Everyone within the Houston football program was puzzled that the ball was kicked to Marcus Jones with 30 seconds remaining in regulation.
Even Jones himself did not expect that he would have an opportunity to return the kick.
“I didn’t think they were going to kick it to me at first,” Jones said after the game.
But as the ball flew off SMU kicker’s Brendan Hall’s foot, Jones saw that he was going to have a chance to return it and his eyes lit up.
13 seconds and 102 yards later and Marcus Jones was celebrating in the other end zone, bringing UH 17 seconds away from knocking off the undefeated and 19th ranked Mustangs.