DraftKings · as of July 8, 2026
North Texas defeated Temple 52–25 to secure a comfortable win. North Texas covered by 6.5; Game went Over by 11.5. The market closed at North Texas -20.5 and the Blue Chip model made it North Texas -16.0 - a gap of 4.5 points toward Temple, of which 3.2 points were beyond the model's measured factors. That was an information gap - the market pricing something the model does not carry - rather than a measured edge.
North Texas secured a spot in the American Athletic Conference championship game with the win, overcoming distractions from coach Eric Morris's departure announcement.
The nation's No. 1 offense amassed 366 yards in the first half alone, with Drew Mestemaker throwing for 366 yards and 3 TDs, and Caleb Hawkins rushing for 186 yards and 4 TDs.
Mestemaker broke Dillon Gabriel's AAC freshman passing record, now at 3,835 yards, with 29 TD passes and only 4 interceptions, completing 20 of 24 passes in this game.
North Texas will face either Tulane or Navy in the conference title game; they did not play Tulane this season but beat Navy 31-17 earlier.
A win in the championship game could earn North Texas a College Football Playoff berth as the Group of Five representative, adding high stakes to their next matchup.
At kickoff, conditions at DATCU Stadium were Overcast, 51°F with winds of 13 mph. Gusts reaching 21 mph add variance to the kicking and passing game. Games with gusts at or above 30 mph have seen the total move down by about 1.4 points. Historical weather data for this game is preserved in the panel alongside. Weather data is sourced from WeatherAPI.com.
Overcast
51°F
| Measure | TempleAway | North TexasHome |
|---|---|---|
| This week | 1,303 miles | 0 miles |
| Last week | Home game | 523 miles |
| Season total | 6,508 miles | 8,180 miles |
| Body clock | 15:30 | 14:30 |
| Rest | 6 days | 5 days |
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