Youngstown State closed its regular-season road schedule in emphatic fashion Saturday, rolling past Murray State 62-35 at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Kentucky, behind a near-perfect afternoon from quarterback Beau Brungard.
Brungard, the 2025 Walter Payton Award winner, completed 31 of 34 passes for 423 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, and added 31 rushing yards on six carries, according to the game’s official player statistics as reported by the Associated Press. The win was the sixth straight for the Penguins, Youngstown’s WFMJ reported.
The victory lifted No. 4 Youngstown State to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, while Murray State fell to 1-9 overall and 0-6 in the conference, according to Murray State University Athletics’ official recap of the game. The Penguins’ No. 4 ranking reflects the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll released November 2.
Youngstown State struck first on Brungard’s first touchdown pass, Murray State Athletics reported. The Racers answered quickly, tying the game 7-7 when Collin Shannon connected with Trey Firestone on a 10-yard touchdown pass to cap a four-play, 83-yard drive.
From there, the Penguins took control. Youngstown State scored three touchdowns in the second quarter and added another early in the third to build a 42-7 lead, a cushion Murray State never seriously threatened despite its best offensive day of the season.
Murray State finished with 536 yards of total offense, a season high and the second-most of head coach Jody Wright’s tenure, according to Murray State Athletics. Shannon threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns on 23-of-39 passing, and Tyrell Campbell ran for a career-high 142 yards for the Racers.
Even so, the Racers could not keep pace with a Youngstown State offense that scored in every phase of the game and protected the football throughout. The Penguins’ six-game winning streak has them positioned near the top of the Missouri Valley heading into the final week of the regular season.
What happens next: Youngstown State returns home to Stambaugh Stadium to host Illinois State on Saturday, November 14, at noon, according to Youngstown State Athletics — the Penguins’ final regular-season home game before the FCS playoff picture takes shape.