The American Conference race tightened Saturday as North Texas knocked Navy from the ranks of the unbeaten, leaving six teams with one league loss bunched at the top of the standings.
Freshman Caleb Hawkins ran for four touchdowns and the Mean Green beat Blake Horvath and the Midshipmen 31-17.
A week after UNT’s Drew Mestemaker passed for a conference-record 608 yards, the Mean Green (8-1, 4-1) used their running game to take down Navy. Hawkins ran 33 times for a season-best 197 yards.
Navy (7-1, 5-1) entered the meat of its schedule with a road trip to Denton, Texas, and fell behind 21-3 in the first half.
Navy, which was one of six unbeaten teams left in FBS entering Week 10, cut North Texas’ lead to 24-17 in the third quarter on Horvath’s 13-yard touchdown run. The quarterback ran for 112 yards on 19 carries and passed for 80 yards, but he threw two interceptions in the second half to end any hopes for a comeback.
Mestemaker passed for 234 yards for North Texas, which has already lost to USF and finishes the season with road trips to UAB and Rice and a home game against Temple.
Whoever emerges from the American seems primed to be in position to make the CFP, but determining that champion is a long way from settled.
As of Saturday afternoon, North Texas had the best odds to win the American and make the Playoff, according to The Athletic’s projections model.
The Midshipmen travel to No. 12 Notre Dame next week and then finish conference play against American contenders South Florida (6-2, 3-1) and No. 25 Memphis (8-1, 4-1). The Army game is a nonconference matchup played a week after the College Football Playoff field is set.
Tulane (6-2, 3-1) took its first conference loss on Thursday night at UTSA (4-4, 2-2) and plays at Memphis on Friday night. With a victory against USF last week, the Tigers control their path to the American title game, with a game also left against East Carolina.
The winner of Saturday’s East Carolina-Temple game will also have just one conference loss heading down the stretch of the season.