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GaTech blows big lead, rallies to beat GaSouthern

By WTOP Staff

PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Justin Thomas threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Deon Hill with 23 seconds remaining, and Georgia Tech avoided a huge upset after blowing a 25-point lead, beating Georgia Southern 42-38 on Saturday.

Thomas’ fourth TD pass of the game — by a team known for its triple-option running attack — kept the Yellow Jackets (3-0) from a hugely embarrassing loss to a state school they were playing for the first time.

Georgia Southern (1-2) scored 28 straight points after trailing 35-10 at halftime, putting the Eagles in position to beat a major-conference team for the second year in a row. They upset Florida last season.

But Georgia Tech’s Jamal Golden forced a fumble that gave his team the ball with 4:12 remaining. The Yellow Jackets drove for the winning score.

On third-and-7 at the 13, Thomas avoided a blitz and got off the scoring pass to Hill.

Georgia Southern, in the first year of its transition to college football’s top division, has now taken two Atlantic Coast Conference teams to the wire but come up short both times. In the opener, the Eagles squandered a 20-10 lead in the fourth quarter and lost to North Carolina State 24-23.

This one will hurt even more, coming against a team less than 200 miles from their Statesboro campus.

Thomas completed only 11 of 24 passes, but sure made the most of those that were caught. He finished with 188 yards through the air, in addition to leading Georgia Tech with 137 yards rushing.

His Georgia Southern counterpart, Kevin Ellison, threw for 164 yards and a touchdown, ran for 107 yards and another score, and led an option game that finished with 536 yards after dominating the final two quarters. But, according to coach Willie Fritz, Ellison sustained an injured shoulder in the fourth quarter and had to come out of the game.

Favian Upshaw, who had played sparingly in the first half, was on the field for the crucial turnover when it looked as though the Eagles would drive for the clinching score.

Georgia Tech looked unstoppable in the first half.

Led by Thomas, who at one point had a quarterback rating of 348.8, the Yellow Jackets scored on their first five possessions. Thomas had a 5-yard touchdown run on the third snap of the game, then hooked up with Zach Laskey on a 12-yard touchdown pass, Darren Waller on a 4-yard score, and DeAndre Smelter for a 57-yard TD.

Many gold-clad Georgia Tech fans appeared to head home early on a sweltering afternoon, apparently convinced the Yellow Jackets would coast to victory.

Boy, what a comeback — and finish — they missed.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Georgia Tech’s Paul Davis, on a play he wasn’t even involved in, got Georgia Southern out of a deep hole on its opening possession and sparked the comeback. Ellison scored on a 32-yard run to cut the deficit to 35-17.

The Eagles were just getting warmed up.

Matt Breida had a 2-yard touchdown run, Ellison hooked up with B.J. Johnson on a 68-yard score, and L.A. Ramsby took it in from 11 yards out with 10:46 remaining in the game. A 2-point conversion completed the 28-0 outburst, which put the Eagles ahead for the first time.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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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