The Mean Green came up short filling up DATCU Stadium for the first time, but not when it came to filling up the scoresheet, pummeling Washington State 59-10 on Sept. 13.
The first meeting ever with the Cougars garnered 26,837 fans, the seventh-largest crowd in the stadium’s history. They watched on as the North Texas defense proved they have evolved under new defensive coordinator Skylar Cassity, logging five turnovers for the first time since the 2018 game against Arkansas.
“It allows us to do different game management situationally,” head coach Eric Morris said on the defense. “It allows us to not just rely on being explosive and be a little more methodical. […] It allows us to play a different brand of football than what we have in the first two years.”
A fast tempo was the name of the game for the North Texas offense. Redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker led the unit to a first down within 20 seconds of the matchup kicking off, and two athletic catches from the receiving core spearheaded a 10-play touchdown drive in under five minutes.
Junior safety Evan Jackson foreshadowed what was to come from the Mean Green defense when he intercepted a Cougar pass on the next drive, returning it 60 yards. Junior transfer running back Jayden Becks made good use of the field position, rushing for 12 yards to punch in his first touchdown donning an Eagle on his helmet.
The North Texas secondary locked down the Washington State offense, bringing the Cougars down at the point of the catch and applying immense pressure. Jackson felt the unit clicked on all cylinders due to their chemistry.
“It’s a brotherhood,” Jackson said. “Every corner[back], that’s my brother. Every safety, that’s my brother. The whole team is coming together, and the connection is there.”
The Cougars only gained notable ground on the Mean Green defense once in the first half. That was thanks to a laser from Washington State’s redshirt sophomore quarterback Jaxon Potter to freshman wide receiver Carter Pabst in the heart of the field. Unable to convert on third down, the Cougars sent out redshirt freshman kicker Jack Stevens to successfully house three points on a 26-yard attempt.
North Texas met Washington State’s score with a resounding counterattack, scoring four touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the first half. Morris’ team achieved every head coach’s dream, as they capitalized on every Cougar miscue.
Senior safety Will Jones II ignited the defensive surge for the Mean Green, forcing and recovering a fumble on Washington State’s 19-yard line. The North Texas offense benefited further from a pass interference call in the team’s favor, making it easy for Mestemaker to pinpoint sophomore tight end Brandon Young Jr. for a short-change touchdown pass.
A botched punt from the Cougars, a 43-yard interception courtesy of senior linebacker Shane Whitter and a fumble recovery from standout transfer linebacker Trey Fields all put North Texas within 30 yards or less of the end zone on three consecutive drives. Each drive was capitalized on by the Mean Green, wasting none of them as the team added three touchdowns to their lead in less than three minutes.
The first half provided all North Texas needed to best the Cougars. The Mean Green picked up another 10 points through the third and fourth quarters, seven of those hailing from freshman running back Caleb Hawkins’s first career touchdown.
Washington State assembled a touchdown drive with less than two minutes to go. The third quarterback featured in the game, senior Zevi Eckhaus, finally squeezed past the Mean Green defensive front, staying on the keeper to score. His efforts, however, were no match for the complete team performance displayed by North Texas.
A 59-point tally is the most recorded in the Morris era, a strong response to questions looming about the validity of the team following an overtime 33-30 win over Western Michigan. Becks feels this 2025 team is up for any challenge thrown their way.
“Just keep doubting us,” Becks said. “We’ll prove you wrong every week.”
A standout matchup on the Mean Green’s schedule is on deck, as they head to Michie Stadium to play the United States Military Academy on Saturday, Sept. 20. Army, the reigning American Conference champions, pose obstacles such as running a triple option offense, masterfully controlling the clock and possessing an intense home environment. With a win over Washington State, North Texas looks ahead as the team adds another notable win to its resume.
“We have to do a great job preparing,” Morris said. “This will be huge for us to be able to come back on Monday to correct the mistakes we made in this game. We have to move on in a hurry. […] It’ll be a huge test for us in the conference opener.
