PITTSBURGH -- Joey Bullen kicked a 29-yard field goal in the second overtime and Navy then held as Pitt inexplicably gambled by going for a winning touchdown on fourth down when a chip-shot field goal would have forced another overtime, and the Midshipmen upset the Panthers 48-45 Wednesday night.
Pitt (2-4), losing its fourth in a row despite freshman LeSean McCoy's 165 yards rushing and three touchdowns in an almost defense-free game, appeared to be in position to win when Navy (4-2) settled for the field goal and the Panthers got the ball back with a chance to win.
But, with Pitt facing fourth-and-goal at the Navy 2, coach Dave Wannstedt went for the win rather than the tie and freshman quarterback Pat Bostick overthrew tight end Darrell Strong in the end zone.
The Panthers, in desperate need of a victory after losing to Virginia by 30 points and Connecticut by 20 in its last two games, never found a way to slow Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who ran for 122 yards and a score and threw for another.
But with former stars Tony Dorsett and Curtis Martin watching, Pitt showed off its next star running back in McCoy, who scored three touchdowns for the second time in his six college games.
Navy's Reggie Campbell scored on a 25-yard pass by Kaheaku-Enhada in the first overtime after also scoring on a 4-yard run and a 10-yard pass play in regulation.
By gambling, Wannstedt appeared to be saying to his slumping team, "We're going to win this right now." But the play itself -- one in which Strong went to the edge of the end zone and waited for the ball inches from the out of bounds line -- was risky enough no matter the circumstances.
McCoy had given Pitt its first lead since the second game of the season, a 34-10 win over Grambling State, when he scored from the 2 early in the third quarter to make it 28-21.
Navy, playing its sixth consecutive game in which at least 30 points were needed to win, later took a 35-31 lead when Kaheaku-Enhada scored from the 3. The quarterback's own 37-yard run out of the Midshipmen's deceptive triple-option offense led to the score.
But Navy coach Paul Johnson's own gamble failed -- a fake punt with Navy leading -- and, with a short field, Pitt quickly drove 45 yards for the go-ahead touchdown when McCoy scored from the 21 to make it 38-35.
Later in the quarter, Wannstedt took a chance -- and succeeded -- by going for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 27 when freshman quarterback Pat Bostick hit Cedric McGee on a rollout for 12 yards. But the drive stalled, and Pitt punted with about 1 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
There was plenty of offensive talent in Heinz Field -- the honorary captains were Roger Staubach and Dorsett, and Pitt honored NFL No. 4 career rusher Martin at halftime. Fittingly enough, there was plenty of offense and very little defense as both teams followed their season-long trends.
Navy, No. 2 nationally in rushing with an average of 348 yards, opened leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14 as Campbell scored on a 4-yard run and a 10-yard pass from Kaheaku-Enhada, yet Pitt answered each time in Bostick's first career start at home. Bostick went 20-of-28 for 191 yards and an interception.
Bostick began the season as Pitt's No. 3 quarterback but was elevated to starter in what was supposed to be a redshirt year due to Bill Stull's thumb injury and Kevan Smith's ineffectiveness.
Bostick looked unsteady at times while playing in relief during a 34-14 loss to Connecticut and a 44-14 defeat at Virginia in which he started, but he and fellow freshman McCoy had no trouble moving the ball against a Navy defense that gave up 138 points in its previous four games. McCoy has 668 yards in his first six college games.
Earlier this week, Wannstedt challenged Bostick to score at least 28 points, saying any number less than that wouldn't be enough. Bostick got the 28, and a lot more, but it still wasn't enough.
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