DENTON, Texas — Caleb Hawkins ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 68-yard scoring pass as North Texas beat South Alabama 36-22 on Saturday, giving the Mean Green their first 5-0 start since 1959.

Hawkins had touchdown runs of 6 and 27 yards to go with his long catch-and-run, finishing with 218 all-purpose yards. Drew Mestemaker threw for 234 yards and a touchdown for North Texas (5-0, 1-0 American), which gained 429 total yards and scored touchdowns on three straight possessions spanning the second and third quarters .

South Alabama (1-4, 0-1) opened the game with Bishop Davenport’s 2-yard keeper, but North Texas answered with Miles Coleman’s 18-yard score and never trailed again. Davenport threw a 1-yard TD pass to Rohan Gibbs and Kentrel Bullock added a 2-yard touchdown run that cut the deficit to 28-22 early in the fourth. Hawkins responded with a 27-yard scoring dash to put the game away with 1:59 left .

Devin Voisin caught five passes for 97 yards for the Jaguars, who outgained North Texas 396-429 but were undone by an interception that set up a short-field touchdown in the second quarter .