North Texas Defeats Florida Atlantic 48-41

North Texas secured a 48-41 victory over Florida Atlantic on Thursday night in Denton, Texas, extending the Mean Green’s winning streak to five games. The contest featured the first pair of 400-yard passers in an FBS game this season, with the teams combining for 1,167 total offensive yards.

Tayven Jackson led the offense for North Texas, completing 33 of 46 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns. Jahiem White added a ground threat, rushing for 193 yards and two scores on 26 carries. The win improved North Texas to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the American Conference.

Florida Atlantic’s Caden Veltkamp matched his career high with 56 pass attempts, completing 37 for 452 yards and five touchdowns. Easton Messer set a school record with 16 receptions for 189 yards and three scores. Despite the effort, the Owls fell to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

The Owls started strong, with Veltkamp finding Branden Hoch for an 18-yard touchdown to build a 10-3 lead in the first quarter. Jackson tied the score with an 8-yard pass to Baron Tipton early in the second, but Veltkamp and Messer responded with a 27-yard strike to put Florida Atlantic ahead 17-10.

North Texas regained the lead before the break. Jackson hit Kyle Koch for a 3-yard touchdown, and White followed with a 59-yard first-down run to make it 24-17. Veltkamp tied the game at halftime with a 12-yard pass to Messer with 39 seconds remaining in the half.

In the third quarter, Jackson capitalized on an Owls turnover with a 4-yard pass to Justin Stevenson, giving North Texas a 34-24 lead. Veltkamp narrowed the gap with a 22-yard score to Kaden Shields-Dutton, but White drove the ball to the 1-yard line and scored two plays later to set a 41-31 lead heading into the final period.

Veltkamp cut the deficit to three points with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Messer with 8:26 left in the game. Jackson sealed the win with a 2-yard scoring pass to Koch, pushing the lead back to 10 points for the final margin.