Written by Garin Turner
After a rough three weeks to start the season, SMU (1-3) picked up its first win of the season in overtime against Navy (2-2) 31-30. Head coach Sonny Dykes picked up his first win as the coach of SMU. Instead of playing for the tie to go into a second overtime, SMU went for two and succeeded when Hunter Thedford caught a pass that was reviewed but the call on the field stood. “It was a good design by them. They hid a guy out on us, and we didn’t see him,” Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said.
The two-point conversion was set up by a touchdown pass from QB Ben Hicks connected on a 4-yard pass to James Proche. Hicks only threw three passes and was good on all three. William Brown was 21 for 29 for 150 yards and two touchdown passes. After Navy was up 10-7 in the first quarter, SMU went six plays for 36 yards which ended with a 20-yard touchdown from Brown to Reggie Roberson Jr.
Navy would regain the lead 14-10 when Garret Lewis completed a 25-yard pass to Mychal Cooper. It was the only pass Lewis completed as he only threw three passes. The drive took seven plays and went 62 yards. The lead was short lived as Roberson Jr. returned the kickoff 98 yards for a score to give SMU a 17-14 lead. Navy had a hard time hanging onto the ball, turning it over three times. “That’s not us, turning the ball over. It’s always our number one goal to take care of the ball,” Niumatalolo said.
The game would go back and forth with both teams trading scores. Navy tied the game at 23-23 when CJ Williams ran for a 52-yard score with 6:19 left in the fourth. Navy scored first in overtime when Lewis scored on a 1-yard run. Both teams had success on the ground. SMU rushed for 158 yards on 37 carries led by Braeden West’s 26 attempts for 145 yards. Navy ran 78 times for 349 yards and three scores. Williams ran six times for 82 yards and the score. Lewis ran 22 times for 63 yards and a score. Two other Navy Midshipmen ran for 60 yards apiece.
