HOUSTON −The Houston Cougars upset No. 19 SMU 44-37 after a 100-yard kickoff return by senior cornerback Marcus Jones inside the last minute of the game.
A career day for junior quarterback Clayton Tune led the way for the Cougars as he completed 27 passes for 412 yards and four touchdown passes in a tightly-contested conference matchup to improve to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the AAC.
On the first drive of the game, a 55-yard completion on a 3rd-and-10 from Tune to junior wide receiver Jeremy Singleton set up the Cougars inside the SMU 15-yard line. Houston capped off the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Tune to sophomore wide receiver Nathaniel Dell to take a 7-0 lead.
After freshman running back Alton McCaskill was injured early in the first quarter, Tune hit Dell on a 48-yard pass for their second touchdown connection of the game to extend the lead to 14-0. On the last play of the first quarter, Mordecai found wide receiver Josh Kerley on a 43-yard touchdown pass to cut the Cougars lead to 17-7.
After a Houston field goal and an SMU defensive stop on a 4th-and-1 near midfield, the Mustangs scored on the next play with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Mordecai to running back Tre Siggers to cut the lead to 20-14. Soon after a Houston fumble, SMU drove the ball downfield and tied the game 20-20 with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Mordecai to wide receiver Rashee Rice before a blocked extra point.
A late 30-yard field goal by senior kicker Dalton Witherspoon gave the Cougars a 23-20 lead heading into halftime.
SMU took its first lead of the game when cornerback Bryan Massey returned the second-half kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown to take a 27-23 lead. The Cougars responded with an 11-play, 72-yard drive capped off by a third Tune to Dell touchdown pass for 17 yards to regain the lead at 30-27. The Mustangs first offensive drive of the second half saw them go down the field in eight plays for 75 yards, ending with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Siggers to take a 34-30 lead.
On the next possession, the Cougars finished a 14 play, 75-yard drive in 7:10 with a Tune 4-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Ke'Sean Carter to take the lead 37-34. After exchanging punts, SMU converted two fourth downs on the final possession of the game and tied the game 37-37 with a 45-yard field goal by kicker Blake Mazza.
On the ensuing kickoff, senior cornerback Marcus Jones returned the play 100 yards for a touchdown with 17 seconds left to give the Cougars a 44-37 lead and victory.
Tune broke multiple school and personal records as he moved past David Piland to eighth all-time in completions for the Cougars and surpassed 6,000 career passing yards. Tune now sits sixth all-time in school history with 50 touchdown passes for the Cougars, tied with D'Eriq King. Tune's 412 passing yards is a new career-high, while four passing touchdowns on the night ties his career-high for one game. Tune also became the first Houston quarterback to throw 400+ yards twice vs SMU.
Dell became the first wide receiver to record three receiving touchdowns in one game for the Cougars since Bryson Smith against Temple Nov. 10, 2018.
UP NEXT
The Cougars now travel to Tampa, Fla. where they will take on South Florida on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Raymond James Stadium.
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