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Nicks looks good, but Giants rally for 27-26 win

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Colts receiver Hakeem Nicks spent the whole week saying all the right things about the Giants.

On Saturday night, he showed how much this preseason matchup really meant to him.

He caught five passes for 53 yards from Andrew Luck and helped the Indianapolis Colts jump out to a 26-0 lead, then watched as the New York Giants rallied in the final 10 1/2 minutes to pull off an improbable 27-26 comeback win.

“There was a little more emphasis on this one,” Nicks acknowledged during a third-quarter television interview.

And Nicks, who signed with Indy as a free agent in March, made sure his old teammates knew it.

The 26-year-old receiver jump-started his big night with a catch-and-sprint for a 17-yard gain in the first quarter.

On the next play, he caught an 11-yard pass near the sideline, waving his hand at linebacker Jacquian Williams, a play that set up Luck’s 5-yard TD pass to Griff Whalen for a 7-0 lead.

Two series later, Nicks was back at it. He caught a 36-yard pass on third-and-3, which was called back after he gestured at Trumaine McBride as he ran out of bounds.

That drew a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct negating a play that drew a brief scolding from coach Chuck Pagano.

Nicks made amends with an 8-yard catch for a first down on the next play and opened the second quarter with a 17-yard catch that led to Adam Vinatieri’s second field goal of the night, a 42-yarder to make it 13-0.

After that, Nicks and the rest of the starters called it a night.

“He was outstanding,” Pagano said. “Him and Andrew were in a rhythm. He was making plays. Obviously, we figured he’d play inspired football against a really good football team.”

But it wasn’t quite enough for the Colts (0-2).

After the Giants (3-0) stumbled around on offense for the first three quarters, Curtis Painter finally got the Giants on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter.

Ryan Nassib then led New York (3-0) to two scores in the final four minutes, including the winning score on a 4-yard TD pass to Corey Washington.

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.

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.

“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 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.

Matt Hasselbeck replaced Luck and 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.

But Painter’s TD pass and Adkins’ fumble recovery in the Colts’ end zone gave the Giants a glimmer of hope and Nassib delivered 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. … 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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