Lake Charles, La. -- Youngstown State rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit and took a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter, but McNeese State scored off a Penguin fumble with 5:28 remaining for a 24-20 victory at Cowboy Stadium on Saturday night.

The Penguins trailed 17-3 with 12:29 remaining in the third quarter before marching on two straight touchdown drives in 5 minutes, 57 seconds, but McNeese forced seven turnovers, three of which were in the final seven minutes of the contest, to sneak away with the win.

YSU tailback Monquante Gibson rushed for 168 yards on 23 carries, including running for 100 in the third quarter, to lead all rushers. Aaron Marshall, who came in on YSU's first scoring drive of the second half, was 7-of-13 for 45 yards and a touchdown, but he threw two interceptions in the final 5:15. Tom Zetts was 4-of-11 for 25 yards with one interception.

Trailing 17-3 with 12:29 remaining in the third quarter, the Penguins cut the deficit to seven when Gibson outran the MSU secondary for a 67-yard touchdown run on the second play of the drive.

Bob Perez then recovered an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff to give the Penguins the ball at their own 39. YSU then assembled a 12-play, 61-yard touchdown drive capped by a seven-yard pass from Marshall to Kyle Smith to tie the score at 17. Marshall passed for 39 yards on the drive, finding Mike Roberts three times, and also rushed for 11 yards.

Nick Terracina then gave the Penguins their first lead since the first quarter on a 41-yard field goal with 12:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Penguins got the ball with 9:14 remaining and their three-point lead in tact and looked to work the clock, but Josh Cayson fumbled on the YSU 33 on the second play of the drive to give the Cowboys an opportunity to take the lead.

The Penguin defense forced MSU into a fourth-and-nine on the YSU 32, but Scott Pendarvis hit Steve Whitehead over the middle for a 13-yard gain to keep the drive alive. Pendarvis then hooked up with Chris Thomas on an 18-yard touchdown pass three plays later to give the Cowboys a 24-20 lead with 5:28 remaining.

The Penguins and Cowboys were deadlocked at three through one quarter, but McNeese State scored two touchdowns off of three YSU turnovers in the second quarter to pull ahead 17-3 at the break.

Thomas scored his first of two second-quarter touchdowns with 12:45 remaining on a six-yard scamper following a fumble by Monquante Gibson. MSU's Jason Cook pinned the Penguins at their own 1 yardline and, after two consecutive two-yard rushes by Demetrius Ison, Vaalyn Jacskon stripped Gibson at the 6. The Cowboys needed only five seconds to take the lead at 10-3 as Thomas scored on the first play from scrimmage.

Following a three-and-out by the Penguins on the ensuing possession, McNeese State marched 41 yards down to the YSU 8, but Kris Bush fumbled at the 3 and Jeremiah Wright recovered to seemingly end the scoring threat. But Demetrius Ison on YSU's first play following the turnover at the 7 and MSU's Jamelle Juneau recovered at the YSU 7 to give the Cowboys a first and goal with 6:54 remaining. Thomas then found the endzone from seven yards out on the third play of the drive and John Marino's point after made the score 17-3.

YSU struck first as Thomas fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and Terracina connected on a 32-yard field goal six plays later with 11:52 remaining.

After both teams went three-and-out, Marino answered Terracina's make with a field goal of his own from 48 yards out to tie the score at 3-3, capping an eight play, 54-yard drive.

Thomas got the drive going with a 22-yard rush to the MSU 37 and later added a 16 yard run to move the ball to the YSU 26.

The Penguins outgained the Cowboys 159 yards to 19 in the third quarter and the defense held MSU to just one first down.

The Penguins will continue their season when they play host to Liberty on Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.