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Giants rally late to get past Colts 27-26

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Nassib finally showed the New York Giants how this new offense should look.

Crisp, efficient and potent.

After three quarters of bumbling around in Indianapolis, the second-year quarterback led New York to two touchdowns in the final four minutes Saturday night.

The second came on a 4-yard TD pass to Corey Washington with 55 seconds left –to give the Giants an improbable 27-26 victory against the Indianapolis Colts.

“It was definitely a strange game in that way, but it shows that we have some perseverance,” Nassib said. “We’ll play until the game’s over.”

For three quarters, the Giants stumbled around.

Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning finished 1 of 7 for 6 yards and was fortunate to have an interception wiped out by a Colts penalty.

Backup Curtis Painter, the one-time Indy starter, completed one pass during a first half that the Giants managed only 48 yards and wound up 6 of 15 for 64 yards and one TD.

The defense allowed 177 yards in the first two quarters, struggling to force punts, and kickoff returner Quintin Demps even lost a fumble.

“Whatever words you want to use to describe it, there was no production,” coach Tom Coughlin said when asked about the offense. “There’s nothing to look at from a production standpoint and that’s disappointing.”

Things looked so bleak that when Painter finally got the Giants (3-0) on the scoreboard with 10:16 left in the fourth quarter, on a 3-yard TD pass to Kellen Davis, the smattering of fans left at Lucas Oil Stadium thought it was more of a gimme than the start of a comeback.

Sixteen seconds later, though, Spencer Adkins recovered a fumble in the Colts’ end zone to make it 26-14, and then Nassib started working his late-game magic.

He led the Giants on a 92-yard drive, capped by Michael Cox’s 2-yard TD run, and then found Washington in the back corner of the end zone. Washington has caught a TD pass in each of the Giants three preseason games, including the winning scores each of the past two weeks.

“He’s proven that he’s made those big plays before and he did it once again,” Nassib said of Washington.

The late rally, against Indy’s backups, ruined what had been a big night for Hakeem Nicks, who signed with Indianapolis (0-2) as a free agent in March after helping the Giants win the Super Bowl in their last trip to Lucas Oil Stadium in February 2012. He showed his old team that he could still play.

Nicks caught five passes for 53 yards, accounting for most of Andrew Luck’s production on a night Reggie Wayne was again held out. Luck wound up 12 of 18 for 89 yards with one TD.

All week Nicks held his emotions in check, telling reporters all the right things.

On Saturday night, he looked as if he had all the right moves, too, with the exception of a couple of goodbye waves to his ex-teammates as he headed out of bounds.

The second time he did it, the refs flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct wiping out a 36-yard gain and getting a brief lecture from coach Chuck Pagano.

“He knew what he did, what that discussion was going to be like,” Pagano said.

The penalty didn’t stop Nicks or the Colts. On the next play, he caught an 8-yard pass for a first down, and opened the second quarter with a 17-yard catch that eventually led to Adam Vinatieri’s second field goal of the game, a 42-yarder that made it 13-0.

Matt Hasselbeck replaced Luck on the next series and promptly threw a 14-yard TD pass to Da’Rick Rogers to make it 20-0 at halftime, and two field goals from Cody Parkey made it 26-0 early in the fourth — a lead that looked safe.

Painter’s TD pass and Adkins’ fumble recovery gave the Giants a glimmer of hope and Nassib made it happen by overcoming two offensive penalties and converting two fourth-down chances by hooking up with Washington for the winner.

“We challenged them at halftime,” Coughlin said. “I wanted us to come out in the second half and see who loved football. It was primarily the end of the second group and then the third group that did it.”

Notes: Four New York players left the game with injuries: Cornerback Prince Amukamara (groin), offensive tackle Charles Brown (shoulder), defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (elbow) and safety Cooper Taylor (toe). Coughlin did not have a postgame update. … Manning said he is comfortable in the offense but that the Giants are still trying to understand all the nuances. … Pagano said the Colts did not sustain any significant injuries.

___

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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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