UNLV comes off a statement road win with the Group of Five spotlight; North Texas is already trying to shake off a 36-point beatdown before its home opener.
−Just allowed 52 points, including 4 fourth-quarter TDs
−Brand-new staff and lost its starting QB to the portal
−Jackson banged up with cramps late vs Indiana
Jackson Arnold's transfer from Oklahoma to UNLV was billed as a reclamation project, and through one week it's looking like a smart bet by Dan Mullen. Arnold wasn't asked to do much through the air against Hawaii, going 8-of-18 for 116 yards, but he ran for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns himself, and Jai'Den Thomas broke off a 50-yard score in a 143-yard day. All 3 UNLV touchdowns came on the ground, which tells you where this offense wants to live on Saturday.
North Texas is starting over under first-year coach Neal Brown, and the roster turnover shows. Longtime starter Drew Mestemaker, who led the nation in passing yards a season ago, followed former coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State in the offseason, handing the keys to Tayven Jackson. Jackson didn't look overwhelmed in his first start, going 22-of-28 for 192 yards, though he threw an interception and briefly limped off with cramps in the third quarter before finishing the game.
The final score in Bloomington was ugly, but Brown pointed out his team was in the fight for three and a half quarters before a fourth-quarter collapse turned a competitive game into a rout. That's the version of North Texas that shows up if this one stays close into the second half; the version that shows up if it doesn't is the one that just allowed 52 points to open the season.
UNLV's calling card right now is exactly the kind of thing a shaky North Texas defense should fear: a physical run game that controlled Hawaii from start to finish. Thomas is a proven workhorse with double-digit 100-yard games on his résumé, and Arnold adds a second dangerous ball carrier at quarterback, which multiplies the problems for a defense that just got gashed for 4 fourth-quarter touchdowns.
North Texas gets the benefit of a home opener at DATCU Stadium, and this is Brown's first real chance to show what his program looks like in front of its own crowd. But the roster is still figuring out its identity, and asking a first-year staff to fix run-defense issues in a week, against a team built to pound the ball, is a tall order.
