ESPN

UNIVERSITY PARK -- Officially, SMU's chance to defeat Navy didn't end until Joe Beckley's 24-yard overtime field goal split the Gerald J. Ford Stadium uprights to earn the Midshipmen a 38-35 thriller Saturday night.

But in truth, the Mustangs can look back to three series in the second quarter when they led 21-7 and had the chance to put Navy (5-2) and its methodical running game in an almost impossible comeback situation.

• At 6:17, SMU could only advance 2 yards after taking over at the Navy 40.

• A procedure penalty stopped SMU a promising SMU advande at the Navy 35 in the final two minutes.

• With Navy backed up at its 4-yard line with 57 seconds remaining in the first half, SMU chose not to stop the clock.

Not putting the game away when it had the chance came back to burn SMU at the end.

"If you had told me we'd force Navy to punt five times,'' SMU coach June Jones said, "then I'd think we would win the game. Our defense played well enough to win.''

Still, SMU (3-3) showed character just to get to overtime. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell whipped the Mustangs 84 yards in 15 plays, hitting Aldrick Robinson with a 10-yard touchdown pass with 1:35 remaining.

Jones aggressively used his timeouts to try and get the ball back before overtime. Perhaps Jones is familiar with the program's record after regulation ends.

In overtime, SMU is 1-10 all-time with six straight defeats. Navy won the coin-toss in extra frame and elected to defend first.

SMU running back Shawnbrey McNeal (15-131) had a great night, but was dropped for a 1-yard loss on the first overtime snap.

Mitchell barely overthrew Terrance Wilkerson in the end zone on second down. Mitchell was hit as he threw incomplete on third down, focing a 43-yard field goal by Matt Szymanski that missed wide right.

Navy took no chances in overtime with six straight running plays that led to the winning kick.

"We've lost a home game and now we've got to steal one somewhere on the road,'' Jones said.