Normal, Ill. -- The Youngstown State football team used a complete effort to beat Illinois State 24-17 on Saturday at Hancock Stadium on a windy Saturday afternoon. With the win, YSU finished 4-3 in the Gateway and improves to 6-4 overall securing a winning record for a school-record-tying seventh consecutive season.

Senior tailback P.J. Mays scored two touchdowns totaling 146 yards on a season-high 32 carries. Redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Marshall completed 8-of-13 passes for 108 yards, including an impressive 34-yard toss to Jerald Burley in the third quarter. The YSU defense forced two turnovers on interceptions by senior Matt Mechling -- who intercepted the first pass of his YSU career -- and senior Anthony Barone -- who had his first pick of the year.

Special teams got in the act as well with Jake Stewart kicking a 42-yard field goal, a 35-yard extra point and the kickoff coverage team recovered a live ball on a kickoff to set up the winning score.

Illinois State jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter taking advantage of a 20 miles per hour wind. Stephen Carroll booted a 56-yard field setting a Hancock Stadium record.
In the second quarter, the Redbirds (5-5 and 3-3) extended their lead to 10-0 on a three-yard run by Sha-ron Edwards into the wind capping an 11-play 80-yard march.

But YSU came back as Mays scored the first of his two touchdowns on a four-yard jaunt with 6:38 left in the period. With three seconds remaining, Stewart kicked a 42-yard field goal tying the contest after the first 30 minutes.

ISU again grabbed the lead on its initial possession of the half on a five-yard run by Quincy Washington, but against the wind the Penguins came back quickly.

Mechling intercepted a screen pass by Mike Souza at the ISU 18 and rumbled down to the 10-yard line. On a fourth-and-goal play from the one, Mays scored his second touchdown of the game to tie the contest.

On the following kickoff, the Penguins recovered a blown sky kick by Stewart at at the Illinois State 41-yard line as freshman Brandon Brown fell on the ball.

After three rushing plays netted seven yards, Youngstown State faced a fourth-and-three situation at the 34. Marshall scrambled out of pressure and threw to Jerald Burley in the end zone for a score. Stewart's 35-yard extra point following a penalty put YSU in front 24-17. For the game, YSU was 4-of-4 on fourth-down conversions.

Illinois State tried to answer back against the wind in the fourth. Carroll set up to attempt a 43-yard field goal, but the hold was botched and Carroll's desperation pass was intercepted by Barone.

After the team's traded punts, YSU got the ball back with 5:07 remaining and picked up five first downs and 61 yards on 13 plays to run the clock out and earn the victory.

The YSU offense finished with 323 total yards while the Redbirds were limited to 198. As a team, the Penguins had 215 yards rushing and 108 passing an held a huge advantage in time of possession, 35:25 to 24:35.

Also, the 24-17 victory marked the third time this season -- all on the road -- that the Penguins won a game by that score.

The Penguins have next Saturday off before closing out the year on Nov. 23 at home against Samford. The contest marks the final home game for 18 seniors who will be honored prior to kickoff.