By Marissa Masano / The Jambar
The Youngstown State University football team traveled to Southern Illinois University on Nov. 9 and returned home to face the University of Northern Iowa on Nov. 16.
The Penguins fell to the Salukis, 37-33. Sophomore Beau Brungard compiled 266 yards passing, with one touchdown and one interception. Brungard also led the team in rushing with 121 yards.
His leading receiver was junior Max Tomczak, who caught nine receptions for 154 yards.
Brungard rushed for two touchdowns in the first quarter, as Youngstown State shut out Southern Illinois 14-0.
In the second quarter, Brungard continued the run game as he scrambled for 27 yards to make the score 21-0. Later on in the quarter, Brungard completed a three-yard pass to senior Tyshon King in the end zone, building a four-score lead.
SIU’s offense got on the board late in the second quarter, making the score 28-12. The Salukis attempted a two-point conversion after their second touchdown, with just 16 seconds left before halftime.
Junior Stephon Hall forced a fumble, allowing sophomore Mike Wells to find the opposite endzone for a defensive two-point score. The score marked the first defensive two-point conversion in program history.
YSU headed into halftime with a 30-12 lead. In the second half, the Penguins were held to just a field goal, while the Salukis scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback victory.
Head Coach Doug Phillips said he’s still focused on winning football games.
“We ran 84 plays. That’s unheard of, 84 offensive plays and lose the football game. For us, those things will be in the off-season, but the bottom line is you got to win football games. We gotta find a better way [to win] football games,” Phillips said.
In the final game of the season, Youngstown State returned home with an overtime win against UNI. The Penguins celebrated its 14 seniors, beating UNI 39-38.
Brungard went 31 on 36 attempts for 256 yards and two touchdowns. His efforts earned him the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
Brungard accredited his seniors for motivating the team throughout the game.
“We just kept saying, ‘Everything you got for these seniors.’ You know they put so much work in. You know most of them have been here for five years, so everything we got for them,” Brungard said.
Tomczak had 10 receptions for 87 yards along with a touchdown. Redshirt freshman Cyrus Traugh had five receptions and a touchdown.
Brungard opened the scoring with two rushing touchdowns, giving the Penguins a 14-0 lead. The Panthers responded with three touchdowns, taking the lead 21-14.
In the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, sophomore Andrew Lastovka kicked a career-long 51-yard field goal to give YSU the lead, 24-21.
UNI was quick to respond as senior Sergio Morancy scored a 97-yard kickoff return to regain the lead 28-24.
Brunguard connected with Tomczak on a 12-yard pass for the go-ahead score. UNI settled for a field goal to make the score 31-31, sending both teams into overtime.
The Panthers scored on their opening possession. Youngstown State handed the ball off to King, who scored a nine-yard touchdown to make the score 36-37.
The Penguins converted on their two-point conversion as Brungard connected with junior Austin Bray to complete the overtime victory.
The Penguins ended the 2024 season going 4-8 overall and 3-5 in conference play. The team held a record of 4-2 inside Stambaugh Stadium, but went 0-6 on the road.
