Youngstown State Penguins vs Illinois Fighting Illini Match Player Stats On Aug 30, 2014

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Aug 30, 2014

Illinois 28, Youngstown State 17: Wes Lunt threw for 285 yards and four touchdowns in his Fighting Illini debut as host Illinois won its 17th consecutive home opener.

Lunt, an Illinois native who transferred from Oklahoma State, connected with nine different receivers, and registered touchdown passes to Mike Dudek, Martize Barr, Josh Ferguson and Jon Davis. Dudek finished with three receptions and a team-high 61 yards for the Fighting Illini, who also won their ninth straight season opener.

Martin Ruiz rushed 32 times for 116 yards and a touchdown for FCS Youngstown State (0-1), while quarterback Dante Nania completed 11-of-24 passes for 177 yards.

Illinois trailed 9-7 early in the fourth quarter when Lunt hit Dudek on a corner route for an 8-yard touchdown to give the Illini a 14-9 lead. The Penguins quickly regained the lead 17-14 when a 61-yard reception by Andrew Williams led to a 3-yard TD run by Ruiz and Nania's 2-point conversion. Illinois marched 79 yards on six plays - capped by Ferguson's 15-yard touchdown reception - to give the Illini the lead for good.

After Youngstown State took a 3-0 first-quarter lead on a 33-yard field goal by Joey Cejudo, Lunt found Davis for an 8-yard touchdown just four plays after V’Angelo Bentley’s 67-yard kickoff return to the Penguins’ 33. Nania hit Jody Webb on third-and-12 on a screen pass for 54 yards to the Illini 13 just before halftime, which set up a 29-yard field goal by Cejudo.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Lunt threw for 590 yards and four touchdowns to lead Rochester High School to the Illinois Class 4A state championship in 2011 in his last game at Memorial Stadium. ... Youngstown State dominated the time of possession in the first quarter 12:05-2:55 and led 3-0. … Illinois was held to 78 yards rushing.