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Bucs welcome early crack at Newton, Panthers

By WTOP Staff

FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy stood in a corner of the locker room sizing up the challenge the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face opening the season against Cam Newton and the defending NFC South champion Carolina Panthers.

The Bucs haven’t made the playoffs since 2007, a drought that’s prompted three coaching changes in five years, including the hiring of Lovie Smith last winter.

The Panthers, meanwhile, won 12 games to match a franchise record, with an improved Newton re-establishing himself as one of the NFL’s up-and-coming stars.

Carolina dominated Tampa Bay twice along the way, and McCoy hasn’t forgotten.

“Right now our identity is we’re a 4-12 team. Until we change that, that’s who we are,” McCoy said. “Until somebody changes who Carolina is, they’re the division champs.”

The task begins Sunday.

The notion of going from worst to first in the NFC South isn’t farfetched. It’s happened six times since the division was formed in 2002, and the Bucs, Panthers, Falcons and Saints have all finished first three times.

Interestingly, no team has won titles in consecutive years.

“I think everybody has been talking about that, and we obviously know about it,” Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly, the 2013 NFL defensive player of the year, said.

Not that the Panthers fancy themselves as history buffs.

“Our goal is the same as it is every year, and that’s to go out and win the division. I don’t think it really matters if we’re supposed to win or if we’re not supposed to win. … The mindset is to go out there and win the division,” Kuechly added. “I think that’s all 32 teams’ goal. … All of the talk outside of the team, and all of the other stuff is just talk.”

With Newton leading the way, the Panthers swept the season series a year ago by a combined 58-19. The young quarterback threw for two touchdowns and ran for one in each game.

“He got comfortable. He’s not a guy you want to get comfortable,” McCoy said. “He’s one of the best escape artists we have in this league. If you give him too much time, he’ll kill you with his feet or his arm. We’ve got to be all over him.”

Newton had ankle surgery during the offseason and has been slowed the past two weeks by a rib injury he’s said will not stop him from playing.

“I’m being optimistic about this whole thing, and I have no other choice but to feel that way,” Newton said. “I don’t want to ever put this team or myself in jeopardy that I’m just stressing to hurry up and get out there and I’m not able to be what makes me me.”

In their debut under Smith, the Bucs have been challenged on defense to outplay Carolina’s highly regarded unit. The Panthers led the league with 60 sacks and ranked second in total defense in 2013.

Under Smith, who coached the Bears from 2004-12, the Bucs have switched to a version of the Tampa-2 scheme they popularized during a decade of success under Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden.

With McCoy anchoring the defensive line, and linebacker Lavonte David making play after play, Smith feels he has the makings of another dominant unit.

“Potential is nothing, you can say anybody has potential. Everybody has got potential to do something,” McCoy said. “It’s about getting it done.”

Things to watch when the Panthers and Buccaneers open the season:

THE BIG UNKNOWN: Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis said the toughest part of preparing for the Bucs’ offense is not knowing what to expect. Tampa Bay has a new offensive coordinator in Jeff Tedford, a former coach at Cal who has never called plays at the NFL level.

BUT WHO’S CALLING PLAYS SUNDAY?: Tedford underwent an unspecified medical procedure last month, and the Bucs have not confirmed he will work Sunday’s game. In his absence, the rest of the offensive staff collaborated on the game plan. Quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo will relay play calls if Tedford is out.

NEW QB: Career backup Josh McCown will start a season opener for the first time since 2007. He’s coming off his best year as a pro, throwing for 13 touchdowns versus one interception while filling in for an injured Jay Cutler in Chicago. The Bucs are counting on him to help turn around an offense that ranked 30th in scoring and last in passing and total yardage in 2013.

STARTING SLOW: The Panthers have not won a season opener since 2008. Carolina opened at Tampa Bay two years ago, losing 16-10.

Carolina has opened the last three seasons 1-5, 1-6 and 1-3 under coach Ron Rivera.

DEFENSIVE SHOWDOWN: Don’t be surprised to see a defensive showdown. The Panthers ranked only behind Seattle on defense last season, and Smith boasted “we feel like we will be one of the best defenses in the league this year.” Smith and Rivera have strong defensive backgrounds, and the Panthers coach served as Bears defensive coordinator under Smith.

___

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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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