Houston cornerback Marcus Jones has been one of the most dangerous return men in college football in his career — if not the most dangerous. No. 19 SMU found that fact out the hard way by kicking to Jones in the final minute of their tied game, which the senior returned 102 yards for a go-ahead touchdown in a 44-37 upset to knock the Mustangs from the list of unbeaten teams.
A popular selection in the CBS Sports Midseason All-America team, Jones already had two punt returns for touchdowns on the season. However, it was his kickoff return skills with just 30 seconds remaining that gave Houston the stunning victory. Two yards deep in his own end zone, Jones shot up the middle and evaded every tackle on his way for the game-changing score.
The touchdown came after SMU put together a lengthy drive to come back from down 17 and tie the game behind a tremendous 46-yard field goal from former Groza Award finalist Blake Mazza. With under a minute remaining, the back-and-forth game seemed destined for overtime. Jones, obviously, had other plans.
Even with the kick return for a touchdown, SMU had one more opportunity to score a touchdown of its own before the buzzer. The Mustangs won a game against Louisiana Tech earlier in the season with a Hail Mary and had a manageable pass from the 34-yard line on Saturday. However, Houston was prepared for the pass, which fell harmlessly into the end zone.
The kick return for a touchdown was the sixth such play of Jones’ career between his time at Troy and Houston, along with three punt returns for a touchdown. Jones also has earned acclaim for his cornerback play, posting 48 tackles and 7 pass breakups over the past two seasons.
Houston had lost three of the last four matchups against the in-state Mustangs dating back to Tom Herman’s final season in 2016. A win over SMU puts the Cougars in line to earn a trip to the AAC Championship Game if they can handle a manageable November.
