North Texas didn’t have its best day defensively in its game against Western Kentucky on Saturday.

Far from it.

But when the Mean Green needed a big play or two in the second half, some of UNT’s leaders stepped to the forefront and made the stops that made the difference in a 68-49 win at Fouts Field.

UNT coughed up 35 points in the first half to a team that was averaging just 16.4 points a game before a halftime of soul searching and a few adjustments to what it was doing on the field made the difference.

“We came out in the second half knowing that we had to stop them,” UNT linebacker Jeremy Phillips said. “Our offense was obviously doing their part. We had to do our part and we were able to do that.”

Phillips made what turned out to be the biggest play of the game when he intercepted a Kawaun Jakes pass early in the fourth quarter after UNT had scored to tie the game at 49-49.

The play was one of several the Mean Green made late in the second half.

Defensive end Brandon Akpunku sacked Jakes on the play before Phillips’ interception putting WKU in a situation where it had to throw the ball. Fellow defensive end Eddrick Gilmore had a safety that helped ice the game later in the fourth quarter.

“Plays like that can crush a team,” Phillips said of the interception. “We knew we had to come back and play defense like we know we can in the second half.”

WKU lost a total of one yard on 13 plays and didn’t score in the fourth quarter after rolling up 49 points and 426 yards heading into the final period. UNT came into the night allowing an average of 42.2 points and 494 yards of offense a game in Sun Belt play and didn’t have a good night overall.

That didn’t matter because the Mean Green made the key plays late.

“It was a team effort with our coaching staff and the players,” UNT head coach Todd Dodge said of the way the Mean Green’s improved play defensively in the second half. “They did a nice job of making adjustments to slow them down.”

Dodge said the Mean Green did a much better job of taking away the cutback lanes the Hilltoppers took advantage of early on.

UNT also adjusted to playing without senior linebacker Tobe Nwigwe, who missed his second straight game with a season-ending foot injury.

A.J. Penson started in Nwigwe’s place and finished with eight tackles, a total that tied with fellow linebacker Craig Robertson for the team lead.

UNT’s players credited their turnaround in part to coordinator Gary DeLoach moving from the press box to the sideline after the Mean Green got off to a bad start.

Phillips said that DeLoach felt like he needed to head to the sideline to talk to his players.

Riley Dodge said that Penson also spoke up in the locker room at halftime and helped get his teammates ready for a second half when the Mean Green’s performance improved dramatically.

“The defense did a nice job of making adjustments,” Riley Dodge said. “The interception gave us the momentum we needed to put the game away.”