In Denton, America the University of North Texas is a big deal. Elsewhere across the nation? Well that depends. Entering into this week’s big matchup with Navy there was an online push to have ESPN’s College Game Day come to town. They chose elsewhere, but the next best thing happened. Not only did North Texas win (most important) but Game Day had Nick Saban talking about Eric Morris’ offense.
The pass game opens up the run game, and they can beat you running or throwing the ball.
The ESPN2 broadcast loved the shirtless dudes in the Wing bit. The game ended with Drew Mestemaker talking about what a great opportunity this was while the school song was playing. Couldn’t have asked for a better morning all things considered.
The good times are here, folks. The next home game is the day after Thanksgiving vs Temple (a very solid team). The next couple of weeks are about UAB in Birmingham, and Rice in Houston. The Mean Green Show will go on the road. Time to show out, folks.
Here are our thoughts on the game:
1. Caleb Hawkins Owns The Academies
Thirty-three carries for 197 yards and 4 scores. That is a stat line that is something out of Patrick Cobbs-era UNT offense. He has 8 touchdowns vs Army and Navy combined. The kid was running over and through various Midshipman the whole morning. The Chat was openly wondering if we should ever pass the ball. Not unreasonable, in our opinion.
The broadcast (and Nick Saban) were praising the ability of this group to run the ball. Let’s be honest, it is much easier to call a run pay when it is Caleb Hawkins toting the rock. He’s turned no-gains into big plays, and check-downs in to touchdowns. He’s the real deal.
Oh and he’s a freshman! I’m sure he will be getting calls from monied programs and he deserves the attention. He’s balling out. He will play for North Texas for the rest of this season, and that’s all we care about.
2. The Defense Came Up Big
Amid all the weeklong talk about North Texas’ offense, the aspect that gave folks pause was the Naval Academy’s prowess moving the ball. North Texas was right behind them in yards-per-play. As it was, Navy had 6.7 yards per play to NT’s 6.1 but they only managed 17 points. North Texas held them to 3 points after their first three drives. After allowing touchdown drives bookending the half, NT grabbed two interceptions and forced a turnover on downs.
The game plan was to let the offense take the lead, and then to make Navy work for their yards and points. That worked. Navy got within 7-points after scoring in the third quarter, but that was that. The Mean Green offense went down and restored order, and that was the final score.
Crucially, the Mean Green forced a turnover on downs from 4th and short. In the preview, we were concerned about Horvath’s ability to make good decisions and help his team find the right way to convert short yardage. Outside of the third quarter drive where Navy ate up 70 yards on 8 plays, NT made Navy work and forced turnovers.
One fumble scooped up (luck, as it was a bad running back-QB exchange) and two interceptions — skill, as NT confused the QB. Add to that a sack, a QB hurry, and 4 tackles for loss, and NT did a great job holding down a statistically good offense.
3. North Texas Met The Moment
We joked on the podcast and in the Chat that the concern by some folks was unwarranted. North Texas was the superior team, and we could take some comfort in that fact. The concern —expressed by a few folks— was that historically North Texas has wilted in big moments. Have the nation’s attention? Well that is where we lay an egg. Not here. Not this time. Not in 2025,
North Texas and Eric Morris jumped out to a big lead and held that throughout. They finished strong defensively, and ran the ball. It was classic November football, and I’m sure the old-timers loved every bit of it. The only thing missing was some style points (like literal points on the board) but a win will do just fine.
The Mean Green are 8-1 overall, and 4-1 in the league with a very good chance of getting a crack a the American title game.
Love it.
GMG
Notes
The game notes from the SID:
UNT defeated Navy, 31-17, in the third all-time meeting between the programs and won its first meeting in the series.
Navy entered the game with a 10-game win streak, which was the second longest active streak in FBS.
UNT improved to 11-7 all-time and 5-1 this season in home games under head coach Eric Morris.
UNT is now 14-2 under Morris when leading at the half and improved to 16-0 when leading after three quarters.
UNT’s captains for the game were Gabe Blair, Sawyer Evans and Wyatt Young.
The Mean Green entered the season with 68 newcomers, which is the second-most in FBS behind Utah State. Forty-two of the 68 newcomers are transfers, which is the second-most in FBS behind New Mexico (49).
The Mean Green have now scored at least 30 points in each of the first nine games for the first time in program history after hitting eight straight last week for the first time in program history.
It also marks the first time in program history a UNT team has scored 30+ points in nine straight games.
The Mean Green’s streak of scoring in 32 straight quarters, including overtime periods, dating back to the first quarter of the game at Western Michigan on Sept. 6, ended in the fourth quarter.
The Mean Green had three scoring drives of at least 75 yards, giving them 17 scoring drives this year of 75 yards or more – 16 touchdowns and one field goal.
On Saturday, UNT went 5-for-5 in the red zone (four touchdowns, one field goal). UNT has 40 red-zone touchdowns this season and has scored in 49 of 52 trips inside the opposing 20-yard line this year. The 40 red zone touchdowns is the most in FBS.
UNT now has 30 rushing touchdowns on the season, which ties the Mean Green with American foes Memphis and Navy for the most in FBS, which is the fourth-most in school history. The most in program history is 33, which happened in 1951.
The American Conference had the top three teams in rushing touchdowns this season in FBS entering today’s game: Memphis (30), Navy (28), UNT (26).
RS Freshman QB Drew Mestemaker (Austin, Texas) finished 19-of-24 for 234 yards passing with no touchdowns – his first career game without a touchdown.
Freshman RB Caleb Hawkins (Shawnee, Okla.) finished the day with 33 carries for 197 yards and four touchdowns and added three catches for 9 yards.
Hawkins, with his second game of four rushing touchdowns this season, joins Samaje Perine (Oklahoma, 2014) and Jermar Jefferson (Oregon State, 2018) as the only freshmen to have two games with 4+ rushing touchdowns in a season since 2014.
Hawkins joins Lance Dunbar (2 games) as the only UNT players with multiple games with 4+ rushing touchdowns in a career.
Hawkins’ 197 yards is the ninth-most rushing yards in a game for a UNT freshman in program history.
Hawkins’ 33 carries is the most for a UNT player since Lance Dunbar against Middle Tennessee on Dec. 3, 2012 and the most for a freshman since Jamario Thomas (2004).
For the fourth time this season, Hawkins had multiple touchdowns in a game, and it marked the third time he has had multiple rushing scores in a game.
Hawkins became the first UNT player since Jeffery Wilson (Southern Miss, Sept. 30, 2017) to have 30+ carries in a game.
Hawkins eclipsed 100 rushing yards in the first half, becoming the first UNT player to do so since Makenzie McGill II at Temple on Nov. 30, 2024.
Hawkins is the first UNT player to rush for three scores in a half since DeAndre Torrey against UTSA in 2021.
Hawkins’ 7-yard touchdown run with 11:57 left in the first quarter was his eighth of the year and his 11th overall touchdown.
Hawkins’ 3-yard touchdown run with 3:32 left in the first quarter was his ninth of the year and his 12th overall touchdown.
Hawkins’ 14-yard touchdown run with 5:46 left in the second quarter was his 10th of the year and his 13th overall touchdown.
Hawkins’ 6-yard touchdown run with 0:46 left in the third quarter was his 11th of the year and his 14th overall touchdown.
Hawkins’ 32-yard rush in the first quarter gave him five 30+ yard plays this season – three rushes and two receptions.
Sophomore WR Wyatt Young (Katy, Texas) finished the day with five catches for 52 yards.
Senior WR Cameron Dorner (New Market, Md.) finished the day with three catches for 78 yards.
Junior WR Landon Sides (Denton, Texas) finished the day with three catches for 44 yards.
Defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity came to UNT from Sam Houston and brought six of his players with him to Denton.
Senior CB David Fisher (Houston, Texas), senior LB Trey Fields (Danciger, Texas), senior CB Da’Veawn Armstead (Baton Rouge, La.), senior DL Richard Outland Jr. (Houston) and senior DL Briceon Hayes (Huntsville, Texas), all former Bearkats, started the game on defense.
Fisher made his eighth start for UNT and 36th consecutive start when he’s been available to play, dating back to his time at Sam Houston.
The Mean Green had 16 takeaways a year ago and already have 20 (nine interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries) on the season, which leads all of FBS.
UNT has had two games this season with no forced turnovers (Western Michigan and Charlotte), and in the two games immediately following those, UNT has forced eight combined turnovers.
For the sixth time this season, the Mean Green defense forced multiple turnovers.
Entering the day, the Mean Green had 10 fumble recoveries, which led the nation. Kollin Lewis’ on Saturday gives UNT 11 – the most in a season for UNT since 2021 when the Mean Green recovered 12 fumbles.
UNT converted turnovers into seven points, giving the Mean Green 90 points off turnovers this season. It’s the second-most points off turnovers in a season by a UNT team since 2000 (111, 2011).
Navy had scored on its opening possession in six of seven games this season entering today (5 TDs, 1 FG). Tulsa was the only opponent to keep Navy from scoring on its opening drive before UNT forced a Navy punt on its opening drive.
Junior LB Ethan Wesloski (McKinney, Texas) finished the day with a career-high 14 tackles, including nine solo stops, and a tackle for loss.
Wesloski had his third career game with 10+ tackles.
Senior LB Trey Fields (Dancinger, Texas) finished the day with 12 tackles, including seven solo stops, and a tackle for loss.
Junior DB Patrick Smith-Young (Sugar Land, Texas) finished the day with seven tackles, including four solo stops.
Sophomore DB Quinton Hammonds (Allen, Texas) finished the day with four tackles, including two solo stops, and two interceptions.
Hammonds’ interception late in the third quarter was his first of the season and second of his career. He later had a game-sealing interception with 4:16 left in the game – the third of his career.
Hammonds is the first UNT player with two interceptions in a game since Evan Jackson against Tulsa last season.
Senior DB Da’Veawn Armstead (Baton Rouge, La.) finished the day with four tackles, including three solo stops, and a tackle for loss.
Senior DB David Fisher (Houston) finished the day with four tackles, including two solo stops.
Senior DL Briceon Hayes (Huntsville, Texas) finished the day with two tackles, a half-sack and a half-tackle for loss.
Hayes’ half-sack gave him 1.5 on the season and 7.5 in his career.
Sophomore DL Keviyan Huddleston (Tyler, Texas) finished the day with a tackle, a half-sack and a half-tackle for loss.
Huddleston’s half-sack gives him 4.0 on the season and in his career.
Sophomore K Kali Nguma (Mission, Texas) finished 4-for-4 on extra points and was 1-for-1 on field goals.
His 21-yard field goal with 0:03 left in the second quarter was his 10th of the season and 21st of his career.
Nguma is 103-for-103 in his career on extra points, tied with Trevor Moore (2014-17) for career extra point percentage (1.000), as Moore was 154-for-154 on PATs in his career.
His 103 consecutive extra point attempts converted is the third-longest streak in program history - next is 134 by Ethan Mooney (2019-22).
His 103 career extra points made has him in fourth place on the program’s all-time list – next is Nick Bazaldua (2002-05), who had 116.