After years of ready for his probability, Drew Mestemaker received one shot to be a beginning quarterback and made essentially the most of it.
The North Texas walk-on hadn’t began a sport at quarterback since his freshman yr of highschool in Austin, Texas, the place he later began at security and was an all-district punter.
But with Mean Green beginning quarterback Chandler Morris transferring to Virginia, Mestemaker made his first begin in 4 years in opposition to Texas State within the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Friday. And he had a day, racking up 448 complete yards, going 26-of-41 passing for 393 passing yards and two TDs and including 9 carries for 55 yards, together with a 70-yard TD run.
That run — the second longest by an American quarterback in a bowl sport — lower Texas State’s result in two factors, 30-28, with 1:49 left, after which Mestemaker went to the sideline and began throwing up right into a trash can.
The freshman’s magic ended when he was intercepted with 12 seconds left, and Texas State held on for its second straight First Responder Bowl win.
Still, North Texas, which had the nation’s No. 3 passing offense this season, got here away with an unimaginable story and a possible star.
“That’s the primary soccer sport he began at quarterback because the ninth grade, which is simply wild to me,” Mean Green coach Eric Morris stated of Mestemaker, who backed up present Louisville freshman quarterback Deuce Adams at Vandegrift High in Austin. “To see him go on the market and compete the way in which he did, I imply the child, he has some traits.”
Morris, who performed receiver at Texas Tech beneath Mike Leach and was later Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive coordinator in Lubbock when Patrick Mahomes performed there, had excessive reward for Mestemaker.
“I’ve been round some good ones, been blessed to be round lots of NFL guys in my profession, and he has some traits which might be simply pretty much as good or higher than a few of these guys taking part in on Sundays proper now,” Morris stated. “I believe you noticed the athleticism, the accuracy, the decision-making. I would not be stunned if in 15 years, Drew Mestemaker’s taking part in soccer nonetheless.”
Bobcats quarterback Jordan McCloud, who beforehand performed for South Florida, Arizona and James Madison earlier than transferring to Texas State forward of this season, surpassed 10,000 profession passing yards by throwing for 307 and a landing in Friday’s win, heading off an opponent who entered with 69 profession passing yards in Mestemaker.
“Hats off to North Texas and Coach Morris,” Bobcats coach G.J. Kinne stated. “Their backup quarterback got here out and performed lights out. The final couple of weeks have been the craziest I’ve been part of in school soccer.”
North Texas was with out high broad receiver DT Sheffield (66 catches, 822 yards, 11 TDs), who transferred to Rutgers, and the Mean Green got here in as 13.5-point underdogs. Mestemaker, who had tried 5 passes in 4 appearances as a backup this season, was tasked with choosing up for Chandler Morris, who threw for 3,774 yards and 31 touchdowns this season however then left for the Cavaliers final month.
Mestemaker did that after which some:
• His 393 passing yards have been the second most in First Responder Bowl historical past, trailing solely Case Keenum’s 532 in 2011.
• His 448 yards of complete offense tied Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson for essentially the most by any FBS participant this bowl season.
• His 393 passing yards have been essentially the most in North Texas bowl historical past and essentially the most ever for a real freshman in his UNT debut.
“The offense by no means wavered,” stated receiver Damon Ward Jr., who has fought via 12 surgical procedures since 2019 at North Texas and ended his profession Friday. “I’ll keep in mind the resiliency and the brotherhood we have now. … Drew took command of the offense. He realized all our schemes and took benefit of his alternative.”
North Texas just lately landed its personal quarterback switch in former Albany star Reese Poffenbarger, who threw for 3,603 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2023 and backed up Cam Ward at Miami this season.
Kinne, nonetheless, was impressed by what he noticed of Mestemaker as QB1.
“Look, that man’s athletic, he is huge, clearly you noticed the run on the finish of the sport. I imply I believe it will be powerful to beat that child out transferring ahead,” he stated.
Eric Morris agreed, saying after the sport that he is intrigued to see what Mestemaker can do going ahead for his crew.
“Just watching it proper there, he can undoubtedly lead our soccer program,” he stated.
