YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Illinois State clinched a thrilling 34-33 victory over Youngstown State on Saturday night, thanks to Beckham Pellant’s late-game heroics. Pellant scored on a 2-yard run with just 9 seconds left on the clock, sealing the win for the Redbirds.
Trailing 24-21, Illinois State completed an impressive 89-yard drive, culminating in a 7-yard touchdown run by Seth Glatz with 3:29 remaining in the game. However, the Penguins quickly retaliated, regaining the lead at 33-28 after Beau Brungard connected with Bryan Hunt for a 59-yard touchdown pass with 2:13 left.
Undeterred, Pellant led Illinois State on a 73-yard drive, eventually scoring with a quarterback keeper to the right side. Although the Redbirds failed on their conversion attempt, the touchdown proved decisive.
Glatz delivered a standout performance, rushing for a career-high 176 yards and two touchdowns, marking his first career 100-yard game. Pellant threw for 141 yards while orchestrating the comeback.
On the other side, Brungard passed for 178 yards and led the Penguins in rushing with 88 yards. Youngstown State, ranked No. 3 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, finished the regular season with an 8-3 record and a 6-2 mark in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Illinois State, now 8-3 overall and 4-3 in conference play, will look to build on this momentum as they prepare for their regular-season finale against South Dakota next Saturday.
