Hawkins Rushes for Program-Record 5 TDs in Rout

Saturday, November 15

Birmingham, AL

1 PM CT

University of North Texas

9-1 , 5-1

UAB

3-7 , 1-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

North Texas

UAB

Caleb Hawkins after 5 rushing TDs at UAB

Photo by: Zach Del Bello / Mean Green Sports

11/15/2025 5:29:00 PM | Football

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Freshman running back Caleb Hawkins continued his assault on the program record book and the national rushing leaderboard on Saturday afternoon, as he rushed for a program-record five touchdowns in a 53-24 win over UAB as the Mean Green improved to 9-1 on the season.

Hawkins carried the ball 27 times for 189 yards and added a catch for 21 yards after rushing for 197 yards and four touchdowns in the team's last game – a win over Navy two weeks ago.

"He's amazing," said UNT head coach Eric Morris about his freshman sensation. "He was amazing in pass protection today, too. He's a complete back. I'm happy for him for getting that record today."

Four of Hawkins' five touchdowns on Saturday came in the first half, as UNT built a 28-0 lead just minutes into the second quarter as he became the only player in FBS this season to have four games with three or more touchdowns. His 16 rushing touchdowns put him in a tie for the nation's lead coming out of Saturday's game, and his 19th overall touchdown this year makes him the new program record holder for touchdowns by a freshman in a single season – previously held by Jamario Thomas (2004).

Redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker finished the day with 298 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns to post the eighth 3,000-yard passing season in program history, and Wyatt Young posted 143 yards receiving on eight catches with his eighth receiving touchdown of the season.

While the offense was dominant on Saturday, the UNT defense continued its season-long trend of forcing turnovers en masse.

The Mean Green forced four turnovers on Saturday (three interceptions and a fumble recovery) to give them 24 on the season, which leads all of FBS. The Mean Green turned those into 21 points, which brings the season total to 111 – the most for a UNT team since 2000 (tied with the 2011 team).

"It's hard to win on the road," Morris said. "This is a great conference. There was some weird stuff in that game. Time of possession was heavily in their favor. The defense came up with some big turnovers. That's been a winning recipe for us all season."

Now, UNT will look to move to 10 wins on the season when it travels to Houston to face Rice next Saturday. A win would mark just the second time in program history with 10 wins on the field (the 1977 team won nine games but later added a forfeit win over Mississippi State to move to 10).

"We have to take it one day at a time," Morris said. "We gave ourselves a chance to play meaningful games late in November, which hasn't happened very often around here."

QUICK HITS

UNT defeated UAB, 53-24, in the ninth all-time meeting between the programs and won its third meeting in the series.
- UNT had never previously won a meeting with the Blazers in Birmingham.
UNT improved to 9-7 all-time and 4-0 this season in road games under head coach Eric Morris.
UNT is now 15-2 under Morris when leading at the half and improved to 17-0 when leading after three quarters.
UNT's captains for the game were Sawyer Evans, Quinton Hammonds and Baron Tipton.
The Mean Green entered the season with 68 newcomers, which is the second-most in FBS behind Utah State. Forty-two of the 68 newcomers are transfers, which is the second-most in FBS behind New Mexico (49).
The Mean Green scored 50+ points for the fifth time this season for the first time in program history.
- The only other time a UNT team scored 50+ four times was 1951.
The Mean Green have now scored at least 30 points in each of the first 10 games for the first time in program history after hitting nine straight last week for the first time in program history.
- It also marks the first time in program history a UNT team has scored 30+ points in 10 straight games.
The Mean Green racked up 506 yards of offense, marking the 16th 500-yard game in Morris' 35 games as UNT's head coach and offensive play caller.
Caleb Hawkins' first-quarter 1-yard touchdown run was the Mean Green's fifth touchdown on an opening drive this season – all five have been rushing scores.
UNT's opening drive of 14 plays, 75 yards was the Mean Green's second-longest drive of the year, falling one play short of a 15-play drive against Army.
The Mean Green had three scoring drives of at least 75 yards, giving them 20 scoring drives this year of 75 yards or more – 19 touchdowns and one field goal.
UNT's final scoring drive of the day went for 99 yards – the first 99-yard scoring drive since last season's game against Tulsa, when the Mean Green had two 99-yard scoring drives.
On Saturday, UNT went 6-for-6 in the red zone (six touchdowns). UNT has 46 red-zone touchdowns this season and has scored in 55 of 58 trips inside the opposing 20-yard line this year.
UNT now has 35 rushing touchdowns on the season, which is a new program benchmark, breaking the previous high of 33 in 1951.
For the second time this season, UNT had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver – the first time was also Caleb Hawkins (rushing) and Wyatt Young (receiving) against UTSA on Oct. 18.
RS Freshman QB Drew Mestemaker (Austin, Texas) finished 18-of-25 for 298 yards passing with two touchdowns.
- Mestemaker now owns the UNT freshman completions record with 232, adding to his freshman record list that already included passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency.
- Mestemaker hit the 3,000-yard mark on the season late in the game to register the eighth 3,000-yard passing season in program history.
- Mestemaker's 7-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Young with 9:37 left in the third quarter was his 22nd of the season and 24th of his career.
- Mestemaker's 30-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Dorner with 3:00 to play was his 23rd of the season and 25th of his career.
Freshman RB Caleb Hawkins (Shawnee, Okla.) finished the day with 27 carries for 189 yards and a program-record five touchdowns and added a catch for 21 yards.
- Hawkins' five rushing touchdowns is the most in a single game in UNT history.
  - Hawkins is the second FBS player this season to have five rushing touchdowns in a game (Jonah Coleman, Washington, vs. UC Davis on Sept. 6).
  - Hawkins is the eighth player in American Conference history to have 5+ rushing touchdowns in a game.
- Hawkins, with his third game of 4+ rushing touchdowns this season, joins nine other players who have accomplished that feat since 1995.
- Hawkins is the only player in the nation to have four games this season with 3+ touchdowns.
- Hawkins' 16 rushing touchdowns put him in a tie for the FBS lead coming out of Saturday's game.
- Hawkins joins Lance Dunbar (2 games) as the only UNT players with multiple games with 4+ rushing touchdowns in a career.
- For the fifth time this season, Hawkins had multiple touchdowns in a game, and it marked the fourth time he has had multiple rushing scores in a game.
- Hawkins eclipsed 100 rushing yards for the fourth time this season.
- Hawkins became the first UNT rusher to eclipse 100 yards in consecutive games since both Ayo Adeyi and Oscar Adaway III did so on Nov. 18-25, 2023.
- With his 16th rushing touchdown of the season, Hawkins tied Jeffery Wilson (2017) for the fourth-most in a single season in program history.
- With his 19th overall touchdown of the season, Hawkins tied Jaelon Darden (2020) and Lance Dunbar (2009) for second-most in a single season in program history – two short of the program record of 21, held by UNT running backs coach Patrick Cobbs (2003).
- His 19th overall touchdown broke the program record for a freshman, which was previously held by Jamario Thomas (17 in 2004).
  - He also broke Thomas' points scored by a freshman program record of 102, as Hawkins now sits at 132.
- Hawkins' 30 points responsible for is tied for the third-most in UNT history with Casey Fitzgerald (Navy, Nov. 10, 2007).
- Of the seven 4-rushing touchdown performances in program history, Hawkins is now the only player to do it one half.
- For the second straight game, Hawkins had three rushing touchdowns in a half – a feat that hadn't been accomplished since DeAndre Torrey against UTSA in 2021.
- Hawkins' 1-yard touchdown run with 8:48 left in the first quarter was his 12th of the year and his 15th overall touchdown.
- Hawkins' 4-yard touchdown run with 4:15 left in the first quarter was his 13th of the year and his 16th overall touchdown.
- Hawkins' 11-yard touchdown run with 3:11 left in the first quarter was his 14th of the year and his 17th overall touchdown.
- Hawkins' 9-yard touchdown run with 11:07 left in the second quarter was his 15th of the year and his 18th overall touchdown.
- Hawkins' 5-yard touchdown run with 3:26 left in the third quarter was his 16th of the year and his 19th overall touchdown.
- Hawkins' 51-yard rush midway through the fourth quarter was the longest of his season and career.
Sophomore WR Wyatt Young (Katy, Texas) finished the day with eight catches for 143 yards and a touchdown.
- Young had his third 100-yard receiving day of the season and third in the past four games.
- Young's 7-yard touchdown reception with 9:37 left in the third quarter was his eighth of the season and his ninth overall touchdown of the year.
Senior WR Cameron Dorner (New Market, Md.) finished the day with three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.
- Dorner's 30-yard touchdown reception with 3:00 to play was his fifth of the season and 18th of his career.
Defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity came to UNT from Sam Houston and brought six of his players with him to Denton.
- Senior CB David Fisher (Houston, Texas), senior LB Trey Fields (Danciger, Texas), senior CB Da'Veawn Armstead (Baton Rouge, La.) and senior DL Richard Outland Jr. (Houston), all former Bearkats, started the game on defense.
- Fisher made his ninth start for UNT and 37th consecutive start when he's been available to play, dating back to his time at Sam Houston.
The Mean Green had 16 takeaways a year ago and already have 24 (12 interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries) on the season, which leads all of FBS.
The Mean Green have scored touchdowns off 15 of their 24 forced turnovers this season.
For the seventh time this season, the Mean Green defense forced multiple turnovers, and for the sixth time, UNT forced three or more.
UNT converted turnovers into 21 points, giving the Mean Green 111 points off turnovers this season to tie the most points off turnovers in a season by a UNT team since 2000 (2011, 111).
Junior DB Evan Jackson (Houston) finished the day with game-high and season-high nine tackles, including seven solo stops.
Senior LB Trey Fields (Dancinger, Texas) finished the day with seven tackles, including a half-tackle for loss.
- Fields now has 5.0 tackles for loss this season and 13.0 in his career.
- Fields' first-quarter fumble recovery was his third of the season and sixth of his career.
Sophomore DB Quinton Hammonds (Allen, Texas) finished the day with seven tackles, including five solo stops, and a tackle for loss.
Junior LB Ethan Wesloski (McKinney, Texas) finished the day with six tackles, including three solo stops and a forced fumble.
- Wesloski's first-quarter forced fumble was his second of the season and third of his career.
Senior DB Will Jones II (Mansfield, Texas) finished the day with six tackles, including three solo stops, a PBU and two interceptions.
- His two interceptions makes him the second UNT player in as many games to record multiple interceptions in a game.
- His two interceptions were his first two of the season and gives him six in his career.
Senior DB David Fisher (Houston) finished the day with six tackles - all solo stops – a tackle for loss and an interception.
- Fisher's first-quarter interception was his first of the season and the fifth of his career.
- His tackle for loss gave him two on the season and 4.5 in his career.
Senior DB Da'Veawn Armstead (Baton Rouge, La.) finished the day with six tackles, including four solo stops, and a PBU.
Sophomore DL Keviyan Huddleston (Tyler, Texas) finished the day with five tackles, including four solo stops, two tackles for loss and a sack.
- Huddleston's sack gives him 5.0 on the season and in his career.
Junior DL Ethan Day (Ripon, Calif.) finished the day with four tackles, including three solo stops, and a half-sack.
- Day now has 4.5 sacks on the season and 5.0 in his career.
Sophomore DL Saadiq Clements (Henderson, Ky.) finished the day with four tackles, including one solo stop, 1.5 tackles for loss and a half-sack.
- Clements now has 5.0 tackles for loss on the season to go with 1.5 sacks.
Sophomore K Kali Nguma (Mission, Texas) finished 6-for-6 on extra points and was 1-for-1 on field goals.
- His 46-yard field goal with 3:23 left in the first half was his longest of the season and moved him to 11-for-12 on the season.
- Nguma is 109-for-109 in his career on extra points, tied with Trevor Moore (2014-17) for career extra point percentage (1.000), as Moore was 154-for-154 on PATs in his career.
- His 109 consecutive extra point attempts converted is the third-longest streak in program history - next is 134 by Ethan Mooney (2019-22).
- His 109 career extra points made has him in fourth place on the program's all-time list – next is Nick Bazaldua (2002-05), who had 116.