Jahiem White’s 219 Yards Kept North Texas Alive in a Wild OT Escape

Jahiem White kept getting the football because North Texas kept needing a dependable way forward. By the end of Thursday night’s 45-44 overtime victory at Tulsa, the Denton-based Mean Green running back had carried 32 times for 219 yards, scored once and ripped off an 84-yard run.

White gave the Denton-based offense a sturdy center of gravity. He supplied 219 of North Texas’ 227 rushing yards and averaged 6.8 yards per carry. That is an extraordinary workload, and it helped North Texas improve to 3-2 while opening American Conference play 1-0.

It was also not a clean offensive masterpiece. North Texas committed three turnovers, including two interceptions and a lost fumble by quarterback Tayven Jackson. Tulsa committed none. The Mean Green won despite handing the Golden Hurricane three extra chances, which is less a recipe for comfort than a request for overtime.

White’s value came from keeping the offense productive through that disorder. His 14-yard touchdown run put North Texas ahead 31-17 with 6:13 left in the third quarter, after Jackson had already thrown touchdown passes to Max Reese and Kyle Koch. The lead looked useful until Tulsa began pulling it apart.

The Golden Hurricane scored late in the third and early in the fourth to tie the game at 31 with 8:17 remaining.

North Texas still had enough passing production to prevent Tulsa from treating every snap as a White emergency. Jackson completed 24 of 39 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns. A touchdown was part of Reese’s 101-yard, five-catch contribution, while Justin Stevenson caught two scoring passes.

The Mean Green totaled 559 yards, including 227 rushing, so White’s carries were part of a functioning offense rather than the residue of a team unable to throw.

The late fourth quarter, however, separated volume from control.

After Tulsa punted with 5:51 remaining, Jackson threw incomplete on a pass intended for White. White followed with a 7-yard run, and Jackson hit Brec Long for 13 yards. Then the possession began stepping on its own shoelaces.

A North Texas false-start penalty moved the offense backward before a subsequent White carry gained 1 yard. A delay-of-game penalty then pushed the Mean Green back again before White ran for 6 yards on the next live play.

With 2:38 remaining, Jackson threw an interception that was returned to the North Texas 38. White had moved the ball, but the possession still gave Tulsa the exact opening a one-score game punishes. The Golden Hurricane turned the takeaway into a tying touchdown with 31 seconds remaining, erasing North Texas’ 38-31 lead.

White carried once more for 5 yards after Tulsa’s kickoff, but regulation ended before the Mean Green could turn that modest gain into anything more. His workload had kept North Texas from losing its offensive footing; it had not prevented penalties or the quarterback’s costly mistake.

Overtime reduced the argument to a few yards. North Texas opened at the Tulsa 25 and immediately gained 22 yards on a completion to Grayson O’Bara, reaching the 3. White then ran for 2 yards, putting the ball at the 1.

On the next snap, he was credited with no gain. Jackson took the following rushing attempt and scored from 1 yard out, and Dominic De Freitas’ extra point made it 45-38.

Tulsa answered with Damari Alston’s 2-yard touchdown run. A successful two-point conversion would have given the Golden Hurricane the win, but the attempt failed, ending the game.

That final exchange gives White’s night its proper shape. He did not erase North Texas’ turnover problem, and 32 carries do not turn a chaotic possession into efficient football. He supplied something more concrete: repeated yardage that kept the Mean Green’s offense viable long enough for its other pieces to make the decisive plays.

At the Tulsa 1, White did the heavy work before Jackson finished the drive. The victory belonged to the whole team, including a quarterback who threw four touchdown passes and scored the overtime winner. But White’s durability made that narrow finish possible. In a game where North Texas repeatedly left the door open, his legs kept it from slamming shut.

Sources

ESPN: official game summary and play-by-play

North Texas Athletics: Tulsa game report