4 p.m. | ESPN
Gerald J. Ford Stadium Dallas, Texas

TEXAS STATE SERIES HISTORY
• The First Responder Bowl will be the 40th all-time meeting between UNT and Texas State but the first since 1994. UNT holds a 29-7-3 record against the Bobcats. • Texas State is UNT’s second-most common opponent in program history behind only SMU (43). • The Mean Green won the last three meetings between the two schools with wins in 1992, 1993 and 1994. In the last meeting, North Texas defeated Texas State 27-14 on Oct. 8, 1994. QB Mitch Maher threw for 276 yards in the win while WR David Brown caught nine passes for 152 yards.
North Texas Mean Green Notes
STORY LINES
• After winning its regular season finale against Temple to earn its 15th bowl bid in program history, UNT takes on Texas State in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas. • It is the seventh bowl appearance in the last nine years for the Mean Green. UNT has lost each of its last six bowl games with the last win coming over 10 years ago in January of 2014 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. • This will be the third appearance for UNT in this bowl, having played in the 2016 and 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl games before the name changed to the First Responder Bowl following the 2017 season. The Mean Green fell against Army 38-31 in OT in 2016 and defeated UNLV 36-14 in 2014. • North Texas closed the regular season as the No. 3 total offense in the country averaging 488.7 total yards per game while also sitting sixth in passing offense (322.8 YPG) and 23rd in scoring offense (34.0 ppg). UNT is one of only eight programs to sit in the top-23 in FBS in those three categories joining No. 11 Alabama, No. 16 Clemson, Louisville, No. 13 Miami, No. 14 Ole Miss, No. 1 Oregon and Texas Tech. • True freshman QB Drew Mestemaker is slated to make his first collegiate start in the bowl game. A walk-on from Vandegrift, Texas, Mestemaker served as the primary backup all season and will now start his first game after QB Chandler Morris entered the transfer portal following the end of the regular season. It will be Mestemaker’s first start under center since his freshman year of high school (2020). • UNT is the only FBS team with seven plays of 70+ yards and leads the country with seven one-play scoring drives. • Senior WR Damon Ward Jr. looks to cement his legacy as one of the top receivers in program history in his final game. Ward ranks inside the top-15 in program history in career receptions (t-15th) and receiving yards (15th). • A total of 21 different players have caught a pass for North Texas, tied for the most in FBS. • The Mean Green have started five different true freshman and three redshirt freshman this season while also featuring a redshirt freshman kicker. In total, 33 redshirt or true freshman have seen action for UNT, tied for the 10th-most in FBS. • Of the 24 games in the Eric Morris era, North Texas has 13 games with 500+ yards of total offense. • The Mean Green offense is one of the most explosive in the country, ranking inside the top-10 in FBS in offensive plays of 10+, 20+, 30+, 60+, 70+, 80+ and 90+ yards. • Senior CB Ridge Texada is one of the leaders of the defense, heading into the contest as the program’s all-time leader in PBUs and passes defended. His 37 career PDF is tied for ninth-most among all active FBS players.
MORE QUICK HITTERS
• LB Jordan Brown, DL Roderick Brown, OL Jett Duncan CB Ridge Texada, QB Chandler Morris, OL Landon Peterson and LB Jaylen Smith and WR Damon Ward Jr. are the UNT 2024 team captains. • At just 32 years old, offensive coordinator Jordan Davis is the sixth-youngest FBS OC in the nation. • UNT has scored 50+ points against FBS opponents twice this season. It is the first time that has happened since 2003 when the Mean Green scored 50+ on both Baylor and Arkansas State. • The UNT offense had two 99-yard touchdown drives in the same game for the first time in program history in the win over Tulsa. In the last 20 seasons, the only other FBS team to produce multiple 99-yard touchdown drives in a single game was Oklahoma State on Oct. 29, 2011 vs Baylor. • UNT is tied for sixth in the FBS with 21 fourth down conversions this season. • North Texas has blocked two punts this season in wins over South Alabama and Tulsa. It is the first time since 2019 the Mean Green have multiple blocked punts in a season. • The offensive line for UNT has featured nine different starting units in 12 games this season. • North Texas has one of the top punt units in the country, ranking second in FBS in punt return defense (1.2 yards per return allowed). • Interim defensive coordinator Brian Odom is calling the plays for the Mean Green defense for the third time this season. Odom previously served as the interim DC at both USC (2023) and Oklahoma (2021).
UNT BOWL HISTORY
• This will be the 15th bowl appearance in program history for the Mean Green. UNT is 3-11 all-time in bowl games and will be looking for their first bowl victory since the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl. • The majority of North Texas’ bowl history has come in recent years with eight of the 15 total appearances coming since the 2013 season. • UNT has made a bowl game in seven of the last nine years, having lost six straight. The six consecutive bowl losses is tied with Indiana for the second-longest active streak in FBS behind only UTEP (7). • It will be North Texas’ third appearance in the First Responder Bowl in program history. UNT fell to Army 38- 31 in overtime in 2016 and defeated UNLV 36-14 in 2014 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl before the name was changed to First Responder following the 2017 season. • It will be the third game in the month of January in program history for the Mean Green. UNT is 1-1 in January all-time with the win on Jan. 1, 2014 in Heart of Dallas Bowl and a loss against Nevada on Jan. 1, 1948 in the Salad Bowl.
OFFENSIVE MASTERMIND
• UNT head coach Eric Morris is one of the top offensive minds in the country, proven by a stellar track record over 12 seasons as an offensive coordinator and head coach. • This season, Morris has UNT sixth in FBS in passing offense, third in total offense and 23rd in scoring. • Since becoming the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech in 2013 Morris has led an offense that finished inside the top 25 (FBS or FCS) in scoring eight times in 11 years. UNT closed the regular season 23rd in scoring • In addition, Morris has led offenses that finished in the top-10 in total offense eight times, including the top FBS offense (Texas Tech) in 2016 and the top FCS offense (UIW) in the nation in 2020. The Mean Green finished the regular season third in total offense. • Morris-led offenses have been dominant through the air as seven of Morris’ first 11 years as an OC or HC have resulted in a top-five passing offense in the country. North Texas was sixth in FBS in passing offense at the end of the regular season. • In Morris’ 24 games as head coach at North Texas, the offense has eclipsed 500 yards 13 times, including six times this season. It is the second-most of any head coach in UNT history (Seth Littrell, 23 in 88 games). • For perspective, North Texas had just 20 games with 500+ yards of total offense in the five seasons prior to Morris’ arrival. UNT is 9-4 when surpassing 500 yards of offense under Morris.
THE NEW PLAY “MAKER”
• True freshman QB Drew Mestemaker is slated to make his first career start in the First Responder Bowl after serving as the backup to Chandler Morris, who entered the transfer portal following the regular season. • Mestemaker has appeared in four games this season, going 4 for 5 passing for 69 yards while rushing five times for 32 yards. • The start in the bowl game for Mestemaker will be his first start at quarterback since he was a freshman in high school in 2020. The walk-on QB from Vandegrift, Texas, served as the backup to now-Louisville QB Duece Adams in 2023 and Baylor baseball catcher Brayden Buchanan in 2022 and 2021. • Mestemaker was versatile for the Vipers in high school playing quarterback and safety while serving as the team’s primary punter. • Mestemaker played with true freshman WR Miles Coleman at Vandegrift and the connection showed almost immediately. Each of Mestemaker’s first two completions in the road contest at Texas Tech went to Coleman, with the second going for an explosive play of 49 yards.
LIGHT THE FUSE
• Of the 64 total offensive scoring drives for UNT this season, 34 have taken two minutes or less of game action while 26 have taken five plays or less, with 25 of those 26 resulting in touchdowns. • UNT has had seven one-play scoring drives this season, the most in FBS, including scoring 75-yard touchdowns on each of its first two plays from scrimmage against Memphis. • In addition, the Mean Green have three of the fastest scoring drives in the country with a :05 second drive against Tulsa, a :07 second drive against Texas Tech and a :08 second drive against FAU. UNT is the only FBS program with 16 or more drives of less than one minute this season. • In the win over FAU, the Mean Green had a five-play, 58-yard touchdown drive that took just :45 seconds to take the lead with less than a minute remaining. It was North Texas’ first game-winning TD drive with 2:00 or less remaining since “The Drive” to knock off UTSA 29-26 on Oct. 14, 2017. • UNT had two 99-yard TD drives in the same game for the first time in program history vs. Tulsa. In the last 20 years, the only other FBS team with multiple 99-yard TD drives in a single game was Oklahoma State on October 29, 2011 vs. Baylor. • Even with the quick strike nature of the offense, UNT has still had to drive the length of the field consistently throughout the season with 34 of the 64 scoring drives accumulating 75 yards or more. • In the contest against Tulane, North Texas went on a 19-play, 80-yard drive over 7:20 to score a touchdown. It is the most plays in a touchdown scoring drive in the FBS era in program history
IN THE TRENCHES
• North Texas has started nine different offensive line combinations this season, a total that ranks as the second-most in FBS behind only Florida State. • No UNT offensive lineman has started every game at the same position. The unit has seen nine different players start including four different starters at LT and three different starters at RG, LG and RT. • Despite the inconsistency, the unit has produced three games where it did not allow a sack this season and six games allowing just one sack. The unit ranks 16th in FBS in sacks allowed per game (1.08). • The group is led by Jett Duncan, a senior stalwart who is tied for the team lead with 35 career starts at UNT. Duncan is a Swiss army knife along the line, having played every position on the offensive line at some point in his career and started at four of the five positions.
SPREAD THE WEALTH
• The Mean Green offensive passing attack has been one of the most balanced in the country. UNT has had seven different players produce over 200 receiving yards this season, tied for the fourth-most in the country. • A total of 21 different players have caught a pass for UNT, tied for the most in FBS. In addition, 10 different players have a receiving TD, good for a tie for the fifth-most in FBS. • UNT had five different players catch a touchdown pass in the same game for the first time since Sept. 20, 1969 in the win over Tulsa.
“SPECIAL” TEAMS
• UNT has one of the best special teams units in The American, especially in the punt game, leading the AAC and ranked second in FBS in punt return defense (1.2 yards per return allowed) while sitting third in the AAC (34th in FBS) in net punting (40.3 net yards per punt). • After not missing an extra point in the entire 2023 season, Mean Green kickers have now combined to connect on 118 consecutive PATs dating back to Oct. 29, 2022 against WKU. • North Texas has blocked two punts this season in wins over South Alabama and Tulsa. It is the first time since 2019 the Mean Green have multiple blocked punts in a season. • Because of this success, Associate HC/Special Teams Coordinator Drew Svoboda was named one of 57 nominees for the Broyles Award given to the top assistant coach in FBS last season. • Redshirt freshman K Kali Nguma is a perfect 51 for 51 so far on extra points and has connected on 10 of 14 field goals this season. • Against FAU, Nguma hit both of his FG attempts, one of which was a career-long 46 yarder, and went 5 for 5 on XPs to earn AAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
LINEBACKER CORE
• UNT returned all three starting LBs from a season ago in senior Jordan Brown, senior Jaylen Smith and sophomore Ethan Wesloski. In addition, UNT has seen an influx of talent to the position from transfers Shane Whitter and Chavez Brown. • Smith, who arrived at as a walk-on who had not played 12-man football until one year before enrollment after spending his childhood in Canada, leads the team in tackles (97.0) and TFLs (7.5). • Smith, Wesloski, J. Brown and Whitter all rank inside the top-nine in tackles for UNT this season. • The group has also been disruptive in the backfield, combining to rack up 26.5 TFLs and 7.0 sacks, led by 4.0 from Chavez Brown.
IN THE SECONDARY
• Led by Texada, North Texas has a wealth of talent littered throughout the secondary defensively. • Senior S Jayden Hill, sophomore S Evan Jackson and redshirt freshman Brian Nelson II are three of the top tacklers for UNT and all three rank inside the top-25 in the AAC in solo tackles. Hill sits fifth in the AAC with 50, Nelson is 15th with 43 and Jackson is 23rd with 38. • Hill had his best performance in a UNT uniform against FAU with eight tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a sack, a PBU and the game-sealing interception with less than a minute left to knock off the Owls. He was named an Honorable Mention AAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. • Jackson had a big week against Tulsa, finishing second on the team with six tackles while also recording a pair of interceptions. He was the first UNT player to have multiple INTs in a game since Texada had a pair in the win over FAU on Oct. 1, 2022. Per PFF, Jackson is the fourth-highest rated safety in the AAC. • Nelson II closed the regular season with three interceptions over the final four games, including an INT to seal the win over Temple in the regular season Finale. He also posted interceptions in back-to-back games against Army and UTSA, becoming the first UNT player to do so since Logan Wilson did it on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, 2022 against Western Kentucky and FIU, respectively. • The Mean Green have had a lot of youth in the back end as freshmen Quinton Hammonds, Kollin Lewis, Nelson II and Taylor Starling have all started multiple games for North Texas this season. • UNT has had at least one interception in nine of the 12 contests on the year including an INT in each of the final five games of the regular season.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
• UNT has been strong coming out of the locker room after halftime this season, outscoring opponents 121- 72 in the third quarter and 202-162 in the second half for an average second-half score of 18.3-14.7. • The 18.3 points per second half sits in the top-20 among all FBS programs while the +3.6 point differential is inside the top-30. • Third quarter success has been key for UNT under Eric Morris. Through 23 games in the Morris era, the Mean Green are 9-0 when leading and just 2-13 when trailing through three quarters, with one of those two wins when trailing after three coming in the this year’s contest at FAU.
Texas State Bobcats Notes
OPENING DRIVE
• Texas State had an historic 2023 season that saw the program win its first bowl game, in its first appearance, a 45-21 victory over Rice in the SERVEPRO First Responder Bowl. • The Bobcats set an FBS-program record with eight wins in 2023. • Texas State posted the highest home season attendance average the program has seen in 2024 (22,649) besting the 2023 total and had two sellouts at UFCU Stadium in 2024 (UTSA & Arkansas State). • TXST is coming off a 45-38 win over South Alabama to close the regular season. Jordan McCloud passed for 248 yards and a TD, while Lincoln Pare added 96 yards and a TD on the ground and 66 receiving yards. Defensively, Mannie Nunnery had a 60-yard INT return TD. • Jordan McCloud’s 29 TD passes in 2024 set the Texas State single-season record. • The Bobcats secured back-to-back winning seasons with the victory over South Alabama at 7-5, the first time since the 2008-09 seasons. • North Texas, out of the American Athletic Conference, enters the match-up 6-6 after starting the season 5-1 and securing bowl eligibility in its final regular season game against Temple. • The match-up includes two of the top offenses in the FBS, with both ranking in the top 10 in total offense.
THE MATCH-UP
For the second consecutive season, the Texas State football team is headed to the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl and will face North Texas out of the American Athletic Conference. Texas State finished the 2024 season 7-5 overall with a 5-3 record in Sun Belt Conference action, giving the Bobcats consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2008-09 and matching the most conference wins at the FBS level. The Bobcats also won three games in November to close out the regular season for the first time since 2014, and it was the first season since 2014 with three road wins. TXST defeated Rice, 45-21, in the 2023 edition of the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, the program’s first bowl appearance in program history. The 26,542 announced attendance set the bowl game attendance record for Ford Stadium. North Texas finished the season 6-6 overall and 3-5 in league play. Texas State is 7-29-3 all-time against the Mean Green, with North Texas winning the last match up 27-14 in 1994. This will be the first meeting of the teams at the FBS level. UNT is 3-11 all-time in bowl games, with the most recent a 35-32 loss to Boise State in the 2022 Frisco Bowl. Two of the nation’s top offenses, UNT ranks 3rd nationally in total offense (488.7) with the Bobcats coming in at 6th (474.3). TXST’s scoring offense sits 11th (37.1), while the Mean Green are 26th (34.0). Defensively, TXST is holding opponents to 24.3 points per game and 346.5 yards of total offense against UNT’s 34.5 and 456.6.
VICTORY STAR
Texas State played in, and won, its first bowl game in 2023, a 45-21 victory over Rice in the SERVEPRO First Responder Bowl. • The Bobcats set an FBS program record for wins in a season with 8. • The last time Texas State had 8 wins in a season was in 2008 when the Bobcats were 8-4 in the regular season and finished the year with a first-round loss at Montana in the Division I-AA (FCS) Playoffs first round. • Texas State has 14 seasons in its program history with 8 or more wins.
THE KINNE EFFECT
In his first year, Texas State head coach GJ Kinne took the Bobcats to a place they have never gone — a bowl game — and did something that has not been done in 40 years. • Kinne is the first Texas State head coach to have a winning season in his first campaign at the helm of the Bobcats since Dennis Franchione in 1990 (6-5). • With the bowl win, Kinne became the first, first-year head coach at Texas State to win 8 or more games since John O’Hara in 1983 (9-3). O’Hara took over the Bobcats after they won back-to-back DII national championships under Jim Wacker in 1981 and 1982. • Prior to Kinne, only 2 Texas State head coaches in the program’s history had won 8 or more games in their first season: O’Hara (1983) and Bill Miller (8-2 in 1965). • Kinne was named the 21st head coach in Texas State’s history on Dec. 2, 2022 (one day after his 34th birthday)
ON THE OFFENSIVE
While Texas State’s offense finished last season 11th in the country in scoring offense, it became the nation’s most improved scoring offense over the 2023 season. • Texas State improved its scoring output from 21.1 points per game in 2022 to 36.7 in 2023 (+15.6). (37.1 in 2024) • The Bobcats’ 36.7 points per game in 2023 marked the first time they averaged more than 28 points per game since 2014 when they averaged 33.8.
LET’S GET ACTIVE
Quarterback Jordan McCloud ranks in the top five among FBS active players in touchdown passes and total TDs responsible for and the top 15 for completions, completion %, passing yards, total plays and total offense.