The Youngstown State football program was defeated by No. 1 South Dakota State, 34-0, at Stambaugh Stadium on Saturday.
The Penguins fall to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while the Jackrabbits continue their undefeated season (10-0, 7-0 MVFC).
Senior quarterback Mitch Davidson recorded 160 passing yards while Max Tomczak led YSU's receivers with 57 yards. Tyshon King had 20 rushing yards while Dra Rushton added 17.
Senior defensive backs Marcus Hooker and Troy Jakubec led the Penguins in tackles. Hooker recorded 10 tackles included one-for-loss while Jakubec added nine.
Jackrabbits quarterback Mark Gronowski passed for 295 yards and delivered three touchdown passes, two to wide receiver Jadon Janke who recorded 166 receiving yards. Isaiah Davis led SDSU on the ground, netting 130 yards and scoring a touchdown.
SDSU's first possession ran nearly eight minutes off the clock but the Penguins' defense showed resilience and held the Jackrabbits to a field goal. South Dakota State's field goal would prove to be the only score of quarter one, giving them a 3-0 lead heading into the second.
The Penguins struggled to get going offensively as SDSU found the endzone with 8:29 remaining in the first half, increasing their lead to 10-0.
Following the score, Davidson threw an interception in Penguins' territory that the Jackrabbits capitalized on with their second score in under three minutes. The score gave SDSU a 17-0 lead over Youngstown State at the 6:07 mark of the second quarter.
Davidson and crew put together a 13-play, 63-yard drive but Andrew Lastovka's field goal attempt to put the Penguins on the board was blocked by SDSU with 44 seconds left in the first half. The Jackrabbits used those final seconds to increase their lead to 20 with a successful field goal, making the score 20-0 headed into the locker room.
SDSU's Gronowski connected with Janke on a 56-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second half to take a 27-0 lead. The Jackrabbits scored their final touchdown of the game with 11:33 remaining on a short one-yard touchdown rush by Davis, making the final score 34-0.
Youngstown State will close out the 2023 season on the road as it takes on Murray State at the Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Ky. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
