Three straight scoring drives by Illinois State to start the game and 100-yard rushing efforts by Sha-Ron Edwards and LaShawn Bullock proved to be enough as the Birds ended Youngstown State's 11-game homecoming win streak with a 35-25 victory Saturday night at Stambaugh Stadium.
With the win the Birds posted their first Gateway Football Conference victory of the season against three losses and improved their season mark to 4-5. YSU fell to 5-4 and 2-2 in the league.
Illinois State fielded a balanced offensive attack that posted 604 total yards, the eighth most in school history, powered by the legs of Edwards and Bullock. Edwards (183) and Bullock (106) became the first 100-yard rushing tandem since 2000 when Willie Watts and Walter James compiled 100 yards apiece against West Virginia Tech.
The Redbirds took the opening kickoff and went 54 yards on 11 plays, capped by a 43-yard field goal by Stephen Carroll. Dwayne Smith highlighted the drive with a pair of catches totaling 31 yards, which gave the Rantoul, Ill., native 1,000 career receiving yards at ISU. Smith finished the game with six catches for 118 yards, the second 100-yard receiving game of his career.
After YSUs Nick Terracinas 49-yard field goal attempt fell short, the Redbirds responded with their second score in as many drives. Freshmen receiver Laurent Robinson hauled in his third touchdown of the season with a 10-yard pass from Mike Souza to end a 9-play, 68-yard scoring drive that gave the Birds a 10-0 lead.
On the ensuing drive, the Redbird defense forced a Youngstown State punt, but the snap was high and punter Joe Bishop was tackled in the endzone by ISUs Earl Newby for a safety.
After the 2-point score, the Redbirds went into the endzone on their third straight drive when Sha-Ron Edwards cracked the plane from 7-yards out to put the Redbirds up 18-0 early in the second quarter.
Youngstown State finally broke into the scoring column with a 34-yard field goal by Terracina with 9:47 left in the first half and trailed the Redbirds 18-3, a margin that remained until halftime.
YSU closed the gap to 18-10 on the initial drive of the second half with an 8-yard pass from Aaron Marshall to Kyle Smith for the touchdown at the 12:46 mark in the third quarter.
A Carroll 22-yard field extended the Redbird lead to 21-10 at the 5:59 mark in the third quarter. Edwards added his second touchdown of the game with a nine-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to push the lead to 28-10. Edwards second score topped a 10-play, 86-yard drive.
YSUs Marshall threw his second touchdown pass of the game with a 25-yard strike to Mike Burns at the 12:15 mark in the fourth quarter. Again Illinois State responded when Souza found Smith down the right sideline for a 45-yard touchdown pass.
YSU added another score with 1:52 remaining when Marshall scrambled 20-yards for a touchdown to round out the scoring.
Souza finished the game with a 15-for-23 passing effort with 271 yards and two touchdowns. The defense finished with seven sacks, including a game-high three by senior defensive end Ray Robinson.
The Redbirds return to action on next Saturday when Illinois State hosts Western Illinois on November 1. Kick-off is slated for 1:30 p.m.
