texas State Holds Off UNT 30-28 in Thrilling First Responders Bowl Victory
Texas State defeats UNT 30-28 in the First Responders Bowl at SMU on Friday night. The Mean Green went into the First Responders Bowl with a six game active bowl game losing streak.
UNT freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker impressed early with two first half touchdown drives. Mestemaker started in place of Chandler Morris who is set to transfer to Virginia for the 2025 season. He had not previously started a game at quarterback since he was on the Freshman B-team at Vanderbilt High School in Austin, Texas.
The first touchdown went to freshman wide receiver Miles Coleman for 46 yards. Coleman would finish the game with 104 yards and one touchdown, a career high for him. The second went to Sophomore wide receiver Landon Sides for 16 yards. Mestemaker found sides in single coverage on the sideline for a perfectly placed back shoulder pass. Sides ended the game with five receptions for 98 yards; both season highs.
Texas State receiver Jaden Williams had a 70 yard catch and run to bring them to the 1 yard line where he was pushed out. After a five yard penalty on the Bobcats,They were unable to get the ball punched into the end zone so they were forced to settle for a field goal to make the score.
Williams scored a 24 yard touchdown from quarterback Jordan Mccloud to give Texas state a 16-14 lead with 3:27 left in the 2nd quarter. This score held true into the locker rooms for half time.
Texas State started the second half by marching down the field with a seven minute drive. The impressive drive was called off by a Lincoln Pare one yard touchdown rush. Extend the Bobcat lead to 23-14.
The Mean Green’s first drive of the half ended on a Controversial call on 4th and 3 when BJ Young caught the ball and planted his foot out of bounds with the ball right at the marker. Refs marked him out of bounds before the first down marker making it a turnover on downs.
Hope was beginning to dwindle for the Mean Green with the turnover on downs down by two scores. With 11:05 left UNT defensive back Evan Jackson intercepted a Jordan Mccloud pass to keep the Mean Green hope alive. With hope rejuvenated, Mestemker fumbled for the Mean Green to give the ball back to the Bobcats with 8:36 left.
With hope once again being lost of the Mean Green, they forced a fumble from Mccloud with 4:56 left to go with the score still at 23-14. UNT running back Makenzie McGill ran in a one yard touchdown after Mestemaker connected with Sides for a 42 yard touchdown to get the game within one score at 21-23 with 3:20 left.
Just as UNT was climbing back into the game, Texas State running back Lincoln Pare iced the game with a 73 yard touchdown to make it a two possession game with 2:25 left. The Pare touchdown was the longest of the Bobcats season.
With UNT once again down two scores, Mestemaker ran for a 70 yard touchdown to make it a 28-30 game with 1:49 left and all three timeouts for the Mean Green. The Mean Green were once again back in the ballgame.
UNT got the stop to force a punt, giving them a chance to put together a game winning drive with 40 seconds to go. Texas State punter Lars Rau pinned the Mean Green inside of their own ten yard line with a booming punt.
With the Mean Green needing to put together, Texas State defensive end Kalil Alexander got home for the sack on the first play of the drive. The sack got the Mean Green off schedule which led to a Mestemaker interception to Treylin Payne to end the game.
Mestemaker made his debut as a starter with 393 yards, which were most in UNT bowl game history.
Texas State receiver Jaden WIlliams finished the game with eight receptions for a season high 155 yards and a touchdown. Bobcats running back Lincoln Pare finished with 21 carries for 143 yards which was a season high for him.
Mason Garcia
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