Youngstown – Senior Mitch Davidson threw for a career-high 390 yards and tied a career best with four touchdown passes as the Youngstown State football team knocked off Missouri State, 44-28, on Saturday afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium.
Youngstown State improves to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while Missouri State falls to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the MVFC.
Davidson connected on 26-of-33 passing and threw touchdown passes to three different receivers.
Senior Bryce Oliver posted a career-high 169 yards receiving on six receptions and a pair of touchdown catches while Max Tomczak had five receptions for 52 yards. CJ Charleston and Jake Benio also recorded touchdown receptions.
Greg Benton led the Penguins defensively with 10 tackles while YSU posted five sacks and Troy Jakubec recorded a momentum-swinging interception in the fourth quarter.
Youngstown State led by as many as 24 points early in the second half, and weathered a Missouri State comeback-attempt that cut the deficit down to 10 late in the third quarter.
Missouri State jumped out in front on the game's first possession with a four-play, 45-yard drive. Jayden Becks took the opening kick 55 yards to set up the Bear at the YSU 45.
Four plays later, Jordan Pachot jogged into the endzone from nine yards out the put Missouri State up 7-0, at the 13:44 mark. Runs of 27 and nine yards by Jakairi Moses set up the Bears at the YSU nine prior to Pachot's score.
Penguins answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive to knot the game at 7-7 at the 10:02 mark of the first quarter. Davidson, who went 5-for-6 for 70 yards on the drive, connected with Charleston on a 10-yard scoring toss. Davidson hit Oliver on a 48-yard gain to set up the Penguins at the MSU 15.
After the defense forced a three-and-out, the Penguins took a 14-7 lead with 3:36 left in the first quarter. Davidson hit Charleston on a 32-yard pass to the MSU 11, and found Benio on a two-yard touchdown pass to cap the seven-play, 72-yard drive. The reception was the first touchdown catch of Benio's career.
The Bears tied the game at 14-14 on Jarcardia Wright's 45-yard touchdown dash with 8:18 remaining in the second quarter.
The Penguins scored the next 17 points to take a 31-14 lead at the intermission.
After the Bears tied the game, the Penguins marched 85 yards in just five plays to regain the lead 21-14. An unsportsmanlike penalty against the Bears move the ball to the YSU 49. On the next play, Davidson hit Oliver in stride for a 51-yard touchdown strike at the 6:10 mark of the second quarter.
The Penguins defense forced another MSU punt, and Davidson connected with Oliver on a touchdown pass for the second time of the game to put YSU up 28-14 with 45 seconds in the half.
Deamontae Diggs block a Missouri State punt but a holding penalty pushed the Penguins back to the MSU 49. Davidson found Oliver on a 39-yard gain to the MSU 10, and Andrew Lastovka closed out the half with a 27-yard field goal.
To open the second half, Cyrus Traugh caught a pair of passes from 69 yards, including a 57-yarder down to the MSU one-yard line, and Dra Ruston's one-yard plunge gave the Penguins a 38-14 lead with 12:54 left in the third.
Missouri State, however, scored on its first two possessions of the third quarter to get within 10 points.
The Bears responded quickly and cut the deficit back down to 17, 38-21, on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Pachot to Wright at the 10:12 mark of the third quarter.
After getting pinned back at their own 14, the Bears marched 86 yards in 10 plays to cut the lead to 38-28 capped by a seven-yard touchdown pass from Pachot to Lance Mason at the 4:52 mark of the third quarter.
The Bears threatened again, but Jakubec picked off Pachot in the endzone that led to a 29-yard field goal by Lastovka to push the Penguins lead back to 13, 41-28, with 8:21 left in the game.
Lastovka's 44-yard field with 2:17 left extended the lead to 44-28 and sealed the Penguins' victory.
Youngstown State visits Indiana State, Saturday, Nov. 4. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. in Terre Haute, Ind.
