University of North Texas Athletics
Saturday, November 22
Houston, TX
6:30 PM CT
University of North Texas
at
Rice
Photo by: Zach Del Bello / Mean Green Sports
No. 22 Mean Green Set For Road Test at Rice
11/18/2025 12:27:00 PM | Football
DENTON – The UNT football team is set for a second straight road game, as the Mean Green, newly minted as a Top-25 team, will travel to Houston to face Rice on Saturday. The No. 22 Mean Green will face the Owls on ESPNU with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. The radio broadcast can be found on 1190 AM/The Varsity Network.
Head coach Eric Morris and select players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, UNT being ranked for the first time since 1959, getting ready to face a third option attack this season, Caleb Hawkins living up to his first carry at UNT, the stellar offensive line play being key to the nation's top scoring offense and how the South Florida loss served as a valuable wakeup call.
UNT staying focused despite ranking, distractions
For the first time since 1959 and just the second time in program history, the Mean Green are ranked inside the Associated Press Top 25, as they will head to Rice this weekend ranked No. 22 in the country.
As flattered and excited as those inside the program are, they know the job isn't finished. Far from it, in fact.
"It's great for our players and coaches," Morris said. "It's a tribute to their hard work. We're in the middle of a fight right now. We're in the middle of two-game stretch of trying to get to the finish line."
Senior defensive back Will Jones II said the ranking added to the team's confidence going into these final two regular-season games, but he and his teammates know they can't get big heads because of the national attention.
"It was exciting and it really opened up our eyes to what we're capable of doing as a team," he said. "It showed that we're doing all the right things week in and week out. We can't listen to outside noise. We have to stay focused on our process and the things that got us to this point."
UNT uniquely familiar with option attack
There aren't many teams in the nation that can say they will have played three teams that run some variation of an option attack.
Whether it's the importance of reading keys, staying disciplined or the importance of offensive possessions knowing you might not get many, there are several nuances that come with facing an option offense.
UNT is 2-0 in those games this year with wins over Army and Navy, and now the Mean Green will face a Rice Owls attack that is a bit different but still with the same principles.
"This is the third type of option team we've faced," Jones said. "That's kind of rare. The games we played earlier in the season have helped and we'll have some carryover from those games. It's a unique style of offense and luckily it hasn't been too many weeks between the Navy game and this game. It's still fresh on our mind."
Hawkins living up to what team saw early on
Freshman running back Caleb Hawkins has taken the conference, and the nation, by storm this season.
The hard-running back is tied for the national lead with total touchdowns (19) and has rushed for 16 scores (second in FBS) with just under 1,000 yards rushing in nine games played. He's also one of the leading receivers with 294 yards through the air. He was recently named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top running back.
Morris said he was recently laying in bed and found himself wondering if he should have started Hawkins from Day 1. Should he have seen this coming after Hawkins took literally the first carry he ever had at UNT, in a fall scrimmage, 65 yards to paydirt?
"At Army (in Week 4) was his true coming out party and he's built on that since," Morris said. "He's definitely earned it now. You can't see some of the things he does so well unless you're in live situations. Should he have been the starter from Day 1? I don't know. We have other good backs. Makenzie's a good back. Kiefer's a good back. They were ahead at that point at knowing the offense, but it's pretty phenomenal how (Hawkins) has continued to get better throughout the year.
"Did you see the game last week? He continues to run the ball really effectively and never has negative runs," Morris added. "He's a complete back. His blitz pickup is special. At his age right now, to see things and react and stone linebackers, it's phenomenal. He's also a kid that loves football. He's still wearing the same gloves we gave him when he got here. That doesn't happen anymore. He's gritty. He's a coach's dream. He practices extremely hard and he performs the way he has because of how he prepares."
Senior right tackle Jimto Obidegwu said Hawkins has been a joy for he and his teammates on the offensive line.
"It feels good to block for guys like Caleb," Obidegwu said. "When I first saw him in his first real action he scored. His first carry here was a touchdown (in that scrimmage), so I'm thinking, 'OK, the freshman has some potential,' and it didn't stop. He continued to show up and has made the most of his opportunities."
Morris credits O-line as difference this year
Morris and his offenses have always put up numbers, and it's no revelation that the Mean Green can move the football with a host of playmakers at key positions – a luxury he's had in each of his three seasons in Denton.
Though those faces have changed each season, a constant has been several of the big guys up front.
This year, the play of the offensive line has been the biggest difference between great offenses and an elite one that leads the nation in scoring and has the team sitting at 9-1 with conference championship and College Football Playoff aspirations.
"The biggest thing about our offensive – the biggest difference – is how good our offensive line is playing right now," Morris said. "That's the biggest difference. We've had good athletes here every year. Now, we have a bunch of guys that have played a ton of football. (tackle) Braydon (Nelson) has started over 20 games. (Guard) Gabe (Blair) in close to 50. Our center (Tay Yanta II) is close to 50. (Guard Johnny) Dickson has started a ton of games. Jimto started the last three years at Kent State. That group jelling and meshing and staying healthy has been the biggest difference. Everyone knows about (quarterback) Drew (Mestemaker) and Caleb, but neither of those guys are where they are if we aren't this good at run blocking and pass protection."
South Florida loss served as wakeup call
The lone blemish on the Mean Green's record this season – a 63-36 loss in front of the first sellout crowd in program history – was painful at the time. The team hasn't dwelled on it and has moved on, but not without taking any and all positive it can from the defeat.
"I've always been a big believer you can learn just as much afrom a mistake as you can from doing something the right way," Morris said. "My grandfather told me at a young age you can learn just as much from a dumb person as you can from a smart person. That was a big time for us. There was the sellout and whether it was anxiety or what, we didn't perform up to par. We were able to reset nicely after that. We've learned things from our road games, tight games and starting bad at Charlotte. We've overcome a lot of things this year and that always makes for a good football team."
With so many big opportunities in front of this football team, Jones said he took one valuable lesson from that loss.
"That's in the past," he said. "We used that game as a learning experience of being able to make plays and step up to opportunities when they come."
Head coach Eric Morris and select players spoke to the media on Tuesday and discussed, among other things, UNT being ranked for the first time since 1959, getting ready to face a third option attack this season, Caleb Hawkins living up to his first carry at UNT, the stellar offensive line play being key to the nation's top scoring offense and how the South Florida loss served as a valuable wakeup call.
UNT staying focused despite ranking, distractions
For the first time since 1959 and just the second time in program history, the Mean Green are ranked inside the Associated Press Top 25, as they will head to Rice this weekend ranked No. 22 in the country.
As flattered and excited as those inside the program are, they know the job isn't finished. Far from it, in fact.
"It's great for our players and coaches," Morris said. "It's a tribute to their hard work. We're in the middle of a fight right now. We're in the middle of two-game stretch of trying to get to the finish line."
Senior defensive back Will Jones II said the ranking added to the team's confidence going into these final two regular-season games, but he and his teammates know they can't get big heads because of the national attention.
"It was exciting and it really opened up our eyes to what we're capable of doing as a team," he said. "It showed that we're doing all the right things week in and week out. We can't listen to outside noise. We have to stay focused on our process and the things that got us to this point."
UNT uniquely familiar with option attack
There aren't many teams in the nation that can say they will have played three teams that run some variation of an option attack.
Whether it's the importance of reading keys, staying disciplined or the importance of offensive possessions knowing you might not get many, there are several nuances that come with facing an option offense.
UNT is 2-0 in those games this year with wins over Army and Navy, and now the Mean Green will face a Rice Owls attack that is a bit different but still with the same principles.
"This is the third type of option team we've faced," Jones said. "That's kind of rare. The games we played earlier in the season have helped and we'll have some carryover from those games. It's a unique style of offense and luckily it hasn't been too many weeks between the Navy game and this game. It's still fresh on our mind."
Hawkins living up to what team saw early on
Freshman running back Caleb Hawkins has taken the conference, and the nation, by storm this season.
The hard-running back is tied for the national lead with total touchdowns (19) and has rushed for 16 scores (second in FBS) with just under 1,000 yards rushing in nine games played. He's also one of the leading receivers with 294 yards through the air. He was recently named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's top running back.
Morris said he was recently laying in bed and found himself wondering if he should have started Hawkins from Day 1. Should he have seen this coming after Hawkins took literally the first carry he ever had at UNT, in a fall scrimmage, 65 yards to paydirt?
"At Army (in Week 4) was his true coming out party and he's built on that since," Morris said. "He's definitely earned it now. You can't see some of the things he does so well unless you're in live situations. Should he have been the starter from Day 1? I don't know. We have other good backs. Makenzie's a good back. Kiefer's a good back. They were ahead at that point at knowing the offense, but it's pretty phenomenal how (Hawkins) has continued to get better throughout the year.
"Did you see the game last week? He continues to run the ball really effectively and never has negative runs," Morris added. "He's a complete back. His blitz pickup is special. At his age right now, to see things and react and stone linebackers, it's phenomenal. He's also a kid that loves football. He's still wearing the same gloves we gave him when he got here. That doesn't happen anymore. He's gritty. He's a coach's dream. He practices extremely hard and he performs the way he has because of how he prepares."
Senior right tackle Jimto Obidegwu said Hawkins has been a joy for he and his teammates on the offensive line.
"It feels good to block for guys like Caleb," Obidegwu said. "When I first saw him in his first real action he scored. His first carry here was a touchdown (in that scrimmage), so I'm thinking, 'OK, the freshman has some potential,' and it didn't stop. He continued to show up and has made the most of his opportunities."
Morris credits O-line as difference this year
Morris and his offenses have always put up numbers, and it's no revelation that the Mean Green can move the football with a host of playmakers at key positions – a luxury he's had in each of his three seasons in Denton.
Though those faces have changed each season, a constant has been several of the big guys up front.
This year, the play of the offensive line has been the biggest difference between great offenses and an elite one that leads the nation in scoring and has the team sitting at 9-1 with conference championship and College Football Playoff aspirations.
"The biggest thing about our offensive – the biggest difference – is how good our offensive line is playing right now," Morris said. "That's the biggest difference. We've had good athletes here every year. Now, we have a bunch of guys that have played a ton of football. (tackle) Braydon (Nelson) has started over 20 games. (Guard) Gabe (Blair) in close to 50. Our center (Tay Yanta II) is close to 50. (Guard Johnny) Dickson has started a ton of games. Jimto started the last three years at Kent State. That group jelling and meshing and staying healthy has been the biggest difference. Everyone knows about (quarterback) Drew (Mestemaker) and Caleb, but neither of those guys are where they are if we aren't this good at run blocking and pass protection."
South Florida loss served as wakeup call
The lone blemish on the Mean Green's record this season – a 63-36 loss in front of the first sellout crowd in program history – was painful at the time. The team hasn't dwelled on it and has moved on, but not without taking any and all positive it can from the defeat.
"I've always been a big believer you can learn just as much afrom a mistake as you can from doing something the right way," Morris said. "My grandfather told me at a young age you can learn just as much from a dumb person as you can from a smart person. That was a big time for us. There was the sellout and whether it was anxiety or what, we didn't perform up to par. We were able to reset nicely after that. We've learned things from our road games, tight games and starting bad at Charlotte. We've overcome a lot of things this year and that always makes for a good football team."
With so many big opportunities in front of this football team, Jones said he took one valuable lesson from that loss.
"That's in the past," he said. "We used that game as a learning experience of being able to make plays and step up to opportunities when they come."
Players Mentioned
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