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Rams fall short after jumping out to early lead

By WTOP Staff

ST. LOUIS (AP) — With Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and the rest of the 1999 Super Bowl champions back for a bobbing and weaving celebration of the St. Louis Rams’ heyday, the current players came out with a fantastic flurry.

It turned out to be a disappointing flashback of the team’s last time playing in the Edward Jones Dome, another lead blown.

Colin Kaepernick threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns, helping the 49ers erase an early 14-point deficit and beat the Rams 31-17 on Monday night.

Brandon Lloyd, Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree each caught a scoring pass for the 49ers (4-2), who have won three in a row. Ahmad Brooks and Dan Skuta had two sacks apiece for a stifling defense that sacked Austin Davis five times and permitted one first down on St. Louis’ first six possessions of the second half.

“We just didn’t play well enough to win. Obviously, we got off to a quick start and just couldn’t do enough in the second half,” Davis said. “It was a tough one.”

The Niners’ comeback really got going just before the Rams’ halftime celebration, with several of the former players forming a circle in the north end zone to do the bob ‘n’ weave dance seen so many times during the “Greatest Show on Turf” days.

Lloyd blew past Janoris Jenkins along the left sideline to catch an 80-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left in the first half, and San Francisco opened the second half with an 80-yard drive to take a 17-14 lead on Kaepernick’s 11-yard TD pass to Boldin as he came across the end zone.

“I feel like the game plan’s good, the scheme’s good. We’ve just got to execute and have that edge. For the most part, I feel like this second half was just a lack of effort, a lack of fight from the offense,” Rams running back Benny Cunningham said. “That’s something we’ve just got to go back and get fixed.”

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. Later in the quarter, about three dozen fans marched around a walkway in the upper deck with their hands up, a reference to reports that Brown may have had his hands up when he was fatally shot. When asked in the locker room, several Rams players said they were unaware of the protests.

The sign was quickly taken down, with ushers stepping in and leading the fans away. Team officials refused to comment.

The Rams (1-4) mounted a brief rally with Greg Zuerlein’s 38-yard field goal that cut the deficit to 24-17 with 2:24 to go, and St. Louis got the ball back with 1:05 left and 95 yards to go to tie the game. Instead, Davis bailed out of a collapsing pocket and threw an interception that Dontae Johnson returned 20 yards for the clinching score with 53 seconds left.

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. The Rams squandered a 21-0 lead in a loss to Dallas in their last home game, then scored the final 21 points in a 34-28 loss at Philadelphia last week.

“We’ve had the ball in every game with a chance to either win or tie. That’s where hopefully my experience will help, the more opportunities I get. I’ll learn from it,” said Davis, who has had three of his four interceptions returned for touchdowns, all at home and all in the fourth quarter.

“You’ve got to be able to go win games at the end. Every game’s going to be tough. I feel like this one’s really on me. I didn’t play very good and I’ve got to find a way to lead this team.”

It wasn’t enough for the Rams, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2003, to wear throwback uniforms featuring the royal blue and bright yellow from a decade ago.

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.

“I just feel like we came out with an edge, with a chip on our shoulders and executed, did what coach asked of us. And in the second half, we lost the edge, we lost the mental toughness and we didn’t really have the same fight that we had in the first half,” Cunningham said.

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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