Skip to main content

Turnovers, Jennings, Manning lead Giants to win

By WTOP Staff

TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — When it comes to winning football games, Tom Coughlin isn’t afraid to get out of his comfort zone.

With his team feeling the pressure of a second straight 0-2 start and many worried about another 0-6 debacle, Coughlin did the unexpected with his players this week.

He played music at practice that his players liked, had a punt catching competition and got his players to relax. It worked.

Rashad Jennings ran for a career-best 176 yards and a touchdown, Eli Manning threw two touchdowns and the Giants’ defense recorded their first three takeaways of the season in a 30-17 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday.

“He is aggressive at trying to make adjustments to get this team focused and to get this team motivated,” Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said of the 68-year-old Coughlin. “This group reacted to that. Maybe groups in the past would not have gotten it done but he got it done for this group and I respect him for being able to change with the team.”

After two dismal performances, the Giants dominated in the first half, taking a 14-0 lead on Manning’s 26-yard TD to Victor Cruz and a 1-yard run by Jennings. Josh Brown added three field goals and Manning (21 of 28 for 234 yards) threw a 9-yard touchdown to Daniel Fells in the second half.

“It’s always great to win,” said Coughlin, who team will face Washington on Thursday night. “I wish we would have won a couple weeks ago and kept it going but we won today, let’s just be happy with that for now.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 44-yard scoring pass to Damaris Johnson and ran for another score for the Texans (2-1), who played without halfback Arian Foster (hamstring). Fitzpatrick completed 20 of 34 for 289 yards but he threw his first three interceptions of the season.

“You play bad defense, you are going to get beat,” Texans defensive end J.J. Watt said. “That is what happened today, we played bad football and we got beat.”

The Texans came into the game with an NFL-best plus 5 turnover ratio. They were minus 2 against the Giants.

Some things learned from the Giants first win of the season:

GIANTS DEFENSIVE LINE: There was a lot of concern about the line after Justin Tuck and Linval Joseph signed with other teams as free agents. Facing a Texans offensive line that had not given up a sack, the Giants sacked Ryan Fitzpatrick twice and Jason Pierre-Paul short-circuited Houston’s opening drive with a pressure that led to an interception by Prince Amukamara.

GAMBLING BILL: Houston coach Bill O’Brien isn’t afraid to do the unexpected. The first-year head coach had punter Shane Lechler throw a pass on fourth-and-1 from his own 39 on the Texans’ first possession. Alfred Blue caught it for 10 yards and a first down. The second game didn’t pay off. Down 14-0 at the start of the second half, O’Brien went for it on fourth-and-1 from his 46 on the first possession and Blue lost a yard on a run. It led to a Giants field goal.

JENNINGS’ CAREER GAMES: Jennings’ two best games running the ball have been against Houston. He ran for 150 last year as a member of the Raiders and went for 176 on 34 carries.

The 34 carries were the most by a Giant since Dec. 5, 1999, when Joe Montgomery had 38. His 176 yards were the highest total by a Giants back since Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 200 yards on 30 carries vs Cleveland on Oct. 7, 2012.

“I had no idea what the stats were,” said Jennings, who atoned for a key fourth-quarter fumble last week. “I wear a pacifier. The reason why I wear a pacifier — I just shut up and work.”

NO ARIAN: There was some concern that halfback Arian Foster was being used too much after he got 55 carries for 241 yards in the Texans first two games. Foster was inactive Sunday because of a hamstring injury. Blue started at halfback and gained 78 yards on 13 carries, with a 46-yard third-quarter run being his big gainer.

MR SALSA IS BACK: it didn’t’ take Victor Cruz long to get back in the good graces of Giants fans. The popular 27-year-old was booed after dropping two fourth-quarter passes last week. His five catches for 107 yards had cheers of “CRUZZZ” echoing through MetLife Stadium and the fans loved his salsa after his 26-yard catch and run for a touchdown.

“It’s been a long time since I got in that end zone,” said Cruz, who had not caught a TD since Week 4 of last season. “It felt good to dance again, but my hips hurt from dancing.”

___

Online: 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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote