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Oct.
25, 2008
Football: Blocked Extra-Point Proves
Costly as Penguins Lose Heartbreaker
to UNI
Youngstown
–
In another Youngstown State-Northern Iowa football game that went back-and-forth all night, a blocked extra-point proved to be the difference as the Penguins lost 21-20 to the fourth-ranked Panthers on Saturday evening at Stambaugh Stadium.
With the game tied at 14 early in the fourth quarter, UNI took what turned out to be the the lead for good on Derrick Law's second touchdown of the game with 12:04 left. The Panthers moved the ball 76 yards in 12-plays and scored their third touchdown of the day from the YSU one-yard line when Law found pay dirt to put the Panthers up 21-14.
The
Penguins responded on their next
drive. After two rushes by Dana
Brown that covered seven yards,
quarterback Brandon Summers, playing
for the first time since Oct. 4, found
wide receiver Donald Jones for a 51-yard
touchdown strike to put the Penguins
within one.
However, the Panthers penetrated the
line and blocked Brian Palmer's
extra-point try to make the
score 21-20, with 3:55 remaining in
the game.
The YSU defense held UNI to a
three-and-out on the next series to
give the ball back to the Penguins'
offense with 2:44 left in the
game at their own 20.
Unfortunately the
Panthers' defense stopped the
Penguins from getting a first down
and on fourth down Summers was
stopped for a three-yard gain by
Everetter Pedesclueaux with 2:12
left.
UNI had a short field to
work with, but elected to go for a
fourth-and-one to seal the win, but
were stopped giving the Penguins
offense one more shot to rally with 44 seconds left.
The offense picked up two
first-downs, but a fumble by Summers
was recovered by UNI's Wes
Lane to seal the
deal for the Panthers.
Offensively the Penguins were lead
by through the air by Summers who
completed 15-of-33 passes for 167
yards. On the ground running back Kamryn Keys rushed for 101 yards on
nine carries. He became the first
player to rush for more than 100
yards against the Panthers this
year.
UNI found the end zone
first, after most of the first
quarter was dominated by both defenses. On
third-and-goal from the one,
UNI quarterback Zach
Davis' pass was tipped by cornerback De'Angelo Wilson but caught by
receiver Schuylar Oordt in the
corner of the end zone with 32
seconds left in the quarter.
Northern Iowa wasted little time to
extend their lead. On their next
possession, the Panthers drove the
ball 80 yards over 16 plays to go up
14-0. Law capped off the drive on a
one-yard touchdown run.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Penguins'
Dominique Barnes
returned the ball to the UNI 41-yard
line. Following
six consecutive Penguin rushes,
Summers rolled out of the pocket and
connected with receiver Da'Michael
Horne, who made a leaping catch in
the back corner of the end zone.
Palmer's kick cut the lead in
half making the score 14-7 in favor
UNI.
UNI threatened to score before the
half and moved the ball into YSU
territory. However, WIlson
intercepted a Davis pass on the
three-yard line to end the threat.
In the third, Keys evened the score
up at 14 with a 61 yard rush. The
five-play drive took 1:52 off the
clock and covered 84 yards, all by
Keys. The 61 yard run was the
longest rush of the season for the
Penguins and was Keys' career-long
rush as a Penguin.
Both offenses finished the game with
300 yards apiece, with the Panthers
holding the ball for 12:16 minutes
longer than the Penguins. YSU (2-7
overall and 1-4 in the Missouri
Valley Football Conference) drops
its fifth straight game in the same
season for the first time since 1986
and has now lost eight straight to
UNI (6-2 and 4-1), including the
last two by one point.
The Penguins will try to pick up
their first road win of the season
when they visit Illinois State. The
Redbirds lost to North Dakota State
on Saturday by a score of 25-7. |