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East Carolina stuns No. 17 Virginia Tech 28-21

By WTOP Staff

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Following his team’s victory over No. 17 Virginia Tech on Saturday, East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill sought out his quarterback Shane Carden and they shared a lengthy embrace in the south end zone of Lane Stadium.

The hug for Carden was well deserved.

Carden threw three touchdown passes and scored a rushing touchdown with 16 seconds left to lead the Pirates to a 28-21 upset of the Hokies.

The senior from Houston, Texas, completed 23 of 47 passes for 427 yards in carrying the Pirates to their first victory over a ranked team since 2009 when they beat then-No. 18 Houston 38-32 in Greenville, North Carolina.

They also beat a ranked team on the road for the first time since 1996 when they topped then-No. 12 Miami 31-6.

East Carolina (2-1) snapped a five-game losing streak to ranked opponents.

“Coming back from adversity from last week (a 33-23 loss to South Carolina), that’s what that hug was about,” McNeill said.

“Staying the course and believing what you believe in, that’s what that hug was about. Getting it done as one heartbeat, one breath, one mind, one Pirate … that’s what that hug was about.”

The Pirates nearly squandered a three-touchdown lead. Virginia Tech (2-1), coming off a road win over then-No. 8 Ohio State, tied the game at 21 on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Michael Brewer to Cam Phillips with 1:20 left.

But the Pirates, after doing little in the second half, needed just three plays to go 65 yards. Virginia Tech kicker Joey Slye kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, giving the Pirates the ball at their 35.

Then, Carden threw passes of 31 and 28 yards to Cam Worthy sandwiched around an illegal substitution penalty on the Hokies. He scored on a 1-yard run to lift the Pirates to the win.

“Just believing,” Carden said when asked how the Pirates rallied. “Just continuing to believe. We just made some routine plays. They were playing some good defense there in the second half and we couldn’t get a lot going. But we just kept believing, believing in our coaches.

“We got some good field position to start, and then Worthy made some big-time catches on that drive. When the game is on the line, you’ve got to make plays.”

Worthy finished with six catches for 224 yards for the Pirates.

Carden threw touchdown passes on the Pirates’ first two possessions and three of their first four.

ECU wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard, driving 75 yards in seven plays on the game’s first possession. The Pirates converted on third-and-2 from the Virginia Tech 27 when Carden’s pass was batted into the air and fell into the hands of Bryce Williams, who rumbled 22 yards to the Virginia Tech 5.

Two plays later, Carden found Williams in the back of the end zone for a 4-yard scoring play to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead with 12:17 left in the first quarter.

The Pirates struck again on their next possession. A 70-yard drive that took less than a minute ended when Carden found receiver Trevon Brown in the end zone for a 15-yard score. That gave the Pirates a 14-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.

The Pirates took a 21-0 lead toward the end of the first quarter. Carden threw his third touchdown pass of the quarter, this one to receiver Isaiah Jones for 7 yards with 2:44 remaining in the quarter, to give ECU a 21-point edge.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer refused to say the Hokies were suffering a letdown after their huge win over Ohio State last weekend and that led to their slow start.

“I’m not going to make that excuse,” Beamer said. “I thought we were ready to play. We understood how exactly East Carolina was going to play. It wasn’t a secret. They hit a couple of big plays against our defense, and offensively, we were sluggish getting started and then the defense is right back on the field.

“It just wasn’t a good start, but I thought we were ready to play. We had all the respect in the world for East Carolina. They did a great job. They’re well coached, and they’ve done a good job of recruiting. They’ve got some players there.”

Virginia Tech managed to cut into the ECU lead right before halftime. Mustering their best drive of the first half, the Hokies went 73 yards in eight plays and got on the board when Brewer threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Ford, who made a one-handed grab.

Officials reviewed the play to see if the ball hit the ground, but upheld the catch, and Virginia Tech cut the lead to 21-7 with 47 seconds remaining in the half.

Brewer completed 30 of 56 passes for 298 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Hokies. But it wasn’t enough to lead the Hokies to what would have been their biggest comeback win under Beamer.

“It just goes back to believing and the commitment to the team,” McNeill said. “If it goes bad and you believe in that, you don’t waiver when it goes bad. You don’t think it’s all about you when it goes well.

“There are three sides to this game, and you want all three sides working together at one. That’s where the commitment to our team and putting our team first showed. We stayed focused and never got down on ourselves.”

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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