DraftKings · as of July 8, 2026
North Texas defeated UAB 53–24 in a dominant performance. North Texas covered by 11.5; Game went Over by 8.5. The market closed at North Texas -17.5 and the Blue Chip model made it North Texas -15.8, an edge of 1.7 points toward UAB.
True freshman Caleb Hawkins set a program record with five rushing touchdowns, including four in the first half, and finished with 189 yards on 27 carries. This performance underscores North Texas's elite ground game, which is a key factor in their high-scoring offense.
Drew Mestemaker completed 18 of 25 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns, with Wyatt Young (8 catches, 148 yards, TD) and Cameron Dorner (3 catches, 73 yards, TD) as primary targets. The balanced attack makes the offense difficult to defend.
North Texas ranks second nationally in scoring (44.4 PPG) and fifth in total yards (487.8 YPG). Their 506-yard performance against UAB shows they can maintain elite production against conference opponents.
The Mean Green defense intercepted UAB quarterback Jalen Kitna twice and held the Blazers to 24 points, despite allowing 163 rushing yards to Jevon Jackson. This defensive effort helped secure the blowout win.
Coming off a key win over Navy, North Texas improved to 9-1 (5-1 AAC) and remains in contention for the conference title. Their dominant performance against UAB builds confidence heading into the next game.
At kickoff, conditions at Protective Stadium were Clear, 69°F with winds of 6 mph. Weather is not expected to be a meaningful factor in this game. Historical weather data for this game is preserved in the panel alongside. Weather data is sourced from WeatherAPI.com.
Clear
69°F
| Measure | North TexasAway | UABHome |
|---|---|---|
| This week | 599 miles | 0 miles |
| Last week | Bye week | 1,141 miles |
| Season total | 7,058 miles | 6,177 miles |
| Body clock | 13:00 | 13:00 |
| Rest | 14 days | 7 days |
