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Florida seeks quick turnaround after 4-8 debacle

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida receiver Andre Debose strolled into the team’s annual media day, realized he was on the wrong side of a table and simply jumped across.

It was a fitting entrance considering the Gators are counting on a huge leap this season.

Coming off the program’s worst showing since 1979 — a 4-8 record that included seven consecutive losses and a humbling setback to Georgia Southern — Florida is banking on a quick turnaround in 2014.

“All of the components are there,” coach Will Muschamp said Saturday, a day before the team opens fall practice.

Health could be the key element.

The Gators dealt with a rash of injuries in 2013, none more troubling than quarterback Jeff Driskel’s broken right leg. Driskel missed the final nine games, and Florida was unprepared to play without him. Adding to the team’s offensive woes were injuries to running back Matt Jones and offensive tackles Chaz Green and D.J. Humphries. DeBose missed all of the season with a knee injury, the latest in a string of physical problems with the former blue-chip recruit who was granted a sixth year of eligibility.

Without them, a pedestrian offense became downright pitiful. The line was pushed around. Backs found few, if any, holes. Receivers struggled to get open, and even when they did, there was no one to effectively deliver the football.

The Gators averaged a little more than 17 points a game without Driskel and ended up with an offense that ranked 113th in the nation.

“To stick your head in the sand and pretend it was all injuries, that was not right,” Muschamp said. “You’ll fool yourself if you believe that.”

Muschamp responded by overhauling his offense. He fired offensive coordinator Brent Pease and offensive line coach Tim Davis, replacing them with former Duke coordinator Kurt Roper and former USC line coach Mike Summers, and installed an up-tempo, spread scheme designed to better utilize Driskel’s talents.

“It’s a chance to really get into a groove as a quarterback,” Driskel said. “We’ve got a lot of good players. I think we need to have a good camp, stay healthy and grow as an offense and a team. We just have to put it all together.”

Moving past last season might seem like the thing to do for Florida.

But Muschamp and his players aren’t quite ready to punt it away.

“People say ‘forget it,’ but we’re going to use it as our alliance, make it our strength and keep it in our side pocket,” defensive back Keanu Neal said. “We’ve got some revenge to seek. A lot of people are doubting us, a lot of people don’t believe in us after 4-8. We’re going to prove everyone wrong.”

If so, they might also save Muschamp’s job.

Muschamp is 22-16 in three seasons in Gainesville and squarely on the proverbial hot seat heading into the season.

Athletic director Jeremy Foley won’t put a number of wins on what it would take for Muschamp to stick around, but the AD made it clear that things have to look considerably better or change will be inevitable.

Muschamp welcomed the challenge, even calling this his most complete team and, by far, the best offensive unit he’s had in four years.

“If we stay healthy at the quarterback position, we’re going to win a bunch of games,” he said.

The Gators open Aug. 30 against Idaho. The schedule gets tougher from there, with games against Alabama (Sept. 20), LSU (Oct. 11), Georgia (Nov. 1), South Carolina (Nov. 15) and defending national champion Florida State (Nov. 29). It’s a daunting slate for sure, but one Florida will have to handle to take a huge step forward and get back to its winning ways.

“This is a really hungry team,” defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. said. “Guys aren’t used to losing. We weren’t brought here to lose like that. This team is really determined to win. We’re going to be good. We’re not going to talk a lot.

“We’re just going to take it a game at a time and do our job. And good things are going to happen if everyone does their job.”

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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