SMU Suffers First Loss on Last-Minute Kick Return TD by Houston

After SMU tied the game with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Houston's Marcus Jones ran back the ensuing kickoff.

SMU entered Saturday as one of nine remaining undefeated teams. After a wild final minute and some suspect special teams play, the Mustangs are unbeaten no more.

Houston knocked off No. 19 SMU, 44-37, thanks to a 100-yard kickoff return by Marcus Jones with 17 seconds remaining. Jones's heroics came immediately after SMU tied the game on a 45-yard field goal by Blake Mazza with 30 seconds left.

As called on Houston Cougars radio: pic.twitter.com/IkqOAeB11p

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 31, 2021

It was the fourth special teams touchdown of the season for Jones and the ninth of his career. The senior also had an interception that ended an SMU drive in Houston territory midway through the fourth quarter.

Jones's return was the second 100-yard kick return score of the game after SMU's Bryan Massey pulled off the same feat to start the third quarter. Houston jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, but Massey put the Mustangs ahead, 27-23, and the game went back and forth from there.

The win for Houston leaves the Cougars and No. 2 Cincinnati as the only teams with perfect league records in the American Athletic Conference, though the two sides will not meet in the regular season. SMU will face Cincinnati on the road on Nov. 20.