Last season, North Texas featured the No. 1 passer, No. 5 rusher, and No. 3 receiver in the country. However, the Mean Green lost all three of those stars in the offseason, forcing the program to start anew offensively.
Yet under first-year head coach Neal Brown, a new big three has been established in the program. Tayven Jackson. Jahiem White. Justin Stevenson.
North Texas flew into Annapolis for a potential trap game against a Navy offense that found its footing as of late. But thanks to this offensive triumvirate, the Mean Green emerged with their fourth consecutive victory, 49-39, to remain unbeaten in conference play.
Jackson recorded 305 passing yards and three touchdowns on a 17-of-23 showing. White rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while adding four receptions for 58 yards. And Stevenson posted a career-high 209 receiving yards on eight receptions and scored twice in the road win.
It was a full-fledged offensive shootout in Annapolis as Navy and North Texas combined for 983 yards of total offense, with the Midshipmen creating a slight 506-477 edge. On the home sideline, Jackson Gutierrez kept the Navy offense in the ballgame. The quarterback rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns — his second 220+ yard, 3-touchdown performance in three weeks — while adding 133 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Despite the balanced offensive numbers, the Mean Green won in wire-to-wire fashion and led by as many as 18. North Texas' defense started the game with a fourth down stop, and that momentum carried over to the offense which created a quick 14-3 lead.
It wasn't just an offensive masterclass. The defense and special teams were responsible for two of North Texas' seven end zone appearances. Late in the second quarter, the Mean Green utilized some trickery on a punt return in a play inspired by the 2014 St. Louis Rams. Dalton Carnes, who was the gunner in the punt return formation, sprinted back to field the punt, while the designated punt returner Lathan Latiolais was used as a decoy. Navy largely gathered around Latiolais, giving Carnes a free lane down the sideline for a 76-yard touchdown.
Then in the third quarter, inside linebacker Zakye Barker raced untouched for a 63-yard scoop-and-score to open up a 35-17 lead for the Mean Green.
Navy cut the 18-point deficit to three with 10:49 remaining on a Michael Barrow touchdown run, but the one-score margin was short lived. Exactly 71 seconds of game clock later, North Texas reestablished a double-digit advantage on a 59-yard White rushing touchdown — his 11th on the season, which ties him for sixth in the FBS.
White then provided the closing efforts, regularly moving the sticks as North Texas used a 12-play drive to consume the final 6:32 of clock. When the Mean Green faced a 4th-and-1 on the possession, Jackson sent a strike to White, who made a spectacular catch to move the team into victory formation.
Navy (2-5, 1-4 American) now has as many losses as it did in the two previous seasons combined. Navy is 1-4 in American play, but the Midshipmen have scored at least 30 points in all but one conference matchup this year, as defensive lapses continue to burden the team. Navy takes a brief rest from conference play next week, but that doesn't mean the competition eases up. The Midshipmen travel to Foxborough, MA for a neutral-site game against perennial rival Notre Dame.
North Texas (5-2, 3-0 American) is one of two teams still perfect in American play, sharing the designation with UTSA. The Mean Green overcame a 1-2 start with four consecutive wins, and they have managed at least 44 points in all five victories this season. North Texas finished first nationally in scoring offense last season at 45.1 points per game. Despite a change in the coaching staff and losing every offensive starter, the new-look Mean Green currently rank second in the FBS at 43.1 points per game. The offense looks to continue its dominance Thursday night in Denton, when North Texas plays host to an improved Florida Atlantic team.
