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Jaguars remain winless after 16-14 loss to Titans

By WTOP Staff

TERESA M. WALKER
AP Pro Football Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars started with their first touchdown drive to open a game this season.

They also scored in the final minute, giving them a chance at their first win.

They just didn’t do enough in between, letting the Tennessee Titans escape with a 16-14 win Sunday after Josh Scobee’s 55-yard field goal was blocked in the final seconds.

“We’ve got to be able to sustain,” rookie Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles said. “We’ve got to stay consistent and continue that. We can’t fall asleep and fall apart.”

Bortles threw for a career-high 336 yards and a touchdown pass with 37 seconds left, and the quarterback also ran for a team-high 38 yards.

After LaRoy Reynolds recovered an onside kick, Bortles drove the Jaguars to the Titans 37 before coach Gus Bradley had to send Scobee out to try a kick for Jacksonville’s first win this season.

Titans defensive lineman Sammie Hill blocked the kick with his right hand to seal the win for Tennessee.

It was the closest margin yet in a loss this season for the Jaguars (0-6). Bortles wasn’t in the mood to celebrate being close.

“A loss is a loss,” Bortles said. “You feel the same about it no matter whether you lose by one or you lose by 40.”

A couple of decisions by Jaguars coach Gus Bradley to challenge two plays he lost cost him dearly. He lost his second timeout challenging what he thought was a fumble by Titans running back Bishop Sankey early in the fourth quarter.

And the Jaguars used their third timeout with 3:30 left to preserve clock before getting the ball back. It worked as Bortles found Clay Harbor for a 20-yard TD with 37 seconds left.

Bradley said the lost challenges were on him. Usually needing 17 seconds to rush the field goal unit out, Bradley took the chance.

“I felt really confident,” Bradley said. “He felt confident on the sideline, and it looked like it was going. It was the right direction and he got enough on it. It was just the height on it.”

Instead, the Titans wound up holding on for the win after blowing the biggest lead ever by a home team in the regular season with their loss last week to Cleveland.

Jackie Battle ran for a touchdown, and Ryan Succop also kicked three field goals as the Titans (2-4) snapped a four-game skid themselves.

“It was a relief,” Titans quarterback Charlie Whitehurst said. “I think we kind of controlled the game most of the game, and we weren’t able to sustain a drive in the second half to put it away. It would’ve been a little easier on everybody’s hearts. It’s a win, and we’re very happy about it.”

Titans defensive lineman Jurrell Casey had two of Tennessee’s six sacks. The Titans forced two turnovers as they won their first game at home this season — only their second here in nine games.

Even though this game was a sellout, thousands of empty seats awaited two of the NFL’s worst teams. The Titans gave their fans a reason to stick around to the end by making this more exciting in the final seconds than they wanted.

Whitehurst threw for a career-high 233 yards in starting his second game in three weeks in place of the injured Jake Locker. He was out with a second injury to his right hand — this time his right thumb.

Locker had plenty of company on the sideline as the Titans, who placed veteran starters safety Bernard Pollard (Achilles tendon) and left tackle Michael Roos (right knee) on injured reserve this week, started three rookies.

The Jaguars came in second in the NFL behind only the Bills and Jets with 16 sacks. They added three more of Whitehurst as they hit him repeatedly.

Jacksonville had its chances. Titans cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson picked off Bortles’ pass at the Tennessee 16 in the third quarter. Succop helped convert that into a 16-7 lead for Tennessee with his third field goal, a 42-yarder.

Notes: Jaguars wide receiver Cecil Shorts finished with 10 catches for 103 yards, and Harbor had 91 yards receiving. … Rookie Storm Johnson started at running back with Toby Gerhart out with his injured foot. … Titans returner Leon Washington had a 50-yard kickoff return in the first quarter and became the second active player and 11th in NFL history with 7,000 yards on kickoff returns.

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Online:

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

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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

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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