University of Northern Iowa
Youngstown State
UNI Defeats YSU 22-20 for 1st GFC Win
10/16/2004 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 16, 2004
Box Score
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) - Good things come to those who persevere. UNI's football team has persevered through a multitude of injuries and last possession losses three weeks in a row to Top 15-ranked teams. Just when it looked like a repeat performance, Brian Wingert's 31-yard field goal with no time left on the clock lifted the Panthers to a 22-20 win at Youngstown State this afternoon
The victory snaps a three-game losing streak and gives UNI its first Gateway Football Conference win of the year. The Panthers improve to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the league, while YSU falls to 2-5 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
"The positive thing is that we were in the same situation (as the previous three weeks), but this time we finished it off and got the monkey off our back," said UNI head football coach Mark Farley. "This (win) was huge. I'm anxious to get back home. Now it's all about momentum."
UNI built up a 19-7 lead with 1:40 left in the third quarter. Junior tailback Terrance Freeney scored on a one-yard run with 10:07 left in the second quarter. But Wingert's point after attempt was blocked, leaving YSU with a 7-6 lead. The Penguins had scored first on a 73-yard pass from redshirt freshman Tom Zetts to Matt Rycraft with just 1:21 remaining in the first period.
The Panthers took a 9-7 lead at the half on a 39-yard field goal by Wingert with 5:16 left before the break. A 31-yard TD reception from redshirt freshman Eric Sanders to Justin Surrency put UNI in charge 16-7 with 8:43 left in the third period and Wingert kicked a 26-yard field goal with 1:40 left in the third quarter to put the Panthers up 19-7.
YSU fought back, scoring on a one-yard run by Demetrius Ison with 5:29 left in the game, and it regained the lead 20-19 on a nine-yard pass from Zetts to Mike Roberts with just 3:53 remaining. That score followed a Freeney fumble recovered by James Terry on the UNI 24 yard line.
Déjà vu.
After Richard Carter returned the ensuing kickoff 10 yards to the Panther 28 yard line, Sanders threw an incomplete pass. Surrency caught a 14-yard pass to the UNI 42 for a first down. Carter gained 16 yards on the next three carries, but was thrown for a four-yard loss back to the YSU 46. Sanders again threw an incomplete pass on a third-and-nine play, but he connected against with Surrency for 14 yards on the next play to keep the drive alive at the 1:22 mark.
Freeney gained just five yards on the next two plays when Wingert attempted a 44-yard field goal with no time left that fell short of the posts. With the Penguins beginning their victory celebration, the officials called a roughing the kicker penalty on YSU, and UNI was given a second chance. This time, Wingert's 31-yard field goal was good, and the celebration took off on the other side of the field.
"Eric showed great poise for a redshirt freshman," Farley said. "He had the poise to stay in the pocket on that fourth-and-nine play."
UNI won the game on paper, also. It gained 361 yards to YSU's 264. The Panthers rushed for 224 yards, with Freeney gaining a season-high 136 yards. Sanders completed nine-of-18 passes with no interceptions for 137 yards. Surrency caught five passes for a game-high 94 yards.
"We needed to run the football and control the ball, particularly playing on the road," Farley said. "We managed the game well. The offensive line is getting better, even without (starting OT) Chad Rinehart (appendectomy) and (starting center) John Schabilion (ankle) in there tonight. The running backs are getting healthier. You've got to give credit to Freeney and the offensive line. It was a great effort. Even with a patchwork offensive line, were able to rush the ball. I'm proud of the guys. They're playing their hearts out."
Defensively, the Panthers were led by linebacker Titus Ivory with 11 total tackles, including four solos and two tackles for loss.
