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O’Brien impressed by Texans rookies

By WTOP Staff

CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — Texans coach Bill O’Brien is in no hurry to rush his starters back for preseason games. That’s giving rookies ample time to impress and many did Saturday night in a 32-7 victory over Atlanta.

J.J. Watt, Andre Johnson, Arian Foster and Brian Cushing were among the Houston starters who did not play. O’Brien will decide later in the week how much time, if any, each regular will see Saturday night in Denver. The Texans will practice with the Broncos starting Tuesday, and O’Brien said those workouts could provide all the snaps the starters need.

Top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney headlined the standout performances by the rookies, making two highlight-reel hits behind the line of scrimmage. Sixth-round pick Alfred Blue scored Houston’s first touchdown of the preseason and seventh-round pick Andre Hal returned an interception for a touchdown.

“You’re talking about some guys that have come in here and worked very hard and been very coachable,” O’Brien said Sunday. “They’ve got a long way to go, but to this point, we’re pleased with their progress.”

Undrafted tight end Anthony Denham blocked a punt and undrafted linebacker Max Bullough intercepted a pass. Second-round pick Xavier Su’a-Filo started at right guard and tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, a third-round pick, made two catches for 14 yards.

“Whether it’s Clowney or Andre Hal getting a pick-6, I feel like all the rookies did a great job,” Fiedorowicz said. “We take pride in it. We come out here and grind all day in this heat. When it pays off, it feels good.”

Rookie Tom Savage was the first quarterback off the bench and completed 4 of 5 passes. O’Brien said Savage is still slightly behind Case Keenum in the competition for the backup role behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.

“He’s s got a long way to go, just like most rookie quarterbacks have a long to go,” O’Brien said. “In the preseason, for any rookie quarterback, you’re not seeing anywhere near what you’re going to see if you’re going to play in the regular season. You’re not seeing anywhere near what you’re going to see from a defensive schematic standpoint, so he understands that. He’s got to get better at the basics of it.”

Keenum played the second half and completed 6 of 12 passes. He had the Texans on the move in the third quarter, only to throw an interception near the goal line.

Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, bounced back from a bad preseason opener, completing 9 of 12 passes for 97 yards. He also had two rushes for 25 yards as well, scrambling for a first down as he guided the Texans for a touchdown in the closing minutes of the first half.

“I feel like that’s how he has to play for us,” O’Brien said. “I felt like he took a big step, especially relative to how he had played the week before.”

The Texans were whistled for 15 penalties against the Falcons, two on safety D.J. Swearinger for unsportsmanlike conduct. On one of them, Swearinger merely smacked hands with cornerback Josh Victorian after breaking up a pass in the second quarter.

O’Brien chalked that penalty up to the emotions of the game.

“You don’t want guys to be penalized in ways that obviously hurt the team,” O’Brien said. “But our guys were juiced up, they were excited, they couldn’t wait to play.”

O’Brien said rookie nose tackle Louis Nix III is on pace to play in Denver this week. Nix had arthroscopic knee surgery before training camp and was added to the active roster on Tuesday. O’Brien wasn’t so sure about the status of Brandon Brooks, who started 15 games at right guard last season but has missed all of training camp with an undisclosed injury.

“He’s got a lot to do to catch up,” O’Brien said.

___

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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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