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Stanton leads Cardinals past San Francisco 23-14

By WTOP Staff

BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals didn’t need their starting quarterback to beat a longtime nemesis and stay atop the toughest division in football.

Backup Drew Stanton did just fine.

Stanton threw a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes to rookie John Brown and the Cardinals rallied to beat San Francisco 23-14 on Sunday. Arizona snapped a four-game losing streak to San Francisco and beat the 49ers for just the second time in their last 11 meetings.

Tommy Kelly blocked a field goal for the Cardinals (3-0), who outscored San Francisco 17-0 in the second half.

The 49ers (1-2) mounted 80-yard touchdown drives the first two times they had the ball, then didn’t score again, blowing a halftime lead for the second week in a row.

Stanton, starting for injured Carson Palmer for the second straight week, completed 18 of 33 passes for 244 yards and two scores. He has yet to be intercepted. Michael Floyd caught five for 114 yards.

The Cardinals, alone atop the NFC West, have a bye next week.

“It sets the table for some really good things to come,” Stanton said.

The 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick completed 29 of 37 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 54.

A week ago, San Francisco led 17-7 and lost at home to Chicago 28-20. This season, San Francisco has outscored opponents 59-16 in the first two quarters, but been outscored 52-3 in the second half.

Coach Jim Harbaugh, a man of very few words after the loss, was asked if he had an explanation for the second-half troubles.

“No, I don’t,” he said. “We’ve just got to play better. We’re not playing good enough right now.”

The 49ers were up 14-6 at the break this time before Stanton connected with Brown on touchdown passes of 24 and 21 yards.

“Coming out the whole practice, the game plan was around me to try to get the ball in my hands more,” Brown said, “because a lot of people are looking at Larry (Fitzgerald) and Michael. It just opened up big-time, so I was just prepared for it.”

Stanton said Brown is so smooth and fast.

“If you blink, he might be on the other side of you,” Stanton said, “and then it’s over.”

Stanton quarterbacked the Cardinals to a 25-14 road win over the New York Giants a week ago, his first regular-season game since 2010. He was even sharper against San Francisco. Afterward he said his first NFL start, back in 2009, was against the 49ers. He threw three interceptions and was benched at halftime.

He said “a little bit of weight” had been lifted from his shoulders.

“I’m just so fortunate and blessed really to be able to be in this opportunity,” Stanton said, “because most guys that go four years without a start, they’re not around the league too long.”

Arizona showed no sign of being distracted after backup running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested on a domestic abuse charge earlier in the week. Dwyer has been placed on a non-football injury list and is gone for the season.

“For us to go undefeated in September is a huge step forward with all the things that have gone on the past two weeks,” Arizona coach Bruce Arians said. “I love the resiliency of our football team, the focus that they bring every single day to work.”

San Francisco was penalized nine times for 107 yards, and Anquan Boldin felt some of them were undeserved, something he said has been a pattern.

“Every week is the same thing,” Boldin said. “You send the tape in and the NFL reports back that ‘we made a mistake’ but at the same time (that) is costing us games. At some point, they need to be held accountable.”

The 49ers were without tight end Vernon Davis (ankle injury) and his backup Vance McDonald (knee), as well as starting right tackle Anthony Davis (hamstring) and cornerback Tramaine Brock (toe).

Palmer remained sidelined with a nerve problem in his throwing shoulder.

A late-hit penalty on Dan Skuta, followed on the next play by a roughing-the-passer call against Patrick Willis, accounted for nearly half of Arizona’s go-ahead 66-yard touchdown driver.

On third-and-8 from the Cardinals 17, Stanton lofted a 45-yarder to Floyd for the drive’s big play. Stanton found Brown alone again from 21 yards out for the score.

Down 20-14, San Francisco drove to the Arizona 5 but an unnecessary roughness penalty against Boldin for head-butting the Cardinals’ Tony Jefferson pushed the 49ers back.

Then, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Kelly knocked down Dawson’s field goal try and the Cardinals’ Ed Stinson pounced on it near midfield.

Chandler Catanzaro’s third field goal of the afternoon, from 35 yards, sealed it in the waning seconds.

NOTES: The Cardinals lost cornerback Antonio Cromartie in the first half to a knee injury. … Previously, the 49ers’ lone loss to the Cardinals since 2008 was on Dec. 11, 2011. … San Francisco plays its next two at home, against Philadelphia and Kansas City. … Fitzgerald ran his string of consecutive games with a reception to 152.

___

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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