Jackson shuts out star receiver in UH win

The UH defense had trouble the last time it faced one of the nation’s elite receivers.

Jordan Matthews — who was selected as the 42nd pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2014 NFL Draft — burned the Cougars with five catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns in last season’s BBVA Compass Bowl when he played for Vanderbilt.

With the graduation of starting cornerbacks Zach McMillian and Thomas Bates, first-year starter and junior William Jackson was given the daunting task of matching up against UNLV star receiver Devante Davis on Saturday night. Davis is coming off 1,290 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

Jackson held his own — and then some — when primarily matched up against Davis. He limited Davis to just one catch for zero yards in UH’s 47-14 win against UNLV.

“I’m really proud of William Jackson,” said head coach Tony Levine. “I think (Davis) is one of the premier elite receivers in the United States. I had a chance to visit with him after the game; just a tremendous young man.”

Jackson recorded four tackles in the win along with his coverage on Davis, which went hand-in-hand with the defensive line that recorded a sack and provided constant quarterback pressure.

UNLV quarterback Blake Decker completed less than 50 percent of his passes (42.9) with two interceptions. He threw for just 113 yards with a 62.47 quarterback rating, both season lows.

“The defensive line makes it happen,” Jackson said. “They put pressure on the quarterback, so he has to put the ball up in the air and make plays after that.”

McDonald, a turnover machine

Junior safety Adrian McDonald has recorded a turnover in each game this season, and seven dating backing to last season. He returned an interception 29 yards in the fourth quarter. McDonald has a team-high two interceptions, a forced fumble and recovery this season.

“I give a lot to the defensive line,” McDonald said. “They made the quarterback rush the ball, so it was easy for me to cover him.”

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