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Webb, Wells help YSU offense nail down ‘W’
Penguins find a way
youngstown
Youngstown State didn’t make it look simple, but the Penguins did just enough to pull out a 21-14 win against Southern Illinois on Saturday.
“We can’t make it easy, can we?” YSU head coach Bo Pelini said afterward.
YSU (7-3, 5-2, Missouri Valley Football Conference) appeared to be running the offense at the level it was earlier in the year before the Penguins failed to score an offensive touchdown the past two weeks.
The Penguins racked up 302 first-half yards, 201 of which were on the ground. A 1-yard touchdown run by Tevin McCaster and a second-quarter pass from Hunter Wells to Alvin Bailey had the Penguins sporting a 14-0 lead at the break.
But then the offense of the past two weeks emerged from the locker room for the second half and things got a bit testy. A 3-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Mixon and a 9-yard pass from Sam Straub to Connor Iwema tied the game with 13:31 to play.
YSU managed just 51 yards in the third quarter and it appeared Southern Illinois (3-7, 1-6 MVFC) was going to play the spoiler role in in the Penguins bid for an FCS playoff berth.
“We had the chance to extend the lead a couple times,” Pelini said. “We didn’t take advantage on a bunch of different scoring opportunities. If you let someone hang around that’s what happens.”
The offensive star for YSU was Jody Webb. He finished with 167 yards rushing and averaged eight yards a carry.
“It feels good to get back into my rhythm,” Webb said. “The offense has been stagnant and it feels good to get back out there and having fun.”
While he wasn’t the one to pound the ball into the end zone, Webb said YSU’s first offensive score in two weeks was a huge moment of relief.
“It’s almost like the end zone was running away from us,” Webb said. “We moved up and down the field and we couldn’t get it into the box. [The first touchdown] was a huge deal. It felt great.”
Southern Illinois had one final chance from the YSU 35-yard line. A Hail Mary attempt was caught at the 5-yard line, but time expired, sealing the win.
The YSU defense, which had given up a 73-yard pass that led to a touchdown that tied the game in the fourth quarter, later got a quick three-and-out and YSU was given the ball at the SIU 49 after a 30-yard punt to start the game-winning drive.
“We knew the momentum was shifted but it didn’t bother us,” Penguins defensive end Derek Rivers said. “Stopping the snowball effect is one of the things we really focused on and I think we did a really good job of that.”
Seven plays later, Wells found Darien Townsend for a 10-yard touchdown and the Penguins held on for a needed win that should all but secure a spot in the playoffs.
“This was a game we needed to have as far as offensively,” Wells said. “This was something we definitely can build off of. But we still have a lot to fix — 21 points is nothing to be satisfied by as an offense. Especially with the way our defense has been playing.”
Said Webb: “We stopped them, and at the end of the day it doesn’t have to be pretty. We’re just a team that’s trying to find a way to win.”
Rivers dammed up
Rivers said he tweaked his ankle last week against North Dakota State and it became apparent changes were made in the pass rush scheme when Rivers rushed to the sideline every third-down passing scenario.
“I felt good on the run but on the pass I’m not as fast right now but I will be back to 100 percent next week,” Rivers said.