Navy uses second-half rally to beat SMU 28-21
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Alexander Teich ran for a career-high 95 yards and two touchdowns, including the tiebreaking score with 1:38 left, and Navy rallied to beat SMU 28-21 on Saturday.
Navy (4-2) scored 21 straight points in the second half to take a 21-14 lead. After SMU tied it, Tyler Simmons intercepted a pass by Kyle Padron with 1:50 remaining set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Teich.
Padron went 28 for 42 for 254 yards and three touchdowns for SMU (4-3), which led 14-0 early in the second quarter. The Mustangs have lost 20 consecutive non-conference road games, a streak that began after a win against Navy in 1998.
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Darius Johnson had 12 catches for 104 yards for SMU, now 1-7 against Navy since 1995.
The Mustangs moved 57 yards in 10 plays to tie it at 21 with 2:51 to go. Padron kept the drive alive by completing a 14-yard pass to Johnson on a fourth-and-4, then hit Aldrick Robinson for a 10-yard score on a third-and-7.
After SMU forced Navy to punt, Padron's first pass was picked off by Simmons and returned six yards to the SMU 13.
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Navy mounted its first scoring drive immediately after halftime with the aid of a seldom-used weapon: the forward pass. Facing a third-and-17 at his own 12, Ricky Dobbs completed a 51-yard pass to Aaron Santiago. Then, on fourth-and-goal from the 3, Dobbs connected with Santiago in the back of the end zone.
The Midshipmen took a more traditional approach on their next possession, moving 80 yards on nine straight runs to draw even at 14. Wide receiver Greg Jones ran 33 yards on a reverse, and Gee Gee Greene finished with a 1-yard dive.
With the momentum on its side, Navy got a big play from its defense. Pressed out of the pocket, Padron fumbled when hit by linebacker Jerry Hauburger, and defensive end Jabaree Tuani recovered the ball at the SMU 31.
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That set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Teich with 12:52 left.
Padron threw for 135 yards and SMU limited the Midshipmen to 124 yards in offense in the first half.
Navy endured a futile opening drive: Soon after Santiago dropped a potential 37-yard touchdown pass in the end zone, Dobbs came up short on a fourth-and-3 run.
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SMU then moved 71 yards in seven plays and took a 7-0 lead on Padron's 5-yard touchdown pass to Cole Beasley.
After a Navy punt, Padron used his arm and legs to engineer a 74-yard drive. He ran twice for 24 yards and completed four passes for 39 yards, including a 4-yard TD pass to Johnson that made it 14-0 with 10:05 left in the second quarter.