North Texas concludes historic 2025 outlasting San Diego State 49-47 in New Mexico Bowl

The North Texas Mean Green completed their 109th season Saturday evening in Albuquerque, NM.

Not a single one of the previous 108 seasons featured more triumphs than the iconic 2025 campaign. North Texas secured a historic 12th victory in the New Mexico Bowl, sliding past San Diego State 49-47 in the highest-scoring bowl game of 2025 and the fifth-highest scoring contest of the entire season.

It was a fitting end to the season for the Mean Green, which currently boast the nation’s No. 1 ranked offense in both scoring (44.8 points per game) and yardage (504.3 yards per game). Although head coach Eric Morris was absent in Albuquerque, as he accepted a position at Oklahoma State, interim Drew Svoboda kept the Mean Green machine rolling in their final showing of a spectacular season.

Like many North Texas games throughout 2025, the freshmen stars lit up the stat sheet. American Conference Offensive Player of the Year Drew Mestemaker finished his first full season as a starter since ninth grade with a 250-yard, 3-touchdown showing. With 6:08 remaining in the season, Mestemaker shattered Austin Aune’s program record for single-season passing touchdowns at 34. The star quarterback also extended his stranglehold on the nation’s passing yards title. Dicing up defenses for 4,379 yards this year, Mestemaker leads second place by a margin of 696 yards.

True freshman Caleb Hawkins provided stellar supplementary efforts, winning Offensive MVP honors in a performance that featured 198 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns. With his fourth 185+ yard outing in a 6-game span, Hawkins became the fourth FBS running back to eclipse the 1,400-yard threshold this season. He also stands as the nation’s current leader in rushing touchdowns at 25, and with 29 total touchdowns, he shattered Kenneth Dixon’s single-season freshman record from 2012. It was a triumphant return for Hawkins, who missed the second half of the conference championship three weeks prior due to injury.

Even with Hawkins’ dominance, there were still enough carries to go around for redshirt freshman Ashton Gray to more than triple his career-high with 152 rushing yards. Gray punched in two early touchdowns, including a 51-yard sprint, to allow North Texas to dominate the first half. With Mestemaker and the running backs delivering, the nation’s top offense produced 618 yards in Albuquerque, pitted against the nation’s 4th-best scoring defense and 6th-best total defense.

San Diego State built a brand from its defense but only averaged 24.7 points per game prior to Saturday. In fact, the Aztecs won games by scores such as 6-3 and 17-7, oftentimes prevailing in a 60-minute showcase of complementary football. But head coach Sean Lewis and San Diego State properly adjusted to the shootout nature of the New Mexico Bowl and nearly kept pace with the American Conference runner-up. The Aztecs scored their most points vs. FBS competition since the 2019 New Mexico Bowl when they dominated Central Michigan 48-11.

And most impressively, they did it without starting quarterback Jayden Denegal and top receiver Jordan Napier, who were both subject to season-ending injuries. And to make matters worse for San Diego State, the quarterback depth was even further thinned down when New Mexico Bowl starter Bert Emanuel Jr. left the game with an injury in the second quarter after generating 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in the opening half. Kyle Crum provided the finishing efforts, contributing one passing touchdown and two rushing touchdowns as the conductor of a near-jaw-dropping comeback.

North Texas remained in control for the majority of the contest, establishing a 21-6 lead in the first quarter and concluding the third quarter in commanding 42-20 fashion. However, San Diego State added significant intrigue to the game by winning the fourth quarter 27-7. With 10:43 remaining, Nathan Acevedo trimmed the deficit to 42-34 on a 63-yard punt return. However, the Mean Green got their lickback on the ensuing drive. On a critical 4th and 4, Mestemaker fired a slant to Cameron Dorner, and the receiver cut upfield through two tacklers for a 31-yard score — his second of the game.

Trailing 49-34, San Diego State responded to Dorner’s touchdown with a sub-90-second drive, reaching the end zone on an 11-yard Christian Washington run. However, the Aztecs elected to go for two early, and the failure to convert proved quite costly. North Texas’ advantage remained 49-40, allowing the Mean Green substantial breathing room up two scores with six minutes remaining. San Diego State only received one more opportunity and scored with one second remaining, but all it did was add points to an astronomical total.

Even with the offensive clinic, there was still room for defensive playmaking. Five total turnovers (two by North Texas and three by San Diego State) were witnessed in New Mexico, with North Texas strong safety Will Jones II claiming defensive MVP honors for his 14 tackles, interception, and forced fumble.

San Diego State (9-4, 6-2 Mountain West) concludes its winningest season since 2021, although the Aztecs were unable to properly send off Lewis’ breakout campaign with a bowl victory. Meanwhile, North Texas (12-2, 7-1 American) watched an unforgettable chapter of program history triumphantly end in a bowl win. The Mean Green set a new school record with 12 wins while fielding the nation’s best offense. The 20-inch hand-painted trophy of Zia Pueblo pottery will make its way back to Denton, forever representing the greatest season North Texas has ever produced.