Navy Stuns Pitt at Home in Double Overtime

PITTSBURGH—Fireworks lit up Heinz Field before and during the game, but Pitt’s gamble on fourth down in double overtime came up snake eyes as they fell 48-45 to the visiting Midshipmen of Navy on Wednesday night.

The fourth down call came after a Joey Bullen 29-yard field goal that gave Navy (4-2) the advantage in the second overtime.  After running on first and second down inside the 10-yard line, Pitt (2-4) elected to pass on third and fourth down.

The pass from Pat Bostick was tipped by Navy corner Rayshawn King and over the head of Strong to seal the victory for the Midshipmen.

Navy won the toss in overtime and elected to go on defense.

Pitt drove to the Navy 18 and Conor Lee converted a 35-yard field goal to give the Panthers the lead, but Navy was flagged for an offside call and gave Pitt first and 10 from the Midshipmens' 13.  Following runs by LeSean McCoy and LaRod Stephens-Howling, freshman quarterback Pat Bostick punched the ball in on a 1-yard keeper to put Pitt up 45-38.

Navy stuck back quickly on their overtime possession.  Quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada found slot back Reggie Campbell streaking out of the backfield and past Pitt corner Mike Phillips, and the duo connected on a 25-yard score.

From the opening possession of the game, it appeared that Wannstedt’s prediction that Pitt would need to score often to beat Navy was going to prove correct.

Navy’s opening possession—a five play, 77-yard drive—ended in a Reggie Campbell touchdown run, and the Midshipmen took the lead after holding the ball for only 2:08.

Not to be outdone, Pitt tied the game on their next possession.

Bostick was 4-5 on the drive, hitting four different receivers.  Following a fourth down and one conversion by LeSean McCoy that went for 13 yards, fullback Condridge Collins plowed his way through the middle of the line on his way to a 2-yard touchdown run.

Conor Lee added the extra point, and also added his name to the history books.

With his successful PAT conversion, Lee tied the record set by Carson Long in 1975 of 60 consecutive PAT conversions.

The teams traded scores the rest of the first half.

Navy marched right back after the Pitt score,  going 12-plays in 60 yards and Campbell scored his second of three touchdowns on the night, this one a 10-yard pass from Kaheaku-Enhada to put Navy back on top with 13:05 left in the quarter.

On the ensuing kick-off, LaRod Stephens-Howling raced through the middle of Navy’s kick coverage 45 yards to set the Panthers up at the Navy 45.  From there McCoy ran on five of the nine plays on the drive, capping it with his first score of the day from two yards out.

Following a kick out of bounds by Dave Brytus, Navy’s Adam Ballard rushed for 47 of his game total of 59, including a run from two yards out that gave the Midshipmen the 21-14 lead with 5:06 left in the half.  The drive for Navy was 10-plays, 65-yards and took only 3:58 seconds off the clock.               

Pitt would tie the team heading into halftime on a 9-play, 78-yard drive that was capped by an Oderick Turner touchdown on a fade from Bostick.               

Neither team slowed down after the break as the scoring continued.               

Navy started out with the ball in the second half, but was forced to punt after a sack on third down by Joe Clermond.  It was only the ninth time in 30 games that Navy did not score on their opening possession of the second half.               

Pitt started at their own 46, and again relied heavily on the running game to move the chains.  Collins and McCoy swapped carries to the Navy 21, and from there McCoy looked to have another score as he raced off left tackle, but he fumbled the ball and the initial call was a touchback for the Midshipmen.               

After an official review from the replay booth it was determined that the ball hit a Navy defender and never went into the end zone, and Pitt retained possession and had first and goal from the Navy 2-yard line.  McCoy scored two plays later as he plunged over the line and into the end zone for his second score of the game.               

The touchdown gave Pitt the lead, 28-21.  It was the first time the Panthers had a lead in a game since a Sept. 8 contest with 1-AA Grambling State.               

Navy would answer back following a 60-yard kick-off return by Campbell.  Shun White scored from 2 yards out, capping an 8-play drive.               

The Midshipmen would again take the lead after Pitt scored on a 37-yard field goal by Lee, with Kaheaku-Enhada running in from 3-yards to give Navy the 35-31 lead.               

Kaheaku-Enhada and the Navy offense had a chance to add to the lead after Bostick’s next attempt was intercepted by King, but the drive stalled and a fake punt attempt was thwarted by Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop.               

McCoy made his scoring night a hat trick on the next possession for Pitt, he took a hand-off around the left end, hurdled a Navy defender and raced 21-yards for the go-head score for the Panthers, and Pitt led 38-35 with 10:45 left in the game.              

Brytus again set Navy up with good field position by again kicking off out of bounds, and the Midshipmen drove into field goal range.  From there Bullen was true from 36 yards and the game was tied at 38 with fewer than five minutes to play.              

Bostick and the Panthers were unable to advance the ball past the Pitt 47 on their last possession, and after a Brytus punt Navy drove into Pitt territory with two seconds on the clock, but Bullen’s 48-yard field goal attempt was short at the end of regulation.

McCoy and Bostick were the offensive stars for the Panthers.  McCoy finished the night with a career high in carries (32) and a game-high 165 yards.  His three scores also moved him into second on the all-time freshman scoring list at Pitt.  Only Tony Dorsett ranks ahead of McCoy on the list with 12 rushing touchdowns during his freshman campaign.

Bostick was 20 of 28 for 191 yards passing, including one touchdown and one interception.