Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard passed for 347 yards and four touchdowns. He scored twice on the ground. (Photo by YSUSports.com)
By Dan Verdun
In a game crucial to both teams’ playoff aspirations, Youngstown State defeated Southern Illinois, 48-38, Saturday to post a key Missouri Valley Football Conference win.
The Penguins scored 28 straight points to erase a 24-7 Saluki first-half lead en route to their third win in the last four games. SIU, meanwhile, has not won in Youngstown since the 2020 COVID spring season.
Both SIU and Youngstown State have 6-4 overall records and are 3-3 in the MVFC. However, the Penguins hold an advantage with the head-to-head victory.
“That’s probably the best offense that we’ve seen,” SIU head coach Nick Hill said of Youngstown State on Saluki postgame radio. “We needed them to make some mistakes, and they didn’t.”
“Down 10 points (at halftime), we knew having the ball in the second half on the kickoff that we could come back,” Youngstown State head coach Doug Phillips said. “We can put points on the board real quick.”
SIU’s defense gave up 650 total yards of offense. Youngstown State rushed for 303 yards on 35 attempts (8.7 average).
Two Youngstown State players — running back Jaden Gilbert (149) and quarterback Beau Brungard (104) – broke the 100-yard rushing mark.
Brungard, who entered Saturday ranked second in total offensive yards among FCS leaders, amassed 451 yards and six touchdowns. The redshirt junior passed for 347 yards and four touchdowns. He scored twice on the ground.
“Twelve (Brungard) is as good as advertised,” Hill said.
Things looked promising early for Southern Illinois.
The Salukis built their 21-point lead just over 19 minutes into the game. The SIU scoring drives covered 70, 80 and 69 yards.
After giving up the lead in the second half, Southern closed to within 35-30 with 12:36 remaining in the game when quarterback D.J. Williams capped another long drive with a 2-yard TD pass to redshirt freshman Miles Marshall.
However, Brungard and Youngstown State again responded with a pair of touchdowns to pull away for the win.
“It was a team loss, that’s what I told them (his players),” Hill said.
Game changers
7:56, 3rd quarter: Brungard completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Wright. The score gave YSU a 28-24 lead, its first of the game.
3:02, 3rd quarter: Gilbert broke away for a 40-yard touchdown run, increasing the Penguin lead to 35-24.
10:25, 4th quarter: Brungard rushed 17 yards for a touchdown, lifting YSU to a 42-30 advantage.
Standout Salukis
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the the top three Southern Illinois players in the game:
Williams, QB: The Thornton Township High School graduate passed for 361 yards and three TDs. He also rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Edward Robinson, RB: The Duquesne transfer led SIU with 85 rushing yards on 11 carries.
Jeremiah McClendon, CB: The senior led all tacklers with 13 stops, 11 of which were solo. He also forced a fumble.
What it means
The loss is a big blow to SIU’s postseason hopes. The Salukis have games remaining against Top 25-ranked opponents South Dakota and Illinois State. SIU’s opening win against non-Division I member Thomas More may be a deciding factor with the playoff selection committee.
What’s next
Southern Illinois hosts nationally ranked MVFC member South Dakota Nov. 15 at Saluki Stadium. Kickoff is at noon.
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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