The Youngstown State football team had its third-best total offensive day in school history in a 45-7 victory over Elon on Saturday afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium amassing 609 yards.

The 609-yard effort ranks behind a 637-yard contest against Wayne State in 1974 and a 618-yard effort against Bloomsburg in 1990. Youngstown State (8-2) had 373 yards rushing and 245 yards passing to average 9.8 yards per snap. The Penguins will look to keep their momentum going when they travel to Division I Marshall next Saturday.

Against Elon, P.J. Mays scored two first quarter touchdowns to build a 14-0 Penguin advantage. Mays finished the game with 170 yards rushing giving him 1,245 on the season, which ranks as the eighth-best single-season total in school history. He also has 19 touchdowns on the season, including 18 rushing.

In the second quarter, sophomore tailback Mike Burns rambled 44 yards for his first touchdown of his career. Burns finished with 116 yards rushing after entering the contest with 197 on the season.

Before the half, the Penguins picked up a key touchdown as quarterback Jeff Ryan threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Sean Guerriero with nine seconds left in the half. On the drive, the Penguins covered 62 yards in 22 seconds on four passes from Ryan to Guerriero.

For the game, Ryan completed 8-of-13 passes for 164 yards and moved into to second place in all-time passing yardage at YSU. Tight End Dennis Dlugosz finished the game with a career-best 135 yards receiving on four receptions.

In the third quarter, Jake Stewart kicked a 31-yard field goal to open the second-half scoring. Ryan threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Mintze to put the Penguins ahead 36-7. Before the end of the quarter, Darius Peterson blocked a Beau Wegmann punt out of the end zone for a 38-7 advantage.

Rashaud Palmer scored for the Phoenix (2-8) with 11:32 left in the game. YSU's Colby Street scored on an eight-yard touchdown run with 8:50 remaining to give the Penguins a 45-7 advantage.

YSU will play at Marshall in Huntington, W.Va., next Saturday at 7 p.m.