DENTON, Texas — North Texas opened the Neal Brown era at home in emphatic fashion, cruising past UNLV 44-6 on Saturday at DATCU Stadium.
The Mean Green controlled the game from the start, forcing four turnovers and holding the Rebels without a touchdown. UNT limited UNLV to three points in the first half and finished with 301 yards allowed.
Quarterback Tayven Jackson completed 15 of 26 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score. It was a strong home debut for the fifth-year quarterback.
Running back Jaheim White delivered the game’s biggest offensive performance, rushing for 124 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. He also caught two passes for 34 yards and a score, surpassing 2,000 career rushing yards in the process.
Max Reese and Brendon Haygood also found the end zone for UNT.
Defensively, C.J. Coombes led the Mean Green with seven tackles, while David Onuoha recorded 1.5 sacks. Bryce Garza added his first career interception.
The 38-point victory was UNT’s largest margin since its 55-17 win over UTSA last season. It also marked the first time since 2019 that North Texas held an FBS opponent without a touchdown.
Brown became the first UNT coach since Darrell Dickey in 1998 to win his home debut.
North Texas now hits the road for its next challenge, traveling to face in-state rival Texas State next Saturday at 11 a.m. in San Marcos
