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LSU escapes with 30-27 victory at Florida

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Colby Delahoussaye hit a 50-yard field goal with 3 seconds remaining, making up for a missed extra point, and LSU edged Florida 30-27 on Saturday night.

Delahoussaye helped the Tigers avoid their first 0-3 start in Southeastern Conference play since 1999 and win in Gainesville for the second time in their last five tries.

His game-winner was set up by Rickey Jefferson’s interception in the final minute.

Jeff Driskel tried to hit Latroy Pittman on a slant pass on third down, but the ball was tipped and caught by Jefferson.

Pittman was crunched on the play. He rolled over before trainers got to his side, and he was eventually strapped to a backboard and carted off the field. He was moving his arms and hands, and gave a thumbs-up to fans as he left Florida Field.

Coach Will Muschamp said afterward that “we think Latroy’s going to be fine.”

Still, it was a frightening moment that marred a dramatic finish.

LSU (5-2, 1-2 SEC) scored with 2:40 remaining, when Anthony Jennings connected with Travin Dural on consecutive plays, including an 11-yarder for a touchdown.

Florida (3-2, 2-2) responded and had a chance to go back in front. But Tevin Westbrook dropped a third-down pass in the end zone, forcing the Gators to settle for a field goal and a tie.

Florida forced a punt and got the ball back, but Driskel’s interception — his third turnover of the game — ended the team’s chance of winning or getting to overtime.

“Had our opportunities — countless,” Muschamp said.

Leonard Fournette, a highly touted freshman from New Orleans, ran for a career-high 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Jennings completed 10 of 21 passes for 110 yards. He was sacked four times, but made plays when he needed to.

Driskel completed 14 of 25 passes for 183 yards for Florida, with a touchdown and two interceptions. He threw a perfect pass to Demarcus Robinson for a 73-yard gain that gave Florida a chance with a little more than a minute to play. But the Gators couldn’t punch it in from there.

Driskel also fumbled, which set up LSU’s first touchdown.

Fournette scored on a 12-yard run in the first quarter, running over safety Marcus Maye near the goal line, and then leaped over the line of scrimmage for a 2-yard plunge in the third. His second score put LSU in front 20-17.

Florida ended a tumultuous week with another dreadful performance on offense, surely fueling more speculation about Muschamp’s future.

Muschamp has lost 11 of his last 18 games, including three in a row against teams from the Western Division. This one was supposed to be different. The Tigers were blown out 41-7 at Auburn two weeks ago and had been suspect against the run.

But Florida mounted little offense for the third consecutive games.

It surely didn’t help that Florida played without leading rusher Matt Jones in the second half. Jones missed practice all week with a swollen left knee. He carried four times in the first half, but came out of the locker room in street clothes.

Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III joined him there after taking a knee to the head.

Florida quarterback Treon Harris wasn’t on the sideline. He watched the game from the coaches’ booth.

The Gators wanted to shield the freshman from television cameras a day after a fellow Florida student withdrew a sexual battery complaint against him. The university and Muschamp fully reinstated Harris on Friday after the woman chose not to pursue criminal charges at this time. She maintains the right to do so in the future.

Harris had been accused of sexually assaulting the woman at an on-campus residence hall around 3 a.m. Sunday — hours after he helped Florida rally to beat Tennessee 10-9 in Knoxville.

Harris was not arrested or charged with a crime.

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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