Fish Smithson has offensive flashback on interception return

Kansas' Fish Smithson (9) comes up with a interception in the second half of the Jayhawks' 23-17 loss to TCU on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fort Worth, Texas ? On a day when the Kansas University defense played its most complete game of the season and nearly delivered a monster upset over TCU, one of the biggest plays of Saturday’s 23-17 loss at Amon G. Carter Stadium nearly made KU coach David Beaty faint.

With the game tied at 10 and TCU marching down the field on the opening drive of the second half, KU junior Fish Smithson intercepted a pass from Horned Frogs quarterback Bram Kohlhausen to end the threat and set the Jayhawks up with good field position.

After picking off the pass and turning upfield, Smithson flashed the ball the way a baseball outfielder would signal that he made a catch and then danced and juked his way to the KU 32 yard line.

“I thought that was a great play by Fish,” Beaty said with a grin. “If we can just get him to tuck it away a little quicker. He scares you like that.”

Asked if he was aware that he had nearly given his coach a panic attack, Smithson, a former high school quarterback, smiled and said the gesture was the result of a flashback to his days as a ball carrier.

“I’ve been playing offense for a long time,” he said. “And that’s just kind of the way I carry it, how I’m comfortable with the ball in my hands. I know it scared a couple of our coaches so I’ll try not to do it as much.”

— See what people were saying about the game during KUsports.com’s live coverage.