Jackson, White lead North Texas past FAU in 48-41 thriller
Two quarterbacks threw for over 400 yards each in a high-scoring American Conference contest that saw the Mean Green extend their winning streak to five games.
By Miguel Navarro ·
The American Conference saw its highest-scoring contest of the season on Thursday night in Denton, Texas, where two quarterbacks each exceeded 400 passing yards. North Texas defeated Florida Atlantic 48-41 in a game that featured 1,167 total offensive yards between the two teams.
Tayven Jackson led the Mean Green offense with 404 passing yards and four touchdowns on 33-of-46 completion. Jahiem White added a ground attack of 193 yards and two scores on 26 carries. The victory extended North Texas' win streak to five games, improving their conference record to 4-0 and their overall mark to 6-2.
Florida Atlantic's Caden Veltkamp countered with a season-high 452 passing yards and five touchdowns. The Owls quarterback completed 37 of 56 passes, matching his career high for touchdowns in a single game. Easton Messer set a school record with 16 receptions for 189 yards and three scores, serving as Veltkamp's primary target throughout the night.
The game swung back and forth from the opening drive. Veltkamp connected with Branden Hoch for an 18-yard touchdown to give Florida Atlantic a 10-3 lead after the first quarter. Jackson tied the score early in the second with an 8-yard pass to Baron Tipton, but Messer and Veltkamp quickly restored a 17-10 Owls advantage with a 27-yard strike.
North Texas took a 24-17 lead after White scored on a 59-yard first-down run following a Florida Atlantic three-and-out. The Owls tied the game at 24 with 39 seconds left in the half on a 12-yard pass to Messer. Jackson capitalized on a turnover to throw a 4-yard score to Justin Stevenson, giving the Mean Green a 34-24 lead before the third quarter.
White extended the North Texas lead to 41-31 entering the fourth quarter after scoring two plays later on a short run. Veltkamp reduced the deficit to 41-38 with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Messer with 8:26 remaining. Jackson sealed the victory with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Koch, pushing the lead back to 10 with under two minutes left on the clock.
The result marks the first FBS game this season with two 400-yard passers. Florida Atlantic drops to 2-2 in the conference and 5-3 overall. The Owls host UTSA on November 5, while North Texas hosts Rice on November 7.
Source: The Hour
