Box Score
Carbondale, Ill. - The Youngstown State football team led Southern Illinois by 11 points with just over five minutes left in regulation, but the Salukis rallied to force overtime. In the extra session, SIU scored and its defense stopped YSU for a 38-31 win at Saluki Stadium on Saturday night.
YSU (3-4 overall and 1-3 in the MVFC) led 31-20 following a Zak Kennedy field goal with 5:35 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Salukis (3-4, 1-3) scored a touchdown 25 seconds later and tied the contest on a short field goal with just six seconds remaining.
In overtime, SIU was on offense first and Mark Iannotti threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Israel Lamprakes to give the Salukis a 38-31 lead.
YSU picked up a quick first down on Hunter Wells to Andre Stubbs pass moving the ball to the SIU 14-yard line. The Guins had three straight rushing plays that gave them a fourth-and-2 at the SIU six-yard line. On fourth down, tailback Jody Webb took a pitch and rolled to his right. His pass intended for tight end Kevin Rader was incomplete and the game was over.
The Penguins trailed 20-14 late in the third quarter before two Wells touchdown passes turned around their fortunes.
With 4:03 remaining in the period, Wells threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to I'tavious Harvin capping an impressive 10-play, 75-yard drive that put YSU in front 21-20.
The with eight seconds left the third, Wells found Andrew Williams for an 85-yard touchdown down the sidelines to extend the YSU advantage to 28-20.
Zak Kennedy's 33-yard field goal with 5:35 remaining in the game put the Penguins ahead 31-20.
On third-and-10 from its own 25, YSU brought a blitz, but SIU had the answer with a screen pass from Iannotti to Daquan Isom. Isom went 75 yards for the score and after the Salukis converted the two-point play they pulled within 31-28 just 25 seconds after Kennedy's kick.
The SIU defense forced a YSU three-and-out and partially blocked a Nick Sheely punt to get the ball back at the Penguins' 47 with 3:17 left.
YSU had a chance to stop SIU on fourth-and-2 from the 39, but a six-yard completion kept the drive alive. YSU was able to keep the Salukis out of the end zone and with six seconds left, Austin Johnson kicked a 19-yard field goal to send the game to overtime.
Wells had a career-high 324 yards and had three touchdown tosses. He was 20-of-31 on the evening. Andrew Williams caught six passes for a season-high 150 yards while Martin Ruiz had 94 yards rushing on 24 carries.
Iannotti was 14-of-27 for 275 yards and three touchdowns.
YSU had 507 yards of total offense to Southern Illinois' 459.
After a scoreless first quarter, both team's found the end zone for the first time in the second quarter.
Spurred by a 46-yard pass from Wells to Williams, the offense found a rhythm and moved 66 yards in six plays for the contest's initial score. Wells capped off the drive by finding Williams on a one-yard scoring toss with 10:26 left in the quarter to give the Guins a 7-0 lead.
But Southern Illinois answered just 47 seconds later as Iannotti threw a 63-yard scoring toss to Billy Reed at the 9:39 mark of the second quarter.
On its next possession, Wells and Ricky Davis moved the Penguins into the lead for the second time on the evening. Davis capped off an impressive 12-play, 81-yard drive on a five-yard keeper up the middle to put the Guins in front 14-7 with 4:59 left in the period.
SIU had a final chance to cut into the Penguins' lead, but YSU thwarted a fake field-goal try by the Salukis in the last minute of the half.
In the opening half, YSU had 244 yards of total offense while the Salukis had 206. Wells was 11-of-18 for 140 yards and a touchdown as Williams caught four passes for 58 yards. The Penguins converted 6-of-8 third-down conversions.
The Penguins return to Illinois next Saturday to take on Western Illinois. The Halloween tilt is scheduled for 1 p.m. Central/2 p.m. Eastern.
