UND scores two touchdowns in final eight minutes to beat Youngstown State 24-21
Nov. 6—The UND football team's season has been defined by heart-breaking narrow losses to Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents.
On Saturday, it was the Fighting Hawks' turn to be on the other end of a fourth-quarter letdown.
UND scored two touchdowns in the final eight minutes to come from behind and beat Youngstown State 24-21 at the Alerus Center.
"You feel different when you're on the good side of the scoreboard," UND coach Bubba Schweigert said. "I'm sure our opponent feels like they let one slip away when they're up two possessions in the fourth quarter. As even as the teams are I think you're going to have to win some games like that. You just have to take advantage of momentum and make plays when you have an opportunity. That's why I was proud of our team that we just stuck with it because it was tough sledding today for a long time."
UND improved to 4-5, with a home game against Illinois State next weekend, followed by a road matchup at South Dakota State to end the regular season.
Otis Weah's 43-yard touchdown run with 4:34 to play gave the Hawks the go-ahead score. Weah finished with 14 carries for 90 yards with nearly half of his yards coming on the late score.
"They put enough people in the box," Schweigert said. "Eventually, we popped one. You can't explain it sometimes. They really played hard and made a focus on stopping the run."
Youngstown State's comeback hopes were put to rest when UND linebacker Devon Krzanowski sacked Penguins quarterback Demeatric Crenshaw on fourth-and-3 with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter.
UND was able to milk the remaining clock, with a little help from a YSU discipline penalty. On first down, Weah, who fumbled in the fourth quarter last week in Missouri State's comeback victory, carried up the middle. As his forward progress was stopped, YSU cornerback Keyon Martin ripped the ball away from Weah. After officials ruled that the strip came after the whistle, the Penguins were flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to give the Fighting Hawks a first down.
The Penguins put UND in a few spots throughout the game in which the Hawks looked to be in trouble.
YSU scored on its first two drives of the game — both long 75-yard drives — fueled by the running of Jaleel McLaughlin and quarterback Demeatric Crenshaw. McLaughlin ended with 122 rushing yards and Crenshaw had 90 positive rushing yards but lost 30 on sack plays (four) to finish with 60 yards.
When Crenshaw scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:05 to play in the game, the Penguins went up 21-10 against a UND offense that hadn't scored a touchdown since its first possession — a 9-yard Bo Belquist touchdown catch from Tommy Schuster.
"We've never doubted ourselves this entire year," UND wide receiver Brock Boltmann said. "We just knew we had to go a little up-tempo and make some plays to get back in the game. We did that to get back in the game and eventually win the game."
The Hawks went on a 10-play, 77-yard drive that was capped by Schuster hitting Garett Maag for a 16-yard score with 7:23 remaining. Schuster dropped the snap on the 2-point conversion so UND still needed a touchdown to win, trailing 21-16.
The Hawks' defense did their part from there. Marcus Vaughn-Jones, who had a momentum-swinging interception in the third quarter, recorded a tackle for loss on YSU's first down, then on second down, UND linebacker Jaxson Turner sacked Crenshaw. UND corner Evan Holm bottled up a third-down screen attempt, forcing a YSU punt to near midfield.
After a 9-yard pass from Schuster to Maag to start the drive, Weah took a second-and-1 carry up the middle through a huge hole for a 43-yard score with 4:34 left in the game. Weah's 43-yard run was UND's only play in the game longer than 22 yards.
"I mean, a win is a win," Turner said. "Whenever you can get a 'W,' you're going to be happy regardless of how you get it."
