UNIVERSITY PARK -- SMU fell off the high wire on Saturday.
For the third time this season, the Mustangs went to the final possession with a game in doubt. For the first time this season, SMU lost at the finish.
The Mustangs could not stop Cincinnati's last-minute drive to a game-tying field goal and lost, 26-20 in overtime at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, when quarterback Ben Hicks made an ill-advised throw that safety James Wiggins returned 86 yards for a touchdown.
"Against a good football team, you've got to close that door when you have an opportunity,'' said SMU coach Sonny Dykes, who praised his team for rallying from a 10-point deficit in the second half.