YSU bested by Northern Iowa

Mackenzie Hoambrecker kicked five field goals asthe Panthers stymiedthe Penguins 22-7.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Northern Iowa might have come into Youngstown with two straight Gateway Conference losses, but the Panthers looked nothing like a losing team Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.
The Panthers (4-3, 1-2 Gateway) beat Youngstown State at its own game, rushing for 220 yards and rolling to a 22-7 victory before 18,699 fans.
The Penguins are now 4-3, 2-2 in the Gateway.
"You have to give Northern Iowa credit," said YSU coach Jon Heacock. "They came in here and did things nobody else has done against us, and they blocked and tackled, while we did not."
UNI ran over 78 offensive plays to the Penguins' 57 and totaled 342 yards to YSU's 241.
Five field goals
Even the Penguins' defense, which has been outstanding this season, couldn't control the Panthers, who scored only one touchdown but got five field goals from senior kicker Mackenzie Hoambrecker.
YSU freshman quarterback Aaron Marshall combined with senior tailback P.J. Mays for the Penguins' only touchdown in the third quarter on a 37-yard pass, which Marshall made happen with his elusive scrambling ability.
"We got beat in the trenches tonight on both sides of the football," Heacock said. "Aaron has ability, but some time he's got to be able to set up in the pocket and throw the ball and he wasn't able to do that tonight."
The YSU rushing game was shut down for most of the game by the Panthers, as the Penguins managed just 104 yards on 34 carries. Marshall was the leading ball carrier with 49 yards on 14 carries.
Mays, who has struggled in his two previous meetings with the Panthers, managed just 47 yards on 17 carries, but he caught two passes for 51 yards and the one touchdown.
"I thought we were ready for this game," Mays said. "But on the first carry I knew we weren't. I played a horrible game."
Lack of running game
Heacock felt the lack of a running game hurt the Penguins.
"We're a running football team and when you can't get the running game established, this is what happens," he said. "We couldn't keep them off-balanced. Then when you give a team like Northern Iowa 78 offensive plays, you're going to get a 22-7 outcome."
The Penguins lost two fumbles, one of them in the first period when Mays was hit from behind and the ball popped loose, with Matt Mitchell falling on it for the Panthers at the YSU 34.
The defense only allowed the Panthers to get to the 8-yard line, but for Hoambrecker that was only a chip shot as he was perfect from 25 yards.
The Penguins didn't have a first down until their third offensive series, and then only had one. The Panthers came back and drove 63 yards in 12 plays to the YSU 10, and Hoambrecker came on and kicked a 27-yard field goal.
UNI kick-return man Ben Sanderson was a thorn in the Penguins' side all game, as he returned a punt from his own 15 to the UNI 46 that led to the Panthers' only touchdown drive.
Five passes in drive
Quarterback Tom Petrie, who was 15 of 27 for 122 yards, hit five passes in that drive, including the final one of 7 yards to Ryan Walter for the score.
YSU's second fumble, just before halftime, came when Marshall completed a pass to freshman wide receiver Kyle Smith. Smith caught the ball and then was hit from behind and fumbled, with Derrick Frost recovering at the UNI 17.
Senior tailback Adam Benge, who led the Panthers with 147 yards rushing on 35 carries, then broke off a 48-yard run. The Panthers got to the Penguins' 10, where Hoambrecker booted a 44-yard field goal as time expired for a 16-0 lead.
YSU gets fumble
YSU's score came after a UNI fumble by Benge and a recovery by Wendell Parish at the Penguins' 37.
Marshall threw one pass and had two nice runs to get the ball to the UNI 37. On second down, he rolled out and was rushed hard, but he got away twice. Marshall then saw Mays all alone at the 15 and lobbed a perfect pass to the speedy back, who took it the rest of the way for the score.
Hoambrecker added field goals of 21 and 23 yards for the final margin.
Marshall did drive the Penguins to the UNI 4-yard line, but his last-second pass fell incomplete in the end zone as time expired.
mollica@vindy.com