YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — South Dakota State outscored Youngstown State 28-13 in the second half and came away with a 35-30 victory at Stambaugh Stadium on Saturday night.
SDSU punted on its first possession. The Penguins then scored right away as Beau Brungard found Max Tomczack for a 23-yard touchdown and the extra point from Andrew Lastovka made it 7-0 just over three minutes into the game.
YSU would extend its lead early in the second quarter as Brungard ran it into the end zone from four yards out to make it 14-0 a minute into the second frame.
Chase Mason got the Jacks on the board with five minutes left in the first half as he connected with Greyton Gannon for a four-yard touchdown to make it 14-7. Lastovka hit a 29-yard field goal with two and half minutes left in the half to make it 17-7.
Mason then threw an interception to Dathan Hickey with a minute and half left in the first half. The Penguins looked as though they were going to get more points, but Dawson Ripperda sacked Brungard and he fumbled and Logan Green hopped on it and the score remained 17-7 going into halftime.
SDSU forced a punt out of halftime and the Jacks cut into the lead immediately as Julius Loughridge plunged into the end zone from three yards to make it 17-14 just over two minutes into the second half.
The Jacks then took the lead with six minutes to play in the third as Loughridge found the end zone from 14 yards out and SDSU was up 21-17. Loughridge then completed the hat trick with a two-yard touchdown run to make it 28-17 with two minutes left in the third.
YSU cut into the lead four and a half minutes into the fourth as Brungard found Tomczack for a 29-yard strike and it was 28-24 with 10:31 to go.
The Penguins then forced the Jacks to punt and took over at their own 17 yard line with 6:49 to go. SDSU’s defense stood tall and forced a three-and-out and then the Jacks put the game away. Loughridge ran in for the fourth time of the night as he scampered into the end zone from 15 yards out to make it 35-24 with just over three minutes to play.
The Penguins would score one more time though as Max Tomczak caught another touchdown, this time a two-yard score. YSU did not convert the two-point conversion and it was 35-30 with 38 seconds left. That set up an onside kick for the Penguins but Alex Bullock received it and the Jacks kneeled things out and came away with the victory.
SDSU had 400 yards of total offense. 211 of those came on the ground and Loughridge had 176 of them.
Mason was 14-of-29 for 189 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Bullock had 10 catches for 162 yards.
YSU had 431 total yards of offense. 275 of them came through the air, 156 on the ground.
The Jacks improved to 5-0 and will host Northern Iowa next weekend on Hobo Day at 2 p.m.
