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Buccaneers rally late to stun Steelers 27-24

By WTOP Staff

WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent nine long days aching for a shot to shake off embarrassment.

Given multiple chances at redemption thanks to the sloppy Pittsburgh Steelers, the Buccaneers didn’t let this one get away.

Mike Glennon hit a diving Vincent Jackson for a 5-yard touchdown with 7 seconds remaining to lift Tampa Bay to a stunning 27-24 win Sunday.

The Buccaneers (1-3) lost to Atlanta by six touchdowns more than a week ago but responded by rallying from seven points down in the fourth quarter to give Lovie Smith his first victory at his second head coaching stop.

“I was out last year, so it’s been a long time since I’ve tasted winning a game,” Smith said. “For our football team, we needed this.”

Did they ever. Only a pair of garbage time touchdowns against the Falcons prevented Tampa Bay from the worst loss in a franchise history littered with lopsided defeats.

The Buccaneers responded with relentless if not exactly crisp play on a day the two teams combined for 22 penalties.

Glennon passed for 302 yards in his first start of the season, including a 41-yard catch-and-run by Louis Murphy that set up Jackson’s score.

“We made so many mistakes out there, but we found a way to win,” Smith said. “That was a hurdle we needed to get over.”

Doug Martin ran for 40 yards and a touchdown in his return from injury. Murphy caught six passes for 99 yards, and rookie wide receiver Mike Evans hauled in the first touchdown of his career before leaving with a groin injury.

Tampa Bay’s defense struggled keeping the Steelers in check, though Pittsburgh did its best to stop itself by drawing 13 flags and letting a handful of chances to move to 3-1 for the first time since 2010 slip away.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns, but the Steelers (2-2) couldn’t protect a late lead.

Antonio Brown caught seven passes for 131 yards and two scores, and Heath Miller added a career-high nine receptions with a touchdown.

Pittsburgh rallied from an early 10-point deficit and appeared to be in complete control at times.

“We can’t go out and expect to beat an NFL team and beat ourselves as well,” defensive end Brett Keisel said.

Tampa Bay twice found itself down a touchdown in the second half. Both times the Buccaneers scrambled back.

A 3-yard touchdown run by Martin tied the game at 17 in the third quarter. After Roethlisberger found Miller for a 5-yard touchdown to put Pittsburgh back in front, Tampa Bay kept coming against a Steelers defense that struggled to get to the quarterback even with the addition of linebacker James Harrison.

The five-time Pro Bowler returned to Pittsburgh after an 18-day retirement to help an injury-depleted defense.

Patrick Murray kicked a 27-yard field goal to get the Buccaneers within 24-20. The Steelers tried to go for the knockout punch but couldn’t deliver. Roethlisberger found Brown behind the coverage on a flea flicker, but the pass glanced off the Pro Bowler’s fingertips.

Tampa Bay responded by driving to the Steelers 14 only to stall. Glennon overthrew Jackson in the back of the end zone on fourth down with 1:53 to go.

“It would have been tough to sleep tonight if we didn’t get another chance or win this game because those are throws that I need to make if we’re going to win games,” Glennon said.

Pittsburgh couldn’t muster a first down, giving the Buccaneers one last shot.

Taking over at the Steelers 46 after a 29-yard punt, Glennon hit Murphy in stride. He was finally pulled to the ground at the Pittsburgh 5. Jackson couldn’t haul in a pass on second down, but responded on the next play by stretching his 6-foot-5 frame to make the grab.

“I knew Mike was going to give me a chance for a ball on the outside,” Jackson said. “I went out there and competed for the ball.”

The Steelers were left wondering how they’ve become one of the league’s most undisciplined teams.

“We need to fix it,” Tomlin said. “And if we don’t we’ll continue to lose close football games.”

NOTES: Tampa Bay DT Gerald McCoy had two tackles and a sack in his return from a hand injury. … The win was the Bucs’ second in nine meetings with the Steelers. … Tampa Bay S Dashon Goldson left with an ankle injury and did not return. … Roethlisberger became the 12th quarterback in NFL history to go over 35,000 career yards passing.

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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