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Yale upsets Army 49-43 in overtime

By WTOP Staff

PAT EATON-ROBB
Associated Press

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Army kicker Daniel Grochowski had a chance to beat Yale at the end of regulation, and a chance to give the Black Knights the lead in overtime.

But his 42-yard field goal attempt as the fourth quarter expired sailed wide left, and his 25-yarder in extra time went right.

Yale (2-0) scored a touchdown on their overtime possession and the FCS school from the Ivy League stunned Army (1-3) 49-43 on Saturday in a renewal of a rivalry that dates back 121 years.

“I don’t know when I’ve been more disappointed,” said Army coach Jeff Monken. “We just didn’t make enough plays to win the football game, and they did.”

Tyler Varga ran 28 times for 185 yards and five touchdowns for Yale. His fourth touchdown, a 10-yard burst through tacklers with 1:42 to play in regulation, tied the game at 43. His run from 3 yards out in OT was the game-winner.

It was Army’s first loss to an Ivy League team since 1980, two years before the Ivy’s decided to drop from Division I-A.

“This is huge,” Varga said. “There are 105 guys who believed we could get something done…but outside of that, I don’t know who believed. But all that counts is us.”

Army ran up 597 yards on offense. But on their only overtime possession, a bad snap on third-and-goal followed by a false start penalty force a field goal attempt, and Grochowski pushed it.

Army quarterback A.J. Schurr ran for 135 yards and a touchdown and threw for 94 and another before leaving the game with an injury in the third quarter.

Angle Santiago, who started the first three games, came in to rush for 88 yards and two scores, while passing for another 117 yards.

“Our guys played their butts off and played as hard as they could,” said Monken. “There was no overconfidence.”

The teams, who had not played since 1996, combined for 1,222 yards of offense.

Yale, a heavy underdog from the FCS, did not lead in regulation. The Bulldogs trailed by 14 points in the third quarter after Army linebacker Jeremy Timpf picked off a pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.

“We did so many great things,” Timpf said. “We just had so many breakdowns. It’s very disappointing.”

But Yale fought back, tying the game at 36 on a 73-yard scoring drive with 21 seconds left in the third quarter. Varga burst up the middle from 18-yards out for his third touchdown of the day. He also scored on runs of 15 and 2 yards.

Aaron Kemper’s 74-yard run set up a 1-yard plunge by Santiago that put Army back up 43-36 early in the fourth quarter.

Yale began the tying drive at the Army 45 after punter Bryan Holmes pinned the Cadets deep in their own territory.

Army’s triple option resulted in 386 yards rushing.

But Yale put up 625 total yards. Roberts completed 23 of 40 for 290 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 67. His 22-yard touchdown to Ross Drwal down the left sideline cut Army’s lead to 36-29 in the third quarter.

“We decided that we weren’t going to let the moment be too big for us and we were going to step up to the moment, and that’s what we did today,” Roberts said.

Schurr had 135 yards rushing in the first half. His 43-yard scramble just before the half gave Army to a 21-14 lead going into the break. He also hit Edgar Poe in the end zone with a beautiful back-shoulder pass from 22-yards out to give the Black Knights a 14-7 lead

Yale tied the game twice, first at 7-7 with a 65-yard drive, scoring when Roberts fooled the Army defense with a fake handoff to Tyler Varga and ran 13 yards around the right side for a touchdown. They made it 14-14 on a 2-yard plunge from Varga, set up when Stephen Buric made a diving 26-yard catch.

The teams have played 46 times since 1893, but this was Army’s first trip to the Yale Bowl since 1988 and the first game against Yale since 1996.

Yale leads the series 22-16-8 edge, but had not beaten Army since a 14-12 win in 1955.

This season, the Black Knights needed a waiver from the NCAA to play the game without hurting their bowl eligibility, because Yale does not offer scholarships and does not play in the FCS postseason. The game was played as part of a season-long celebration in New Haven of the 100th anniversary of the Yale Bowl.

“You could feel the energy,” Roberts said. “You could feel all the alumni and people that were here to celebrate the Yale Bowl and to celebrate this team and we fed off that.”

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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