UNT Now Bowl Eligible With Homecoming Rout of UTSA

DENTON, Texas – After a half of football last week against South Florida where nothing could go UNT's way, the Mean Green put together a complete game on Saturday and had one of the most dominant conference victories in recent memory with a 55-17 walloping of rival UTSA at DATCU Stadium.

The win, which was the largest margin of victory in a conference game since another 38-point win over FIU in 2022, earned bowl eligibility for the Mean Green – the fastest UNT has secured a bowl bid since 2018.

"I'm fired up right now for our kids," head coach Eric Morris said. "We got punched in the mouth last week. The way we responded and played incredible team football was great. We ran super effectively, threw the ball super effectively and our defense was great getting turnovers down the stretch.

"We had tough week of practice. We had to get this team reset some how, some way. I believe in this team and know how good we can be."

While just about everything about Saturday went the way of the Mean Green (6-1, 2-1 American), UTSA (3-4, 1-2) got things started quick with a three-play scoring drive to open the game and take a 7-0 lead over UNT just 90 seconds into the game.

After that, UNT went to work, building a 24-14 halftime lead and then outscoring UTSA 21-3 in the third quarter with the help of three fumble recoveries and putting the game away.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns while adding a 1-yard touchdown run, and freshman running back Caleb Hawkins continued his recent tear with a career-high 18 carries for 133 yards and caught a career-high eight passes for 90 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Wyatt Young caught six balls for a career-high 102 yards and three touchdowns, including a 42-yarder to put UNT up 45-17 at the end of the third quarter.

UNT ended up outgaining the Roadrunners 584-332 and held the ground-heavy UTSA attack in check while winning the time of possession battle by more than seven minutes.

"A team like that that prides itself on rushing the ball and time of possession," Morris said. "We just forced their hand a little and switched it up on them, and it was in our hands. We were good on money downs and protected the football. All around, I'm super, super proud."

Now, the Mean Green will face a short week of preparation as they will travel to Charlotte for a Friday night game on ESPN2, with kickoff set for 6 p.m.

"This is something to build off of," Morris said. "We have a short week and have to be able to come back and handle our business at Charlotte on Friday night."

QUICK HITS

UNT defeated UTSA, 55-17, in the 14th all-time meeting between the programs and cut its deficit in the series to 8-6. The UNT win snapped a four-game losing streak in the series.
- The 38-point margin of victory is the largest over a conference foe since a 52-14 win over FIU on Nov. 5, 2022.
UNT improved to 10-7 all-time in home games under head coach Eric Morris.
UNT's captains for the game were Gabe Blair and Sawyer Evans.
The Mean Green entered the season with 68 newcomers, which is the second-most in FBS behind Utah State. Forty-two of the 68 newcomers are transfers, which is the second-most in FBS behind New Mexico (49).
Sopohmore WR Wyatt Young (Katy, Texas) and senior WR Cameron Dorner (New Market, Md.) made their first starts of the season.
UNT is now 13-2 under Morris when leading at the half and improved to 14-0 when leading after three quarters.
The win marked the fastest UNT has gained bowl eligibility since the 2018 season when the Mean Green started 6-1 and got to six wins on Oct. 13, 2018.
The Mean Green have now scored 50 or more points three times this season. The only other time that has happened was in 1951, when UNT scored 50 or more points four times.
- UNT's 55 points was the most scored against a conference opponent since a 55-14 win over Southern Mississippi on Oct. 26, 2013.
The Mean Green have now scored at least 30 points in each of the first seven games for the first time in program history after hitting six straight last week for the first time in program history.
- It also marks the first time in program history a UNT team has scored 30+ points in seven straight games, as the only other time that happened was over two seasons (1950-1951 seasons).
For the first time since last season's Wyoming game on Sept. 21, 2024, UNT had a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver. Last year, it was Shane Porter (120 rushing yards) and DT Sheffield (109 receiving yards).
For the first time this season and 14th time in the Eric Morris era, UNT rolled up at least 500 yards of total offense.
The Mean Green have now scored in 25 straight quarters, including overtime periods, and haven't been shut out since the first quarter of the game at Western Michigan on Sept. 6.
UNT had just six players catch at least one pass in the game.
- Entering the day, The Mean Green had at least eight players catch a pass in 21 straight games dating back to UTSA on Nov. 4, 2023 – all but one game of the Eric Morris era.
For the sixth straight week, UNT had two players record a rushing touchdown.
The Mean Green had three scoring drives of at least 75 yards, giving them 11 scoring drives this year of 75 yards or more – all touchdown drives.
On Saturday, UNT went 7-for-7 in the red zone (five touchdowns, two field goals). UNT has 35 red-zone touchdowns this season and has scored in 40 of 42 trips inside the opposing 20-yard line this year.
RS Freshman QB Drew Mestemaker (Austin, Texas) finished 22-of-35 for 277 yards passing and four touchdowns through the air. He also rushed for a touchdown.
- Mestemaker's five total touchdowns marks a new career high, breaking his previous best of four.
- Mestemaker had at least three touchdown passes in a game for the third time this season and the first time since the win over Washington State on Sept. 13.
- Mestemaker's 1-yard touchdown run with 9:58 left in the third quarter was his fourth rushing score of the season and fifth of his career.
- Mestemaker's 42-yard touchdown pass with 0:55 left in the third quarter was his 15th of the season and 17th of his career.
- Mestemaker's 20-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Young with 3:11 left in the first quarter was his 14th of the season and 16th of his career.
- Mestemaker's 11-yard touchdown pass to Young at the end of the first quarter was his 15th of the season and 17th of his career.
- Mestemaker's 15-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Dorner with 11:30 left in the third quarter was his 16th of the season and 18th of his career.
Freshman QB Chris Jimmerson Jr. (Fort Worth, Texas) entered the game in the fourth quarter and was 1-for-1 for 37 yards and a touchdown.
- Jimmerson's 37-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Lewis with 6:01 to play was the first of his career.
Freshman RB Caleb Hawkins (Shawnee, Okla.) finished the day with a career-high 18 carries for 133 yards and added a career-high eight catches for 90 yards.
- Hawkins recorded 100 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving for the second time this season (140-78 against South Alabama) and is the only UNT player other than Lance Dunbar (2011) to have multiple such games in a season since 1995.
- Hawkins' 37-yard run at the end of the first half was the longest rush of his career and longest of the season for UNT.
Sophomore RB Makenzie McGill II (Mount Vernon, Texas) finished the day with five carries for 40 yards.
Sophomore RB Kiefer Sibley (Waco, Texas) finished the day with eight carries for a career-high 63 yards and a touchdown.
- His 18-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left in the first half was his third rushing touchdown of the season and career and his fourth overall touchdown of his career.
Sophomore WR Wyatt Young (Katy, Texas) finished the day with six catches for a career-high 102 yards and three touchdowns.
- Young's three touchdowns made him the first UNT receiver with three touchdown receptions in a game since DT Sheffield against SFA on Sept. 7, 2024.
- Young had his third career multi-touchdown and second of the season after he caught two touchdowns against Lamar. Against Tulsa in 2024, he had a rushing and receiving touchdown.
- Young's 42-yard touchdown reception with 0:55 left in the third quarter was his sixth receiving score of the season and eight of his career (10th overall).
- Young's 11-yard touchdown reception at the end of the first quarter was his fifth receiving score of the season and seventh of his career (ninth overall).
- Young's 20-yard touchdown reception with 3:11 left in the first quarter was his fourth receiving score of the season and sixth of his career (eighth overall).
Senior WR Cameron Dorner (New Market, Md.) finished the day with five catches for 63 yards.
- Dorner's 15-yard touchdown reception with 11:30 left in the third quarter was his third of the season and 17th of his career (16 receiving, 1 return TD)
Freshman WR Terrence Lewis (Brenham, Texas) finished the day with a catch for 37 yards and a touchdown.
- Lewis' 37-yard touchdown reception with 6:01 to play was the first of his career.
New defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity came to UNT from Sam Houston and brought six of his players with him to Denton.
- Senior CB David Fisher (Houston, Texas), senior LB Trey Fields (Danciger, Texas), senior CB Da'Veawn Armstead (Baton Rouge, La.), senior DL Richard Outland Jr. (Houston) and senior DL Briceon Hayes (Huntsville, Texas), all former Bearkats, started the game on defense.
- Fisher made his sixth start for UNT and 34th consecutive start when he's been available to play, dating back to his time at Sam Houston.
The opening drive of the game resulted in a UTSA touchdown in just three plays, taking 1:30 off the clock – the fastest a UNT opponent has scored this season.
- That score was just the fourth first-quarter touchdown allowed by the Mean Green defense this year.
The Mean Green had 16 takeaways a year ago and already have 17 (seven interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries) on the season.
For the fifth time this season, the Mean Green defense forced multiple turnovers.
Entering the day, Illinois had eight fumble recoveries to lead all of FBS, and with three on Saturday, the Mean Green now have 10 – the most in a season for UNT since 2021 when the Mean Green recovered 12 fumbles.
UNT converted turnovers into 10 points, giving the Mean Green 83 points off turnovers this season – the most for UNT since the 2014 season when it scored 88.
Senior DB Will Jones II (Mansfield, Texas) finished the day with a team-high six tackles, including four solo stops, a half-tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
Freshman DL Brayden Knox (Oklahoma City, Okla.) finished the day with six tackles, including five solo stops.
Junior DB Patrick Smith-Young (Sugar Land, Texas) finished the day with five tackles, including three solo stops.
- His fumble recovery with 8:37 left in the third quarter was his first of the season and third of his career.
Junior DB BJ Allen Jr. (Aledo, Texas) finished the day with five tackles – all solo stops – and a tackle for loss.
Senior DL Briceon Hayes (Huntsville, Texas) finished the day with four tackles – all solo stops – a tackle for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
- Hayes' forced fumble was his first of the season and second of his career.
- Hayes' sack was his first of the season and sixth of his career.
Junior LB Ethan Wesloski (McKinney, Texas) finished the day with five tackles, including a solo stop.
Senior DB David Fisher (Houston) finished the day with two tackles, including a solo stop, a TFL, and a pass breakup.
- Fisher's pass breakup at the end of the first half was fourth of the season and 15th of his career.
Sophomore DL Saadiq Clements (Henderson, Ky.) finished the day with a solo tackle and the first forced fumble of his career.
Senior LB Trey Fields (Dancinger, Texas) finished the day with three tackles, including two solo stops, a half-tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
- Fields' fumble recovery in the third quarter was his second of the season and fifth of his career.
Junior DL Ethan Day (Ripon, Calif.) finished the day with two tackles – both solo tackles for loss – and a sack.
- Day's second-quarter sack was his third of the season and gave him 3.5 on his career.
Sophomore K Kali Nguma (Mission, Texas) finished 7-for-7 on extra points and was 2-for-2 on field goals.
- His 28-yard field goal with 7:31 to play in the first quarter was his sixth of the season and 17th of his career.
- His 19-yard field goal with 13:24 left to play was his seventh of the season and 18th of his career.
- Nguma is 93-for-93 in his career on extra points, tied with Trevor Moore (2014-17) for career extra point percentage (1.000), as Moore was 154-for-154 on PATs in his career.
- His 93 consecutive extra point attempts converted is the third-longest streak in program history - next is 134 by Ethan Mooney (2019-22).
- His 93 career extra points made moves him into fourth place on the program's all-time list, as he passed Keith Chapman (1986-89), who had 89.

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Team Stats

Drew Mestemaker

Chris Jimerson Jr.

Players Mentioned

BJ Allen Jr.

Da'Veawn Armstead

Gabe Blair

Saadiq Clements

Ethan Day

Cameron Dorner

Sawyer Evans

Trey Fields

David Fisher

Caleb Hawkins

Briceon Hayes

Will Jones II

Brayden Knox

Terrence Lewis

Makenzie McGill II

Drew Mestemaker

Kali Nguma

Richard Outland Jr.

Shane Porter

DT Sheffield

Kiefer Sibley

Patrick Smith-Young

Ethan Wesloski

Wyatt Young

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