Lance Dunbar started to feel himself adjust midway through the second half of North Texas’ game against Louisiana-Lafayette last week.

The former Haltom standout was carrying the ball regularly while filling in for starter Cam Montgomery, and carrying the Mean Green’s offense in the process.

“I started to feel more confident,” Dunbar said. “If I score, I usually really don’t get too excited. I am starting to show more emotion. I was having fun out there.”

Dunbar finished with 187 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries in a performance that was the latest indication he is coming into his into his own as a player while coming out of his shell heading into UNT’s homecoming game against Florida Atlantic on Saturday.

Dunbar, who had just 97 yards in UNT’s first three games, is now the team’s leading rusher with 385 yards and one of its top threats.

The transition is one Dunbar has started to enjoy, a change his teammates has noticed the last few weeks.

Dunbar was posing for a picture after practice this week while taking a ribbing from Riley Dodge, his roommate and one of his best friends on the team.

“You are a big star now,” Dodge said.

“You got yours,” Dunbar shot back with a smile. “It’s my turn now.”

Both former Dallas area high school standouts are excelling and having some fun while dealing with the challenge of trying to get a UNT team in the midst of a four-game slide over the hump.

Dunbar has scored eight of UNT’s 13 touchdowns on the season and leads the team with an average of 105.2 all-purpose yards a game. Dodge is posting 213.8 passing yards a game.

That type of production is just what UNT thought Dunbar and Dodge were capable of when they signed with the Mean Green in 2008.

Dunbar, who was rated No. 63 in The Dallas Morning News’ Area Top 100 list, passed on offers from Virginia and Colorado to sign with UNT, where he has been reunited with his high school coach Clayton George, who is now the Mean Green’s wide receivers coach.

 “We always thought he was a special player with special talents,” George said. “He has taken his role each game and expanded on it. He started last game and produced like we expected him to.”

Dunbar just had to wait a little longer than expected to get his opportunity.

Montgomery started last season, when UNT expected Dunbar to be a change-of-pace back. He filled that role for five games of the 2008 campaign before spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, knocking him out for the rest of the season.

“It was tough when I got hurt, but life throws things at you that you have to fight through,” Dunbar said. “[UNT running backs coach Shelton] Gandy always tell us that when you get a chance, you have to take advantage of it.”

Dunbar’s opportunity came in UNT’s loss to Middle Tennessee on Sept. 26. He had just five carries, but scored on two of them while rushing for 101 yards.

UNT head coach Todd Dodge said he would expand Dunbar’s role the next week and was left with little choice when Montgomery went down with a strained hamstring in practice.

Dunbar had just 72 carries in his career heading into UNT’s game against ULL, but wasn’t fazed when UNT turned to him over and over in a game it lost in the final seconds.

His 1-yard touchdown run gave UNT a 10-point lead late in the third quarter. The Mean Green appeared as if it was about to win its second game of the season before collapsing down the stretch in a 38-34 loss.

Even though UNT couldn’t pull through at the end, Dunbar did his part to put the Mean Green in position to snap its three-game losing streak.

The challenge is one Dunbar likely wouldn’t have been ready for when he arrived at UNT as a 185-pound scat back who relied on his speed and ability to elude tacklers.

Todd Dodge has said Dunbar, who now weighs 202 pounds, has developed into a complete running back since. The assessment is one George echoed.

“Lance is such a versatile back,” George said. “He can run between the tackles, get to the perimeter, catch the ball out of the backfield and protect.”

Dunbar’s teammates say the success he has enjoyed over the last few weeks hasn’t changed him one bit, though.

“He’s a goofy guy who likes to have fun, but he is all business when he puts the shoulder pads on,” Riley Dodge said.

It’s only when Dunbar takes the shoulder pads off that he has any problem when it comes to football, and that’s only of the video game variety.

“Lance is horrible at Madden and video games,” Riley Dodge said. “I’m 4-0 against him. … He isn’t very good, even though he thinks he is.”

Dunbar is starting to show that he will be good for UNT when it counts, though, and that’s on Saturdays.

“It’s pretty special to see my career take off,” Dunbar said. “I was a little surprised about what happened in our last game, but that is what the coaches expect out of me.”