Nov. 1, 2008

Football: Penguins Post 544 Yards in Total Offense in 54-44 Loss to Illinois State

    Normal, Ill. – Junior quarterback Brandon Summers passed for a career-high 347 yards on 20-of-34 passing and four touchdowns while the Youngstown State football had 544 yards in total offense but the Penguins still (2-8, 1-5 MVFC) dropped a high-scoring affair to Illinois State (3-5, 2-3), 54-44, on Saturday afternoon at Hancock Stadium.

    Summers' 347 yards ranks as the fourth-highest single-game passing performance in school history. Summers also threw for 334 yards against Liberty on Sept. 27.

    Junior Donald Jones and sophomore Dominique Barnes became the first wide receiver tandem to each post 100 yards receiving since Maury Bibent (127) and Lorenzo Davis (111) in 1987. Jones recorded a career-best 136 yards and a touchdown while Barnes tallied 100 yards receiving and a touchdown.

    The 98 total points also ranks second in YSU school history for most combined points in a game.

    Illinois State's Walter Mendenhall rush for a game-high 225 yards on 35 carries with three touchdowns while quarterback Kevin Brockway completed 17-of-24 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. The Redbirds gained 513 yards in total offense.

    After a Brockway-to-Eyad Salem 24-yard touchdown pass gave the Redbirds a 33-30 advantage, Summers connected with senior tight end Derrick Bush on a 28-yard touchdown pass to put the Penguins ahead 37-33 just 31 seconds infor the fourth quarter.

    Illinois State's Chris Garrett's 93-yard return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff put the Redbirds up for good, 40-37 -- 14 seconds following YSU's go-ahead score.

    The Redbirds went ahead 47-37 on Mendenhall's 31-yard touchdown scamper with 11:15 left in the game. That play came two snaps after the Guins were held on a fourth-and-one play at midfield.

     Youngstown State cut the ISU lead down to 47-44 when an improvising Summers hit Barnes on 32-yard touchdown at the 8:44 mark.

    Mendenhall ran 10 yards for his third touchdown of the game to extend Illinois State's lead back to double digits 54-44 with 6:59 left in the contest. That turned out to be the final score in the game. 

    Trailing 25-24 at the half, Youngstown State regained the lead, 30-25 on Kamyrn Keys' four-yard run, his second touchdown of the game at the 8:08 mark of the third. Brian Palmer's extra-point try drilled the upright keeping the game at five points. The Penguins went 84 yards in just six plays in 2:57.

    The Penguins jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on a six-yard Josh Lee touchdown reception from Summers on the opening possession. After a 53-yard kickoff return by Da'Michael Horne, YSU went 37 yards in seven plays to score the game's first touchdown.

    Summers' 10-yard completion to Barnes on a fourth-and-five moved the ball to the ISU 22 and a 17-yard scamper by Keys put the ball on the Redbird five-yard line to set up Lee's score.

    After the Redbirds used an 11-play , 77-yard drive to tie the game at 7-7, Summers connected with Donald Jones on a 67-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the ensuing possession to take a 14-7 lead. The 67-yard toss was the Penguins' longest pass play of the season.

    Illinois State's Steven Fetzer added a 19-yard field to to cut the Penguins lead to 14-10 with 39 second left in the first quarter.

    Midway through the second quarter, Lee scampered a YSU season-long 71 yards to set up a Keys five-yard touchdown rush to put the Guins ahead 21-10, their largest lead of the game.