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49ers stagger to 23-14 loss to Arizona

By WTOP Staff

JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have struggled in the second half this season.

A week ago against Chicago, it was turnovers, mainly by quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

This time, penalties helped do the 49ers in and, yes, it was ugly.

Dominating early, the 49ers fell apart in the second half under a wave of penalties and undisciplined mistakes, leading to a 23-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

“We’ve got to do a better job — players and coaches — of not getting those penalties,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said.

Against the Bears, San Francisco blew a 13-point lead after Kaepernick threw two of his three interceptions in the fourth quarter and lost a fumble.

The 49ers (1-2) led Arizona 14-6 at halftime after two long scoring drives to open the game.

Once the second half started, San Francisco’s offense sputtered and its defense began giving up big chunks of yards — much of it on penalties.

Arizona (3-0) scored on its first drive of the second half, moving 85 yards in seven plays for a 24-yard touchdown pass from Drew Stanton to John Brown.

The 49ers didn’t have any penalties on that drive, but they had two big ones on the next one.

The first was an unnecessary roughness call on linebacker Dan Skuta for hitting Stanton in the head while the quarterback was trying to slide. Next play, linebacker Patrick Willis was called for roughing the passer after hitting Stanton — a call the 49ers were furious about — to move the Cardinals 15 more yards closer to the end zone.

Arizona found it three plays later, when Stanton shook off the hits and Brown hooked up for another touchdown on a 24-yard pass over the middle to put the Cardinals up 20-14.

“He’s tough as nails,” Arizona coach Bruce Arians said of Stanton.

San Francisco’s offense got into the penalty act after that.

With the 49ers on Arizona’s 12-yard line, Anquan Boldin was called for unnecessary roughness for head-butting an Arizona player. Three plays after that, right tackle Jonathan Martin was called for clipping, backing San Francisco up to the 34.

Making matters worse for the 49ers, Arizona’s Tommy Kelly was able to get a hand up and block Phil Dawson’s 45-yard field-goal attempt.

San Francisco later had a pass interference penalty to keep an Arizona drive alive and was flagged nine times for 107 yards overall. The 49ers have been outscored 52-3 in the second half this season, including 17-0 by Arizona.

“We have to come out of halftime with our mind right and stay focused, and not let penalties bother us,” Skuta said. “We have to stay together.”

The 49ers had hoped to take advantage of the Cardinals, who were playing with a backup quarterback for the second straight week and could potentially be distracted after backup running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested on a domestic abuse charge earlier in the week.

And San Francisco looked sharp early.

With Kaepernick hurting the Cardinals with his arm and legs, the 49ers went on a pair of methodical, 80-yard scoring drives in the first half. Kaepernick capped the first one with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree and Carlos Hyde scored on a 6-yard run in the second quarter.

San Francisco’s defense held Stanton and the Cardinals pretty much in check during the first half, holding Arizona to a pair of field goals by Chandler Catanzaro.

Just about everything flip-flopped in the second half.

Arizona’s offense started to hum behind Stanton, who played more confidently than the week before while throwing for 244 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-33 passing.

The Cardinals’ defense stiffened after some halftime adjustments, most of which centered on containing Kaepernick.

San Francisco’s athletic quarterback hurt Arizona by keeping plays alive with his legs and rushing for 45 yards on nine carries. Arizona accounted for Kaepernick better in the second half, sacking him a couple of times and holding him to five yards on four carries.

Kaepernick also found little throwing room downfield in the second half, relegated to shorter to underneath throws to finish with 245 yards and a touchdown on 29-of-27 yards passing.

“I really can’t say one thing,” Kaepernick said of San Francisco’s second-half struggles. “We just have to execute the way we should.”

NOTES: Crabtree finished with 11 catches for 80 yards. … Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald had three catches for 34 yards, extending his streak of catching a pass to 152 games. … Arizona next has a bye week before playing at Denver on Oct. 5. … The Cardinals lost cornerback Antonio Cromartie in the first half to a knee injury. … San Francisco plays its next two at home, against Philadelphia and Kansas City.

___

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

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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