Cedar Falls, Iowa – The No. 17 Youngstown State football team fought off a valiant comeback try by UNI as the Penguins held on for a 35-32 win on Saturday at the UNI-Dome.
YSU's win improves it to 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the MVFC and keeps its chances of advancing to the FCS playoffs for the second time in three seasons alive. UNI concludes the season with a 3-9 record while going 1-7 in the valley.
The victory is Youngstown State's first at the UNI-Dome since 1999 and snaps an 11-game losing streak in the facility.
QB Beau Brungard helped lead the Penguins to the win rushing for 143 yards on 22 carries while throwing for 226 yards while completing 20-of-25 passes. He rushed for three scores and threw for two more.
The Penguins bolted out to a 28-3 halftime lead, but in the second half the Panthers clawed their way back into the contest.
UNI scored 15 points in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter to quickly get within 28-18.
YSU was able to extend the cushion back up to 17 when Brungard found Ethan Wright for a three-yard score with 3:27 left in the third.
In the fourth, the Panthers scored the next 14 points and pulled within 35-32 with 6:31 remaining.
Youngstown State took over at its 16-yard line and was able to get a first down, but eventually had to punt from its 33 with just over 3:30 remaining.
UNI's final possession started at its 25-yard line and the Panthers had a first down on the YSU 48. After a short run on first down, UNI lost two yards on second down and Carston Marshall and Graydon Rollins sacked Jaxon Dailey on third down for a seven-yard loss. On fourth down, Dailey was under pressure and was forced to throw the ball to Bill Jackson short of the first down and Marshall made a game-saving tackle.
YSU took over at its 46-yard line with 1:07 left. On third-and-five, from the UNI 49, Brungard patiently waited for space to open up on the right side and picked up 11 yards to seal the hard-fought win.
To start the contest, the Penguins scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the contest to go on top 21-3.
Brungard had rushing scores to cap off two impressive touchdown drives in the opening quarter. The first score of the game came on a seven-yard keeper with 11:29 left in the first.
The defense flexed its muscle to set up the second score of the game. With UNI deep in YSU territory, Mike Wells striped the ball from the Panthers' Bill Jackson. After the play was originally called down by contact, the Penguins challenged the call and the Guins were awarded the ball.
Brungard would cap off a five-play, 91-yard drive by taking the ball 29 yards untouched for a score around the left end.
Leading 14-3 in the second, Brungard bought time and found Alex McDonald for a 12-yard score with 10:27 remaining before halftime to increase the lead to 21-3.
The YSU offense wasn't done as they tacked on one more score before the intermission. Brungard scored his third touchdown of the first half with a keeper around the left side from seven yards out with just 51 seconds remaining.
For the half, Brungard completed 14-of-15 passes for 146 yards and a score while rushing for 89 yards on 11 carries and finding the end zone three times on the ground.
