Nov. 22, 2008

Football: Summers, Defense Help Propel Penguins to Win at Western Illinois

    Macomb, Ill. – Quarterback Brandon Summers threw  two touchdown passes and ran for another while the Youngstown State defense came up with some big second-half stops in the Penguins' 31-28 victory over Western Illinois in the season-finale on a cold Saturday afternoon at Hanson Field in Macomb, Ill.
    Summers connected with Derrick Bush in the first quarter on a nine-yard strike and threw a 38-yard scoring pass to Donald Jones late in the third for his two touchdowns.
    Summers' toss to Jones put the Guins ahead 28-21 with 1:06 left in the third quarter.
    Leading by seven, YSU was able to go ahead 31-21 when Brian Palmer connected on a 27-yard field goal with just over nine minutes left in the game.

    WIU answered when Herb Donaldson scored from four yards out with 2:52 left to cut the deficit to 31-28.

    YSU picked up one first down on the ensuing drive, but was held and forced to punt with just over a minute remaining.

    Erik Johnson's punt gave the Leathernecks the ball at their 42 with 58 seconds left. WIU quarterback Matt Barr's first pass was incomplete and on second down Dre Gibbs was tackled at the 46-yard line. With the clock running, Barr's last-ditch pass was intercepted at the YSU 26-yard line with 25 seconds left by De'Angelo Wilson.

    Summers completed 12-of-19 for 208 yards and his two scores. Senior Ferlando Williams, who played tailback for the first time in his career, ran for 84 yards on 26 attempts.

    Donaldson was impressive running the ball 40 times for 235 yards and his fourth-quarter score.
    WIU had 431 total offensive yards to YSU's 352. However, turnovers played a big role in the game as the Leathernecks committed three while the Guins had none. It was just the second time this season YSU did not commit a turnover in a game.

    Western Illinois took the initial kickoff of the second half and tied the contest at 21. The Leathernecks took nine rushing plays to cover 80 yards and knot the contest.

    Gibbs scored his second touchdown run, this one from six yards out 4:24 into the quarter.

    The Penguins defense stiffened the next two WIU possessions. On a fourth-and-one play from the WIU 37, the interior of the line stuffed Matt Barr on a quarterback sneak for a loss.
    After YSU was forced to punt, linebacker John Sasson forced a Todd Speight fumble and Na'eem Outler recovered at the Leathernecks' 49.

    Four plays after the fumble, Summers threw a perfect 38-yard strike to Donald Jones to put YSU ahead 28-21 with two minutes left in the quarter. For Jones it was the fourth straight game he has caught a touchdown passes.

    The Penguins forced the first Leatherneck punt of game early in the fourth quarter and methodically drove 85 yards to setup a 27-yard field goal by Palmer.

    The drive stalled at the WIU 10 after YSU took over at its own five. But Palmer, who had a kick blocked earlier in the game, converted his second attempt from 27 yards out to extend the lead go 31-21.
    Donaldson brought the Leathernecks within three points on a four-yard run with 2:52 remaining. Trailing by 10, WIU moved 80 yards in 13 plays, but took 6:25 off the game clock. On the drive, Donaldson became the Missouri Valley Football Conference's all-time leading rusher.   

    The Penguins opened the scoring when Summers connected with Bush from nine yards out in the first quarter. YSU moved 78 yards in eight plays taking 4:13 off the clock. For Bush it was his fourth career touchdown reception, all of which have come on the road.

    Western Illinois answered the score tying the game 7-7 when Gibbs capped a nine-play 66-yard drive with an eight-yard run just four seconds into the second quarter.

    Summers helped the Penguins regain the lead later in the period when he scored on a nifty one-yard keeper at the 9:49 mark.

    YSU took over at their own 42-yard line following a Ben Lane kick return of a short kickoff. On third-and-nine from the WIU 19, Summers hit Jones for a 10-yard gain to the nine. Two plays after Williams got the ball inside the one, Summers went over the left side of the line for the score.

    WIU got off the deck to tie the contest at 14 with 5:13 before the half. The Leathernecks covered 71 yards in nine plays and tied the game when Barr hooked up with Lito Senatus just inside the left pylon in the end zone.

    After their first punt of the game, the Penguins forced the games first turnover when Andre Elliott stripped Gibbs of the ball and Roshon Simons recovered it at the WIU 46.

    On the first play of the drive, wide receiver Dominique Barnes threw a perfectly executed 35-yard throwback pass back to Summers who stepped out of  11.

    On third-and-one at the two, Williams rammed the ball in the end zone to put the Guins on top 21-14 with 31 seconds remaining in the half.