UNT Forces Five Turnovers, Routs Cougars

DENTON – The UNT defense continued its hot start to the season and forced five turnovers that the offense turned into 28 points en route to a 59-10 domination of Washington State on Saturday in front of the seventh-largest crowd in DATCU Stadium history.

The Mean Green improved to 3-0 for the first time since the 2018 season, when they started 4-0, after racing out to a 42-3 halftime lead on the Cougars thanks to five first-half turnovers - three interceptions and two fumbles - that put UNT's offense in advantageous field position time and time again.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker continued his fantastic start to the season, completing 24 of 29 pass attempts for 211 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in just his fourth career start. He has yet to throw an interception this season. Meanwhile, his defensive teammates got three on Saturday and two of them set up easy scoring drives for the Mean Green.

Evan Jackson's 60-yard interception return to end Washington State's opening drive after UNT took a 7-0 lead gave the Mean Green the ball on the Cougars' 12-yard line. That set up the first of two one-play scoring drives for the Mean Green as Jayden Becks scored on a 12-yard touchdown run to put UNT up 14-0 midway through the first quarter. A Zhaiylen Scott fumble recovery on the Washington State 19-yard line midway through the second quarter set off an avalanche of scoring for the Mean Green that put the game away before the break.

For the second time, UNT started a drive in the red zone and scored on three plays, culminating with a Mestemaker 2-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Young Jr., to give the Mean Green a 21-3 lead. Three minutes later, UNT was in the end zone again after a partially blocked punt gave the Mean Green the ball at the Washington State 30-yard line, and the Mean Green needed six plays to go up 28-3 with 5:03 to play in the half.

The Mean Green found the end zone two more times in the half, thanks to a Shane Whitter 43-yard interception return to the Cougars 12-yard line that quickly turned in another one-play scoring drive - a 12-yard Mestemaker touchdown pass to Landon Sides. Forty-five seconds later, the Mean Green were back in the end zone after a 14-yard touchdown run from Becks gave the Mean Green the 42-3 halftime lead following a fumble recovery by Trey Fields at the Cougars' 20-yard line.

By the time the dust settled, the Mean Green had scored 28 unanswered points over the final 7:07 of the first half and 21 points over the final 3:24 of the first half.

The Mean Green will now look to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2018 when they open American play next Saturday at 11 a.m., against defending conference champion Army at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York.

QUICK HITS

UNT defeated Washington State, 59-10, in the first ever meeting between the programs.
- UNT is now 3-0 for the first time since 2018, when the Mean Green started 4-0.
UNT improved to 8-6 all-time in home games under head coach Eric Morris.
UNT's captains for the game were Gabe Blair, Sawyer Evans and Fatafehi Vailea II.
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).
The Mean Green raced out a 42-3 halftime lead, marking the largest halftime lead for UNT since they led 49-3 over Nicholls on Sept. 20, 2014, a game that ended with a 77-3 UNT win.
- The 39-point halftime lead marked the largest halftime lead over an FBS opponent in program history.
Sophomore OL Desmond Magiya (McKinney, Texas) made his first career start.
UNT is now 10-2 under Eric Morris when leading at the half and 11-0 when leading after three quarters.
UNT had 15 players catch at least one pass in the game.
- The 15 players to catch a pass is the most for UNT since at least 1995.
- The 15 player to catch a pass ties East Carolina vs. Campbell for the most for an FBS team this season.
- The Mean Green have at least eight players catch a pass in 19 straight games dating back to UTSA on Nov. 4, 2023.
For the second time this season, UNT had three players score a rushing touchdown (vs. Lamar in the season opener).
For the second straight week, UNT had two players record a rushing touchdown.
UNT's four rushing touchdowns marked the most since Oct. 15, 2022, against LA Tech.
For the first time this season, UNT had a one-play scoring drive – Jayden Becks' 12-yard touchdown run with 7:33 left in the first quarter, which was set up by a 60-yard interception return from Evan Jackson. The Mean Green had seven one-play scoring drives last season – the last one coming on Nov. 15, 2024, against UTSA.
RS Freshman QB Drew Mestemaker (Austin, Texas) finished 24-of-29 for 211 yards passing and four touchdowns through the air.
- Mestemaker has had multiple touchdown passes in every game he's started in his college career and his four on the day is a career high.
- Mestemaker's four touchdown passes marked the first time a UNT quarterback has thrown for four touchdowns in a game since Oct. 12, 2024, when Chandler Morris had four against Florida Atlantic.
- His 82.8 completion % is the third-best mark in a single-game for UNT since 2000.
- Mestemaker's 2-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Young Jr. with 7:07 left in the second quarter was his sixth of the season and eighth of his career.
- Mestemaker's 6-yard touchdown pass to Tre Williams III with 3:24 left in the second quarter was his seventh of the season and ninth of his career.
- Mestemaker's 12-yard touchdown pass to Landon Sides with 1:44 left in the second quarter was his eighth of the season and 10th of his career.
- Mestemaker's 2-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Day with 2:30 left in the third quarter was his ninth of the season and 11th of his career.
Sophomore RB Makenzie McGill II (Mount Vernon, Texas) finished the day with nine carries for 67 yard and a touchdown and now has a touchdown in six straight games.
- His 7-yard touchdown run with 10:33 left in the first quarter marked his third of the season and 13th of his career.
Junior RB Jayden Becks (Waxahachie, Texas) finished the day with six carries for 41 yards and two touchdowns.
- Becks' 12-yard touchdown run with 7:33 left in the first quarter was his first of the season and 10th of his collegiate career.
- Becks' 14-yard touchdown run with 0:54 left in the second quarter was his second of the season and 11th of his collegiate career.
- The game marked the second of his career with multiple touchdown runs.
- It was the first time a UNT player had two rushing scores in a game since Makenzie McGill II had two against Temple on Nov. 30, 2024.
Freshman RB Caleb Hawkins (Shawnee, Okla.) finished the day with eight carries for 50 yards and a touchdown.
- Hawkins' 3-yard touchdown run with 8:54 remaining was the first of his career.
Sophomore TE Brandon Young Jr. (Mansfield, Texas) finished the day with a catch for 2 yards and a touchdown.
- Young's 2-yard touchdown reception with 7:07 left in the second quarter was the first of his career.
Sophomore WR Miles Coleman (Austin, Texas) finished the day with four catches for 44 yards.
- His 24-yard reception in the first quarter was a season-long.
Senior TE Tre Williams III had two catches on the day for 26 yards and a touchdown.
- Williams III's 6-yard touchdown reception with 3:24 left in the second quarter was his second for North Texas and the 13th receiving touchdown of his career (14th total).
Junior WR Landon Sides (Denton, Texas) finished the day with three catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.
- Sides' 12-yard touchdown reception with 1:44 left in the second quarter was his first of the season and sixth of his career.
Junior DL Ethan Day (Ripon, Calif.) finished the day with a catch for 2 yards and a touchdown and added a solo tackle and a quarterback hurry.
- Day's 2-yard touchdown reception with 2:30 left in the third quarter 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 CBs Da'Veawn Armstead (Baton Rouge, La.) and David Fisher (Houston, Texas), senior LB Trey Fields (Danciger, Texas), and senior DL Richard Outland Jr. (Houston, Texas) all started the game on defense.
- Fisher made his second start for UNT and 30th consecutive start when he's been available to play, dating back to his time at Sam Houston.
The 40 total points UNT's defense has allowed so far this season are the fewest points UNT has allowed through the first three games of a season since the 1984 team allowed 37 points through the first three games of that year.
UNT ended Washington State's opening drive with an interception – just the eighth time in the last 23 games the Mean Green have gotten a stop on the opponent's opening possession.
UNT forced five turnovers – all in the first half, marking the first time a Mean Green team forced five turnovers in a game since Sept. 15, 2018, at Arkansas and the first time forcing five in a half since Oct. 22, 2016, against Army (second half).
The game was the first time since Oct. 14, 2023, against Temple, that three different players (Evan Jackson, Kollin Lewis and Shane Whitter) had an interception in the same game. That day, Carson Kropp, Ridge Texada and Nick Nakawaasah all had interceptions.
Senior LB Shane Whitter (Burlington, N.C.) finished the day with a game-high eight tackles, including five solo stops, an interception and a tackle for loss.
- Whitter's interception with 1:47 left in the second quarter was the first of his career.
- Whitter's TFL in the second quarter was the seventh of his career.
Sophomore DB Quinton Hammonds (Allen, Texas) finished the day with seven tackles, including two solo stops, and a tackle for loss.
Senior DB Da'Veawn Armstead (Baton Rouge, La.) finished the day with five tackles, including four solo stops, and a pass breakup.
Senior DB Will Jones II (Mansfield, Texas) finished the day with four tackles, including two solo stops, and a forced fumble.
Junior DB Evan Jackson (Houston, Texas) finished the day with four tackles, including three solo stops, and an interception.
- Jackson's 60-yard interception return on Washington State's opening drive gave UNT the ball at the Cougars' 12-yard line and set up the Mean Green's second score of the day. It was Jackson's first interception of the year and fifth of his career.
Senior LB Trey Fields (Dancinger, Texas) finished the day with four tackles, including two solo stops.
Sophomore DB Kollin Lewis (Gladewater, Texas) finished the day with two tackles, including a solo stop, a tackle for loss, and an interception.
- Lewis' interception with 9:32 left in the second quarter was the first of his career.
Sophomore K Kali Nguma (Mission, Texas) finished 8-for-8 on extra points and was 1-for-1 on field goal attempts.
- Nguma is 72-for-72 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.
- Nguma passed Iseed Khoury (1975-77) to move into sixth place all-time for the most made PATs in a career.
- His 72 consecutive extra point attempts converted is the third-longest streak in program history - next is 134 by Ethan Mooney (2019-22).

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Team Stats

Drew Mestemaker

Reese Poffenbarger

Players Mentioned

Da'Veawn Armstead

Jayden Becks

Gabe Blair

Miles Coleman

Ethan Day

Sawyer Evans

Trey Fields

David Fisher

Quinton Hammonds

Caleb Hawkins

Evan Jackson

Will Jones II

Kollin Lewis

Desmond Magiya

Makenzie McGill II

Drew Mestemaker

Chandler Morris

Kali Nguma

Richard Outland Jr.

Zhaiylen Scott

Landon Sides

Ridge Texada

Fatafehi Vailea II

Shane Whitter

Tre Williams III

Brandon Young Jr.

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