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Colston’s fumble in OT hands Falcons 37-34 win

By WTOP Staff

PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Marques Colston slammed his helmet to the turf, then brushed off a New Orleans Saints teammate who tried to console him.

Not long after, he trudged to the locker room while the Atlanta Falcons celebrated.

Colston’s fumble on the second play of overtime set up Matt Bryant’s 52-yard field goal, giving the Falcons a 37-34 victory over the Saints in another thriller between the NFC South rivals Sunday.

Bryant kicked a 51-yarder on the final play of regulation to extend the game, which featured 17 points in the final 2:50 of the fourth quarter.

But the Saints will remember this one for Colston’s miscue. After catching a pass over the middle that was good enough for a first down, he had the ball stripped from behind by Atlanta safety William Moore.

Joplo Bartu fell on it at the Saints 38, essentially putting the Falcons in field goal range without having to do anything. They netted 4 yards on three conservative plays and let Bryant win it.

“Every once in a while, you get in one of these games where the score goes back and forth,” New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. “The smallest of details, especially in overtime, magnifies any little mistake.”

Colson had five catches for 110 yards, including a 57-yarder.

“He’s won a lot of games for us,” Payton said. “When you get into overtime, it’s not just one play. It’s a series of plays.”

Matt Ryan threw for a franchise-record 448 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Falcons, even showing some rarely used mobility. He scrambled three times for 15 yards and dodged the Saints’ pressure most of the day, going down only one time after taking a career-high 44 sacks last season.

“He’s played a lot of games, made a lot of plays for us,” coach Mike Smith said. “But I was really impressed with his ability to extend some plays by moving around in the pocket. And he was very, very accurate. When you have (568 yards) of total offense and 448 through the air, your quarterback is playing well.”

Ryan broke the team passing record of 431 yards set by Chris Chandler in 2001, and also eclipsed the Atlanta mark for career TD passes. Ryan is now at 156, breaking the record of 154 held by Steve Bartkowski.

“Matt was calm, cool and collected,” center Joe Hawley said. “He never flinched. Every time they would score, he would just go back out there and look at it as another opportunity to score.”

Rallying from a pair of 13-point deficits, the Falcons beat New Orleans for just the fourth time in their last 17 meetings. This one was particularly sweet for Atlanta coming off a miserable 4-12 season, its first losing campaign since 2007.

“We are trying to redeem ourselves for last year,” Bartu said. “We’re trying to improve and this was big for us, for our momentum and everything.”

The Falcons (1-0) went ahead on Jacquizz Rodgers’ dazzling 17-yard run with 2:50 remaining. The diminutive back cut this way and that for a 31-27 lead.

Back came Drew Brees and the Saints (0-1), needing only 90 seconds to go 71 yards. Mark Ingram powered over from the 3 for his second touchdown to make it 34-31 with 1:20 left.

That was enough time for Ryan. He completed three passes on the tying drive, the big one a 21-yarder to Devin Hester that set up Bryant’s tying kick.

Hester, known mostly as a return specialist, showed he’s still got some skills as a receiver. After not catching even one pass for Chicago last season, the 31-year-old had five receptions for 99 yards.

Brees threw for 333 yards, but was picked off in the end zone after the Saints drove to the Atlanta 14 in the third quarter.

The Saints scored on all four first-half possessions, working first-round pick Brandin Cooks right into their already dynamic offense. He hauled in a 3-yard pass that pushed New Orleans to a 20-7 lead.

Atlanta cut it to 20-10 going into the break, thanks to a brilliant leaping catch by Roddy White for a 39-yard gain on the next-to-last play of the half. Bryant booted a 40-yard field goal that gave the Falcons a bit of momentum.

NOTES: Cooks finished with seven receptions for 77 yards. … The Falcons lost rookie LT Jake Matthews with a left ankle injury on the next-to-last play of the first half. … Ingram, Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson all had some impressive runs for the Saints. … For the 10th time in the last 13 meetings, the margin between the teams was eight points or less.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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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