Mays sets mark in YSU win

By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- It wasn't the prettiest victory in Youngstown State football history, but it served the purpose for Penguin coach Jon Heacock.
Saturday the Penguins played Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde against Samford University and came away with a 37-29 victory before an announced crowd of 11,658 at Stambaugh Stadium.
Ever since the Penguins (7-4) were eliminated from the Gateway Conference race and from playoff contention Oct. 26 at Western Illinois, Heacock pledged the remainder of the season to his senior players.
"It wasn't pretty, but it enabled this senior class to go out winners in their final three games and I'm proud of them for that," Heacock said.
Record game
Leading the way for the 18 seniors who played their final game was tailback P.J. Mays, who ended his career with an exceptional effort, rushing for 137 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown. Mays also caught two passes for 56 yards and another score.
The two touchdowns give him 45 for his three-year career at YSU and made him the career leader in the Gateway Conference. Mays finished his career with 42 rushing touchdowns, one short of the Gateway mark of 43.
"It was great to go out a winner and finishing the season strong with three wins is something that our underclassmen can build on for next season," Mays said.
The Penguins finished the game with 276 yards rushing and another 180 passing for 456 total yards.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Marshall completed 10-of-18 passes and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception -- his first since his first start Sept. 28 against Southwest Missouri State.
The Penguins had three turnovers -- losing two of five fumbles and Marshall's interception -- but forced four turnovers against the Bulldogs (4-7).
Junior defensive back Sherod Holmes accounted for all four of those turnovers, recovering two fumbles and intercepting two passes.
"It was one of those games when I was in the right place at the right time," Holmes said.
Heacock said Holmes had a great week of practice.
"It just goes to show you how important a good week of practice is, because Sherod had three interceptions this week in practice also," Heacock said.
Back and forth
The Penguins jumped out to a 13-0 lead and were on the verge of breaking open the contest several times. YSU also led 20-7 and 30-14, but kept letting the Bulldogs back into the contest.
Junior kicker Jake Stewart hit a 42-yard field goal on the opening drive, one of three for the Austintown native, who also had four extra points.
Junior tailback Mike Burns of Niles set up the second YSU score with a 57-yard run. The TD came on the next play as Mays ran 13 yards for the score. Stewart also added a 26-yard field goal late in the first period.
After Samford cut the lead to 13-7 on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Josh Kellett to Efrem Hill, the Penguins bounced right back.
They drove 80 yards in eight plays, but the final play covered 51 yards as Marshall tossed a short screen pass to Mays, who pulled it in one-handed then broke a couple of tackles and rambled all the way to the end zone to break the Gateway record.
A Marshall fumble at his own 12 set up Samford's second score, which came on a 12-yard pass from Kellett to Hill and cut the halftime deficit to 20-14.
Stewart put the Penguins up 23-14 with a 36-yard field goal and then Marshall fired a 51-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Jerald Burley to up the lead to 30-14.
YSU's kickoff coverage was poor again as it has been all season and Hill returned the next one 76 yards to the YSU 17. Three plays later Ramon Nelson hit Aryvia Holmes with a 15-yard scoring pass.
YSU came back to score again with a 76-yard drive that ended with junior tailback Josiah Doby scoring from 6 yards out for a 37-22 lead.
But the Bulldogs weren't done and came back behind Nelson who drove them to the YSU 11 before getting hurt. Kellett came on and scored on a 3-yard bootleg run.
Samford had two more opportunities, but the Penguins held them on fourth down both times inside the YSU 30 yard line.
mollica@vindy.com