Illinois State running back Wenkers Wright scored on two pass receptions in Saturday’s loss to Youngstown State at Hancock Stadium in Normal. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Don’t expect Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard to be invited to Illinois State’s future homecomings.
The dual-threat QB played a dominant role as the Penguins outscored the Redbirds, 40-35, before nearly 10,000 fans Saturday at Hancock Stadium for the annual homecoming game.
Brungard accounted for 528 total yards (328 passing, 200 rushing) and five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) in the Missouri Valley Football Conference game.
“We did a deep dive into Illinois State this week, saw what they had and we had a few ways to attack their blitzes and things and took advantage of that,” Brungard said in the postgame TV interview.
Illinois State head coach Brock Spack came away impressed with the YSU QB.
“He did it all,” Spack told ISU radio. “He ran, he scrambled, he threw the ball well. … He had a marvelous game. He’s a great player.”
The win boosted Youngstown State to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the MVFC. The Penguins entered Saturday ranked 25th in the American Football Coaches Association poll while being unranked in the Stats Perform poll.
Youngstown State amassed 561 yards of total offense (328 passing, 233 rushing).
Illinois State (4-3, 1-2) continued to suffer issues in the fourth quarter. Youngstown State outscored ISU, 21-7, in the final period. The Redbirds have been outscored, 98-31, on the season.
“We’ve got to execute better across the board,” ISU linebacker Mason Kaplan said.
Costly drop
Spack said Illinois State’s defensive woes began shortly after halftime. Sparked by a 53-yard kickoff return by Wenkers Wright, the Redbirds took a 21-12 lead when quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse stepped up in the pocket and connected with receiver Eddie Kasper for a 37-yard touchdown.
On the ensuing YSU drive, Illinois State missed a chance to gain a key turnover when cornerback Shadwel Nkuba II dropped a potential interception.
“We came out and scored and separated ourselves,” Spack said. “We had an opportunity on the far sideline to make an interception and dropped it. They go down and score and are in the game from there on out.
“I’m not trying to pick on anybody, but that was a big play in the game.”
Youngstown State did indeed score, capping an eight-play, 75-yard drive with a Brungard 36-yard TD pass to Mike Solomon.
Key injuries
Illinois State sustained three key injuries during Saturday’s loss. All-American wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz, left tackle Brandon Smith and safety Jack Dwyer all left the game.
Game changers
14:43, 3rd quarter: Rittenhouse stepped up from the pass rush and found Kasper for a 37-yard catch-and-run TD. The score was set up by a 53-yard return by Wright on the opening kickoff of the second half. The TD gave ISU a 21-12 lead.
2:43, 3rd quarter: Rittenhouse faked a handoff to Victor Dawson and rifled an 18-yard touchdown pass to receiver Luke Mailander. The TD lifted ISU to a 28-19 lead.
2:30, 4th quarter: Facing a third-and-8, Brungard beat the ISU pass rush with a dump-off screen to running back Ethan Wright, who rumbled 40 yards to the ISU 33. The play gave the Penguins a fresh set of downs and allowed them to run out the clock.
Best ‘Birds
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the the top three Illinois State players in the game:
Rittenhouse, QB: The senior passed for 206 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. He led ISU with 71 rushing yards.
Kaplan, LB: The senior led the Redbirds with 11 tackles, four of which were solo.
Wright, RB: The senior had 128 all-purpose yards (68 kick returning, 43 rushing, 17 receiving). He had two receiving touchdowns.
What it means
Illinois State suffered a loss to a potential playoff competitor. Youngstown State has won four of the last five games with ISU.
What’s next
Illinois State plays at 20th-ranked South Dakota Oct. 25 in an MVFC game. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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