Thursday college football: North Texas wins in overtime; New Mexico State rolls

New Mexico State beat Western Kentucky 34-13 in the first completed game of Thursday’s college football window. James Jones ran for 155 yards and De'Marcus Peters returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. The Aggies led 20-6 at halftime and closed the scoring on Jones' seven-yard run with 3:18 left. Read the full recap: https://rantsports.hrvstr.com/articles/jones-and-peters-power-new-mexico-state-past-western-kentucky-34-13-2.

North Texas completed Thursday’s window with a 45-44 overtime win at Tulsa. Tayven Jackson threw four touchdown passes and ran for the Mean Green's overtime score, while Jahiem White rushed for 219 yards. Tulsa answered in overtime with Damari Alston's touchdown, then failed on a two-point pass that would have won the game. Read the full North Texas–Tulsa recap: https://rantsports.hrvstr.com/articles/north-texas-stops-tulsa-s-two-point-try-to-win-45-44-in-overtime-2.

Preview background, published before kickoff October 1:

Thursday’s college football schedule opens conference play for four teams, with Western Kentucky visiting New Mexico State at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network and North Texas visiting Tulsa at 9 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

The games offer different early tests. WKU and New Mexico State each arrive at 1-3, looking for a conference start that improves on a difficult September. Tulsa is 3-1 and unbeaten at home; North Texas is 2-2 and seeking its first road victory.

WKU at New Mexico State: take the offensive improvement on the road

WKU scored its first win last weekend, beating Mercyhurst 52-7 with 596 yards of offense. Rodney Tisdale Jr. completed 19 of 23 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns in less than three quarters, according to the school’s game notes. Brock Glenn added two touchdown passes and a rushing score.

That performance came after losses at Nevada, Georgia and Indiana. Thursday is the Hilltoppers’ fourth road game in their first five starts, so the next question is how much of last weekend’s offensive improvement carries into a conference road test.

New Mexico State also earned its only win against Mercyhurst, 51-14, before entering this game off a 42-18 loss to New Mexico. The Aggies and Hilltoppers begin Conference USA play with the same overall record, despite arriving through different schedules. The game is at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces.

Coach Tyson Helton discussed WKU’s preparation in his September 28 media availability below.

North Texas at Tulsa: a productive offense meets a disruptive front

North Texas enters American Conference play after a 63-14 victory over Houston Christian. Parks identified Tayven Jackson’s accuracy as a strength of the Mean Green offense, reporting a completion rate above 74 percent. The road has been less forgiving: North Texas lost at Indiana and Texas State.

Tulsa has won both home games, against Oklahoma State and East Texas A&M, but is coming off a 34-6 defeat at Arkansas. Its pass rush supplies a specific matchup to watch Thursday. The Golden Hurricane recorded 13 sacks through four games, an average of 3.25 that led the American Conference in Tulsa’s official preview. Thomas Davis had four, Kyran Duhon three and Dax Collins 2½.

For North Texas, the short turnaround also compresses preparation and recovery after a Saturday game. The team’s official preview identifies Thursday’s ESPN appearance as another national television opportunity for the program. Turning that exposure into a conference road win will require an offense that can handle Tulsa’s pressure.

The game is at H.A. Chapman Stadium.