 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Penguins walk to final Youngstown State tops Florida A&M for return trip
Posted: Saturday December 11, 1999 07:50 PM
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) -- Jeff Ryan's 10-yard touchdown pass to Damion Matthews with 44 seconds to play Saturday gave Youngstown State a 27-24 NCAA Division I-AA semifinal victory over Florida A&M. The Penguins (11-2), seeded ninth in the 16-team tournament, advance to next Saturday's championship game against Georgia Southern at Chattanooga, Tenn. Youngstown State's victory was its 15th straight in NCAA playoff competition, breaking the record of 14 the Penguins shared with Augustana and Mount Union, both Division III schools. Youngstown State advanced to the division finals for the sixth time in the 1990s. The Penguins won titles in 1991, 1993 1994 and 1997. Youngstown State scored on its final two drives after trailing 24-13 in the fourth quarter. Ryan hit Elliott Giles with a touchdown pass on a play that covered 46 yards with 7:22 to play to make it 24-19. An attempted two-point conversion pass by Ryan was intercepted. The Rattlers (10-3) got no farther than their own 39 on the next series and punted to Youngstown State, which drove 72 yards in 11 plays for the winning score. Ryan's touchdown pass was the only pass and the longest play of the scoring march. The Penguins were aided during the drive by two personal foul penalties, one for 15 and one for 14 yards, on Florida A&M. The Rattlers got to the Youngstown 40 on their last drive, but Quinn Gray's final pass attempt fell incomplete. Ryan also threw to Renauld Ray for a touchdown on a play that covered 35 yards in the third quarter and Mark Griffith kicked field goals of 42 and 22 yards for Youngstown State. Florida A&M, which never trailed until Matthews scored, got touchdowns from Ken Williams on a 5-yard run in the first quarter, JaJuan Seider on an 11-yard run in the second quarter and Cedric Mitchell on an 11-yard pass from Gray in the final quarter. Jeremey Edwards added a 22-yard field goal. Adrian Brown gained 188 yards in 30 carries for the Penguins, while Ryan was 6-for-9 for 111 yards. Florida A&M was 29-for-43 for 230 yards passing, with Gray completing 12-of-18 for 120 yards and Seifer 17-of-25 for 110 yards. Seider also ran for 98 yards in 15 carries. Williams had the same yardage in 16 attempts.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
