Youngstown State runs away from USD with dominant second half

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Sep. 26—YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — For a moment, the South Dakota Coyotes looked like it might carry the momentum from its near-upset at Boise State into its Missouri Valley Football Conference opener.

Then Youngstown State took over the second half. The Penguins turned a competitive game into a runaway Saturday afternoon at Stambaugh Stadium, outscoring the Coyotes 24-7 in the second half on the way to a 47-28 victory in conference play.

The difference came on both sides of the football, but particularly in the way Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard attacked the Coyotes defense with his legs and the way the Penguins defense capitalized on USD quarterback Austyn Modrzewski's mistakes.

Brungard, the 2025 Walter Payton Award winner, put together a performance that made it difficult for USD to keep pace. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown, but his biggest impact came on the ground, where he rushed 28 times for 170 yards and three touchdowns. He repeatedly extended plays when the pocket broke down and also hurt the Coyotes with designed quarterback runs, turning what could have been passing downs into big chunks of yardage.

"They took us to the woodshed today," USD coach Matt Vitzthum said on the Coyote Sports Network radio broadcast after the game. "It starts with me. I was not good enough at the head coach position, and we were not ready to go."

That wasn't the game that appeared to be developing in the opening 30 minutes. Modrzewski was efficient early, completing 11 of his first 12 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. His scoring pass came on a 9-yard connection with Tysen Boze, and the Coyotes moved the football effectively enough to keep themselves within striking distance.

Youngstown State, however, produced a critical field goal in the final seconds of the first half to take a 23-14 advantage into the break.

But USD came out of the break with an answer, as the Coyotes put together a drive that lasted just more than 6 minutes, and backup quarterback Jackson Proctor capped it with a 22-yard touchdown run. It was Proctor's second rushing touchdown of the afternoon and his first two touchdowns in a South Dakota uniform. He had scored from 7 yards out to tie the game at 7-all earlier in the first quarter.

"We're going to continue to try to use him and his skill set," Vitzthum said about Proctor. "He goes to work every day. I love his approach. We'll continue to do what we can to involve him. But yeah, we got a lot of work to do."

Proctor's second touchdown cut Youngstown State's lead to 23-21, giving the Coyotes an opportunity to seize control. Instead, it marked the closest USD would get. The Penguins scored 24 consecutive points from there, and 17 of those points came directly off three second-half turnovers by Modrzewski.

Youngstown State's defense began making Modrzewski uncomfortable, forcing him into situations where the efficiency he displayed in the first half disappeared. Cam Smith and Darvens Tunis each intercepted him in the second half, while a fumble was also recovered by the Penguins.

Each of Modrzewski's three turnovers resulted in points — two touchdowns and a field goal. With six minutes remaining, Modrzewski was just 3-for-7 for 16 yards with two interceptions in the second half. The fumble had added another costly mistake, as Brungard took advantage of the short field and scored his third rushing touchdown, this one from 7 yards out, putting Youngstown State ahead 47-21 with four minutes remaining.

Vitzthum said the Coyotes' struggles went beyond the turnovers.

"We were way too hungover for everybody telling us how good we played at Boise," he said. "Started with the way we approached warm ups, and it carried on into the game. Those guys deserve better, and I got to have them ready to play more than that."

South Dakota added a late 2-yard touchdown run from Carson Fletcher, but by then the damage had been done.

Modrzewski finished 16-for-22 for 147 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions, adding 19 rushing yards. Fletcher led the Coyotes with 59 yards on eight carries and a score, while Proctor finished with 36 rushing yards on three attempts and two touchdowns. Charles Pierre Jr. exited the game early in the second half due to an injury and did not return.

South Dakota also entered the game without several key defensive starters. Cornerback RJ Stewart, defensive tackle John Starman and linebacker Gabe Hardman were all unavailable, leaving the Coyotes without important pieces at each level of the defense. Kael Kolarik led USD with 11 total tackles and a tackle for loss, while Wade Abrams added 10 tackles.

But Brungard consistently found ways to exploit the Coyotes with his legs. His 170 rushing yards were nearly as many as South Dakota managed as a team, who finished with 185 rushing yards, and his ability to turn broken passing plays into rushing gains repeatedly kept the Penguins moving. When USD defenders appeared to have a play contained, Brungard often found another lane and created positive plays.

Youngstown State's Jaden Gilbert ran for 65 yards on 11 carries and added three catches for 41 yards. Lynn Wyche-El scored twice and finished with 62 yards on four carries, including a 41-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-one in the second quarter. Defensively, Graydon Rollins led all players with 17 tackles and added a tackle for loss. Youngstown State (3-2, 1-1 MVFC) will travel to Carbondale, Illinois, to face Southern Illinois at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3.

USD fell to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the MVFC, and the loss also dropped the Coyotes to 1-7 all-time against the Penguins in Youngstown. The Coyotes return home for Dakota Days and another Missouri Valley matchup, hosting Indiana State at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.

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