HOUSTON – Special teams wins football games. Houston returner Marcus Jones proved that again on Saturday night when his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 17 seconds left in the game provided Houston with a 44-37 win over the previously undefeated SMU Mustangs. Both teams are now 7-1 on the season. SMU had tied the game with 30 seconds left after a field goal by Blake Mazza. It was Jones’ fourth special teams touchdown of 2021 and the ninth of his career. 

The Houston Cougars must have felt some déjà vu when SMU erased an early 14-0 lead to go up 27-23 after Bryan Massey returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Houston’s only loss of the season entering the matchup with SMU was in Week 1 when Texas Tech erased an early 14-0 lead en route to a victory. Houston won six straight following that loss and learned from its mistakes by overcoming the comeback to beat SMU and move to 7-1 on the season. 

Houston led 17-0 until SMU scored a touchdown on the final play of the first quarter. The Cougars would retain a 23-20 lead at halftime thanks to the second field goal by Dalton Witherspoon, the last one coming as time expired in the second quarter. Up 23-20 to start the second half, Houston kicked off to start the third quarter and watched Massey take it to the house and steal the lead. 

The Cougars didn’t blink. A shootout between quarterbacks Clayton Tune and Tanner Mordecai broke out over the final 30 minutes of play with Tune’s four touchdown passes coming out on top as the Houston defense did just enough to stop Mordecai and the Mustangs twice in the fourth quarter to hold onto the victory. SMU is now 7-1 on the season. 

THREE THINGS I KNOW

Nathaniel Dell is a star: The best player on the field for most of the night was the Houston wide receiver. Dell wasted no time announcing his presence against an overmatched SMU secondary. Dell caught a pair of touchdown passes in the first six minutes of the first quarter to give the Cougars an early 14-0 lead. He finished the game with career highs in catches (9), yards (165) and touchdowns (3). 

Put some respect on Clayton Tune’s name: There is no way that Tune didn’t view the number of headlines garnered by SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai as a personal challenge. The Mustangs were the team considered to hold the quarterback advantage in the game between Houston and SMU, but nobody told Tune. The Houston quarterback set career highs in yards (412) and touchdown passes (4). He’s been excellent since the Week 1 loss to Texas Tech, and he deserves more recognition and respect as one of the best quarterbacks in Texas.

The Houston defense line is for real: SMU entered the game allowing two sacks through the first seven games of the season. The play of the offensive line was one of the main reasons the Mustangs were undefeated prior to Saturday night. Houston entered the game averaging four sacks a game. The key battle in the contest was always going to be the SMU offensive line versus the Houston defensive line. The Cougars accounted for three sacks, routinely pressured Mordecai and held the SMU running attack to 2.1 yards a carry. 

THREE THINGS I THINK I KNOW 

SMU misses Ulysses Bentley IV: The Mustangs can always rely on Mordecai and the passing attack, but SMU is at its best when the rushing attack provides balance and forces the opponents to load the box. SMU could never get the run game going in the game against Houston, and the absence of the electric Bentley is a hinderance. He only ran the ball four times for 15 yards and has missed multiple games this year due to injury. 

Tanner Mordecai passed a test: Mordecai established himself as the best quarterback in Texas through the first half of the 2021 season, but let’s face facts: He did so against inferior defensive competition and without facing much pressure. A quarterback’s worth is measured by his ability to execute with players in his face. Mordecai did that against Houston. He was sacked more times on Saturday night as he was in the previous seven games and still finished the game with 305 yards passing and three touchdowns. Mordecai led a long drive late in the fourth quarter that resulted in a game-tying kick with 30 seconds left in the fourth 

SMU could upset Cincinnati: The loss at Houston doesn’t derail the SMU season. The Mustangs can still contend for the AAC championship, but it will require an upset of Cincinnati. SMU must get past Memphis and UCF to get that opportunity on Nov. 20 at Cincinnati. The Mustangs possess plenty of firepower to compete with any team in the conference.