Southern Illinois Unable to Slow Down Penguins in Second Half; Fall, 48-38, at Youngstown State

Calendar

Nov 15

12 PM

Football

#22/#25 South Dakota

Carbondale, IL

Nov 22

12 PM

Football

#16/#17 Illinois State

Normal, IL

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - It was a tale of two halves for the No. 15/16 Southern Illinois University football team (6-4, 3-3 MVFC) on Saturday at No. 21/22 Youngstown State.

After holding the Penguins to 14 points in the first half, the Salukis allowed 34 points in the second half to fall by a final score of 48-38. Youngstown State totaled 650 yards of offense, with 347 coming through the air and 303 coming on the ground.

On the other end, SIU compiled 537 yards overall with 361 passing and 176 rushing. Southern Illinois led, 24-14, at the end of the opening 30 minutes before being out-scored, 34-14, in the second half.

Quarterback DJ Williams threw for a career-high 361 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the loss. Williams also rushed 11 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, his 14th rushing score on the year.

This puts the senior in a tie with Arkee Whitlock ('05) and Tom Koutsos ('03) for the ninth-most rushing touchdowns in a single season in program history.

Running back Eddie Robinson posted a team-high 85 rushing yards on 11 carries and also had a 12-yard touchdown reception.

In his first appearance since suffering an injury at North Dakota State on Oct. 11, tight end Ryan Schwendeman had a career-high 96 receiving yards on five receptions. Wide receiver Jay Jones was second in receiving with 86 yards while fellow wideout Fabian McCray registered 82 yards.

Williams' three passing touchdowns were to Robinson, wide receiver Vinson Davis III, and tight end Miles Marshall, the first of his collegiate career.

Cornerback Jeremiah McClendon led the team with 13 tackles, while linebacker Chris Presto recovered a fumble. Defensive end Vontrell Chairse recorded the team's lone sack.

The Salukis got the ball first and wasted no time in getting down the field. On the opening play from scrimmage, Williams hit Jones for a 58-yard pass that put the ball at the opposing 12-yard line. One play later, SIU's quarterback connected with Robinson for a 12-yard touchdown reception. This was the first receiving touchdown of the running back's career.

Youngstown State immediately answered with a touchdown drive of its own, going 80 yards on six plays to even the score at 7-7.

On its next drive, Southern Illinois was forced to punt from its own 32-yard line. After Paul Geelen booted it 52 yards, YSU returner Max Tomczak fumbled, giving the ball back to SIU after a Presto recovery.

The turnover led to three points as Geelen nailed a 36-yard field goal. Southern led, 10-7, six minutes into the first quarter.

Youngstown State had an opportunity to tie the game on a 49-yard field goal attempt by Andrew Lastovka on its next possession, but a Lastovka miss kept the Salukis ahead.

SIU capitalized on the strong field position, going 69 yards on six plays to find the endzone courtesy of a one-yard Williams run. With just over four minutes remaining in the quarter, the Salukis led, 17-7.

Southern Illinois forced a punt on the following Youngstown State possession, leading to another score on the other side of the ball. The Salukis put together a nine-play, 85-yard scoring drive that started at their own 15. Davis broke free in the endzone for a 23-yard touchdown reception from Williams, giving the visitors a 24-7 advantage.

A five-yard touchdown run by Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard made it a two-score game with eight minutes to go in the first half. After a series of punts and a missed SIU field goal from 51 yards out, Southern went into the half with a 24-14 lead.

The Penguins swung the momentum in their favor in the third quarter. Youngstown State found the endzone on all three of its drives in the third, with two being passing and one being a 40-yard run by running back Jaden Gilbert. YSU out-scored SIU, 21-0, in the frame, to take a 35-24 lead into the fourth.

Southern started the fourth quarter off strong, with Marshall scoring on a two-yard pass by Williams to make it a 35-30. The Salukis were unable to convert on its two-point attempt, keeping the deficit at five.

Youngstown State restored its two-possession lead with a trip to the endzone on its next drive. After a turnover on downs for Southern Illinois, the Penguins made it a three-score game as Brungard found Gilbert for a 13-yard touchdown reception. This gave YSU a 48-30 lead.

Southern Illinois running back Lem Wash scored a touchdown for the second-straight week on SIU's next possession. SIU went for two and successfully converted as Williams connected with Schwendeman, cutting Youngstown State's lead to 48-38.

After being unable to recover the onside kick, the Penguins went into victory formation and finished off their 48-38 win.

With the loss, SIU falls to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play. The Salukis will now turn their attention to Senior Day next Saturday, Nov. 15, when they host No. 22/25 South Dakota at 12 p.m. at Saluki Stadium.

Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Football, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiFootball and on Instagram at @SIU_Football. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.

Calendar

Upcoming Events