The Penguins defeated No. 7 North Dakota 41-40 in overtime

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown State's defense stopped No. 7 North Dakota's game-winning two-point conversion attempt to give the Penguins a 41-40 overtime victory at Stambaugh Stadium on Saturday.

The Penguins (3-6, 2-3 Missouri Valley Football Conference) began overtime with Ball and Senior Tyson Kings A one-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 gave the Penguins a 41-34 lead.

Second-year quarterback Beau Brungard managed a 15-yard run to the UND 10 and a six-yard run on the first play of overtime Ethan Wright and a three-yard carry by Brungard put the Penguins on the North Dakota one. After being stopped on third down, King stormed through the line and scored the game-winning score.

The Fighting Hawks' Simon Romfo raced 24 yards to YSU's three-pointer on third-and-12, and two plays later Bo Belquist hit a one-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to one.

On the two-point attempt, North Dakota quarterback Quincy Vaughn's (5-3, 2-2 MVFC) pass attempt touched an offensive lineman and fell incomplete, giving the Penguins the upset win.

In a game that featured nine lead changes, the Penguins ran for 334 yards and accumulated 406 total yards against the Fighting Hawks. Devin Johnson recorded eight total tackles and led the Penguins' defense, which also had two sacks.

Brungard had a fantastic day, scoring four touchdowns, including three on the ground, and running for 176 yards. He also threw for 76 yards on 8 of 12 passes with a touchdown. He also broke the YSU single-season quarterback rushing record of 638 set by Jeff Ryan in 2001. Brungard now has 777 this year.

Wright ran for 93 yards while King added another 65 yards on the ground. Cyrus Traugh led the Penguins' receivers with five receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown.

On the first possession of the game, the Penguins systematically moved the ball down the field, capped by a seven-yard touchdown pass from Brungard to Traugh, to take a 7-0 lead with 8:47 left in the quarter.

Brungard connected on 5 of 7 passes for 43 yards and rushed for an additional 15 yards.

The Fighting Hawks responded quickly, tying the game 7-7 in just four minutes. UND managed 75 yards in just seven plays, and Gaven Ziebarth's five-yard scoring strike tied the score.

After Avery beat Scott Brungard at the UND 41, the Fighting Hawks took a 13-7 lead after Ziebarth's one-yard scoring plunge capped an 11-play, 59-yard drive at 13:04 of the second quarter.

Youngstown State regained the lead at 14-13 after Brungard scored a 13-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw. King hit a 30-yard gainer on the first play of the drive to get to the YSU 44. Brungard ran for 30 yards three times on the final three plays of the drive.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Penguins held the Fighting Hawks back by 10 points of their own, but North Dakota retook the lead 20-14 after an 11-play, 90-yard drive. Romfo connected with Isaiah Smith on a 19-yard wheel route for the go-ahead score with 1:15 left before halftime.

Youngstown State took the lead for the third time after Brungard led a frantic last-minute attack to give the Penguins a 21-20 lead at the break.

Brungard hit Tomczak for a 12-yard gainer to get to the YSU 40. Two rushes from Brungard and Wright brought the Penguins to the UND 28-yard line.

On third-and-10, Brungard unleashed an electrifying 28-yard touchdown dash to give the Penguins the lead with six seconds left.

One sack over Michael Voitus And Preston Zandier Forced the Fighting Hawks to punt on their first drive of the second half, but the Penguins fumbled the ensuing punt and UND recovered at the YSU 19. Three plays later, Romfo Belquist hit a six-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-21. Lead at the 10:10 mark of the third.

The Penguins responded on their next possession with nine consecutive 75-yard runs to take a 28-27 lead with 4:49 left in the third. Brungard capped the drive with his third rushing score of the game on a two-yard sprinter.

One sack over Carston Marshall and a 21-yard punt return by Traugh set up a 34-yard field goal Andrew Lastovka That gave the Penguins a 31-27 lead with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.

The eighth lead change of the game came on Ziebarth's third touchdown of the game, a two-yard run that capped a 13-play, 65-yard drive and gave the Fighting Hawks a 34-31 lead with 9:13 left in the game.

After the team's alternate punts, Brungard broke off a 46-yard run to the North Dakota 21, but the Penguins settled for a 35-yard field from Lastovka to tie the game at 34-34 with 15 seconds left and one to force an extension.

Youngstown State visits No. 1 on Saturday, November 2nd. 20 Illinois State. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.

Read the full article