4-6 weeks. Now the reeling Orange (2-3, 0-1 ACC) face top-ranked Florida State (5-0, 3-0) at home on Saturday.

At least the Syracuse offense will have a new look with a different quarterback over center — Austin Wilson and AJ Long, a freshman who enrolled in January, are listed on the depth chart — and Tim Lester calling the shots. Lester was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator on Monday, replacing George McDonald, who was retained and will coach the receivers.

“We’ll have to guess a little bit about how they’re going to do things on offense,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said Monday. “You just go back to what they do and think about they’ve got three days to do what they’re going to do.”

The move is understandable. The Syracuse offense has stumbled a lot, especially in the red zone.

The Orange have scored only nine touchdowns in 19 trips inside their opponents’ 20-yard line, and the team has converted only 25 of 74 third downs, a dismal 33.78 percent.

In a loss 10 days ago to then-No. 8 Notre Dame at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the Syracuse defense forced five turnovers, scoring once on safety Durell Eskridge’s interception return, and the offense failed to produce any points off the other four.

Against Louisville, Syracuse managed a field goal in each half.

Hunt, a 6-foot-3, 234-pound dual threat, is still the team’s top rusher (61.4 yards per game) and scorer (36 points on six TDs). He’s also completed 83 of 145 passes for 983 yards, but has four interceptions and only one touchdown pass.

At least Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer has had a taste of life without Hunt, who won the starting job last year after beginning the season as the backup to Oklahoma transfer Drew Allen. Hunt was ejected late in the first half of the season-opener against Villanova for throwing a punch at a defender, and the Orange barely survived at home against a strong FCS team.

Wilson, a redshirt last season, played the second half of that game and finished 11 of 17 for 89 yards in his college debut. The Orange won the game 27-26 in double overtime on a touchdown pass — by punter Riley Dixon. Wilson also relieved in the fourth quarter Friday night and misfired on three pass attempts.

When Hunt was in there against the Cardinals, he was off-target as much as he was on. And when he did move the Orange in position for touchdowns, the team failed to convert.

Hunt completed a 39-yard pass to wide receiver Jarrod West to the Louisville 2 with 2 seconds left in the second quarter, but Syracuse was out of timeouts and couldn’t get off another play. And after Hunt hit wide receiver Ben Lewis for 48 yards to the Louisville 1 on the first possession of the second half, Syracuse had to settle for a field goal after consecutive trick plays failed — a touchdown pass to Lewis by running back Prince-Tyson Gulley was nullified by a penalty and a pass by West was dropped in the end zone by a wide-open Lewis.

Dejected maybe. Not yet down and out.

“We are never going to give up,” Orange nose tackle Wayne Williams said. “We are going to keep on playing hard all the time until the clock hits zero. We’re sticking together as a family. We will take this out together, and next week we are going to try to get a win together.”

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Associated Press writer Kareem Copeland in Tallahassee, Florida contributed.

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Follow Kekis on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Greek1947

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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