The Youngstown State football team amassed 539 yards in total offense and scored 38 straight points en route to a 51-17 win over Murray State on Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.
The Penguins, who allowed just 79 yards on the ground, improved to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while the Racers fall to 0-8 overall and 0-4 in the MVFC.
Junior quarterback Beau Brungard recorded two touchdowns on the ground, two through the air and also caught a touchdown pass. The New Middletown, Ohio, native passed for 248 yards on 22-of-25 attempts while he had 64 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving. Brungard completed his first 13 passing attempts, which tied for the second-most consecutive completions in a game in school history.
Junior wide receiver Flash Wilson set a school record with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. It marks the longest play in school history. The last time Youngstown State returned a kickoff for a touchdown was Latrell Fordham's 98-yard return against Indiana State on Oct. 22, 2022.
Max Tomczak caught seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown while Wilson had five catches for 89 yards and a score.
Graydon Rollins led the defense with seven tackles while DJ Harris had five stops and an interception.
Murray State took a 7-0 lead on the game's opening possession when Jim Ogle connected with Lucas Desjardins on a 32-yard touchdown pass at the 10:48 mark of the first quarter.
The Penguins knotted the game after driving 56 yards in seven plays capped by a five-yard touchdown run by Brungard with 7:03 left in the first quarter.
Youngstown State took its first lead of the game, 14-7 at the 10:32 mark of the second quarter after marching 91 yards in 15 plays. Ethan Wright plunged in from one-yard out to give the Penguins a seven-point advantage.
The Penguins scored for the third straight time when Brungard hit Flash Wilson on a 62-yard touchdown pass to give YSU a 21-7 lead with 5:39 left before halftime.
Lastovka added a 34-yard field with six seconds left in the second quarter to give the Penguins a 24-7 halftime lead.
On the sixth play of the second half, Brungard tossed right to Fresh Walters who threw back to Brungard to the YSU 46, and he scampered down the left sideline for a 50-yard touchdown and put the Penguins up, 31-7, with just over 12 minutes left in the third quarter.
Brungard recorded his second rushing touchdown, a one-yard scamper, with seven minutes left in the third for a 38-7 lead.
After a 38-yard field goal by Murray State's, Wilson broke off a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to extend the YSU lead to 45-10 with 13:15 to in the game.
Murray State's Baxter Wright connected with Cam Bullock on a 17-yard touchdown pass to cut the Penguins lead to 45-17 with 11:22 to go.
Brungard threw his second touchdown of the game, a two-yarder to Tomczak, to push the YSU lead to 34, 51-17, with just over seven minutes left.
Youngstown State visits No. 1 North Dakota State, Saturday, Nov. 1. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D. The game will be aired on 570 WKBN and ESPN+.
