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Undisciplined play sends 49ers to 1-2 start

By WTOP Staff

JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in a familiar position having lost two straight games to fall to 1-2 after three games for the second straight season.

It’s the way they got to this point that is so frustrating to the team.

For the second straight week, the Niners blew a second-half lead and gave a game away in losing 23-14 to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. After being done in by turnovers in a Week 2 loss to Chicago, it was penalties that did San Francisco in this week.

It leaves the Niners looking up in the standings as they already trail Arizona by two games and Seattle by one in the tough NFC West heading into Sunday’s home game against undefeated Philadelphia.

“We need to get it fixed Sunday at 1 o’clock,” coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday. “That’s the challenge for our ballclub. We’ve been in this position before where there is an ebb and a flow to the season. We’re in it now. That’s the great challenge for our football team and I have great confidence that we’ll attack it.”

The Niners responded to the slow start last year by winning their next five games as they made it all the way to the NFC title game for the third straight year.

If they are going to have a similar turnaround this year they will need to clean up their play. The Niners were called for nine penalties for 107 yards on Sunday and have a league-worst 36 penalties overall through three games.

The penalty barrage by the 49ers started midway through the third quarter when linebacker Dan Skuta was called for unnecessary roughness for hitting sliding quarterback Drew Stanton one play before Patrick Willis was called for a disputed roughing the passer penalty.

Those 30 free yards set up Stanton’s second touchdown pass of the quarter to rookie John Brown, giving the Cardinals a 20-14 lead they never squandered.

The Niners were in position to regain the lead on their next drive with a first-and-goal at the 6. But Anquan Boldin head-butted a Cardinals defender, backing San Francisco up to the 21.

A clipping call on Jonathan Martin moved the Niners back 15 more yards and the drive ended with no points when Tommy Kelly blocked Phil Dawson’s 45-yard field goal attempt.

Willis and Chris Culliver got called for personal fouls on Arizona’s next drive and a pass interference by Chris Cook on third down late in the game helped set up the game-sealing score.

“We never point any finger of blame or make excuses in terms of the officiating,” Harbaugh said. “Sometimes the football gods can be unforgiving. I say ‘gods’ with a small ‘g.’ We’ll work to fix it and I’m confident we’ll do that.”

San Francisco has been outscored 52-3 in the second half this season and 31-0 in the fourth quarter.

The frustration boiled over into the postgame locker room where Boldin did criticize the officials and running back Frank Gore was too upset to finish an interview.

“There’s definitely frustration and not feeling good after a loss,” Harbaugh said. “But the mindset has to be, going forward, to fix. You push against something until it’s upright. That’s a process that our team uses. I have total belief in everybody associated with our program — coaches, players, everybody involved.”

Gore’s anger might have had to do with his lack of use. He had just six carries for 10 yards the entire game as the Niners used more four- and five-receiver sets to make up for injuries to tight ends Vernon Davis and Vance McDonald. The six carries matched the fewest Gore has had in three-plus seasons with Harbaugh as his coach.

The Niners ran the ball just seven times in the second half against the Cardinals despite either leading or being within one score for all but the final 29 seconds of the half.

NOTES: DE Ray McDonald left the game with a dislocated finger. … Harbaugh said he is optimistic Davis will be able to play this week after sitting out with an ankle injury. Davis has missed two games the past seven seasons, both 49ers losses.

___

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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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