Penguins solid in all phases to finally beat SDSU

October 26, 2014 at 12:10a.m.

Penguins solid

in all phases

to beat SDSU

BROOKINGS, S.D.

As Youngstown State safety Donald D’Alesio trotted off the field following Saturday’s 30-27 win over South Dakota State on Saturday, he looked over at his fellow fifth-year senior, tight end Nate Adams, and said, “Better late than never.”

Behind a disruptive defensive line, a career day from wide receiver Andrew Williams and a huge punt from Joey Cejudo, the Penguins earned their first win at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium since 1974 — and first win of any kind against SDSU since 2007.

“This was a big win for our program,” D’Alesio said.

It also eased the memory of last year’s 42-13 season-ending loss to the Jackrabbits, which knocked YSU out of the playoffs. This one may do the opposite, as the Penguins (6-2, 3-1 Missouri Valley) enter November with a more favorable schedule than last year and (seemingly) a more complete team.

“Quite frankly, I don’t think the [head-to-head] scores always been good indicators of the two teams, but until we prove it, it’s all talk,” said YSU coach Eric Wolford, who improved to 1-4 against the Jackrabbits and has now beat every team in the MVFC. “I’ll tell you right now — we’ve got a young football team and we’re gonna keep the kids hungry and keep driving them. We’ve got a chance to be special, now and in the future.”

Making his first road start, true freshman Hunter Wells again looked like a veteran, completing 16 of 27 passes for 256 yards and two TDs to improve to 3-0 as a starter. Williams, a senior, caught six passes for a career-high 139 yards for YSU, which did not commit a turnover and was penalized just once for 5 yards.

“Hat’s off to Hunter,” Williams said. “He’s throwing the ball good. He’s young, but smart. At the same time, you’ve got to thank the O-line. You’ve got to thank the whole team. It’s good playing with our brothers out there.”

YSU led 23-20 at halftime, a score that held up until midway through the fourth quarter when Wells found Jelani Berassa for a 20-yard touchdown with 8:21 left.

SDSU got within three points on a 6-yard TD pass from Zach Lujan to Zach Zenner with 4:16 left. With three timeouts left, the Jackrabbits opted to kick it away and YSU ran five plays to erase 2:12 off the clock, as well as two SDSU timeouts.

That’s when Cejudo stepped in, booming a career-best 59-yard punt that pinned the Jacks at their own 2.

“Unbelievable punt,” Wolford said. “That could have been the play of the game.”

SDSU needed two plays to get a first down, but committed back-to-back penalties to lose 12 yards, then managed just five yards in three plays. On fourth-and-19 at his own 13, Lujan tried to hit 6-foot-4 Jake Wieneke for a 29-yard jump ball down the left sideline, but cornerback Julius Childs broke it up to end the game.

“It’s his birthday, so that’s a great birthday gift for him,” D’Alesio said of Childs. “But give the D-line credit. They got after that quarterback all day and that helps us out tremendously.”

Lujan, who was filling in for injured quarterback (and noted YSU killer) Austin Sumner, threw for 329 yards and two TDs for SDSU (5-3, 2-2), but was sacked six times, including three by Rivers. Terrell Williams added two sacks and YSU finished with nine tackles for loss.

Wieneke had 10 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown and Zenner had 25 carries for 114 yards and a TD, but 89 of those yards came in the first half.

Zenner also got stuffed by safety Tre’ Moore on a fourth-and-1 at YSU’s 22 on South Dakota State’s first drive of the second half as Jacks coach John Stiegelmeier passed on what would have been a game-tying field goal.

Those three points loomed large the rest of the way.

“It’s fourth-and-1, we were in power, it’s a heavyweight fight,” Stiegelmeier said. “Who is the toughest at the point of attack?

“We stuck four guys at the point of attack and they were tougher than we were.”

That wasn’t true in the teams’ previous meetings under Wolford, particularly last season’s finale.

Thanks to Saturday’s win, YSU can move on from that game.

“It [last year’s loss] was a heartbreaker, they beat us pretty bad and it just feels good to come out and get the win,” Williams said. “I try not to reminisce too much.

“That’s in the past. This is the future.”