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Homecoming for Tuberville, Cincinnati visits Miami

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tommy Tuberville will see Miami football like never before on Saturday.

Tuberville has three national championship rings from his eight seasons with the Hurricanes, an assistant between 1986 and 1993. He’s still revered by a good portion of Miami’s fan base, has been widely mentioned as a candidate during previous head-coaching searches by the Hurricanes and continues to speak fondly of the school.

And now, he’ll look to beat Miami.

Tuberville and the Cincinnati Bearcats (2-2) visit the Hurricanes (3-3) on Saturday, a midseason nonconference matchup and the first meeting between the schools since 1998.

It’s the first time Tuberville will coach against Miami since leaving the school more than two decades ago.

“The thing about the University of Miami is they’ve never backed down from playing good football schedules,” Tuberville said. “They’ve gone and played and competed and competed each year and this is another one of those years.”

The game was thought of a few weeks ago as a potential matchup between two quarterbacks with pretty good numbers, with Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel matching wits with Miami’s Brad Kaaya.

But Kiel’s status is unknown because of sore ribs, and the Bearcats aren’t likely to announce a starter before Saturday morning.

“I’ve always been a big fan of that guy,” said Kaaya, who as a high school sophomore caught passes from Kiel at an Elite 11 camp. “He can really throw the ball. He can really rip. I looked up to guys like that. I never thought I would be playing against him.”

Kiel is the top-rated passer in the American Athletic Conference, plus is tied for the league lead with 15 touchdown passes. If he can’t go, Munchie Legaux — who is 10-6 when getting extensive game action during his Cincinnati career — is the likely starter.

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Here’s what to watch when Cincinnati visits Miami:

CANE STRUGGLES: Miami hasn’t been under .500 seven games into a season since the probation days of 1997, and needs a win on Saturday to avoid that same fate. The Hurricanes are 11-1 in their last 12 home games. “It’s really not about what anybody else’s expectations are and certainly there’s a lot of things that we need to improve and better improve as we evolve this year,” said Hurricanes coach Al Golden, who is taking plenty of heat from a faction of the Miami fan base these days.

WELCOME BACK: Cincinnati hasn’t faced Miami in a generation, but the Bearcats have been to Sun Life Stadium in the not-too-distant past. Cincinnati appeared in the Orange Bowl after the 2008 season, grabbing an early lead but ultimately falling 20-7 to Virginia Tech. Plus, the Bearcats — who recruit South Florida extensively, just like practically every other program in the country — have eight players who grew up in the Miami area.

DUKE WATCH: Miami RB Duke Johnson’s season has been strong through six games, though he figures to face a bit of a test from Cincinnati’s defensive front. The Bearcats have given up just two rushes exceeding 25 yards all season. Johnson comes into the weekend second among Atlantic Coast Conference backs with 625 rushing yards, and is on pace to be the second Miami runner in the last 12 seasons to average more than 100 yards on the ground per game. Lamar Miller averaged 106 per game in 2011; before that, Willis McGahee was the last ‘Cane with a triple-digit average, doing so in 2002.

AAC ON THE ROAD: When teams from the American have hit the road this season, it’s been tough sledding. The AAC is 5-16 on the road so far in 2014, and the Bearcats lost 50-28 at Ohio State in their only away game to date. ACC teams are 35-11 at home, with Miami one of seven league members still unbeaten in those games.

BIG TACKLERS: One-time Miami recruit Jeff Luc leads the nation with 15.5 tackles per game for Cincinnati from his linebacker spot, and DB Zack Edwards has been credited with 12.5 tackles per game for the Bearcats. Denzel Perryman leads Miami with 45 tackles, with nine — his second-best total of the season — coming in last week’s loss at Georgia Tech.

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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