Box Score
Junior running back Jaleel McLaughlin rushed for a career-high 124 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns, but the Youngstown State football dropped a hard-fought 30-22 decision to No. 11 Southern Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium.
With the loss the Penguins fall to 0-3 while SIU improves to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
QB Mark Waid rushed for 73 yards on 23 carries and completed 10-of-24 passes for 94 yards in making his first career start.
Defensively, Grant Dixon led the Penguins with 10 total tackles and Griffin Hoak had nine tackles.
SIU's Nic Baker threw for 139 yards on 13-of-18 passing with two touchdown passes and ran for 32 yards with a rushing touchdown while Romeir Elliott ran for 97 yards.
Youngstown State led 19-7 with 1:52 left before halftime, but SIU scored on its final possession of the first half and its first two of the second quarter to take 23-19 lead.
Colt McFadden's 36-yard field goal with 10:47 left in the game cut the Salukis lead to 23-22.
SIU pushed its leads to eight, 30-22, after Nic Baker hit Landon Lenoir on a 37-yard touchdown pass with 10:01 left in the game. The scoring play occurred following a 15-yard facemask penalty on the Penguins that placed the ball on the YSU 37.
The Penguins gave themselves a chance to tie the game on its final drive. Starting at its own 20-yard line, Waid hit Christian Turner for 16 yards and Andrew Ogletree for 33 yards to the SIU 31. A third-down completion to Landon Pearson move the ball to the SIU 25, but the Penguins were unable to convert on fourth down.
Youngstown State took the opening drive 83 yards in 13 plays to jump on top of the Salukis, 6-0, with 8:25 to go in the first. McLaughlin carried seven times for 45 yards and Waid capped off the impressive drive with a one-yard plunge. The point-after attempt was blocked.
On the ensuing Salukis, possession, Keyon Martin picked off SIU's Nick Baker's pass at the YSU 42 and returned it to the SIU 31.
McLaughlin bulldozed his way in from 10-yards out to put the Penguins up, 12-0, with 2:03 left in the first. The 5-foot-9 junior rushed for 27 yards on three carries on the 31-yard drive. YSU's two-point attempt failed.
The Salukis trimmed the Penguins lead to 12-7 at the 12:03 mark of the second quarter after an 11-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a six-yard touchdown run by Javon Williams, Jr.
YSU answered with a 19-play, 72-yard drive that at up more than 10 minutes on the clock take a 19-7 lead with 1:52 left before halftime. McLaughlin scored his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard dive.
YSU had three third-down and a pair of fourth-down conversion to keep the drive moving. Waid hit Turner on a fourth-and-two from the SIU 39 for a four-yard game to the SIU 35. On fourth-and-one on the SIU 26, Waid pushed forward for three yards to pick up the first down. Five players later
The Salukis got back within six, 19-13, with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that took just 1:25 after a 17-yard touchdown run by Nic Baker.
On the opening drive of the second half, SIU took its first lead of the game 20-19 on a two-yard pass from Baker to Justin Strong with 10:33 left in the third quarter. The Salukis marched by 75-yards in 12 plays.
After forcing a Penguins punt, the Salukis added a 22-yard field-goal by Nico Gualdoni to take a 23-19 lead with 5:14 left in the third quarter.
Youngstown State visits South Dakota State, Saturday, March 13, in Brookings, S.D. Kickoff is slate for 3 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast on 570 WKBN.
