Box Score
Terre Haute, Ind. - The Youngstown State football team clung to a three-point lead to start the fourth quarter, but two Indiana State touchdowns in under five minutes turned the tide in a 28-17 loss at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
With the defeat, YSU drops to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the MVFC while Indiana State improves to 4-4 and 2-3 in league play.
Entering the fourth, YSU led 17-14, but on the first play of the period, ISU QB Anthony Thompson scored on a 12-yard keeper to put the Sycamores on top 21-17. On their next drive, Peterson Kerlegrand found some space on the left side and raced 53 yards for a score.
QB Joe Craycraft replaced an injured Demeatric Crenshaw in the first quarter and completed 13-of-31 passes for 172 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions.
TB Jaleel McLaughlin rushed for 138 yards on 17 carries and had a touchdown while Bryce Oliver had five catches for 78 yards. Kerlegrand had a game-high 149 yards rushing on 24 carries and scored twice. Thompson had 63 yards on 12 carries while completing 13-of-21 passes for 156 yards.
For the game, the Penguins had 401 yards of total offense while Indiana State finished with 402 yards.
YSU took its first lead of the game on the opening drive of the third quarter. The Penguins marched 73 yards in 12 plays to reach the Indiana State. Colt McFadden was called on to kick a 20-yard field goal with 9:09 left in the period.
In the first quarter, the teams traded touchdowns. Indiana State marched 80 yards in seven plays to open the contest with a touchdown. Thompson scored from six yards on a QB keeper up the middle just 2:42 into the contest.
YSU knotted the contest up with 9:25 left in the period as McLaughlin scored on a 21-yard run around the left side. YSU moved 69 yards in just six plays in a drive that took just 2:42.
The Sycamores took another touchdown lead as Kerlegrand scored on a two-yard run early in the second quarter. ISU threatened midway through the second quarter, but on third-and-goal LB Grant Dixon, who is playing with a broken hand, intercepted Thompson in the end zone.
Just before halftime YSU faced dire straits on a 3rd-and-13 from its own five-yard line. McLaughlin busted an 18-yard run on third down to get the Penguins out of their own end and the passing game clicked from there. YSU moved to the ISU 14-yard line and faced a third down with seven seconds left. Craycraft found Oliver in the back corner of the end zone with two seconds left tying the contest at 14. The drive was officially 92 yards in 14 plays and took 3:48 off the clock.
In the first half, YSU had 189 yards of total offense, including 114 on the ground. Indiana State had 255 yards, 144 of which came through the air.
Griffin Hoak had a team-high 11 stops for YSU.
The Penguins return home to take on South Dakota State next Saturday. Kickoff at Stambaugh Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
