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DENTON, Texas — Drew Mestemaker threw four touchdown passes — three to Wyatt Young — and North Texas poured in 31 unanswered points across the third and fourth quarters to beat UTSA 55–17 on Saturday at DATCU Stadium.
The Mean Green (6–1, 2–1 American) rolled up 584 total yards and 33 first downs as North Texas bounced back from its first loss of the season.
UTSA struck first on Owen McCown’s 3-yard toss to Hunter Thomas barely 90 seconds in, but North Texas answered with Kali Nguma’s 28-yard field goal and two Mestemaker-to-Young touchdowns (20 and 11 yards) to seize a 17–7 lead after one. Kiefer Sibley’s 18-yard scoring run with nine seconds left in the half sent the Mean Green to the locker room up 24–14.
The floodgates opened after halftime. Mestemaker capped the opening series with a 15-yard TD to Cameron Dorner at 11:30, then punched in a 1-yard sneak off a short field created by a UTSA turnover for a 38–14 cushion with 9:58 left in the third. Following a UTSA field goal, Mestemaker found Young deep again for 42 yards in the final minute of the quarter. Nguma added a 19-yarder early in the fourth, and backup Chris Jimerson Jr. hit Terrence Lewis on fourth-and-3 for a 37-yard dagger that made it 55–17 with 6:01 to play.
Mestemaker finished 22 of 35 for 277 yards and four TDs with no interceptions. Young caught six passes for 102 yards and three scores, while Dorner added five grabs for 63 yards and a TD. North Texas’ run game consistently moved the chains behind Caleb Hawkins (18 carries, 133 yards) and Sibley (63 yards, TD) as the Mean Green churned out 270 rushing yards at 6.1 per carry.
UTSA’s Robert Henry Jr. ripped a 72-yard run in the first quarter and finished with 138 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, but the Roadrunners were undone by ball-security issues and negative plays. UTSA fumbled five times, losing three, and North Texas turned miscues into 10 points while recording four sacks and nine tackles for loss. McCown went 12 of 21 for 87 yards with the early TD to Thomas; Brandon Tennison added 31 yards in relief.
The Mean Green controlled the ball for 33:39, converted 7-of-7 red-zone chances and were perfect on three fourth-down attempts. UTSA mustered 332 total yards, including 118 passing, and converted just 4 of 12 third downs.