Iowa’s final nonconference foe of the season makes a return to Kinnick for the second time in three years.

North Texas managed to put up 16 points last time the teams squared off — a 62-16 Hawkeye victory — but it’s been nearly two years since both squads collided.

There have been plenty of changes, especially on the North Texas front.

Yards of total offense against Lamar: 668

North Texas probably wishes it played Lamar more often — the Mean Green piled up the yards in their 59-14 victory.

North Texas quarterback Mason Fine looked as fine as ever, throwing for 224 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions. He recorded a 208.2 passer rating.

The real damage came on the ground game, however; Nic Smith, Evan Johnson, and Jeffery Wilson combined for 375 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. The Mean Green’s rushing attack dabbled in the receiving game as well, catching 6 passes for 39 yards and a touchdown.

Wilson averaged 14.7 yards per carry on only 12 touches, thanks mainly to a 62-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

RELATED: Plenty of room for improvement for Hawkeye defense

Rushing yards by Wilson and Ivery in 2016: 1,425

Last season, North Texas thrived with a dynamic backfield duo — Wilson and Willy Ivery. Wilson rushed for 936 yards and 14 touchdowns, and Ivery put up 489 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Both backs caught at least 25 passes (25 receptions for Ivery and 29 for Wilson) and combined for 420 receiving yards.

Ivery is no longer with the program, so Smith and Johnson stepped up to fill his role in the opener, turning North Texas’ one-two punch to a trifecta.

2016 tackles by defensive backs: 212

Kishawn McClain and Nate Brooks are ball hawks in the Mean Green secondary.

In 2016, McClain registered 91 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions. In 2015, he totaled 110 tackles.

Brooks led North Texas in interceptions last season, snagging 4. He ranked fourth on the team with 57 tackles.

The Mean Green’s corners and safeties fly to the ball on every play, as evidenced by three of North Texas’ top-four tacklers in 2016 being defensive backs.

Points North Texas put up against Florida in 2016: 0

In 2016, North Texas scored more than 29 points six times. In the first four weeks of the season, the Mean Green scored 41 and 42 points in wins against Bethune-Cookman and Rice. They also had a two-game stretch in which they scored 38 and 35 points, both wins as well.

But North Texas also scored 17 points or fewer four times last season.

When facing their only Power-5 opponent, the Mean Green put up zero points in a 32-0 loss against Florida.

Points given up in the last 6 games of 2016: 234

As often as North Texas could put up points, its defense couldn’t keep them off the scoreboard.

In the Mean Green’s final six games, the defense gave up 234 points — that’s an average of 39 points per game. A woeful four-game stretch featured three contests in which the defense gave up 45 or more points (45 points against Louisiana Tech, 45 against Western Kentucky, and 52 against UTEP — all losses).