YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – South Dakota dropped their Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) opener Saturday afternoon in a top-15 tilt against No. 11-ranked Youngstown State, 47-28, from Stambaugh Stadium.
Jackson Proctor scored two of the four touchdowns on the afternoon for South Dakota with both of them coming on the ground. They marked his first touchdowns as a Coyote.
The early part of the contest at Stambaugh Stadium saw both offenses shine: the Coyote passing attack and the Penguin ground game.
Youngstown State won the coin toss and took the first possession of the game down the field for the first score of the day, leading 7-0 four minutes into the game.
Austyn Modrzewski completed his first five passes of the day on South Dakota’s first drive with the first four being to Brayden White. Jackson Proctor capped off the 9-play, 64-yard first drive of the day with a seven-yard touchdown run, his first touchdown in a Coyote uniform. 49 of the 64 yards of the drive came through the air for South Dakota.
The Penguins would extend their lead to 20-7 midway through the second quarter with the ground game. South Dakota would again push into YSU territory looking to cut into the two-score deficit. Aided by a pair of Penguin penalties, the Yotes would indeed cut the lead with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Modrzewski to Tysen Boze, making it 20-14 YSU with two minutes before the half.
Youngstown State would rush down the field and be inside the 10-yard line with seconds left on the clock. The Penguins would opt for points before the half and send out the field goal unit, connecting on a 23-yard field goal to make it 23-14 at the half.
Out of the locker room, South Dakota got the football first and went to work. Pushing into YSU territory down by nine, the Yotes would again find the end zone thanks to the second rushing score of the day from 22-yards out to make it 23-21 YSU.
The Coyote defense would get a much needed stop on the first YSU possession of the second half to get the ball back to the offense. However, an interception on the ensuing drive would set up the Penguins deep in Coyote territory. A big third down stop at the four-yard line with a solid stop by Isaiah Wray would force the Penguins to settle for a field goal to go up six, 26-21 near the end of the third quarter.
Heading to the final frame, Youngstown State had the ball with a six-point lead. Having the Penguins with a third-down and eight, Brungard would escape pressure and keep the drive alive. An eight-play, 94-yard drive would extend the YSU lead at 33-21.
Youngstown State would tack on a couple more scores later in the fourth quarter. Carson Fletcher would punch in his second touchdown of the season late in the fourth quarter, but it would be YSU with the 47-28 victory.
UP NEXT: South Dakota returns home to the DakotaDome next weekend for the 112th Dakota Days when they play host to Indiana State for their MVFC home opener with kickoff from Vermillion slated for 2 p.m. (CT).