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Murray leads Dallas past Seattle 30-23

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — DeMarco Murray kept trudging through all the 1- and 2-yard gains, confident at some point the gaps would break open.

Eventually the running lanes broke open, right in time for Murray to continue his record start to the 2014 season and give the Dallas Cowboys a validating road victory.

“I thought he did a really good job. Those are dirty yards. … We thought it was going to be tough sledding to run the football but we had to be persistent with it. Our guys did an excellent job,” Dallas coach Jason Garrett said.

Murray finished with 115 yards, continuing his streak of 100-yard games to begin the season, and his late touchdown proved to be the winning points in Dallas’ 30-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Murray joined Jim Brown (1958) as the only running backs in NFL history to start a season with six straight 100-yard rushing games. And Murray did it against the league’s best run defense, which had not allowed a running back more than 38 yards in a game this season. His 15-yard TD run with 3:16 left gave the Cowboys a 27-23 lead.

“I really think he has shown his maturity as a back, sticking with us and sticking with it and coming out on the back end on a couple of those late in the game,” Dallas tight end Jason Witten said.

The Cowboys replicated the Seahawks’ formula, but performed with more efficiency and better execution than the home team. Dallas leaned on Murray and controlled the time of possession. They got timely throws from Tony Romo, and the Cowboys’ defense confused and flustered Russell Wilson and Seattle’s offense.

Dallas outgained Seattle 401-206, becoming the first team since New England in 2012 to gain more than 400 total yards against the Seahawks in Seattle in the regular season. The Cowboys ran 70 offensive plays to 48 for the Seahawks and had 23 first downs to nine for Seattle.

It was a statistical domination that should have equated a blowout. But two special teams miscues led to 14 points for Seattle and put Dallas in the position of rallying in the fourth quarter.

“We have come a long way. We have a long way to go and a lot we want to still accomplish, but at the same time this football team is trying to find itself,” Dallas defensive back Brandon Carr said. “We are in a good place right now where we are rolling and each and every day we can focus on our job and have fun with this.”

Here are other things that stood out from the Cowboys’ stunning victory at Seattle:

DRIVES ALIVE: Dallas held the ball for more than 37 minutes, helped in part by a nearly 10-minute drive in the second quarter Behind that dominance in ball control was the Cowboys’ efficiency on third down. Dallas entered Sunday as the top third-down team in the NFL at 55.6 percent, and went 10 of 17 against the Seahawks.

The most important was the third-and-20 completion to Terrance Williams on Dallas’ final touchdown drive. Romo avoided a sack by Bruce Irvin and found Williams along the sideline in front of the Cowboys bench, dragging the tips of his toes on the turf.

“We’ve been doing that every game. That’s not anything new,” Romo said. “I know, against these guys, sometimes teams don’t do that.”

WHERE’S LYNCH: Seattle seemed to lose some of its identity. Marshawn Lynch seemed to be an afterthought on offense, getting just 10 carries. Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for 53 yards in the first quarter and his other 13 completions went for 73 yards. The 206 total yards were third-fewest since Wilson became Seattle’s starting QB in 2012.

“We had plenty of time. We had plenty of time to make … plays out there on the field. Plenty of time,” Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin said.

McCLAIN’s DAY: Rolando McClain was questionable coming into the game with a groin injury. He was able to play and it proved vital with starting linebacker Bruce Carter out with a thigh injury. McClain had only four tackles but had one tackle for loss and he intercepted Wilson near midfield in the final minute.

BLOCK PARTY: Seattle jumped out to a 10-0 lead thanks to the first blocked punt for a touchdown since … the Seahawks played the Cowboys two years ago. Baldwin lined up the block on the perimeter of the return but sprinted to the end of the defensive line and came unblocked to smother Chris Jones’ punt. The ball was picked up by Mike Morgan who returned it 25 yards for the score.

Seattle’s blocked punt for a TD in 2012 against the Cowboys also gave the Seahawks a 10-0 lead in that game.

RUNNING RUSSELL: After getting praise for his performance last Monday against Washington, Wilson was rarely able to run. Wilson ran only twice for 12 yards as Dallas was solid in not letting him scramble outside the pocket.

___

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

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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