Jamaine Cook Video | Coach Wolford Video

Youngstown -- The Youngstown State football team used a combination of big plays and a bruising ground game to defeat Butler 31-7 in its Stambaugh Stadium opener on Saturday evening in front of 18,025 fans.

The Penguins rushed for 286 yards, and three different backs gained at least 60 yards. YSU improved to 1-1 and gave Eric Wolford his first win as head coach of the Guins. Butler dropped to 1-1.

Freshman Adaris Bellamy scored twice and rushed for 60 yards while freshman Jordan Thompson scored and ran for 65 yards. Sophomore Jamaine Cook had game highs with 18 rushes and 93 yards and also caught two passes for 25 yards. Quarterback Kurt Hess was 9-for-16 for 91 yards.

Andrew Huck was a solid 20-for-32 for 148 yards and a touchdown, but his interception and sack both led to YSU touchdowns.

After punts on the game's first three drives, YSU's Randy Louis intercepted a tipped pass from Huck and returned it to the Penguins 42. Seven plays later, Thompson drove up the middle through several tacklers and stretched into the end zone from eight yards out for his first career touchdown giving the Penguins a 7-0 lead. Thompson rushed on the last three plays of the drive and accounted for 25 yards.

Then, with Butler down 17-7 and having offensive momentum in the third quarter, Luke Matelan sacked the Bulldogs signal caller for an 11-yard loss on third and four. Dominique Barnes fielded the ensuing punt on the YSU 14, avoided the initial pack, ran left and took it 86 yards down the sideline to put the Penguins up 24-7. Butler never seriously threatened again. It was the second-longest punt return for a score in school history.

YSU's final touchdown came on a 25-yard rush by Bellamy three plays into the fourth quarter.

The Penguins outgained the Bulldogs 377-283 and 286-94 on the ground. Butler had 513 yards in its season opener. YSU averaged 6.0 yards on 48 rushes while Butler averaged 3.5 on 27 rushes.

Following Thompson's touchdown in the first quarter, the Penguins defense forced Butler into a three-and-out on the Bulldogs' next possession. That's when YSU's tailbacks began to take over.

After Hess rushed for nine yards on the opening play of the 10-play drive, Thompson and  Bellamy combined to rush for 61 yards on nine attempts. Thompson picked up a third-and-one to keep the drive going, and he followed that up with rushes of 13, 11 and eight yards before Bellamy took over. The redshirt freshman recorded rushes of nine, 12 and two yards before going up the middle into the end zone from the five yard line.

Butler's offense got going on its next drive, thanks in large part to a trick play that covered 41 yards. Huck connected with Zach Watkins on a 12-yard pass on third-and-seven, and Butler moved up 15 more yards on a horse-collar penalty on the play. Huck was then on the receiving end of a double pass two plays later that moved the ball down to the YSU four yard line. Huck hit Jeff Larsen in the front corner of the end zone on third-and-goal to make the score 14-7.

Stephen Blose hit a 29-yard field goal to cap a 16-play, 67-yard drive by the Penguins with 40 seconds remaining in the half to make the score 17-7. The drive ran 7:21 off the clock, which helped the Penguins hold an 18:42 to 11:18 edge in time of possession in the first half.

The Penguins outgained the Bulldogs 157 to 38 on the ground and 229 to 122 overall in the opening half.

Butler opened the third quarter by going 65 yards in 12 plays down to the YSU 10, but David Lang missed a 28-yard attempt wide right to keep the score 17-7. YSU ran five plays on its drive before punting away, and Matelan's sack of Huck came on Butler's ensuing possession.

Barnes' touchdown return was YSU's first punt return to paydirt since the 2008 home opener. In that game against Central State, De'Angelo Wilson returned a punt 39 yards for a score. Barnes' return was also the second-longest in school history behind only Ray Rohen's 92-yard return against Central Michigan in 1965.

The Penguins will continue their three-game home stand next Saturday against Central Connecticut State at 6 p.m.