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Navy ends losing streak, beats VMI 51-14

By WTOP Staff

JOHN P. EVANS III
Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — After three losses in a row, Navy was ready to accept any sort of win headed into a bye week.

Overmatched VMI proved to be just the opponent Navy needed as Tago Smith ran for a score and passed for another, Noah Copeland scored on a run and a pass, and Navy’s defense chipped in nine points, as the Midshipmen routed the Keydets 51-14 on Saturday.

“A win is a win and wins are hard to come by. You take them any way you can,” said Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo. Navy (3-4) has won all 10 matchups with VMI (1-6).

Navy had lost its last three games, to Rutgers and Western Kentucky at home, then at Air Force last week.

“Going into this game we were 2-4 and we felt we could have very easily been 6-0,” Niumatalolo said. “It wasn’t like people were blowing us out. We just weren’t making the right plays. We just need to keep going. I am encouraged.”

Copeland’s 64-yard run on Navy’s third offensive play jump-started an offense that, coupled with two defensive scores, built a 37-7 halftime lead.

“This was big for us. We have to continue putting these under our belt and just grind it out,” said Copeland.

Smith, a sophomore, started for the second time this season — both Navy wins — in place of Keenan Reynolds. With the bye week coming up, Reynolds was held out to rest after incurring both knee and shoulder injuries.

“It’s nice if your starter is down to have someone come in and play well,” said Niumatalolo. “He’s played two football games for us and played really well (in both). He did well (today) and did a lot of good things.”

Smith finished with three completions in five attempts for 82 yards passing. His 32-yard pass to Geoffrey Whiteside set up his own 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He also had 27 yards rushing.

“I was happy with the victory, but there is always some things you can improve on,” Smith said, adding that the week off will give the team some much needed time to get healthy, get caught up with studies and look toward a strong finish.

Navy’s starters, including Copeland and Smith, left after three quarters with the score 44-7.

“It is good to get a break, some key players are hurt and we need them to get healthy. The two long weeks of practice will help us to get some rest and perfect the craft,” said Copeland.

Third-string quarterback Will Worth scored the final Navy touchdown on a 2-yard run with 5:52 to play, capping a 70-yard drive.

Navy finished the game with 432 yards total offense, including 350 rushing. Its defense dominated the overmatched Keydets, holding them to four first downs and 86 yards in the first half.

VMI’s only score over the game’s first 59 minutes came from its defense on a recovery of a Smith fumble. On the play, Smith was hit just after taking the snap at his own 16. The ball bounded off several VMI players until it reached the end zone where Damien Jones recovered.

“The turnover wasn’t his fault; we turned a guy loose at the point of attack,” said Niumatalolo.

VMI’s other touchdown came with 14 seconds left on a 1-yard pass from Al Cobb to Chad Jacob. Cobb completed 26 of 40 passes for 202 yards, but the Keydets rushed for only 60 yards on 30 carries.

“We were having a hard time finding those 10 yards. We would find 9, but couldn’t find the tenth. Credit their defense for that,” said VMI head coach Sparky Woods. “We were competitive at times, but it felt like we just couldn’t be competitive three plays in a row.”

After VMI scored on the fumble recovery, Navy responded by scoring the final 23 points of the first half on a safety, two offensive scores and a defensive score. Additionally, a 70-yard scoring run by Smith was nullified by a penalty.

The safety resulted from a high snap on a VMI punt deep in its own territory and was followed by Quinton Singleton’s 14-yard touchdown run.

Only 56 seconds later, the defense added a touchdown on Parrish Gaines’ 39-yard interception return, and a minute after that, Smith connected with Copeland for a 16-yard scoring pass and a 37-7 halftime lead.

“We’re going to take this win and run with. I think we were dialed in today and came to play,” said Gaines of the defense.

The 37 first-half points were the most for Navy since Nov. 7, 2007, when the Midshipmen scored a school-record 45 in the first half against North Texas State.

The loss was VMI’s fourth in a row. The Keydets have now allowed 300 points in seven games.

“We’d like to compete better. That’s our goal, to be a more competitive football team because we have a great corps of cadets that we want to represent better,” said Woods.

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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