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UCF rallies late, beats BYU 31-24 in overtime

By WTOP Staff

KYLE HIGHTOWER
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — UCF needed a little extra time to finish off BYU.

Justin Holman threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to running back William Stanback on the first possession of overtime to give UCF a 31-24 victory Thursday night.

The Knights (3-2) jumped out to an early lead before overcoming a 14-point deficit in the second half to extend the game. After UCF’s touchdown in overtime, Christian Stewart’s fourth-down pass for BYU (4-2) fell incomplete in the end zone to end the game.

“It’s a 60-minute game for a reason,” UCF coach George O’Leary said. “That was a great football night if you’re sitting in the stands or watching on TV, but it was tough down there on the sidelines. … This was a great team win. I don’t think one side of the ball played great. I think they all played well enough as a team to win the game.”

Stanback added a rushing touchdown. Holman was 30 of 51 for a career-high 326 yards and threw two scoring passes. He also had a pair of interceptions.

“I’ve never been in a game like that in my life,” Holman said. “So many momentum swings, but through all the momentum swings our guys kept our composure. We kept our heads and we never lost faith. No matter if they had the momentum or we had the momentum, we kept our heads in the game.”

In his first start since Heisman hopeful Taysom Hill went down with a season-ending broken leg, Stewart struggled early, but recovered to go 22 for 37 for 153 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

“We found a rhythm of what he’s comfortable doing,” Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall. “He could have been discouraged after only scoring three at half. His resiliency is a positive.”

The Knights took an early first-half lead before falling into a 24-10 hole in the third quarter.

BYU scored 21 straight points to take a 24-10 lead early in the third quarter. UCF was able to answer with a pair of touchdowns to tie it.

UCF was lined up for a potential go-ahead field goal in regulation, but bobbled a snap on an initial 43-yard field goal. After a timeout UCF tried again from 50 yards out, but Shawn Moffitt’s kick was blocked by Mitch Matthews.

BYU recovered from a sluggish start, and needed less than three minutes to score three straight touchdowns and take its 14-point lead early in the third quarter.

The Cougars tied it at 10 on the opening drive of the half with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Stewart to Colby Pearson.

Following a quick UCF three-and-out, the Cougars were then the recipient of some luck a few series later when their own drive stalled and a punt Scott Arellano’s bounced off the leg of UCF’s Sean Beckton. BYU’s Algernon Brown recovered it, and set up a 15-yard touchdown pass from Stewart to Devin Mahina, that made it 17-10.

UCF’s misfortunes continued on the next play from scrimmage, when Holman’s pass was picked off by Skye Povey on the BYU 14. Stewart went back to the air after the changeover and immediately found Mahina again for a 14-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-10 with 9:05 left in the third.

Stewart said he felt like the Cougars got complacent after they reached their magic number of 24 points.

“We need to keep our foot on the gas pedal when we have a lead,” Stewart said.

The Knights finally settled down, and closed within seven, finishing off an eight-play, 37-yard drive with Stanback’s 2-yard touchdown run.

UCF’s defense rode that rush of momentum, and sacked Stewart on the third snap of BYU’s next series. Stewart recovered, and drove the Cougars all down to the 15, before a hit by UCF’s Terrance Plummer forced and recovered Brown’s fumble.

The Knights traded punts with the Cougars, before using a 37-yard strike from Holman to Josh Reese to tie it at 24 with 10:17 remaining.

BYU punted again, and UCF had a chance to take the lead back. But Moffitt’s 46-yard field goal attempt missed wide left.

The Knights defense forced another punt, giving the Knights offense another chance.

But on the fifth play of the drive, Holman’s pass over the middle was intercepted by Kai Nacua, giving the ball back to the Cougars with 3:15 left.

___

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower

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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