Box Score
Youngstown, Ohio – The Youngstown State offense totaled 567 total yards, including 351 yards rushing, and the defense allowed just 331 total yards as the Penguins defeated Saint Francis, 52-23, on Saturday evening at Stambaugh Stadium.
The Penguins improve to 3-1 overall while the Red Flash falls to 1-3 on the year.
The last time YSU accumulated more than 500 yards in total offense was 517 against South Dakota in 2013.
YSU had five different players with at least 50 yards rushing led by Martin Ruiz's 82 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. Jody Webb, who had a receiving and rushing touchdown, ran for 72 yards on 10 rushes and Andre Stubbs had two carries for 64 yards. Demond Hymes carried 12 times for 62 yards with a rushing and a receiving touchdown and Ryan Moore posted 59 yards on five carries.
Senior quarterback Dante Nania passed for 180 yards while completing 11-of-22 passes with three touchdown tosses. Nania threw touchdowns to Webb from 17-yards, Andrew Williams from 44 yards and Hymes from 18 yards.
The Penguins defense was solid allowing just 139 passing yards on the evening. The defense gave up just 17 total yards in the first quarter and 11 yards in the third quarter. Senior Dubem Nwadiogbu led the defense with eight tackles.
Saint Francis' Khairi Dickson, the FCS' leading rusher, ran for 151 yards on 29 carries with a touchdown. However, 84 yards came in the final five minutes of the game.
The Penguins, who rushed for 210 yards in the first half, scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and two more in the second to take a 28-16 lead into the lockerroom at halftime.
The Red Flash, who had 17 total yards and trailed 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, scored 16 points and outgained the Penguins, 172-163, in the second quarter.
On the Penguins opening drive, Nania hit Webb on a 17-yard touchdown pass to cap a five-play 42-yard drive to give YSU 7-0 with 11:22 left in first.
The Penguins then marched 94 yards in 15 plays to go up 14-0 with 1:04 left in the first. Ruiz, who ran the ball seven times on the drive, scampered in from 23-yards for touchdown run.
On their first two possessions of the second quarter, the Red Flash scored nine straight points to get within five, 14-9.
The Red Flash took advantage of a YSU roughing the punter penalty and sliced the Penguins lead to 14-3 with 11:56 before halftime. The Red Flashed drove 60 yards in 11 plays to convert a 32 yard field goal by Lance Geesy.
After forcing a YSU punt, the Red Flash used a seven-play, 52-yard drive to cut the YSU lead to five, 14-9, after a Marcus Bagley 28-yard touchdown run at the 7:57 mark of the second quarter.
The Penguins, though, struck again quickly to extend the lead to 21-9 with 6:30 left. Andre Stubbs' 55-yard run on a reverse set up a Ruiz 14-yard touchdown run, his second of the game.
On a fourth-and-two, SFU quarterback Zack Drayer lined up to punt but rushed for 18 yards and a first down. Three plays later, Drayer hit Terrell Smith on a 25-yard touchdown pass to get back within five, 21-16 at the 2:22 mark.
The Penguins again displayed their quick scoring ability. After Nania connected with Ruiz for a 32-yard gain to the SFU 43, Webb rushed for eight and seven yards before breaking a 28-yard touchdown dash to give the Penguins a 28-16 edge with 1:20 left in the second.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Penguins marched 67 yards in 10 plays and pushed their lead to 31-16 on a Joey Cejudo field goal with 10:40 left.
At the close of the third quarter, YSU's Eric Thompson recovered a Saint Francis fumbled punt return at the Red Flash 21. Two plays later, Nania threw his third touchdown pass of the game to Demond Hymes from 18-yards out to push the Penguins lead to 45-16 with 14:54 left in the fourth quarter.
Hymes added a three-yard touchdown run with 8:55 left in the fourth to cap a six-play 92-yard drive to push the YSU lead to 52-16.
SFU's Dickson's scored on a 10-yard rushing touchdown, his sixth of the year, to cut the Penguins lead to 52-23 with 5:24 left in the game.
The Penguins are idle next week and return to action in their Missouri Valley Football Conference opener against Missouri State, Saturday, Oct. 4, in Springfield, Missouri. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
