Houston – The Cougars extended their win streak to 10 games with a 31-13 win over Memphis. Houston built its lead with a 21-point second quarter that included a touchdown pass and run by quarterback Clayton Tune. He scampered 20 yards for a touchdown with 53 seconds left in the first half to give the Cougars a 21-3 lead after two quarters. 

The Houston offense sputtered in the second half. Tune threw two interceptions and running back Alton McCaskill was out with an injury. The Cougars turned to the defense with Memphis cutting the deficit to 21-13 with 14:52 left in the fourth quarter. Memphis, within one possession for the first time since the second quarter, went three-and-out on two consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter to keep the winning streak alive. 

Houston scored 10 points late in the fourth quarter to build a lead that was slightly misleading. Memphis was within one possession of the Cougars with less than five minutes remaining in the game. The win puts Houston at 8-0 in conference play for the second time in program history. It is the first 10-win season for the Cougars since 2015, and Houston ends the regular season undefeated at home. 

The Cougars close the regular season a week from Saturday with a trip to UCONN. Houston will play for its first conference championship since 2015 on Dec. 4 at 2:30 p.m. Houston will host if Cincinnati loses one of its final two games. If the Bearcats avoid a loss, the Cougars will travel to Cincinnati. 

Five thoughts from the press box

Marcus Jones should get some Heisman Trophy hype: What can’t Jones do? The senior recorded his fourth interception of the season in the third quarter. He added a second late in the fourth quarter to seal the win. It was the fourth consecutive game for Jones to pick off a pass. He’s also returned two punts and two kickoffs back for touchdowns. Oh, and he’s caught a pass for a score. Jones, a Troy transfer back in 2019, is the best return man in the state, and he might be the best cornerback. If the state of Texas has a Heisman contender, it is Jones. 

The Third Ward Defense is for real: The Houston defense prefers the moniker “Third Ward Defense”, and it was rough and rugged in the win over Memphis on Friday night. The Cougars set the tone on the first play from scrimmage when Logan Hall and Derek Parish combined for a sack. Marcus Jones would add an interception in the first half and second half. The defensive line, known as “Sack Ave.” entered the game fifth in the nation with 3.4 sacks a game. Memphis’ game plan was to get the ball out of quarterback Seth Henigan’s hand quickly, and Houston only recorded two sacks, but the front seven took away the Memphis running game and the secondary made enough plays to survive while the offense struggled over the final 30 minutes of play. 

We saw some of the old Tune: Tune entered his junior season with the reputation as a gunslinger. He was careless with the football. He threw 10 interceptions in 2020 and nine in 2019. Tune threw four picks in the Week 1 loss to Texas Tech and had six total after five weeks of the season.

And then something clicked. Tune began to avoid mistakes.

Tune went 192 pass attempts without an interception until one against Memphis in the third quarter. It was his first pick since Oct. 1 against Tulsa. He threw his second INT of the game in fourth quarter with Houston up eight points and in field goal range. In the five games before the Memphis game, Tune was 110 of 161 for 1,464 yards and 14 touchdowns without an interception. 

Houston can't win an AAC championship with the mistake-prone version of Tune. The Cougars require the Tune from the past five weeks to potentially upset Cincinnati. Tune finished the game 20 of 34 for 264 yards and one touchdown pass to two interceptions. He added 59 yards and a score on the ground.  

The Cougars are underrated: Ask observers about the best teams in Texas and you’re likely to hear Baylor or UTSA or even Texas A&M mentioned before Houston is mentioned, if the Cougars are mentioned at all. The Week 1 loss to Texas Tech feels like it set a perception for Houston that the Cougars can’t shake despite a 10-game winning streak and a berth into the American Athletic Conference championship game on Dec. 4. Houston was only ranked 17th in the nation entering the Memphis game and wasn’t ranked in the College Football Playoffs until it was 9-1 on the year. That’s despite an explosive offense led by an experienced quarterback and a defensive line that ranked fifth in the nation entering the game with 3.4 sacks a contest. 

Houston needs a healthy McCaskill to win the AAC: The true freshman left the game in the second quarter with what looked like a shoulder injury. He rushed nine times for 58 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown to start the second quarter. He’s rushed for a Houston freshman record 15 touchdowns, which is also tied for the most by a running back in school history. His 16 total touchdowns are one behind the school record for most by a freshman. His health on Dec. 4 might be the difference in the conference championship game. Houston only scored three points in the second half prior to its final drive, and McCaskill's absence made the offense one-dimensional too often.