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Rams on high alert for Cowboys’ Murray

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Even while attending the birth of a daughter earlier this week, James Laurinaitis had DeMarco Murray on the brain.

The St. Louis Rams middle linebacker cradled the baby in one arm. With the other, to the amusement of his wife, he watched Dallas Cowboys game tape on the team-issued Ipad.

“She took a picture laughing at me,” Laurinaitis said.

To be fair, it’s tough to blame anyone on the defense for spending too much time studying tendencies of a running back they’re chasing in their dreams.

Murray rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown last year, and in 2011 he rolled up a franchise-record 253 yards, including a 91-yard jaunt, both times proving a key to Cowboys victories.

“It hurts your pride a lot,” Laurinaitis said. “He’s gotten so many yards on defenses you’ve been a part of, and you see what he’s done this year as well.”

Murray leads the NFL with 285 yards rushing and is second with a 5.6-yard average. That’s a lot bigger deal than what he’s done against St. Louis in the past.

“Honestly, I can’t remember,” Murray said. “I don’t look at those games because there’s a lot of new guys on the team. A similar defense, but I’m not looking at those games.”

The Rams have had their share of trouble with other backs, too. In the opener they held Adrian Peterson to 75 yards on 21 carries, but it was a hollow achievement considering wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson gained 102 yards on just three carries, including the back-breaking 67-yard touchdown.

Peterson had 212 yards rushing against St. Louis in 2012. Last year, Frank Gore had 153 yards, Chris Johnson piled up 150 yards with two touchdowns, and Arian Foster had 141 yards.

Things to watch for in Cowboys-Rams:

QB QUESTION: The Rams have three Austins on the team. Until last week, Austin Davis was the least known and well behind a pair of wide receivers, speedy game-changer Tavon Austin and clutch Austin Pettis.

Davis, who’s hung around for parts of three seasons with St. Louis, is suddenly the people’s choice. Since winning his first career start last week at Tampa Bay, there’s been a groundswell of support, and a general willingness to give veteran Shaun Hill one more week to recuperate from a quadriceps injury that left him hopping on one foot on a critical interception against Minnesota.

The Rams have a bye next week and if Davis leads another win, Fisher might have to revisit plans to save the starting job for whenever Hill’s healthy. The 34-year-old Hill’s a fan of Davis, too.

“I told him how great he did,” Hill said. “That was the only evaluation you could come up with for that game. He played wonderful.”

ROMO VS. RAMS: Though the Cowboys have leaned on Murray the last two victories against St. Louis, quarterback Tony Romo has been instrumental, too. He’s 3-0 as a starter against the Rams.

Because of all the running success, Romo ranks near the bottom of the NFL in passing and has more interceptions (3) than touchdown passes (2).

“I think things will develop and open up if we’re able to continue to run the ball like we’ve done, which I think we’ll have a great opportunity for this year,” Romo said. “You’ll start to be able to do some of the things that will give you an advantage off of that stuff.”

NO SUSPENSION: Both teams got a player back early under terms of the new performance enhancing drug policy, and both Dallas cornerback Orlando Scandrick and St. Louis wide receiver Stedman Bailey could be immediate factors. They could line up against each other, too.

Scandrick started a career-high 15 games last season, and said, “I want to pick up where I left off. All of my goals, my season goals, are right ahead of me.”

Bailey emerged late in the season at wide receiver after impressing much of the year on special teams. Bailey could replace Austin, his former West Virginia teammate, who injured his right knee last week.

While suspended, Bailey ran routes with his personal trainer, who’s also a former high school quarterback.

“It’s not like Shaun Hill or one of the guys throwing to me, but he did the best he could and I was able to get some accurate balls,” Bailey said.

LINEBACKER WOES: The Cowboys could be minus their top two options at middle linebacker with Rolando McClain and Justin Durant nursing groin injuries.

Rookie fourth-rounder Anthony Hitchens is a potential replacement, although veteran Bruce Carter could be moved to the middle as someone else starts on the strong side. Or, the Cowboys could play a lot more nickel defense.

NO SAM: Not surprisingly, Michael Sam will not be playing against the team that had the courage to draft him. Sam is getting up to speed on the Dallas practice squad.

“So sometimes it’s hard for young guys to get opportunities,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “He’s certainly in the mix.”

___

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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