VERMILLION, S.D.—Youngstown State quarterback Hunter Wells passed for two scores and running back Martin Ruiz ran for two more as 10th-ranked Youngstown State beat South Dakota 31-3 Saturday in front of a homecoming crowd of 10,000 inside the DakotaDome.
It was the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams and the 99th Dakota Days game at University of South Dakota.
Wells completed 15 of 26 passes for 158 yards. He connected with Andrew Williams on a 51-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field early in the second quarter that gave the Penguins (3-1) a 17-0 lead. He hit tight end Shane Kuhn in the end zone from 13 yards away with 4:46 remaining for the final score of the game.
Ruiz capped an opening 16-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge up the middle that put Youngstown State ahead 7-0 with 5:37 to go in the first quarter. A muffed punt early in the fourth quarter gave the Penguins 1st-and-goal from the 2 and Ruiz ran in on the next play to make it 24-0 with 12:01 remaining.
Ruiz needed 28 carries to gain 86 yards. His longest run from scrimmage went for nine. South Dakota also limited Jody Webb to 41 yards on eight carries. Webb was averaging 106 per game. Only two of Youngstown State's 14 offensive possessions gained more than 30 yards.
The Penguins' defense, tops in the nation entering play Saturday, was just as stiff. YSU held South Dakota starters to 201 yards before allowing 61 on the ground on the game's final possession. Youngstown State converted an interception and two fumble recoveries into 17 points.
The Coyotes (2-2) intercepted Wells twice in Penguin territory, but couldn't score, missing a short field goal just before halftime and turning it over on downs trailing 24-3 with less than nine minutes to play. In addition to interceptions by Tyson Graham and Ryan Hillier, the Coyotes got two sacks from defensive end Andrew Van Ginkel, who has five solo sacks in four games.
South Dakota's offense went more than half the game without the services of running back Trevor Bouma, the nation's 13th-leading rusher at 106 yards per game. Bouma ran four times for nine yards before leaving with an injury.
Coyote quarterback Ryan Saeger completed 9 of 25 passes for 119 yards, 63 of which came on a scramble and deep throw to running back Michael Fredrick during the Coyotes' first drive of the fourth quarter. The play led to a 39-yard field goal by Miles Bergner that made it 24-3. Saeger also ran 13 times for 38 yards.
The Coyotes return to action next Saturday in Macomb, Ill., against Western Illinois (2-2, 1-0), which kicked a 20-yard field goal with two seconds left to beat Southern Illinois 37-36 today in Macomb. Game time is 3 p.m.
