Youngstown State pulls away late to beat South Dakota 47-28
The short version
- Youngstown State beat South Dakota 47-28 Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.
- Beau Brungard rushed for 170 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 159 yards and a TD.
- South Dakota trailed just 23-21 before Youngstown State scored 24 unanswered points off turnovers.
- Both teams are 3-2 overall; Youngstown State is 1-1 in the MVFC, USD 0-1.
- Both play Missouri Valley opponents Saturday, Oct. 3: YSU at Southern Illinois, USD hosting Indiana State.
Beau Brungard ran for three touchdowns and Youngstown State scored 24 unanswered second-half points to open Missouri Valley play with a win over the Coyotes.
Youngstown State broke open a tight game with a 24-7 second half and defeated South Dakota 47-28 on Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium in Youngstown, Ohio. The victory came in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams and evened the Penguins' league record at 1-1 while handing USD its first conference loss.
Penguins quarterback Beau Brungard, the 2025 Walter Payton Award winner, drove the result with his running. He carried 28 times for 170 yards and three touchdowns and added 13 completions on 17 attempts for 159 yards and a score through the air. His ability to escape pressure and convert broken plays into yardage kept Youngstown State's offense moving all afternoon.
South Dakota had shown early promise. Quarterback Austyn Modrzewski hit 11 of his first 12 throws for 107 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown pass to Tysen Boze. A Youngstown State field goal in the closing seconds of the first half sent the Penguins to the locker room ahead 23-14.
After halftime, backup quarterback Jackson Proctor finished a drive of just over six minutes with a 22-yard touchdown run, his second score of the day and his first two touchdowns in a USD uniform. His first, a 7-yarder in the opening quarter, had tied the game at 7. The second pulled the Coyotes within 23-21, but that was as close as they would get.
The Penguins then scored 24 straight points, and 17 of them followed three Modrzewski turnovers in the second half. Cam Smith and Darvens Tunis each intercepted him, and the Penguins also recovered a fumble. Each takeaway produced points, including Brungard's third rushing touchdown, a 7-yarder off the short field that made it 47-21 with four minutes to play. Modrzewski finished 16-for-22 for 147 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Coyotes coach Matt Vitzthum pointed the blame at himself on the Coyote Sports Network broadcast, saying the team was taken 'to the woodshed' and was not ready to play. He added that the program was still living off praise from its near-upset at Boise State and that the problem showed up as early as warmups.
Carson Fletcher added a late 2-yard touchdown run for USD and led the team with 59 yards on eight carries. Proctor ran for 36 yards on three attempts. The Coyotes also dealt with absences on defense, with cornerback RJ Stewart, defensive tackle John Starman and linebacker Gabe Hardman all unavailable, while Charles Pierre Jr. left with an injury in the third quarter and did not return. Kael Kolarik recorded 11 tackles and a tackle for loss, and Wade Abrams added 10.
Youngstown State got 65 rushing yards and three catches for 41 yards from Jaden Gilbert, plus two touchdowns and 62 yards on four carries from Lynn Wyche-El, including a 41-yard scoring run on fourth-and-one. Graydon Rollins led all defenders with 17 tackles and a tackle for loss.
Both teams sit at 3-2 overall. Youngstown State (1-1 MVFC) visits Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Illinois, at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. South Dakota (0-1 MVFC), now 1-7 all-time against the Penguins in Youngstown, returns home for Dakota Days to host Indiana State at 2 p.m. the same day at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
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