The Youngstown State football team scored 28 unanswered points after trailing by 11 in the second quarter and senior quarterback Brandon Summers tossed a school-record-tying four touchdown passes to lead the Guins to a 38-21 victory over Austin Peay in the home opener at Stambaugh Stadium on Saturday.

Summers completed 17-of-24 passes for 232 yards and four scores. It was the second time in his 12-game YSU career in which he threw four touchdown passes in a contest. Kevin Smith rushed for 116 yards on a career-best 20 carries as the Penguins picked up their first win of the 2009 campaign.

YSU's defense forced two turnovers and blocked a punt. APSU was held to 222 total offensive yards while the Guins racked up 437.

The Governors (1-1) struck first, as their special teams set up the first score of the game. Ben Nowicki's punt was blocked by linebacker Ricky Thomas and was recovered in the end zone by receiver Adrian Mines. Kicker Stephen Stansell tacked on the extra point to put Austin Peay up 7-0.

The Penguins (1-1) wasted little time on their next possession to cut into the Governors' lead. The offense used a 10-play, 55-yard drive to the Austin Peay 14-yard line to set-up a 31-yard Stephen Blose field goal to make the score 7-3.

The Penguins defense stepped up on the next drive to give the offense the ball right back as defensive end Mychal Savage sacked quarterback Trent Caffee and recovered his fumble on the YSU 42-yard line. The offense could not capitalize as they marched down to the Governors' one-yard line, but could not punch it in on third down. A 21-yard Blose field goal attempt hit up the right upright to give the Governors the ball back.

Austin Peay capitalized on the Penguins' miscue and extended their lead to 11 on the ensuing possession. The Governors touchdown drive was set-up by a 43-yard throw and catch from Caffee to Mines all the way down to the YSU three. Four plays later on fourth down at the YSU one, Caffee called his own number and scampered into the endzone for the score. Stansell's extra point made the score 14-3 in favor of Austin Peay. 

Again the Penguins responded on their next drive with their first touchdown of the game, and the season, on a four-yard touchdown pass from Summers to tight end Andy Colegrove. The touchdown was Colegrove's first score and catch as a Penguin.

The nine-play drive covered 62 yards and took 4:06 off the clock. A key play on the drive was a 16 yard completion to receiver Aaron Pitts on a fourth-and-eight. Blose's extra point cut the Governors' lead to only 3, 14-10.

On the Governor's second play of their next possession following the Penguin touchdown, Caffee threw a pass that hit off of running back Jeff Lyle and was intercepted by cornerback Bryan Gaithers. The interception was the first career pick for Gaithers. Two plays and 10 yards later, Kevin Smith scored on a seven-yard run followed by a Blose kick to give the Penguins a 17-14 lead with 3:31 left before the half.

The Penguins special teams got into the action early in the third quarter after the defense held the Governors on their first possession of the second half and forcing a punt. Safety Andre Elliot blocked the Ryan Key punt to give the Penguins the ball at the Governors' 30-yard line.

On the fourth play of the drive, receiver Donald Jones made a spectacular leaping catch in the back of the endzone on a 20-yard pass from Summers. The extra point made the score 24-14 in favor of the Penguins.

A three-and-out by the Governors gave the ball right back to the Penguins, where Summers would again find Jones for a Penguin touchdown from 18-yards out. The five-play drive saw tailback Kevin Smith cover 21-yards on the ground and Summers completing two passes for 39-yards. With the score the Penguins extended their lead to 17 points, with the score 31-14.

After three-and-outs by both teams, the Governors scored on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 4-yard throw to receiver Darryl Miller from Caffee. The drive started with 5:50 in the third quarter and covered 75 yards on 14 plays. The first 10 plays were all on the ground and a 30-yard pass from Caffee to Miller put the ball on the YSU four yard line. The extra-point made the score 31-21, in favor of the Penguins.

The Governor's defense held the Penguins to get the ball back with 10:39 left in the game. Facing a fourth-and-eight on their own 28, the Governors elected to go for it and would have gotten the first down had it not been for a dropped pass by tight end Jack Hoeh. The incompletion gave the Penguins the ball back with 7:56 remaining.

A Dominique Barnes touchdown catch from Summers extended the Penguin lead back to 17 points. The drive only took three plays and with the touchdown pass, Summers tied a school-record and personal-best accomplishment of four touchdown passes in a game.

Austin Peay threatened to score on the ensuing possesion, moving the ball all the way down to the YSU 21, but a Luke Matelan sack of Caffee on fourth down ended the threat. The sack gave the Penguins the ball back with 2:35 remaining, and they were able to run out the clock.

The Penguins return to the road to take on Northeastern, Saturday, Sept. 19, in Boston, Mass. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.