South Dakota State Runs past Youngstown State 27-20
Josiah Johnson carried 30 times for 238 yards, and that is more or less the story of South Dakota State's 27-20 win over Youngstown State. The Jackrabbits ran 43 times for 310 yards and threw for 153. Youngstown State threw for 292 and ran for 58. Pick your poison. The Jackrabbits averaged better than seven yards a carry (310 on 43), which settles it.
It was close early. Johnson scored from 4 yards out in the first quarter, and Youngstown State took its only lead of the game at 10-7 when Beau Brungard hit Alex McDonald for 11 yards with 3:35 left in the half. Chase Mason's 18-yard run flipped it back with 53 seconds to go, and Tristan Alvano added a 27-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, so South Dakota State led 17-10 at the break.
Johnson's 16-yard run made it 24-10 in the third. Brungard found Lynn Wyche-El from 11 yards to cut it to 24-17, but Alvano's 43-yard field goal as the quarter expired restored the ten-point cushion at 27-17. The only score of the fourth was a 34-yard Andrew Lastovka field goal with 1:56 left, and that made the final 27-20.
South Dakota State is 3-0. Youngstown State is 2-1 and had one interception to South Dakota State's zero, plus a defense that sacked no one. The Jackrabbits lost a fumble and still never trailed after the break. They led by at least seven from halftime to the final whistle.
Fantasy-wise it was Johnson in a landslide, with Brungard and Wyche-El doing their part on the losing side.