YSU buffaloes Bison

North Dakota State vs YSU

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The YSU Penguins played The North Dakota at home Saturday, September 20, 2008. YSU won 32-24.

By Pete Mollica

Running game keys huge upset

YOUNGSTOWN — On a scale of 1 to 10, Youngstown State’s 32-24 victory over No. 2 ranked North Dakota State was an 11.

The Penguins (2-2, 1-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) battered the Bison with a tremendous ground attack offensively and the defense came up with four interceptions, including the fourth one in the final seconds that staved off the Bison’s final drive.

YSU jumped out to a 23-3 advantage early in the third period, but North Dakota State (2-2, 1-1) rallied and cut the lead to 29-24 with over seven minutes remaining.

With the pressure mounting the Penguins then drove 51 yards to the Bison’s 23-yard line where senior place kicker Brian Palmer split the uprights with a 40-yard field goal that gave the Penguins some breathing room.

Still the Bison came right back and drove from their own 27 to the YSU 4-yard line. With 27 seconds remaining and the Bison out of timeouts, quarterback Nick Mertens, who had riddled the Penguins with 296 yards passing, threw into the end zone, but senior cornerback De’Angelo Wilson was there to make the interception and save the game for the Penguins.

“I had just gone back into the game when Jarvis [Richards] was hurt on the play before,” Wilson said. “My man was running a slant and the guy he was throwing to was running a corner. I saw where he was going and backed off my man and made the pick.”

Wilson, who a week ago was named the MVC special teams player of the week, had two interceptions and blocked a field goal. His first interception was returned 26 yards and helped set up the Penguins’ first touchdown.

“We came out of the gate ready to play tonight,” said YSU coach Jon Heacock. “Tonight our players were executing what we’ve been trying to do.”

For the second straight week the Penguins went to their ground game and the offense responded. The Penguins had two backs go over 100 yards against the Bison, who came into the game allowing just 145 yards rushing a game.

Redshirt freshmen Kamryn Keys led the Penguins with 146 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown, while junior Jabari Scott added 120 yards on 17 carries and junior quarterback Brandon Summers had 64 yards on 13 carries and got his first rushing touchdown as a Penguin.

“You have to be able to run the football to have any kind of success in this conference,” Heacock added. “It was a big win, but like I told our kids after the game, it’s big only if we go out and win the next one.”

Keys said the blocking on the offensive line was unbelievable.

“There were holes so big that my eyes couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It was an opportunity for us to get back in it against a very good team.”

Mertens threw 39 passes, completing 23 for the 296 yards as the Bison outgained the Penguins 474-to-441 in total yards, but through most of three quarters the Bison had trouble producing in the red zone.

The Penguins got on the scoreboard first on the game’s opening drive as Summers hit Dominique Barnes with a 46-yard pass on the first play. The Penguins had a first and goal at the one-foot line, but three straight runs produced nothing and had to settle for an 18-yard field goal by Palmer.

After Wilson’s first interception the Penguins drove 34 yards to the end zone as Summers carried over from the six on a keeper.

The Penguins made it 16-0 late in the second quarter when Summers threw a perfect pass to junior wide receiver Donald Jones for a 14-yard score. In the final seconds of the half, the Bison got on the board with a 37-yard field goal by Shawn Bibeau.

The team traded interceptions to open the third quarter, but the third YSU pick, by junior Jamie Frasure, set up another YSU touchdown which came on a 12 yard pass from Summers to senior wide receiver Ferlando Williams.

Then the Bison started to rally, first scoring on an 18-yard pass from Mertens to Jerimiah Wurzbacher. Then Summers fumbled on the next series and the Bison returned it to the YSU 19. They scored on the next, a 19-yard run by Tyler Roehl.

With the score 23-17 the Penguins opened the final quarter with a 77-yard drive, sparked by a 29-yard run by Summers. Keys cashed in with a 14 yard run that was all effort.

North Dakota State came right back to score on a 3-yard run by Roehl with 7:09 remaining setting up first Palmer’s and then Wilson’s heroics.