No. 4 Youngstown State converted a fake punt and a fourth-and-19 touchdown pass during a late rally to defeat No. 9 North Dakota 31–28 on Saturday, October 31.

Quarterback Beau Brungard found Lynn Wyche-El for a 20-yard touchdown with about two minutes remaining. The score completed a drive that had been extended when Mike Wells ran 26 yards from punt formation.

Youngstown State trailed 21–7 at halftime and was down by 14 points twice. Brungard threw two of his three touchdown passes after intermission as the Penguins worked back into the game.

Andrew Lastovka made a 37-yard field goal before the winning drive. Max Johnson then intercepted North Dakota with 1:15 remaining to secure the victory.

Brungard passed for 268 yards and rushed for 64. Wyche-El caught six passes for 148 yards and was involved in three touchdowns, including a hook-and-lateral play in the third quarter.

North Dakota quarterback Jerry Kaminski passed, rushed and caught a touchdown. The Fighting Hawks led 28–21 entering the fourth quarter but did not score in the final period.

Youngstown State improved to 7–2 overall and 5–1 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play. North Dakota fell to 6–4 and 3–3.

The two schools’ postgame reports and the Associated Press account agree on the 31–28 final, the fake punt and Brungard’s decisive fourth-down pass. The school accounts list the final conversion as fourth-and-20 in their narrative while the AP play description lists fourth-and-19; the available records agree that it was a long fourth-down touchdown conversion. The headline uses the down-and-distance reported by the independent game account.

Youngstown State’s comeback produced its fifth consecutive conference victory and fourth straight win overall.

Sources Youngstown State Athletics — October 31 Game Report: https://ysusports.com/news/2026/10/31/football-penguins-earn-fifth-straight-mvfc-win-with-31-28-comeback-triumph-over-north-dakota North Dakota Athletics — October 31 Game Report: https://fightinghawks.com/news/2026/10/31/football-late-rally-lifts-no-4-4-youngstown-state-past-no-9-11-north-dakota-31-28.aspx Associated Press via CBS Sports — October 31 Final Report: https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20261031_NDK%40YST/