Youngstown State improves to 11-2 while Illinois State ends the season 9-4. The Penguins also extend their home playoff winning streak 14 straight games.

     Clutching to a 28-21 lead and pinning Illinois State back at its own five-yard line, James Terry intercepted Drone on fourth-and-17 with 1:12 to go in the game to seal the victory and guaranteed the Penguins their first appearance in the semifinals since 1999.

    Illinois State scored on its first possession going 58 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead but the Penguins responded quickly with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 17-yard touchdown strike from Tom Zetts to T.J. Peterson with 5:08 left in the first. Zetts threw for 146 yards on 11-for-21 with two touchdowns while Peterson caught four passes for 73 yards.

    The Redbirds failed to answer when Kevin Mazur missed a 36-yard field but forced the Penguins to punt on their next possession. The Redbirds ensuing drive, which started on their own 12 yard-line, was squelched when YSU senior cornerback Codera Jackson intercepted a Drone pass on the Penguins' 27 and returned it three yards to the 30.

    Youngstown State methodically moved the ball 70 yards in 15 plays while converting two third downs and Zetts' two-yard plunge on fourth-and-one at the ISU two gave the Penguins a 14-7 advantage at the 4:14 mark of the second quarter.

    Another long Illinois State drive was thwarted by the Penguins' secondary when Dorian Chenault picked off Drone in the end zone with under minute to go before the half.

    The Penguins extended their lead to 21-7 by taking the second half kickoff and marching 66 yards in six plays capped by an acrobatic 28-yard touchdown reception by Rory Berry from Zetts.

    After a three-and-out by the Redbirds, Youngstown State utilized an 11-play, 80-yard drive in 4:19 to take a 28-7 lead with 5:13 to go in the third. The Penguins converted two more critical third downs - two Zetts completions to Berry and Peterson - to set up Mason's two-yard touchdown run.  

    The Redbirds, who trailed 28-7 heading into the last frame, mounted a feverish fourth-quarter comeback attempt scoring two touchdowns slicing YSU's 21-point advantage down to seven 28-21.

     After the the Redbirds were stopped on fourth-and-one and YSU punted to start the fourth, Illinois State started its drive at their own 49 with 12:36 remaining. Drone immediately hit Pierre Jackson on a 21-yard completion to the YSU 30 and Pierre Rembert rambled 23 yards to the Penguins seven-yard line. On fourth-and-goal at the Penguins' two, Drone found Laurent Robinson in the endzone to slice the YSU lead to 28-14.

    Two plays after Marty Hutchinson picked off Drone, Mason fumbled for the first time in his career and ISU's James Temple recovered and returned it 20 yards to the YSU 38 yard-line line.

    Drone cut the YSU advantage to seven with a seven-yard scamper with 3:09 left to cap the 38-yard Redbird drive.