Marcus Jones strikes again

As college football teams continue to make the surprising decision to kick it to former Enterprise star Marcus Jones, he continues to make them pay for it as he did with a game-winning kickoff return for a touchdown that lifted Houston over No. 16-ranked SMU on Oct. 30.

SMU booted a 45-yard field goal with just 30 seconds remaining to tie Houston 37-37 and then kicked it two yards into the end-zone, which would typically mean a touchback. Not with Houston, however, as Jones corralled the kickoff and then weaved his way through the SMU special teams on his way to a 100-yard kickoff return that put Houston ahead 44-37 for good.

Houston coach Dana Holgorsen called Jones one of the best kick returners in college football history after the win.

“We’ve got him for a few more games and that’s it. You know, I don’t know what to say,” Holgorsen said of Jones. “I keep saying that he’s the best returner in the country, which he is, and was last year.

“That’s why he’s an All-American returner and he’s better this year. I think he’s getting to a point where I may say he’s the best returner, ever. There’s been some good ones, but the things that he does is unbelievable and for him to do it, in both a punt and kick return, it’s unbelievable. He is a special young man, a special player, a special person, he’s the best one ever. Probably the best one that’s ever played. I’d like for some to argue that.”

Jones pointed out that he hears the questions always asked about why teams would even kick it to him but he urges them to continue.

“I’m happy when they kick to to me,” Jones said after the game. “You know there are some that ask, ‘Why’d you kick it to (him)?’ but I’m okay with it, like go ahead. I want to say, ‘Thank you’ to my teammates, without them blocking the right guys it’s hard to do kickoff returns.”

Jones had a big day, both defensively and on special teams, against SMU. He returned two punts for 32 yards, which moved him into second place all-time in Houston history in punt return yards. Jones also returned three kickoffs for 145 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he recorded six tackles, one tackle-for-loss and his first interception of the season.

Jones, who was also a track star, was an all-state cornerback at EHS and first began striking fear into opposing special teams with the Wildcats. As a senior, in 2016, Jones returned three punt returns for a touchdown and one kickoff return for a touchdown. He also became an All-American kick returner and cornerback at Troy before transferring to Houston.

After earning All-American status as a returner last season, Jones has continued to turn heads as a senior for the Cougars. Jones currently leads the entire country in average yards per kickoff return with 47.7 yards per return and he’s also tied for first place in the country in kickoff return touchdowns with two. His 287 yards on punt returns also leads the country and his two punt return touchdowns are also tied for first place in the nation.

On the season, Jones has returned six kickoffs for 286 yards and two touchdowns along with 19 punt returns for 287 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Jones has recorded 30 tackles, one tackle-for-loss, 3 pass breakups and an interception. He’s also caught 10 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown on offense.