By Kelly Marshall
Austin Sports Journal
A week after UTSA appeared to regain its offensive rhythm, the Roadrunners stumbled hard in Denton.
North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker accounted for five touchdowns, four through the air and one on the ground, as the Mean Green rolled to a 55-17 win over UTSA on Saturday at DATCU Stadium.
The loss dropped UTSA to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in American Conference play, marking the Roadrunners’ first loss to North Texas since 2021. North Texas improved to 6-1, making the Mean Green bowl eligbile and moved them into the top half of the league standings.
Things started promisingly for UTSA.
On the game’s opening drive, Robert Henry broke free for a 72-yard run, setting up a 3-yard touchdown pass from Owen McCown to tight end Houston Thomas. But from that moment on, North Texas took over in every phase.
The Mean Green responded with 17 unanswered points in the first quarter, capped by two touchdown passes from Mestemaker to Wyatt Young, who finished with six catches for 102 yards and three scores. UTSA briefly pulled within three in the second quarter when Henry scored from three yards out, but North Texas’ Kiefer Sibley answered before halftime with an 18-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 24-14.
Any hopes of a comeback vanished in the third quarter. Mestemaker found Cameron Dorner for a 15-yard touchdown, scored himself on a 1-yard keeper, and later hit Young again for a 42-yard strike to make it 45-17 heading into the fourth. Backup quarterback Chris Jimerson Jr. added a 37-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Lewis to close out the scoring.
The 55 points were the most UTSA has allowed since joining the American in 2023. North Texas piled up 584 yards of total offense, including 314 through the air and 270 on the ground. Caleb Hawkins led the Mean Green rushing attack with 223 all-purpose yards, while Mestemaker finished 22-of-35 for 277 yards and four touchdowns.
Despite the lopsided score, UTSA’s running game remained a bright spot. Henry rushed for 138 yards on 12 carries, marking his fifth 100-yard performance of the season and seventh in his last nine games. Will Henderson III also contributed 65 yards on five carries, averaging 13 yards per touch.
Defensively, Kendrick Blackshire and Brandon Tucker each recorded seven tackles to pace the Roadrunners, while Nnanna Anyanwu added a sack. Punter Caile Hogan was a rare standout on special teams, averaging 50.6 yards per punt, including a long of 60.
UTSA managed just 329 total yards – its lowest output since the season opener – and turned the ball over three times on fumbles.
Head coach Jeff Traylor’s squad now faces an uphill climb to bowl eligibility after back-to-back conference losses. The Roadrunners return home Oct. 30 to host Tulane, needing to rediscover the consistency that fueled their early-season promise.
