Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes. YSU quarterback Beau Brungard (right) embraces with junior kicker Andrew Lastovka (left) after Lastovka kicked the game-winning 42-yard field goal on Saturday at Johnny Unitas Stadium at Towson.

Despite battling confidence issues last year, Youngstown State kicker Andrew Lastovka has a newfound belief in himself this season.

Having been in pressure situations before, Lastovka knows he’s capable, it’s just a matter of confidence. So when he was called upon late in the Penguins’ road contest at Towson on Saturday, he was ready.

First, Lastovka kicked a 48-yard field goal to tie the game with 1:37 left. Then, he booted a 42-yard field goal as time expired to lift YSU to a 31-28 victory over the Tigers after the Penguins rallied back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

“It’s something that (assistant) coach Jeff Wilkins and I were talking about on Tuesday. It’s all confidence,” Lastovka said by phone after the game. “Confidence is something I struggled with a little bit last year. But coming into this year, I know I have all the technique I need, it’s all upstairs for me. I knew coming into this game that it was going to be a big field goal game.

“It’s just confidence. I knew once I stepped on that field that it was going to go well, just because of the trust we have in the unit and the trust that we have in each other.”

The win was YSU’s first on the road since Nov. 18, 2023 at Murray State. The Penguins now improve to 3-1 as they wrap up non-conference play with an off week looming next week before the start of Missouri Valley Football Conference play.

“We responded as a team,” Lastovka said. “It took everyone who was here. It took all the scout in practice all week. We knew that it was going to be a fight, coming on the road, no matter who you’re playing. So credit to (Towson), they played a heck of a game. It’s always good to come out on top in a game like that, especially heading into a gauntlet in conference play.”

With about 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter, YSU trailed by 28-17 after Towson had extended its lead with an 81-yard touchdown drive.

Junior quarterback Beau Brungard had thrown for 135 yards through the first three quarters. But the Penguins started to find a rhythm in the passing game in the fourth quarter.

“Early on, I thought we hit some big throws, but we had some penalties. Again, we gotta clean that stuff up,” head coach Doug Phillips said by phone after the game. “I thought there was more yardage and more points in the first half that we didn’t get because we beat ourselves. And I thought, in the fourth quarter, we stopped beating ourselves.”

During the period, Brungard threw for 142 of his new career-high 277 passing yards, as he helped will YSU to the finish line. During the game, he threw for one touchdown to tight end Alex McDonald, while he also rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

“They play a little different schematics. They play a three-down (linemen), so it was different than maybe what we’ve seen,” Phillips said. “I think it took adjustment for three quarters to see where they’re rolling down, what they’re doing. Are they in man? Are they in zone? (Brungard) was able to find the open holes when we needed him to.”

After falling behind by 11, the Penguins went 75 yards in 12 plays to answer with a 2-yard touchdown run from Brungard. He then connected with Max Tomczak on a two-point conversion to cut the Tigers’ lead to three.

Then after a Towson three-and-out, YSU went 41 yards to set up Lastovka’s game-tying kick.

The Penguins got the ball back one more time with 0:37 seconds left and moved the ball 40 yards in six plays to put Lastovka in position for his walk-off winner.

“That fourth quarter, it came down to Andrew. You got a great snap, great hold and great protection,” Phillips said. “But it took the defense to get us the ball back. It took our offense to get in field position. You always hear me stress complementary football, and I think those last two drives were an indication of complementary football.”

YSU’s inability to get the Tigers’ offense off the field hurt through the first three quarters.

On several occasions, the Penguins had Towson stopped and looked to be in position to get the ball back. But the Tigers opened up their playbook and turned to fakes and trick plays to keep drives alive.

In the second quarter, Towson faced a 4th-and-8 at its own 38-yard line. Tigers coach Pete Shinnick surprised the Penguins with a fake punt call, and Bryce LaFollette ran 19 yards for the conversion.

Towson scored four plays later on another trick play, when receiver John Dunmore caught a backwards pass from quarterback Andrew Indorf and hit Kemarrion Battles from 33 yards out to take its first lead 14-7.

In the second half, the Tigers went for the fake again. This time, on 4th-and-5 near midfield, Towson ran a fake punt pass, as LaFollette connected on a 14-yard completion to Jarvis Jones to move the chains. The Tigers scored eight plays later to retake the lead 21-14.

“You had the two fake punts, which is uncharacteristic,” Phillips said. “We gotta clean that stuff up. But we didn’t lose our heads. Sometimes those things happen and you gotta move on. I thought our defense moved on, even after Carston (Marshall) got that roughing the passer, which was a bad call, and we got that interception (negated). Our guys responded and they stayed together — that’s the No. 1 thing that tells you how strong your locker room is.”

But despite its early struggles, YSU’s defense rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter.

The Penguins held Towson to 72 yards, almost all of which came on its touchdown drive at the start of the period, and forced the Tigers to punt on back-to-back possessions in the final five minutes.

“They recognized things and played with tremendous effort,” Phillips said. “Trust me, there’s times we fragmented during the game. It’s emotional. It’s physical. But at the end we came together and supported each other and came out with a hard-fought win. When you’re on the road, it don’t have to be pretty. You just have to find a way to win.”