STEPH STARK

The Panther football team welcomed the 19th ranked Youngstown State Penguins to the UNI-Dome to open up MVFC play. 

The Penguins struck first with a sixty yard run on offense, capped off by a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead. 

The Panthers went three and out on their first offensive possession. After a solid return on special teams, the Penguins drove down the field and extended their lead to 10-0 on a quarterback keeper near the goal line. 

The Panther offense finally got going as quarterback Theo Day hit Jaiden Ellis-Lahey for a forty-yard gain. On a crucial fourth-and-1 in the red zone, the Panther offense got the Penguin defense to jump offsides, awarding them a new set of downs. The very next play, Theo Day found tight end Layne Pryor over the middle for a touchdown. The Panthers took a 10-6 lead after a botched snap on the extra point. 

They got the ball right back and wasted no time. Running back Tye Edwards rushed up the middle for forty yards into Penguin territory. In the beginning of the second quarter, Day capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown to Ellis-Lahey. The Panthers extended their lead to 13-10 with 13:43 to go in the second quarter. 

On a third down and 12 for the Youngstown State offense, linebacker Jahsiah Galvan came through with an interception to give the Panthers great field position. Day was able to find running back Edwards on back to back passes to get the offense going. Right after, Day found Naran Buntin for a touchdown to extend the lead to 20-10 Panthers with 10:53 to go in the second quarter. 

Just before the half, the Penguins rushed for a big gain down to the 27-yard line. The Panther defense was able to hold them to a field goal, still leading 20-13 going into halftime. 

The Panther offense got right back to work as Day found Sam Schnee for a 22-yard gain. He followed that up with a big gain to Buntin for 34 yards. They ended up settling for a field goal to make it 23-13 Panthers with 11:20 to go in the third quarter. 

On the first play back on offense for the Penguins, Cannon Butler got to the quarterback, sacking him for a 7-yard loss. 

On the next Panther possession, Day got sacked, forcing the Panthers to punt. The Penguin Special Teams broke through and blocked the kick, setting their offense up at the Panther 12-yard line. They capitalized right away with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 23-20 Panthers with 5:44 to go in the third. 

The Penguins got the ball right back, and immediately faced a crucial 3rd and 7. They converted with an 11-yard gain to the Panther 36-yard line. After another big completion, the Penguins punched in another touchdown to take the lead 27-23 with 1:34 to go in the third. 

On the first play back on offense for the Panthers, Days’ pass was intercepted by the Penguins. The defense faced a tough challenge with the ball already on their own 25-yard line. On fourth-and-1 for the Penguins, the Panther defense stopped the quarterback short of the first down marker, giving them the ball back. 

The Panther offense used that momentum from the defensive stop, as Day found Alex Allen for a 32-yard gain. After completions to Logan Wolf and Ellis-Lahey, Day found Schnee down the left sideline to give the Panthers a 30-27 lead with 10:36 to go in the fourth.

Soon after, the Panther defense forced a punt from the Penguins, regaining possession. On fourth-and-1 from their own 39-yard line, Day got the Penguins to jump offsides, giving them a crucial first down. Day found Wolf right after for a gain of 26 yards. Edwards finished the drive with a 30-yard touchdown run to give the Panthers a 37-27 lead with 5:58 to go in the fourth. 

The Penguins didn’t back down, as they drove down the field for a touchdown to cut the lead to 37-34 with 1:40 to go in the game. 

The Penguins attempted an onside kick, which was returned for 25 yards down to the 15-yard line. Day rushed it in for a touchdown to make it 44-34 Panthers with 1:25 to go. 

The Penguins had another solid drive, scoring a touchdown to cut the lead to three. It ended up being too late, as the Panthers would win the game 44-41. 

They improved to 2-2 on the young season, and are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 7 against the Indiana State Sycamores at 6:00 p.m.