Youngstown, Ohio – Youngstown State battled back from a double-digit first half deficit but dropped a hard-fought decision to No. 22 North Dakota, 35-30, on Saturday evening at Stambaugh Stadium.

The Penguins fall to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while the Fighting Hawks improve to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in the MVFC.

Junior quarterback Mitch Davidson was 21-for-32 for 280 yards and two touchdown passes, all career highs, while senior running back Jaleel McLaughlin rushed for 138 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown.

Bryce Oliver led the Penguins receivers with a career-high eight receptions and a career-best 88 yards with a touchdown, while Max Tomczak had a career-high seven catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.

North Dakota's Tommy Schuster complete 20-of-31 passing attempts for 292 yards and a touchdown while Tyler Hoosman had two rushing touchdowns.

North Dakota jumped out to a 14-3 lead after the first quarter, but the Penguins used an 18-point second quarter to enter the locker room deadlocked at 21-21.

North Dakota marched 55 yards in eight plays and scored on its first possession of the game. Hoosman rammed in from two-yards out to give the Fighting Hawks a 7-0.

On their second possession, the Penguins' drive stalled at the UND 30-yard line after a 30-yard pass from Davidson to Tomczak. Colt McFadden, who had three made field goals, nailed a 47-yard field goal to get the Penguins on the board and cut the lead to 7-3 with 4:12 left in the first quarter.

The Fighting Hawks answered quickly using a three-play 75-yard drive capped by a 32-yard touchdown pass from Schuster to Isaiah Smith to put UND up 14-3 at the 2:35 mark of the first quarter.

McFadden added a 38-yard field goal with 14:02 mark of the second quarter to get the Penguins within eight, 14-6.

After stopping UND on a fourth down at the YSU 30, the Penguins used three big plays to tie the game at 14-14. McLaughlin rushed for 27 yards to the UND 37 before Davidson hit Bryce Oliver on a 16-yard gain, and Max Tomczak on a 21-yard touchdown pass. Davidson hit Oliver to convert the two-point conversion to knot the contest at the 5:54 mark of the second quarter.

North Dakota regained the lead 21-14 when Smith rushed in from 16-yards out with 2:35 left before halftime.

Youngstown State drove 70 yards in 10 plays over the final 2:05 of the half to tie the game, 21-21. Davidson, who was 4-for-6 for 54 yards on the drive, connected with Oliver in the endzone with just six seconds before the intermission.

McFadden gave the Penguins their first lead of the game with a 32-yard field goal at the 8:08 mark of the third quarter.

After the teams exchanged missed field-goal attempts, Hoosman rambled in from 16 yards out to put the Fighting Hawks back up by four, 28-24, with 9:39 left in the game.

UND extended its lead to 11, 35-24, after Cole Davis blocked a Paddy Lynch's punt and returned it three yards for a touchdown.

The Penguins cut the deficit down to five 35-30, after a seven-play, 78-yard drive capped by a four-yard touchdown run by McLaughlin with 5:49 left in the game. The Penguins converted a fourth-and-five and Davidson connected with Luke Hensley and Oliver on gains of 39 and 17 to get the Fighting Hawks' four yard line.

Youngstown State forced a UND punt and took over at its own 44 with 3:54 left in the game. The Penguins moved the ball down to UND 29, but Davidson was sacked for a nine-yard loss on third-and-seven forcing a fourth-and-16. Davidson 10-yard pass to Oliver on fourth-down was short of the line to gain and the Penguins turned the ball over on downs.

The Penguins host Indiana State, Saturday, Oct. 15, in the annual homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.