Youngstown, Ohio – The No. 18 Youngstown State football team battled the No. 2 team in the nation down to the wire, but South Dakota State escaped with a 35-30 victory on Saturday night at Stambaugh Stadium.
Youngstown State (3-2, 0-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) led by as many as 14 points and owned a 17-7 lead at the intermission, but SDSU (5-0,1-0 MVFC) scored three third quarter touchdowns to erase the deficit and held on for the victory.
For the fourth time this season, junior quarterback Beau Brungard rushed and passed for more than 100 yards with 22 carries for 130 yards on the ground and 275 through the air on 29-of-44 passing. Brungard also threw a career-high three touchdown passes and ran for another, accounting for four scores.
Senior Max Tomczak caught eight passes for 92 yards and a career-best three touchdown receptions. Tomczak also moved into second place on the YSU career receiving yards chart with 2,401 yards, and he needs just three move receptions to break the Youngstown State all-time receptions record of 186.
Tomczak also set school record for most MVFC touchdown catches and is the second player since 1979 to record three touchdown receptions in game since 1979.
On the defensive side, DJ Harris led the Penguins with 10 tackles, and Dathan Hickey recorded his second interception of the season.
The Penguins defense forced a turnover on downs on the Jackrabbits' first possession, and after a 19-yard run by Ethan Wright, Brungard connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass to Tomczak for a 7-0 lead at the11:52 mark of the first quarter.
Youngstown State pushed its lead to two touchdowns after marching 80 yards in 15 plays. Brungard capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to take a 14-0 lead with 14:00 left before halftime.
SDSU cut the lead in half, 14-7 with a nine-play, 90-yard drive capped by a four-yard touchdown pass from Chase Mason to Greyton Gannon with 4:58 left in the second quarter.
On the Penguins next possession, Brungard exploded for 74-yard gainer down to the SDSU 8. Youngstown State had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Andrew Lastovka to take a 17-7 lead with 2:25 to go before halftime.
With just over a minute left in the second quarter, Dathan Hickey picked off Mason at the YSU 45 and returned it to the Penguins 47. YSU drove down to the SDSU 29, but after a holding penalty and a strip sack, the Jackrabbits took over at their own 40 with six seconds left before halftime.
After the Penguins went three-and-out to open the second half, the Jackrabbits cut the lead to 17-14 with 12:50 to go. Mason hit Alex Bullock on a 51-yard pass to the YSU 3. On the next play, Julius Loughridge, who ran for 176 yards on 25 carries and four touchdowns, barreled in to make it a three-point game.
Following a missed YSU field goal, SDSU took its first lead of the game, 21-17, with 5:53 left in the third. Loughridge gave the Jackrabbits the lead with a 14-yard touchdown scamper.
The Jackrabbits scored for the third time in the third quarter to push their lead to 11, 28-17. Loughridge ploughed in from two yards out for his third score of the game at the 2:16 mark.
Youngstown State forced an SDSU punt, and Brungard hit Tomczak and a 29-yard touchdown pass to get within four, 28-24, with 10:31Â left in the fourth quarter.
After an exchange of punts, Loughridge scampered in from 24 yards out with 3:17 to go to regain an 11-point edge, 35-24.
Youngstown State continued to fight back in the final minutes of the game. The Penguins marched 72 yards in 11 plays to get with five, 35-30, after Brungard hit Tomczak on a two-yard touchdown toss with 38 seconds left. YSU's two-point attempt was no good.
Youngstown State visits No. 14/15 North Dakota, Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Eastern in Grand Folks, N.D.
