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49ers throttle Rams 31-17 for 3rd straight win

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers defense got beat early by unfamiliar plays and Austin Davis calling the signals.

“No disrespect, but I didn’t know who their quarterback was,” linebacker Ahmad Brooks said. “We got some good pressure on him. That helped us.”

Davis was sacked five times, twice each by Brooks and Dan Skuta. They carried the day, keeping the St. Louis Rams offense stalled, and giving Colin Kaepernick a chance to warm up in a 31-17 victory on Monday night.

Kaepernick threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns for the 49ers, who erased an early 14-point deficit. The defense stepped up again when Dontae Johnson returned an interception return for a TD in the final minute to seal it.

“Talk about an opportunity, I had the chance to make a play,” Johnson said.

Brandon Lloyd, Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree each caught a scoring pass for the 49ers (4-2), who have won three in a row. The 49ers permitted one first down on St. Louis’ first six possessions of the second half.

“We’ve had the ball in every game with a chance to either win or tie,” Davis said. “That’s where hopefully my experience will help, the more opportunities I get.

“You’ve got to be able to go win games at the end.”

Kaepernick had plenty of time to throw and wasn’t sacked.

“We just want to win,” Kaepernick said. “Whatever it takes, if we’re up with the lead or if we have to come from behind.”

Kaepernick found Boldin zipping across the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass, capping a go-ahead 80-yard drive to start the second half. As the Niners were taking the 17-14 lead, several fans in the upper deck unfurled a large banner above the videoboard on the opposite end of the stadium as part of ongoing protests about the Michael Brown shooting in suburban Ferguson in August.

San Francisco then added to its advantage when Kaepernick connected with Crabtree for a 32-yard score with 13 seconds left in the third.

The Rams had one last chance to tie the game, but Johnson returned an interception 20 yards for the clinching score with 53 seconds to go.

It was a disappointing conclusion for St. Louis, which had 151 yards and a 14-0 lead after the first quarter on Benny Cunningham’s 1-yard run and a 22-yard touchdown reception for Lance Kendricks.

“We always see different looks in a game,” Skuta said. “They hadn’t done some of the things they did early. We adjusted and we kept playing, that’s something we do really well.”

St. Louis wore throwback uniforms — royal blue and bright yellow — to honor its 1999 Super Bowl title team and represented that winning squad very well for a short time. Guard Adam Timmerman joined wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt for an impromptu bob n’ weave TD dance in the end zone at halftime.

The Rams haven’t had a winning season since the Greatest Show on Turf petered out in 2003. They doubled their first-quarter scoring for the year with a start that mimicked their last home game when they led Dallas 21-0.

They lost that one 34-31, and this one was all San Francisco the rest of the way.

The 49ers scuffled to a 1-2 start coming off a third straight appearance in the NFC championship game, but have won 13 of their last 14 in October.

Davis was 21 of 42 for 236 yards. He threw for 300 yards each of the last two games with six touchdown passes.

Three of Davis’ four interceptions have been returned for touchdowns, all in the fourth quarter at home.

The 49ers had four penalties before the end of their first possession, three accepted, and one the rest of the way. One of the early miscues, illegal contact on Eric Reid, handed the Rams a second first-and-goal on their opening drive capped by Cunningham’s TD behind extra lineman Tim Barnes.

Rookie Tre Mason’s first career carry was a 24-yarder that might have gone the distance had he not run into teammate Brian Quick. Three plays later, Kendricks got well behind the defense on a 22-yard catch that made it 14-0 late in the first.

The 49ers inched back on Phil Dawson’s 54-yard field goal, his 10th in a row with four beyond midfield. They were backed up at their own 5 inside the two-minute warning but declined to play it safe and Lloyd whipped Janoris Jenkins in single coverage on an 80-yard touchdown catch with 14 seconds left in the half.

“We had Brandon Lloyd on a double move,” Kaepernick said. “We liked the matchup. He did an amazing job.”

___

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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