Texas State outlasts North Texas for second straight First Responder Bowl Victory

DALLAS, TEXAS - JANUARY 3: North Texas defensive back Evan Jackson’s (2) tackle puts Texas State quarterback Jordan McCloud (3) during the fourth quarter of the First Responder Bowl against North Texas at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 3, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/Fi360 News)

Dallas, TX- Three hundred seventy-four days ago, the Texas State Bobcats celebrated their first bowl win in school history. Friday, Texas State repeated with a 30-28 hard-fought victory against another Texas school, the North Texas Mean Green. It was the 40th meeting between Texas State and North Texas, but their first since 1994. With both of Texas State’s bowl wins coming at Gerald J Ford Stadium at SMU, Dallas is almost a second home for the Bobcats.

“We love Dallas, and we recruit Dallas hard,” Texas State head coach GJ Kinne said. “I’m from here, and I played a bowl game here. It’s a special place for sure.”

Kinne also said that in last year’s First Responder Bowl win vs. Rice, he hugged his grandma and grandpa, but only his grandpa was in the stands this year.

DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 3: Texas State head coach GJ Kinne celebrates the Bobcats 30-28 win over North Texas and back-to-back First Responder Bowl titles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 3, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/Fi360 News)

“It’s one of those deals where I was thinking about her tonight, and it was a special one,” Kinne said.

It was another special night for Texas State and its fans. They witnessed a see-saw back-and-forth game showcasing two of the top five offenses in college football, averaging over 470 yards a game.

North Texas’ opening possession resulted in a one-first down punt, but Texas State drove the football down the field in a 43-yard opening field goal by Mason Shipley. The Mean Green answered by marching down the field in 80 yards using the arm of Drew Mestemaker. Mestemaker threw a dart over the middle of the field to Miles Coleman as the impact on the tackle drove Coleman to the end zone and gave North Texas a 7-3 lead midway in the opening quarter.

It was Mestemaker’s first college start as a freshman, and Mestemaker hadn’t made a start since the 9th grade at Vandergrift High School in Austin, Texas.

“He came in poised,” Mean Green head coach Eric Morris said about Mestemaker. “He made the decision he needed to make and led us down the field on the scoring drive. I always had the confidence in him, so the offense never wavered from him.”

DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 3: Texas State running back Lincoln Pare (7) motions to the student section after his 73-yard touchdown seals the win for the Boobcats and the game MVP award during the fourth quarter of the First Responder Bowl against North Texas at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 3, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/Fi360 News)

The Bobcats came back on a third down on their following possession, with a 70-yard completion from Jordan McCloud to Jaden Williams downed inside the one-yard line. Texas State attempted to run it in on back-to-back plays, but they were ruled short of the end zone and ended up kicking a 21-yard field goal. Replays appeared that the runner broke the plane on both runs, but the officials deemed the ball didn’t break the goal line.

“I would say two of those were touchdowns,” McCloud said with a smile.

North Texas answered the scoring drive with a nine-play touchdown drive. The drive featured a 17-yard run by Kiefer Sibley and a 27-yard completion from Mestemaker to Damon Ward Jr. A targeting penalty on Texas State’s Justin Harris assisted in the drive, and on the first play of the second quarter, Mestemaker found Landon Sides in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown, extending the North Texas lead to 14-6.

The Bobcats’ following possession featured the same rhythm, the offense moving down the field. However, it was another drive that featured a missed chance in the end zone. McCloud found an opening for Joey Hobert, but it appeared the sunlight played a factor, and Hobert dropped a potential touchdown. Texas State settled with another Shipley field goal (47 yards).

DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 3: Texas State kicker Mason Shipley (36) watches as his first of three first half field goals sails through the uprights during the First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 3, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/Fi360 News)

Texas State marched down in 10 plays and 78 yards on the next Bobcats possession. It capped off with a floating pass from McCloud to Williams with a Mean Green defender all over Williams. North Texas moved the ball 66 yards down the field inside the red zone thanks to three Miles Coleman catches for 44 yards. However, Mestemaker threw a dart to Texas State’s Manny Nunnery with a minute left in the half for the game’s first turnover.

While the Bobcats couldn’t capitalize at the end of the half on the turnover, they stormed out of halftime with a near-7-minute drive that went 13 plays and 75 yards. The drive included a third-down conversion and a fourth-down conversion, passing up on a 46-yard field goal. Lincoln Pare needed one touch to cap off the goal-line score, powering up the middle for six and giving Texas State their first two-score lead of the game, 23-14.

North Texas threatened with a 57-yard completion to Ward, but the Mean Green fell a yard short on a 4th and 3 at the Bobcats 26, turning it over on downs. Texas State did what you wanted: up two scores to start the fourth, eat up the clock, and move the ball. However, McCloud threw it inside the North Texas 30 to Mean Green’s Evan Jackson. After the takeaway, North Texas drove the ball to the Bobcats’ 23 on a Makenzie McGill catch and run of 29 yards, but a blindside hit to Mestemaker from Jordan Polk caused a fumble recovered by Kalil Alexander. Texas State returned the favor as McCloud fumbled on the sack, forced by Fatafehi Vailea and recovered by Breylon Charles. The Bobcats fumble resulted in a McGill rushing touchdown set up by a 42-yard completion to Sides, setting up the Mean Green at the 1. North Texas pulled to within 2, down 23-21.

DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 3: North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker (17) makes a pass during the first half of the First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 3, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/Fi360 News)

Things got wackier. In three plays, Pare broke loose for 73 yards down the field in a matter of one minute to negate North Texas’ previous scoring possession.

“They were just loading the box,” Pare said on the breakaway run. “Anything I could get to just to get to the second level, I knew that I could win. The [offensive] line did a great job, washed everybody down, and I had one guy to beat.”

However, Mestemaker showcased his legs with a 70-yard sprint down the sideline, and in a matter of ninety seconds, both teams traded haymakers as the Mean Green pulled back, down 30-28.

DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 3: North Texas tight end Victor Aderungboye (19) gets airborne for a pass auls in a 16 yard touchdown pass during the second quarter of the First Responder Bowl against Texas State at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 3, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/Fi360 News)

[Mestemaker] is athletic [and] he’s big,” Bobcats coach Kinne said about the Mean Green freshman quarterback. “You saw the run at the end of the game. I think it’s going to be tough to beat that kid out moving forward. He’s a really good player.”

Texas State moved the ball and ended up punting, but it pinned North Texas inside the 10-yard line. The Mean Green couldn’t advance as Texas State sealed the win with its defense.

Texas State has gone back-to-back seasons with eight wins and a bowl victory. Senior Jordan McCloud feels it’s just the beginning of the Texas State Bobcats program.

DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 3: Texas State receiver Jaden Williams (0) explodes for a big gain during the first half of the First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 3, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/Fi360 News)

“It’s a lot of talent on this team,” McCloud said. “Everybody learns how to figure it out, stick together, and handle adversity. I think this program is going to be really unstoppable.”