Youngstown, Ohio – Youngstown State scored three first half touchdowns and held off a gritty Indiana State team for a 21-14 Homecoming victory on Saturday afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium.
The Penguins improve to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while the Sycamores fall to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Senior Ethan Wright scored two first-half touchdowns and ran for a team-high 81 yards while Tyshon King rushed for 62 yards on the ground. Beau Brungard completed 11-of-18 passes for 130 yards with a touchdown and ran for 43 yards. Max Tomczak led the Penguins receivers with 87 yards on four catches while Latrell Fordham had two catches for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Youngstown State controlled the first half allowing just 33 total yards on 30 Sycamore plays while piling up 207 total yards.
The Penguins forced an ISU punt on the game's opening possession and answered with a nine-play, 47-yard drive capped by Wright's two-yard TD run at the 8:50 mark of the first quarter.
YSU extended the lead to 14-0 when Brungard hit Fordham on an eight-yard touchdown pass to start the second quarter.
Wright's second touchdown run of the game, another two-yard scamper, with 39 seconds left before halftime gave the Penguins a 21-0 lead.
In the second half, Indiana State found some rhythm offensively and outgained the Penguins 251-98 in the second half.
The Sycamores wasted no time cutting into the Penguins lead in the third quarter. After forcing the Penguins to punt, Indiana State's Elijah Owens connected with Plez Lawrence on a 34-yard touchdown pass at the 9:12 mark of the quarter to trim the YSU lead to 21-7.
Indiana State forced another YSU punt then marched 73 yards in six plays to get within one score. Owens capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown scamper with 4:29 remaining in the third quarter.
After the teams exchanged several punts, the Sycamores marched inside the Penguins redzone for the potential game-tying score.
Indiana State began its final drive at its own eight and trailing by seven. The Sycamores converted on third-and-three from their own 15 when Owens connected with Lawrence for a 47-yard reception down to the YSU 38. Four players later the Sycamores had a first-and-10 at the YSU 12. After a rush for no gain and a loss of five by Owens, Joe Brown's sack on third and 15 pushed the Sycamores back to the 25 yard line. Owens' desperation attempt to Zavion Taylor on fourth down fell incomplete, and the Penguins took over on downs to seal the win.
Youngstown State visits South Dakota State Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. in Brookings S.D.
