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North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker has unlikely, record-setting bowl performance
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North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker put on a show on national TV on Friday in Dallas, and by the time the First Responder Bowl was over, hardly anybody who watched the true freshman signal-caller from Austin cared that the Mean Green actually lost the game.
North Texas, thanks in large part to Mestemaker’s magic, nearly pulled off an amazing comeback before falling to Texas State, 30-28. Mestemaker was only starting for the Mean Green because Chandler Morris entered the transfer portal and is heading to Virginia to continue his career. That set the stage for Mestemaker, and the walk-on who was making his first start at quarterback since his freshman year of high school went 26-of-41 passing for 393 yards with 2 touchdown passes while adding 55 yards rushing and 1 rushing score for good measure.
Yes, Mestemaker also threw 2 interceptions, but he was never expected to be anything close to perfect, and he almost willed North Texas to victory. His dazzling 70-yard touchdown run with 1:49 left in the game got the Mean Green within 30-28 and was the longest running play in a bowl game in North Texas history. Mestemaker actually got another shot after a Texas State punt, but his second interception iced the game for the Bobcats.
Mestemaker did pretty darn well when you consider he was getting used to his old position again and doing it in a bowl game on ESPN. His high school brought in a different quarterback during his senior year, so Mestemaker played safety instead and was an all-district punter at Austin Vandegrift High School.
All he did on Friday was throw for the most passing yards by a true freshman in his debut in North Texas history. His passing yards were also the most in a bowl game in program history.
“I’m proud of that kid,” North Texas head coach Eric Morris said afterward. “To be a freshman walk-on that didn’t play quarterback in high school is an incredible story. He has a lot of good football ahead of him. He kept us in it the whole time.”
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
