Box Score Springfield, Mo. – Despite an impressive rushing effort,
the Youngstown State football team allowed Missouri State to score
28 second-half points and that was too much to overcome as the
Penguins fell to the Bears 42-28 on Saturday afternoon at Plaster
Field in Springfield, Mo.
YSU (2-5 overall and 1-2 in the MVFC) had 268 yards on the
ground as Kamryn Keys had 113 on a career-high 23 carries while
Jabari Scott had 97 on just five rushes. However, the YSU defense
surrendered 272 yards on the ground to the Bears (2-3 and 1-1) on
48 attempts.
Freshman quarterback Dailyn Campbell stepped in late in the
second quarter and helped key the Penguins in the contest. Campbell
had not played for YSU this season. Redshirt freshman Paul Corsaro
started and the Guins played withoug Brandon Summers who was
injured last week at Southern Utah.
Campbell had 35 yards rushing while completing 17-of-22 passes
for 122 yards and a touchdown. Scott finished with three
touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving.
Key third-down conversions helped Missouri State take control of
the game after YSU rallied with two scores to tie the contest 14-14
at halftime.
The Bears converted two third-down plays into touchdowns taking
a 28-14 lead midway through the third quarter.
MSU regained the lead on a 38-yard run by Johnson with 11:58
remaining in the third. On third-and-five at the 38, YSU pressured
from the outside, but Johnson took an inside handoff up the middle
before bouncing it outside and outracing the Guins to the end
zone.
Kirby's second touchdown rush of the game gave the Bears their
second 14-point lead of the contest. On third-and-goal from the
five, Kirby called his own number around the left end scoring with
8:16 left. MSU's Marco Finley set the drive up at the YSU 19
following a 40-yard punt return.
The Guins used an impressive 16-play, 80-yard drive to get
within a touchdown. YSU took 7:47 off the clock and Scott went in
from a yard out on third-and-goal with 29 ticks left in the quarter
making the score 28-21.
However, MSU had another offensive answer when Kirby rolled to
his right and connected with Jeff Sargent from 13 yards out with
12:52 remaining in the fourth to push the Bears' advantage back to
35-21. MSU's final score of the game came on an eight-yard run by
Kingjack Washington with 4:05 left.
YSU picked up a score with two minutes remaining when Campbell
completed a swing pass for Scott from 11 yards out.
Missouri State jumped out to the early 7-0 lead when on a
fourth-and-goal play from the YSU one-yard line, the Bears' Stephen
Johnson raced around the right side to find the end zone with 4:52
remaining in the first.
The Bears increased their advantage to 14-0 in the second
quarter when Kirby scored on a quarterback sneak from one-yard out
with 11:02 remaining in second quarter.
The Penguins caught a huge break later in the period. After
being stopped on a fourth-down attempt in MSU territory, the Bears'
Kingjack Washington fumbled and Mike Barlak recovered at the
37-yard line.
Three plays later, the Penguins found the end zone on a one-yard
run by tailback Jabari Scott. YSU got its second fortunate bounce
in three snaps when on the second play of the drive Scott was
stripped of the ball from behind by MSU's Derek Miller and guard
Eric Rodemoyer hustled downfield to fall on the football inside the
one. On the next play YSU scored to pull within a touchdown at the
7:28 mark.
After the defense forced its first punt of the game, YSU took
over at its own two-yard line following a 55-yard boot into the
wind by Jordan Chiles.
Scott moved the Guins out of the deep hole on a 59-yard run with
Guins facing a 2nd-and-17 situation from the own eight that took
the ball to the MSU 33. After a personal foul face mask penalty
moved the ball to the MSU 11, Campbell scored his first career
touchdown on a bulldozing 11-yard run with just 47 seconds
remaining before halftime.
In the first half, YSU rushed for 235 yards on 30 attempts while
passing for just nine on one completion.
The Penguins return home to play host to Southern Illinois next
Saturday. Kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium is set for 4 p.m.