Skip to main content

No. 17 Virginia Tech falls to East Carolina 28-21

By WTOP Staff

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia Tech couldn’t overcome its slow start and East Carolina’s last-minute rally.

East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden threw three touchdown passes and scored a rushing touchdown with 16 seconds left to lead the Pirates to the 28-21 upset on Saturday.

“I think you give East Carolina credit,” Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. “I knew coming in that they were a good football team. They played well. That quarterback can throw the football, and they’ve got some receivers who can go get it. They made some great plays, and I give them credit.”

The Hokies played well in never trailing the Buckeyes a week ago, but fell behind 21-0 to the Pirates.

Carden, 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.

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

Carden threw touchdown passes on the Pirates’ first two possessions and three of their first four. His 4-yard pass to Bryce Williams gave the Pirates a 7-0 lead with 12:17 left in the first quarter, and his 15-yard scoring pass to Trevon Brown made it 14-0 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 from 7 yards with 2:44 remaining in the quarter to give ECU a 21-point edge.

Carden completed 11 of 19 for 174 yards in the first quarter. Virginia Tech’s defense wasn’t the only unit struggling. The Hokies didn’t get their first first down until 1:57 was left in the first quarter.

Beamer refused to say the Hokies suffering a letdown from their win over Ohio State last weekend.

“I’m not going to make that excuse,” he 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.”

The Hokies cut the lead to 21-7 on a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Michael Brewer to receiver Isaiah Ford with 47 seconds left in the first half. Brewer found Ford again in the fourth quarter, hitting him for a 15-yard scoring play to make it 21-14 with 6:31 remaining.

Virginia Tech tied the game at 21 on an 18-yard pass from Brewer to receiver Cam Phillips with 1:20 left in the game.

But the Pirates, after doing little in the second half, needed just three plays to go 65 yards. Virginia Tech’s 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.

“It just goes back to believing and the commitment to the team,” East Carolina coach Ruffin 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.”

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

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.

“We knew they were going to be tough,” Brewer said. “Defensively, we knew they were going to be ready to play. They did some things up front and stopped our run game early. It just took us a while to settle down and get into a rhythm.

“There’s really no excuse. They just outplayed us in the first half.”

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote