NCAAF teams
YSU

40

10-3
Final
JVST

24

10-2
RecapBox Score
1 2 3 4 T
YSU 17 3 14 6 40
JVST 7 10 7 0 24
Burgess-Snow Field, Jacksonville
Associated Press 7y

Youngstown State knocks off Jacksonville State

College Football, Jacksonville State Gamecocks, Youngstown State Penguins

(STATS) -- It took 10 years for Youngstown State to get back to the FCS playoffs. The four-time national championship program is making up for lost time.

Youngstown State rolled up 520 offensive yards Saturday while stunning No. 3 seed Jacksonville State 40-24 on the road in the second round.

The Penguins (10-3) will host Wofford (10-3), which beat No. 6 seed The Citadel 17-3, in the quarterfinals next Saturday. The Missouri Valley Football Conference squad already has a home win over a Southern Conference team in this year's playoffs -- 38-24 over Samford.

Youngstown State, whose national titles were all in the 1990s, is making its first playoff appearance since 2006, but the 12th all-time, and the Penguins are 27-7 overall. Jacksonville State (10-2), the Ohio Valley Conference champion, was the national runner-up last year.

Jody Webb rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns, quarterback Hunter Wells passed for 290 yards and a touchdown on only 10 completions and Zak Kennedy kicked four field goals.

"We had a lot of respect for Jacksonville State and knew we were going to have to come into their place and play a really good football team," YSU second-year coach Bo Pelini said.

The Penguins scored on their first three possessions and never trailed in the first-ever meeting between the two programs, but Jacksonville State pulled within 27-24 on Josh Clemons' 2-yard touchdown run with 4:07 left in the third quarter.

The Penguins answered quickly on their next drive to push the lead back to double digits for good. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against JSU opened the drive, then Wells connected on a 38-yard pass to Damoun Patterson to the Gamecocks' 8, and running back Martin Ruiz finished it off from there with a touchdown run up the middle for a 34-24 lead.

Kennedy kicked his final two field goals in the fourth quarter to provide the extra cushion.

"We gave up too many explosive plays, which is uncharacteristic of us, especially in the passing game," said Jacksonville State coach John Grass. "It was just one of those days."

Gamecocks quarterback Eli Jenkins tied the school record by playing in his 53rd career game. While he rushed for 189 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, he completed a mere 6 of 26 passes for 140 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

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