By William Staten The Jambar
The Youngstown State University football team traveled to Brookings, South Dakota, to face No. 2 South Dakota State University in a top-10 matchup. The Penguins, off a 70-13 win against Duquesne University, were ranked No. 9 before the Sept. 19 matchup.
The Jackrabbits opened the game with a touchdown on their opening drive. Fifth-year senior Beau Brungard was sacked on his first play for the ’Guins before driving to midfield. A false start by fifth-year senior Shane Keenan led Youngstown State to punt.
South Dakota State drove down the field before sophomore Maximillian Johnson forced a fumble, which was recovered by sophomore Jussiah Williams-West for a touchback. The Penguins drove down the field and kicked a field goal to cut the Jackrabbits’ lead to four points.
Youngstown State’s defense forced a punt by the Jackrabbits on the start of its drive and took a 10-7 lead off a Brungard touchdown to fifth-year senior Alex McDonald. South Dakota State answered with a rushing touchdown by Jackrabbits quarterback Chase Mason to retake the lead.
Brungard was intercepted on the first play of the next drive for the ’Guins. South Dakota State capitalized and scored a field goal to extend its lead.
Youngstown State opened the second half with a punt, which set up the Jackrabbits for another touchdown drive, going up two scores on the Penguins. Brungard responded with a six-play drive that ended with a touchdown to senior Lynn Wyche-El, which cut South Dakota State’s lead to seven.
The Jackrabbits wrapped up the game with a field goal to go up two scores again, and fifth-year Andrew Lastovka kicked another field goal for the Penguins before a failed onside kick ended the game. South Dakota State won 27-20.
South Dakota State had over five times as many rushing yards as Youngstown State with 308 to the Penguins’ 57. Jackrabbits sophomore Josiah Johnson led both teams in rushing with 238 yards and two touchdowns.
Head coach Doug Phillips said the Jackrabbits’ rushing performance knocked him off his rhythm.
“I felt off rhythm the whole day, and I give them credit,” Phillips said. “We weren’t able to get the run game going. They were able to get the run game going. We need to figure that out — they just ran the ball.”
Phillips also said the amount of time left on the clock after the field goal led him to try the onside kick.
“When you got three timeouts, it’s a little bit different,” Phillips said. “[If] it gets under that two-minute warning with two timeouts, now you gotta go an onside kick.”
The Penguins dropped two spots in the rankings to No. 11 and look to bounce back against the No. 8 University of South Dakota at 1 p.m., Sept. 26, at Stambaugh Stadium.