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Worley, Tennessee trounce Chattanooga 45-10

By WTOP Staff

STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Justin Worley continues to show he can effectively lead Tennessee’s offense, as long as his young line gives him enough time.

Worley threw three touchdown passes and ran for two more scores Saturday as Tennessee ended a three-game skid with a 45-10 victory over Football Championship Subdivision program Chattanooga. Worley, who isn’t known for his mobility, became the first Tennessee quarterback to rush for two touchdowns in a game since Casey Clausen in a 45-17 Florida Citrus Bowl triumph over Michigan on Jan. 1, 2002.

The senior quarterback went 19 of 24 for 198 yards passing despite getting sacked five times. His touchdown runs included an 8-yarder in the second quarter and a 1-yard burst in the third period.

“I thought Justin was much more aggressive in his mindset, in his thinking and the way he played the game,” Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. “He played confident tonight. That’s what we’re going to need from him as we continue to move forward.”

Johnathon Johnson had the first two touchdown receptions of his career, a 21-yarder in the final minute of the second quarter and a 19-yarder in the opening minute of the third period. Worley also threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Marquez North.

Tennessee (3-3) gained some needed momentum before a demanding midseason stretch. Tennessee visits No. 3 Mississippi, hosts No. 7 Alabama and plays at South Carolina over the next three weeks.

Chattanooga (3-3) had a three-game winning streak snapped.

“I thought we did what we needed to do to win the football game tonight, a very businesslike approach,” Jones said.

Worley said that approach was a result of the way Jones responded after the Volunteers blew a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 10-9 loss to Florida last week.

“After the loss last week, he came in and he was visibly upset that we’d lost but it was all, ‘We’re moving on to this week. We can’t worry about that. We’ve got to go out there. It’s a new week, a new game, another step in the road to get to a bowl game, which is our goal,’ ” Worley said. “I credit him for getting us ready for this game.”

Tennessee entered this game attempting to boost a rushing attack that ranked last in the Southeastern Conference and seeking more production from an offensive line that had allowed a league-high 18 sacks through its first five games. In that regard, the Vols came up short.

Josh Freeman delivered two of Chattanooga’s season-high five sacks and also recovered a fumble that led to the Mocs’ first three points of the game. Tennessee needed 42 carries to rush for 123 yards, though Jalen Hurd carried the ball only twice while he recovers from a shoulder injury and Marlin Lane sat out the game with an ankle injury.

“We felt like we could come in here and get after them,” Freeman said of the Mocs’ pass rush. “And I feel like we did a pretty good job.”

Tennessee withstood the offensive line’s struggles Saturday because Worley threw the ball well and linebacker A.J. Johnson led a suffocating effort on defense. Chattanooga didn’t get a first down until its sixth series of the game, and the Mocs already trailed 17-0 by then.

The first sign that Tennessee would end its skid came when it won the coin toss, ending one of college football’s most improbable streaks. Before Saturday, Tennessee had lost its last 11 game-opening coin tosses. The Vols had lost 12-straight coin flips overall, including one that occurred prior to overtime in a loss to Georgia last season.

Tennessee deferred after winning the toss but forced a three-and-out and took an early 7-0 lead when Cam Sutton’s 42-yard punt return set up Worley’s touchdown pass to North.

The Vols broke the game open early in the second quarter.

After the Vols extended the lead to 10-0 on Aaron Medley’s 25-yard field goal with 14:22 left in the half, a botched handoff from Jacob Huesman to Richardre Bagley produced a fumble on Chattanooga’s next play from scrimmage and Tennessee’s Derek Barnett pounced on the loose ball at the Mocs’ 20. The turnover set up an 8-yard touchdown run from Worley, who bounced off Chattanooga safety Cedric Nettles on his way to the end zone.

Tennessee held Chattanooga to 201 total yards, including just 40 in the first half.

“I think Tennessee played very hard,” Chattanooga coach Russ Huesman said. “They’re a very athletic, physical football team. We knew we were playing a good team. We felt confident coming in, but we made some mistakes.”

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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