YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — It was the Penguins defending their home turf that got the first 14 points of the night in eastern Ohio, but it would be the explosive plays from Charles Pierre Jr. that would spark the Coyotes to erase the deficit with a 27-3 scoring run to secure the program’s first-ever win at Stambaugh Stadium Saturday night.
A very productive busy night for Pierre Jr. (So., Orlando, Fla.) sees the redshirt sophomore set a new career-best 153 rushing yards on a tie for his career-best 21 carries. He rushed for a pair of touchdowns to extend his Valley-leading rushing touchdown lead to 12 on the season, which also cracks the USD single-season top-10 at No. 10.
The second half saw the South Dakota defense make the necessary in-game adjustments, as the Yotes pitched a shutout in the final 30 minutes of play to allow the offense to score the Penguins 13-0 in the second half and 27-3 after falling behind 14-0 after the first two Youngstown State possessions.
The Penguins would win the coin toss, choose to receive, and drive deep into South Dakota territory on the opening possession of the contest and punched it in to make it 7-0 early. The first Coyote possession would stall just passed midfield, giving the ball back to Youngstown State with six minutes to play in the opening quarter.
Youngstown State would take their second possession into the second quarter and once again find the end zone to jump out to a 14-0 lead in their first two possessions three minutes into the second quarter, thanks to the arm and the leg of the Penguins’ dual threat quarterback Beau Brungard.
Trailing early, the offense would click into gear in their second possession when Aidan Bouman (Jr., Buffalo, Minn.) would connect with Quaron Adams (So., Phoenix, Ariz.) for a 48-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit in half at 14-7 midway through the second quarter.
The ensuing possession would see the USD defense feed off the offensive spark, forcing the first Penguin punt of the day. The offense would take it 62 yards on six plays to knot it up at 14-14 after a 21-yard touchdown run by Pierre Jr.
The Yotes would look to drive the ball down the field for three-straight scores with two minutes left in the first half, but the Penguins would recover a fumble to set them up in plus-territory with under a minute to go in the half. A solid defensive stand would force the Penguins to settle for a field goal attempt but a penalty on the Yotes would give a fresh set of downs to YSU. The Penguins would again settle for a field goal attempt, clanking off the left upright and in to give YSU the 17-14 lead at the break.
Bouman would sit 8-for-11 for 153 yards through the air in the first half, well on his way to 200 passing yards for the fifth-straight game. Both Adams and JJ Galbreath (Sr., Arvada, Colo.) brought down 48 receiving yards in the first 30 minutes, while Mi’Quise Grace (So., Cincinnati, Ohio) and Dennis Shorter (Sr., Daytona Beach, Fla.) both had five tackles.
The Yotes would open the second half with the football and the offense would come out strong with the run game. Pierre Jr. got the first two touches for 19 yards and into Penguin territory. Keyondray Jones-Logan (So., Orlando, Fla.) would get involved in the rushing attack on the drive with a 15-yard scamper down the YSU sideline to the YSU six-yard-line. However, the drive would stall but Will Leyland (Jr., Souderton, Pa.) would even the score at 17-17 with a 23-yard field goal.
A pass break-up from Shorter on third-and-short would get the ball back into the hands of the offense with six minutes to play in the third quarter. Galbreath was able to break free on a screen play to push to midfield with the very next play Pierre Jr. ripping off a 50-yard touchdown run for the first Coyote lead of the day.
Both defenses would continue to hold firm well into the final frame. An end-around to Adams would see him break free to midfield as the Yotes rushing offense continued to wear down the Penguin defense. Though the drive would stall, Leyland would convert on his second field goal of the night from 35 yards out to make it a two-score game with four minutes remaining, making it 27-17 South Dakota.
Senior defensive lineman Nick Gaes (Alta, Iowa) also became the fifth Coyote to record 20.0 sacks in their South Dakota career, getting credit for 0.5 of the teams four sacks. While Shahid Barros (Jr., New Bedford, Mass.) recorded just his second sack of his career in the fourth quarter to help keep YSU off the scoreboard in the second half.
Offensively, Galbreath has now led the team in receiving yards in three games this season, bringing down 79 yards on just three receptions.
Up Next: South Dakota will make the trek up I-29 for the Interstate Series with top-ranked South Dakota State next Saturday, October 26 for their second-straight night game from Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.