Sports News

Headline writers from around the nation used a wide range of adjectives to describe the last-second touchdown catch that gave the YSU Penguins a 40-38 win over Eastern Washington in a frigid FSC Championship semifinal game in Cheney, Wash.

SB Nation was even more direct: "One of the greatest catches of all time."

The grab by tight end Kevin Rader, made as he wrapped his arms around a defender, sent the Penguins to Frisco, Texas, and a chance to win the university's fifth FCS National Championship game. While the 'Guins fell to James Madison in the title match up, Head Coach Bo Pelini's second season at YSU was certainly one to remember, launching YSU into the national football picture for the first time in more than a decade.

The Penguins, unranked at the beginning of the season and not expected to make much noise in the playoffs, surged to a 12-4 overall record, including playoff wins against Samford, Jacksonville State, Wofford and EWU, sparking enthusiasm and support that spread like wildfire across the Mahoning Valley and among YSU fans nationwide.