TXST FOOTBALL
Who’s the real offensive genius?
Texas State and North Texas head coaches G.J. Kinne and Eric Morris are billed as some of the top up-and-coming offensive minds in college football. This matchup may help setting the debate started when both coaches vaulted up the coaching ladder from their days coaching the University of Incarnate Word.
Morris coached Incarnate Word to much success from 2018 to 2021. After he left the school to be the offensive coordinator at Washington State, Kinne was hired to succeed him. After a new promotion for each, the two face off in a meeting that is 30 years in the making as the Bobcats will battle the Mean Green in the First Responder’s Bowl.
North Texas was hit hard by the portal with the Mean Green losing several key contributors on offense though Texas State Head Coach G.J. Kinne is not underestimating them.
“You know, [there is] probably more questions on offense … [about] what they’re gonna come out and do,” Kinne said. “Coach Eric Morris over there is one of the best, if not the best, offensive minds in the country, and he’s gonna have those guys ready to go. So that’s the last thing we’re gonna do is overlook the North Texas offense.”
Following the end of the regular season, North Texas lost both their leading quarterback Chandler Morris, running back Shane Porter and wide receiver DT Sheffield to the transfer portal.
The Mean Green are expected to turn to freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker to lead the offense against the Bobcat defense. Mestemaker, a graduate from Austin Vandergrift High School, appeared in three games for the Mean Green, passing for 69 yards and rushing for 32 yards on five carries.
Looking to help Mestemaker in the passing is wide receiver Damon Ward Jr. The senior wide receiver has caught 36 passes for 622 yards and four touchdowns. Senior wide Blair Conwright will also look to provide a pivotal role in the passing game, having caught 40 passes for 542 yards and seven touchdowns.
North Texas will also turn to another freshman in the running game. Mackenzie McGill II is the returning leading rusher for the Mean Green with 71 carries for 442 yards and nine touchdowns.
During the regular season, North Texas averaged 34 points per game.
With Morris’ track record of producing high level offenses at Texas Tech, Incarnate Word, Washington State and now North Texas, Kinne is expecting the Mean Green offense to still be a danger in spite of their losses to the transfer portal.
“You just look at it, and it doesn’t matter who’s back there playing quarterback,” Kinne said. “Go look at [Jon] Copeland, Cam Ward, Chandler Rogers and Chandler Morris. The guy’s gonna put up numbers, whoever’s back there. He’s unbelievable in what he does. … So the last thing we’re gonna do is sleep on that offense.”
On the other side of the ball, Texas State will look to take advantage of the Mean Green defense who has given up an average of 34.5 points per game against opposing offenses. The Bobcat offense has averaged 37.08 points per game.
Texas State will also look to replace several key contributors on offense including running back Ismail Mahdi and wide receiver Kole Wilson who both entered the Transfer Portal.
The meeting between Texas State and North Texas will be the 40th alltime meeting between the two teams and the first since 1994.
The series dates back to 1915 and was an annual showdown between the two schools from 19151949.
The series took a 35-year hiatus before it resumed in 1984 when both Texas State and North Texas
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were members of FCS. In 1987, Texas State became a member of the Southland Conference where North Texas resided, making the series conference game once more until 1994 when the Mean Green made their transition to FBS.
The series has also garnered notoriety in the past due to the unforeseen circumstances from the movie Necessary Roughness.
Coming out in 1991 starring Scott Bakula, Sinbad and Kathy Ireland, the movie was filmed on the campus of North Texas featuring the then-fictional school of the Texas State Armadillos, who wore the colors of the Mean Green.
In one of the scenes, “Texas State” opens the season against the Southwest Texas Bobcats, ending with the Bobcats taking home the win.
12 years after the film came out, Southwest Texas changed their name to Texas State.
The series will resume as a regular season showdown with Texas State hosting North Texas in 2026 and the Mean Green hosting the Bobcats in 2030.
Kickoff for the First Responder Bowl is set for today at 3 p.m. from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas on the campus of SMU.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
Texas State vs
North Texas
Game: Texas State vs North Texas [First Responder Bowl] Date: Today 3 pm at Gerald Ford Stadium Series History: North Texas leads series 29-7-3 Last Meeting: North Texas beat Texas State 27-14 during the 1994 season Keys to the Game: The Bobcat defense must take advantage of a weakened Mean Green offense who must turn to a freshman quarterback in one of the biggest games of the season in front of a expected packed house at Ford Stadium. If the Bobcat defense succeeds and the offense continues to dominate, Texas State will celebrate another bowl win.
