Friday, October 10
Denton, TX
6:30 PM CT
University of North Texas
vs
South Florida
UNT Set to Host Ranked USF in American Conference Showdown
10/7/2025 1:28:00 PM | Football
DENTON – The UNT football team welcomes No. 24 South Florida to DATCU Stadium Friday night at 6:30 p.m., in a nationally televised game with major American Conference championship implications. The game can be seen on ESPN2, with the radio broadcast set for 1190 AM/The Varsity Network.
Head coach Eric Morris and select players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, the magnitude of this matchup, the challenges USF present, and the success of the running back room this season.
Home field atmosphere will be vital
The opportunity to host a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 has been few and far between for the North Texas program, happening just four times previously. UNT is 2-2 in those games and looking to capture a key win over South Florida, who was ranked No. 24 in this week's poll, to unlock a potentially magical season for the Mean Green.
However, it's not just the Bulls that are receiving national attention as UNT is receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time since 2018.
"I think you earn the right to play in these games, first and foremost," Morris said. "I told the kids this week that we've earned the right to be on this stage and do this, but just like anything in life you have to seize the opportunities when they're there."
The atmosphere at DATCU Stadium is expected to be electric on Friday night as ticket sales continue to move fast with just over 7,000 available as of Tuesday morning. Morris hopes the buzz surrounding this matchup will create a home field advantage that can impact the game.
"We've got ourselves in a good spot to play in a meaningful game in game six of the season," Morris said. "Creating a home field atmosphere is huge, especially in games like this for us to be loud when they have the ball and create an environment with energy that our guys feed off of is vital."
Despite the national attention Friday's matchup is receiving, the Mean Green are looking to keep the same mindset that led them to their undefeated start.
"We're really treating it like how we do every other game," Will Jones II said. "We're going into this week with the same 1-0 mindset and prepare for the opponent. We all know there is a lot of attention around this game, but trying to stay grounded and treat every week like it's a normal week."
The toughest test to date
The Mean Green's bye week may have come at the perfect time following the program's first 5-0 start since 1959. Heading into Friday's contest, North Texas took advantage of the extra time to get healthy and prepare for a potent South Florida team that Eric Morris deemed the most complete team UNT has faced so far.
"This is a really good football team that is coming to our place on a Friday night on national television, so naturally that strikes a lot of buzz for everyone around the nation," Morris said. "This is the fastest, most physical and probably the most complete team we've played on all three sides of the ball."
Led by head coach Alex Golesh, the Bulls put the nation on notice early in the season with ranked wins over Boise State and at Florida. Dynamic dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown is the catalyst for a fast-paced offense that racks up over 36 points and nearly 450 yards per game.
"The speed that those guys play with stands out and is going to be a fast tempo," Jones II said. "That's one of the things that we're really preparing for."
Recent success out of the running back room
An offense that has typically been known for its aerial assault under Morris, North Texas also has touted two of the best freshman running backs in the country over the last two seasons. Makenzie McGill II found the end zone on the ground 10 times in 2024, which was the sixth-most among freshmen across the country.
Although McGill II has been an integral piece of the backfield with 318 yards and four touchdowns in five starts this season, true freshman Caleb Hawkins has broken out in wins over Army and South Alabama. In those two games, Hawkins has rushed 29 times for 239 yards and six touchdowns, while also adding four catches for 92 yards and a receiving touchdown. The Shawnee, Oklahoma, native is averaging 8.7 yards per touch this season, the third-most among all FBS running backs and has the most total touchdowns of any FBS player since Sept. 20.
"Caleb Hawkins and Makenzie McGill II will get the majority of the reps right now," Morris said. "Kiefer (Sibley) has looked awesome this last week and I think the bye week was huge for him. Those three guys will be the main three you'll see in the rotation. They've all three done really good thing."
The depth of the running back room has been a key piece to the strong start offensively for the Mean Green, especially in the red zone where UNT has 16 rushing touchdowns. The ability to run the ball effectively has also made it easier for the pass game to get going in the early stages of Drew Mestemaker's career.
"Caleb (Hawkins) and the running back room have been doing really well getting the run game established early so we can get them to bite down and open up lanes in the passing game," Tre Williams III said. "We love to throw the ball around, but getting that (run game) established early can put you in control of the game.
Head coach Eric Morris and select players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, the magnitude of this matchup, the challenges USF present, and the success of the running back room this season.
Home field atmosphere will be vital
The opportunity to host a team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 has been few and far between for the North Texas program, happening just four times previously. UNT is 2-2 in those games and looking to capture a key win over South Florida, who was ranked No. 24 in this week's poll, to unlock a potentially magical season for the Mean Green.
However, it's not just the Bulls that are receiving national attention as UNT is receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time since 2018.
"I think you earn the right to play in these games, first and foremost," Morris said. "I told the kids this week that we've earned the right to be on this stage and do this, but just like anything in life you have to seize the opportunities when they're there."
The atmosphere at DATCU Stadium is expected to be electric on Friday night as ticket sales continue to move fast with just over 7,000 available as of Tuesday morning. Morris hopes the buzz surrounding this matchup will create a home field advantage that can impact the game.
"We've got ourselves in a good spot to play in a meaningful game in game six of the season," Morris said. "Creating a home field atmosphere is huge, especially in games like this for us to be loud when they have the ball and create an environment with energy that our guys feed off of is vital."
Despite the national attention Friday's matchup is receiving, the Mean Green are looking to keep the same mindset that led them to their undefeated start.
"We're really treating it like how we do every other game," Will Jones II said. "We're going into this week with the same 1-0 mindset and prepare for the opponent. We all know there is a lot of attention around this game, but trying to stay grounded and treat every week like it's a normal week."
The toughest test to date
The Mean Green's bye week may have come at the perfect time following the program's first 5-0 start since 1959. Heading into Friday's contest, North Texas took advantage of the extra time to get healthy and prepare for a potent South Florida team that Eric Morris deemed the most complete team UNT has faced so far.
"This is a really good football team that is coming to our place on a Friday night on national television, so naturally that strikes a lot of buzz for everyone around the nation," Morris said. "This is the fastest, most physical and probably the most complete team we've played on all three sides of the ball."
Led by head coach Alex Golesh, the Bulls put the nation on notice early in the season with ranked wins over Boise State and at Florida. Dynamic dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown is the catalyst for a fast-paced offense that racks up over 36 points and nearly 450 yards per game.
"The speed that those guys play with stands out and is going to be a fast tempo," Jones II said. "That's one of the things that we're really preparing for."
Recent success out of the running back room
An offense that has typically been known for its aerial assault under Morris, North Texas also has touted two of the best freshman running backs in the country over the last two seasons. Makenzie McGill II found the end zone on the ground 10 times in 2024, which was the sixth-most among freshmen across the country.
Although McGill II has been an integral piece of the backfield with 318 yards and four touchdowns in five starts this season, true freshman Caleb Hawkins has broken out in wins over Army and South Alabama. In those two games, Hawkins has rushed 29 times for 239 yards and six touchdowns, while also adding four catches for 92 yards and a receiving touchdown. The Shawnee, Oklahoma, native is averaging 8.7 yards per touch this season, the third-most among all FBS running backs and has the most total touchdowns of any FBS player since Sept. 20.
"Caleb Hawkins and Makenzie McGill II will get the majority of the reps right now," Morris said. "Kiefer (Sibley) has looked awesome this last week and I think the bye week was huge for him. Those three guys will be the main three you'll see in the rotation. They've all three done really good thing."
The depth of the running back room has been a key piece to the strong start offensively for the Mean Green, especially in the red zone where UNT has 16 rushing touchdowns. The ability to run the ball effectively has also made it easier for the pass game to get going in the early stages of Drew Mestemaker's career.
"Caleb (Hawkins) and the running back room have been doing really well getting the run game established early so we can get them to bite down and open up lanes in the passing game," Tre Williams III said. "We love to throw the ball around, but getting that (run game) established early can put you in control of the game.
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