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Youngstown -- University of Northern Iowa quarterback Tirrell Rennie scored on a game-winning 19-yard touchdown run with 2:08 left in the fourth quarter to lift the Panthers to a 34-30 victory that spoiled Youngstown State's Homecoming on Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.

Rennie ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns and threw for another as the Panthers beat YSU for the 10th straight season. No. 19 UNI improves to 5-3 overall and maintains a hold on first place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings with a 4-1 mark. YSU fell to 3-6 and 1-5 after losing another fourth-quarter heartbreaker.

The lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter, and YSU took a 30-27 lead with 2:27 left after a 39-yard touchdown run from Jamaine Cook. UNI, though, got great field position for its next drive as Carlos Anderson returned a squib kick 58 yards to the YSU 19. Rinnie weaved his way through tacklers on the first play from scrimmage and dove into the end zone to put UNI up 34-30 with 2:08 on the clock.

YSU took over on its own 22 and did not convert a first down. Kurt Hess' attempt to Cook on first down sailed high, and Cook ran eight yards on second down. Cook was stopped a yard short on a run up the middle on third-and-two, and he was tackled for a five-yard loss by James Conley on a quick toss on fourth-and-one as the offense went into hurry-up mode with the clock ticking down.

Cook finished with 127 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, and Hess was 14-of-22 for 218 yards and two touchdowns. However, both committed a turnover in the first half that led to all 10 of UNI's points before halftime. Dominique Barnes had four catches for 89 yards and a score, and John Sasson had nine tackles.

Rennie accounted for 194 of UNI's 279 yards rushing in the contest. He also completed 8-of-16 passes for 152 yards and another score.

YSU took its initial drive of the game 41 yards for a score. On third-and-13 from the YSU 33-yard line, Hess threw a floater that Andre Barboza snared and took in for his first career touchdown. Stephen Blose's extra point put the Guins up 7-0 with 11:18 remaining the opening quarter.

UNI picked up its first points of the contest when Billy Hallgren converted a 20-yard field goal on the final play of the first quarter. The five-play, seven-yard scoring drive was set up when the Panthers recovered a Cook fumble at the YSU nine.

Hess threw his second touchdown pass of the game when he teamed up with Barnes on a 71-yard scoring toss on the second play of the second quarter. With UNI jumping offside, Hess tossed the ball deep down the right side of the sidelines to Barnes, who outraced a Panther defender to the end zone.

UNI capitalized on another YSU turnover when Jamar Thompson intercepted a Hess pass and returned it to the YSU 42. The Panthers needed just two plays to make the score 14-10 as Rennie connected on play action with tight end Schuylar Oordt for a 39-yard touchdown.

YSU came up with its first takeaway of the game late in the second quarter when Will Shaw intercepted a Rennie pass in the end zone and returned it 87 yards to the UNI 13. It was the fourth-longest interception return in school history and the longest without going for a touchdown.

The Penguins used some tom-foolery with a fake field-goal try with six seconds left in the half, but holder Marc Kanetsky just overthrew linebacker David Rach on a third-down play. One second remained on the clock following the play, and Blose drilled a 27-yarder as time expired to give the Guins a 17-10 halftime lead. It was the ninth straight field goal converted by Blose.

Rennie tied the game with a 29-yard touchdown scamper with 5:32 on the clock for the only score of the third quarter. That set the stage for a dramatic fourth where five straight drives resulted in points.

Hallgren kicked a 32-yard field goal two plays into the quarter to put UNI ahead 20-17. YSU then assembled the longest play of the afternoon as it went 81 yards in 13 plays to go back on top. On third-and-goal from the two, Adaris Bellamy dove past the pylon an option toss to make the score 23-20. Blose's point-after attempt was wide right.

UNI began its next drive on its own 42 and needed seven plays to take a 27-23 lead on Jarred Herring's 11-yard touchdown rush with 6:03 remaining.

Youngstown State took over at its own 30 with 5:57 on the clock and marched 70 yards in seven plays to go up 30-27. Hess converted two third-and-sevens on the drive with completions to Carson Sharbaugh and Kevin Watts. Following Watts' 18-yard reception to the UNI 39, Cook went the rest of the way in one play, giving YSU a three-point advantage with 2:27 remaining.

L.J. Fort had a game-high 11 tackles for UNI, and Jordan Smith had 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. The Panthers had six tackles for loss.

Obinna Ekweremuba and Brandian Ross both had eight tackles for the Penguins. Edweremuba had one of YSU's three sacks, and he accounted for two-and-half of YSU's seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

YSU plays its final road game of the season next Saturday when it travels to Illinois State. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.