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Photo by correspondent / Robert Hayes YSU QB Demeatric Crenshaw celebrates after the Penguins’ victory over Missouri State on Saturday. Crenshaw set the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 195 yards and a touchdown. He also threw for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
YOUNGSTOWN – This time, Youngstown State had a backlash.
Two weeks away from relinquishing a 28-point lead in a narrow home loss to Western Illinois, the Penguins made sure to finish the job and give head coach Doug Phillips a signing victory.
Fueled by four turnovers and a monstrous day on the pitch, YSU upset the No.15 Missouri Bears on a soggy Saturday afternoon as they returned to Stambaugh Stadium, 41-33.
The victory ends a losing 3-game skid for YSU and gives the Penguins their first win in the Missouri Valley Football Conference game this season.
“Winning at home, certainly on the return trip, is a huge victory for the team”, YSU quarterback Demeatric Crenshaw said. “We have to keep going, but it’s definitely a big weight (lifted). After suffering three losses and getting that here, I know the team love it. We are all happy and about to celebrate.
Youngstown State (2-3, 1-2 MVFC) led 20-10 in the fourth quarter before MSU (3-2, 2-1 MVFC) rallied to tie the game at 20. From there, however, Crenshaw and Jaleel McLaughlin provided answers that helped YSU to knock down its visitors.
Crenshaw was the centerpiece of a YSU ground attack that razed Missouri state for 377 yards, by far the most MSU to drop out all season. Previously, Illinois State held the best mark with 194 yards.
The quarterback led the way with 22 carries for 195 yards and a touchdown. The yardage set an academic record for most rushing yards in a game by a YSU quarterback. McLaughlin had 156 yards and two scores to bolster Crenshaw’s day, which also included a 10-pass performance for 19 for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
It also marked a rejuvenation for YSU, who had been limited to 52 rushing yards in northern Iowa last week.
“We challenged our offensive line. I think they must have sat for kumbaya this week in the row room ”, said Phillips. He later added, “They broadcast some things. … To see them pick up the stunts and the blitzes and give opportunities to our quarterback and our running backs to lead the football, I couldn’t be more proud of the job they have done this week and what they have. done today.
After Jason Shelley’s tying Missouri State touchdown pass to Ron Tiavaasue with 4:38 to go, Sam St. Surin returned the ensuing kickoff to Missouri State 22, then McLaughlin took the first game of the melee at home.
After the YSU defense forced a punt from Bear on the next drive, McLaughlin struck again, this time on a 60-yard run to increase YSU’s lead to 34-20. The Bears responded with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Shelley to Tyrone Scott to draw 34-27 with 1:06 to go.
In the ensuing YSU push, the Penguins faced a third and three and only needed a first down to put the game aside. Instead, Crenshaw went wild on a run down the left sideline and scolded 73 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 41-27.
The quarterback admitted he should have lost the game, but the score sealed the game anyway. MSU got its final score on a 12-yard pass from Shelley to Cairo Payne at the end of the time limit.
While the ending was explosive, the beginning wasn’t.
While the Penguin offense took a while to kick in – YSU led 6-0 after the first quarter – the defense kept the game in check. Youngstown State forced three turnovers in the first half, which kept a powerful Missouri State offense in neutral and gave YSU a 17-3 lead in intermission.
Keyon Martin forced a fumble and caught a pass, while Jordan White offered a pick. The other turnover was a forced fumble by Chris Fitzgerald and jumped by Isaac James-Gray.
Meanwhile, YSU’s top-seven put in their best performance of the year in terms of quarterback pressure, with Shelley having been sacked four times and put under pressure throughout the game. Griffin Hoak led the effort with a pair of sacks and two tackles for a loss, while Grant Dixon and 1.5 tackles for a loss and an assisted sack.
“An important point in practice” Hoak said take out. “On Wednesday we got into our practice and (defensive coordinator) coach (Joe) Schaefer wanted four turnovers per practice period, so we really insisted on ball awareness. Their ball safety that we saw in the movie, we were just going to try to spot it and remove it throughout the game. “
Halfway through their 2021 campaign, YSU is on leave next week before resuming action on Oct. 23 at Indiana State.
Phillips says it can be a starting point for the Penguins as they prepare for the home stretch.
“Our big word this weekend was… about the fire, a spark and what that can do for a football program”, he said. “Beating the 15th ranked team at home can give us a spark if we keep working. “
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