Mestemaker Torches 49ers With Report 608 Yards

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Redshirt freshman Drew Mestemaker rewrote the UNT passing document e book and had a efficiency that may go down as one of the crucial prolific in school soccer historical past en path to a 54-20 come-from-behind win over Charlotte on Friday evening that moved the Mean Green to 7-1 on the season for the primary time since 1977.
 
Mestemaker accomplished 37 of 49 move makes an attempt for a school- and conference-record 608 yards and 4 touchdowns to guide the Mean Green to a livid comeback effort that noticed them path 17-7 after which outscore Charlotte 47-3 from the 8:30 mark of the second quarter till the tip of the sport. They outscored Charlotte 27-0 within the fourth quarter.
 
“It was awesome just going out there and doing that,” Mestemaker stated. “I didn’t even know it happened honestly. Our coaches said they were going to get me in there, break the record and get me out. That’s what I did. The coaches trusted me to distribute the ball and that’s what we did.”
 
Mestemaker’s monster evening marks essentially the most yards an FBS participant has thrown for since Ok.J. Costello threw for 623 yards for Mississippi State towards LSU in 2020 and is the sixteenth greatest passing yardage complete in FBS historical past. It’s the second-most by a freshman or redshirt freshman in FBS historical past behind Nevada’s David Neill, who threw for 611 in a loss to New Mexico State on Oct. 10, 1998. Mestemaker had 16 passes of 15 or extra yards, and the group’s earlier greatest this season was 9.
 
The Mean Green (7-1, 3-1 American) had three receivers eclipse the century mark – the primary time that had occurred since a well-known shootout with Navy on Nov. 10, 2007, when Casey Fitzgerald, Korey Washington and Sam Dibrell all hit 100 yards or extra via the air. On Friday, it was a banged up Wyatt Young that led the way in which with profession highs in catches (9) and yards (190), together with Cameron Dorner (seven catches for 117 yards) and Landon Sides (5 catches for a career-high 114 yards).
 
Now, UNT will head residence and await a Navy group that would come to Denton undefeated relying on what the Midshipmen do Saturday.
 
That recreation is ready for an 11 a.m. kickoff at DATCU Stadium on Nov. 1.
 
“I’m happy with the way we played tonight, but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows at the beginning,” Mestemaker stated. “We have to clean some stuff up. We have a really good Navy team coming to town next week, and we’ll get ready to go 8-1.”
 
QUICK HITS

• UNT defeated Charlotte, 54-20, within the third all-time assembly between the applications and gained its first assembly within the sequence.
• UNT improved to 8-7 all-time and 3-0 this season in street video games beneath head coach Eric Morris.
• UNT is now 1-1 beneath Morris when tied on the half and improved to 15-0 when main after three quarters.
• UNT’s captains for the sport have been Ethan Day, Sawyer Evans and Briceon Hayes.
• The Mean Green entered the season with 68 newcomers, which is the second-most in FBS behind Utah State. Forty-two of the 68 newcomers are transfers, which is the second-most in FBS behind New Mexico (49).
• Senior OL Ugonna Nnanna made his first begin for UNT and the tenth begin of his profession.
• When Charlotte took a 17-7 lead with 11:27 left within the second quarter, it was the primary time UNT trailed by 10 or extra factors because it trailed 24-10 within the third quarter at Western Michigan on Sept. 6. UNT went on to win that recreation 33-30 in extra time.
• The win marked the fourth win this season by 28 factors or extra, which is a brand new program document, and ties the Mean Green with Oregon, Ohio State and Utah for essentially the most victories by 28 or extra factors within the nation.
• UNT outscored Charlotte 47-3 from the 8:30 mark of the second quarter till the tip of the sport.
• UNT’s 27 fourth-quarter factors is the second-most in program historical past, tied with Drake in 1976 and behind solely Utah State in 1997, when UNT scored 32 factors within the fourth.
• UNT’s first possession ended with a 41-yard Cameron Dorner landing reception to cap a 50-second scoring drive. It was UNT’s eighth scoring drive this season of beneath one minute – all touchdowns.
• UNT tied the sport at 17-17 with 4:14 left within the first half after a 91-yard scoring drive – its longest scoring drive of the season.
• For the second time in three weeks, UNT was tied on the half. Prior to the sport towards South Florida on Oct. 10, UNT had not had a tie rating at halftime in Eric Morris‘ tenure.
• The Mean Green have now scored 50 or extra factors 4 instances this season. The solely different time that has occurred was in 1951.
• The Mean Green have now scored at the very least 30 factors in every of the primary eight video games for the primary time in program historical past after hitting seven straight final week for the primary time in program historical past.

  • It additionally marks the primary time in program historical past a UNT group has scored 30+ factors in eight straight video games.

• UNT’s 754 yards of complete offense was the second-most in program historical past, behind 768 towards Middle Tennessee in 2020.
• UNT had three gamers attain 100 yards receiving, as Cameron Dorner, Landon Sides and Wyatt Young all hit the century mark – solely the third time this has occurred in FBS this season.

  • The final time UNT had three gamers eclipse 100 receiving yards was the Nov. 10, 2007, when Casey Fitzgerald (134), Korey Washington (127) and Sam Dibrell (113) did it towards Navy.

• UNT had 16 passes of 15 or extra yards, besting the earlier season excessive of 9.
• For the second time this season, and second straight week, and the fifteenth time within the Eric Morris period, UNT rolled up at the very least 500 yards of complete offense.
• The Mean Green have now scored in 29 straight quarters, together with extra time durations, and have not been shut out for the reason that first quarter of the sport at Western Michigan on Sept. 6.
• UNT had simply eight gamers catch at the very least one move within the recreation.

  • Entering the day, the Mean Green had at the very least eight gamers catch a move in 22 of the final 23 video games relationship again to UTSA on Nov. 4, 2023 – all however two video games of the Eric Morris period.

• For the seventh straight week, UNT had two gamers document a dashing landing.
• The Mean Green had three scoring drives of at the very least 75 yards, giving them 14 scoring drives this 12 months of 75 yards or extra – all landing drives.
• On Saturday, UNT went 4-for-5 within the crimson zone (three touchdowns, one area aim). UNT has 36 red-zone touchdowns this season and has scored in 44 of 47 journeys contained in the opposing 20-yard line this 12 months. The 36 crimson zone touchdowns is essentially the most in FBS.
• UNT now has 26 dashing touchdowns on the season, which is essentially the most in FBS.
• RS Freshman QB Drew Mestemaker (Austin, Texas) completed 37-of-49 for 608 yards passing and 4 touchdowns via the air.

  • Mestemaker’s 608 passing yards was essentially the most by any participant in FBS this season, essentially the most in program historical past and essentially the most in American Conference historical past, and it was the second 500-yard passing efficiency in program historical past (Daniel Meager, 601, at SMU on Sept. 8, 2007).
  • His 608 passing yards is essentially the most by any FBS participant since Mississippi State’s Ok.J. Costello threw for 623 towards LSU on Sept. 26, 2020, and it’s the sixteenth most passing yards in a recreation in FBS historical past.
  • Mestemaker’s 608 passing yards is essentially the most for a freshman within the final 30 years.  
  • Mestemaker now has 2,468 passing yards this season for a brand new single-season passing yards program document for a freshman, transferring him previous Giovanni Vizza (2,388 in 2007).
  • Mestemaker threw for 329 yards within the first half, changing into the primary UNT quarterback to move for 300 yards in a primary half since Austin Aune threw for 384 within the first half in a win over FIU on Nov. 5, 2022. The 329 first-half passing yards is essentially the most by any quarterback in FBS in a half this season.
  • Mestemaker turned the seventeenth participant in program historical past eclipse 2,000 passing yards in a season and is the twenty first to submit 2,500 passing yards in a profession.
  • Mestemaker had at the very least three landing passes in a recreation for the fourth time this season.
  • Mestemaker’s 41-yard landing move to Cameron Dorner with 12:25 left within the first quarter was his 18th of the season and twentieth of his profession and was UNT’s fifth longest passing play of the season.
  • Mestemaker’s 6-yard landing move to Caleb Hawkins with 4:14 left within the second quarter was his nineteenth of the season and twenty first of his profession.
  • Mestemaker’s 7-yard landing move to Hawkins with 12:26 left within the recreation was his twentieth of the season and twenty second of his profession.
  • Mestemaker’s 70-yard landing move to Wyatt Young with 9:03 remaining was his twenty first of the season and twenty third of his profession and was the longest play for UNT this season.

• Freshman RB Caleb Hawkins (Shawnee, Okla.) completed the day with 13 carries for 48 yards and added 4 catches for 39 yards and two touchdowns.

  • Hawkins’ 6-yard landing reception with 4:14 left within the second quarter was his second of the 12 months and his ninth general landing.
  • Hawkins’ 7-yard landing reception with 12:26 remaining was his third of the 12 months and his tenth general landing.

• Sophomore RB Kiefer Sibley (Waco, Texas) completed the day with seven carries for a career-high 71 yards and a career-high two touchdowns.

  • His 1-yard landing run with 5:53 left within the third quarter was his fourth dashing landing of the season and profession and his fifth general landing of his profession.
  • His 45-yard landing run with 7:04 remaining was his fifth of the season and profession and sixth general landing of his profession.

• RS freshman RB Ashton Gray (Marion, Ark.) completed the day with 4 carries for 34 yards and a landing.

  • Gray’s 32-yard landing run with 1:06 remaining was the primary of his profession.

• Sophomore WR Wyatt Young (Katy, Texas) completed the day with a career-high 9 catches for a career-high 190 yards and a landing.

  • Young’s 190 yards is essentially the most for a UNT receiver since Damon Ward Jr. had 230 towards South Alabama to open the 2024 season.
  • Young’s 70-yard reception with 9:15 remaining was his seventh of the season and ninth of his profession, and it was additionally a career-long reception for Young.

• Senior WR Cameron Dorner (New Market, Md.) completed the day with seven catches for 117 yards and a landing.

  • Dorner’s 41-yard landing reception with 12:25 left within the first quarter was his fourth of the season and 18th of his profession (17 receiving, 1 return TD) and it was his first reception of 40 or extra yards this season.

• Junior WR Landon Sides (Denton, Texas) completed the day with 5 catches for a career-high 114 yards.

  • Sides’ 60-yard reception late within the second quarter marked the longest reception of his profession.

• New defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity got here to UNT from Sam Houston and introduced six of his gamers with him to Denton.

  • Senior CB David Fisher (Houston, Texas), senior LB Trey Fields (Danciger, Texas), senior CB Da’Veawn Armstead (Baton Rouge, La.), senior DL Richard Outland Jr. (Houston) and senior DL Briceon Hayes (Huntsville, Texas), all former Bearkats, began the sport on protection.
  • Fisher made his seventh begin for UNT and thirty fifth consecutive begin when he is been out there to play, relationship again to his time at Sam Houston.

• Charlotte’s 64-yard landing move with 11:27 left within the second quarter capped a one-play scoring drive that took eight seconds – the least time of an opponent scoring drive this season.
• Junior LB Ethan Wesloski (McKinney, Texas) completed the day with a game-high 10 tackles, together with a solo cease, and a half-tackle for loss.
• Sophomore DB Quinton Hammonds (Allen, Texas) completed the day with a season-high eight tackles, together with three solo stops.
• Senior LB Trey Fields (Dancinger, Texas) completed the day with seven tackles, together with a solo cease.
• Senior DB Da’Veawn Armstead (Baton Rouge, La.) completed the day with 5 tackles, together with three solo stops, and a half-tackle for loss.
• Junior DL Ethan Day (Ripon, Calif.) completed the day with 5 tackles, together with a solo cease, a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.

  • Day’s fourth-quarter sack was his fourth of the season and gave him 4.5 on his profession.

• Senior DL Jalyn Durgan (Ocean Springs, Miss.) completed the day with three tackles, together with a solo cease, a sort out for loss and a sack.

  • Durgan’s second-quarter sack was his first for UNT and gave him 1.5 sacks for his profession.

• Senior DB David Fisher (Houston) completed the day with two tackles – each solo stops – and a move breakup.

  • Fisher’s move breakup was his fifth of the season and sixteenth of his profession.

• Junior DB Patrick Smith-Young (Sugar Land, Texas) completed the day with two tackles, together with a solo cease, and two move breakups.
• Senior P Sawyer Evans (Arlington, Texas) had two punts on the evening – each downed inside Charlotte’s 20-yard line – and averaged 40.5 yards per punt.

  • Evans’ third-quarter 43-yard punt was his seventh of the season downed contained in the opposing 20-yard line.

• Sophomore Ok Kali Nguma (Mission, Texas) completed 6-for-6 on additional factors and was 2-for-2 on area objectives.

  • His 29-yard area aim with 8:30 left within the second quarter was his eighth of the season and nineteenth of his profession.
  • His 41-yard area aim with 19 seconds left within the third quarter was his ninth of the season and twentieth of his profession, and it was a season lengthy.
  • Nguma is 99-for-99 in his profession on additional factors, tied with Trevor Moore (2014-17) for profession additional level proportion (1.000), as Moore was 154-for-154 on PATs in his profession.
  • His 99 consecutive additional level makes an attempt transformed is the third-longest streak in program historical past – subsequent is 134 by Ethan Mooney (2019-22).
  • His 99 profession additional factors made has him in fourth place on this system’s all-time record – subsequent is Nick Bazaldua (2002-05), who had 116.