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Buffalo rally fails, Bulls lose 47-39 at Army

By WTOP Staff

JOHN KEKIS
AP Sports Writer

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo coach Jeff Quinn watched in dismay as his Bulls fell far behind a fired-up Army team anxious to get new coach Jeff Monken a victory in his first game.

Trailing 47-17 early in the fourth quarter, the Bulls staged a furious 22-point rally, falling one possession short in a 47-39 loss at sweltering Miche Stadium on Saturday.

The Bulls (1-1), who haven’t won a nonconference road game since beating UTEP 23-17 in 2009, were done in by three interceptions the Black Knights (1-0) turned into touchdowns, and Army’s bruising running game. Army also overcame 12 penalties for 105 yards.

“There are going to be plays we’re going to look at and say we did that very well and there were plays we didn’t do very well,” Quinn said. “A lot of it is just going to be us being able to be mature and responsible and be accountable for what took place out there. I know we have a mature team that understands that. They’re hurting right now. It’s a disappointing loss.”

The Bulls are in search of a second straight winning season, something that hasn’t happened since 1983-84.

“You’ve got to play each down,” Quinn said. “You’ve got to be sound in everything that you do, and we weren’t able to do that consistently. Bottom line is how we responded offensively.”

Joe Licata was 34 of 49 for 396 yards and five touchdowns, while Marcus McGill had six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns to pace Buffalo.

Larry Dixon ran for a career-high 174 yards and two touchdowns, one of six Army players to score as the Black Knights gained 341 yards rushing and snapped a five-game losing streak.

“It’s certainly uplifting to have a coach that’s so supporting of us and everything we do,” Army senior defensive tackle Joe Drummond said after just his ninth win at West Point. “The entire staff is more excited than we are at this point. We’ve got this win, we’ve got a lot of things to work on, but to come off the field and getting a win is exactly what we were looking for.”

It seemed so easy for the better part of the game as Army built its bulging lead early in the fourth quarter on 4-yard scoring runs by Angel Santiago and Matt Giachinta.

Undaunted, Licata led the Bulls back to make it a one-possession game. Buffalo recovered an onside kick and a fumbled pitch, and Licata took advantage, throwing three TD passes, two to Devin Campbell and one to McGill.

Campbell’s 8-yard catch with 2:42 left was the final score. The Bulls had one more chance, but Licata threw two incompletions and they fell a yard short of a first down.

“You dig yourself in a hole against a team that chops the clock and runs the ball well, as a team we weren’t able to pull off the win,” Quinn said. “We just turned the ball over too many times in some key situations, and that’s what hurt us.”

The Black Knights finished 3-9 last season under Rich Ellerson, who was fired after his fifth straight loss to Navy. Monken, who served as an assistant coach to Paul Johnson at Navy and Georgia Tech, was hired as head coach last December after a four-year stint as head coach at FCS power Georgia Southern.

Some timely runs against a stacked Buffalo line, a conservative-but-flawless passing game that surprised the Bulls more than once, and a defense that stiffened when it had to and forced a critical turnover helped stake Army to an 18-point halftime lead.

The Monken era got off to a shaky start when Santiago fumbled on the game’s second play from scrimmage. Witney Sherry recovered for the Bulls at the Army 48, but they had to settle for Patrick Clarke’s 22-yard field goal when the Army defense stiffened inside the 10.

Army got on track on its next possession, driving 75 yards for a touchdown despite penalties on consecutive plays. Santiago gained three yards on a fourth-and-1 play and Dixon scampered up the middle on a 23-yard touchdown run for a 7-3 lead with 4:20 left in the first quarter.

A personal foul against Army’s Geoffery Bacon placed the Black Knights in more jeopardy late in the first, giving the Bulls a first down at the Army 25. But the Black Knights held again and Clarke’s 35-yard field goal attempt was wide right.

A 39-yard gain set up Tony Giovannelli’s 4-yard touchdown, which gave Army a 14-3 lead early in the second. The Black Knights seemed content to take that lead into halftime before cornerback Chris Carnegie intercepted Licata at the 37 and returned it to the Buffalo 8 with 34 seconds left.

Maples scored on a 4-yard pitch right for a 21-3 halftime lead.

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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