The 20th anniversary of the New Mexico Bowl has come and gone, and with it was a classic. North Texas defeated San Diego State 49-40 in a back-and-forth affair, coming down to the wire. Here’s a recap of key moments and plays from the New Mexico Bowl.
North Texas Defeats SDSU, New Mexico Bowl Recap
Nonstop Running and Starting Fast
From the get-go, both teams found success on the ground. For North Texas, running backs Caleb Hawkins and Ashton Gray each had two touchdowns in the first half, all on the first four drives. On the other side, backup quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. was given the start after starting quarterback Jayden Denegal required surgery. Emmanuel instantly stepped into the role, running for two touchdowns and 170 yards in the first half. He would get injured on the goal line late in the second half, never returning, and be substituted for by third-string quarterback Kyle Crum. Crum would finish off that drive, cutting the score to 28-20. Onward, it was even more chaotic.
Multiple Mistakes
In the second and third quarters, there were a total of six turnovers and two missed field goals between the two schools. At the end of the first half, both programs missed field goals. San Diego State missed a 57-yarder, and North Texas missed a 36-yarder. In the second half, North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw two interceptions, but SDSU never capitalized. Unlike the Aztecs, the Mean Green forced an interception and a fourth-down stop, scoring touchdowns in response to both. Down 22, the game seemed all but over, but SDSU fought back.
Fourth Quarter Chaos
At the beginning of the fourth it was 42-20, at the end it was 49-47 with four touchdowns, including a punt return touchdown. On the Aztecs’ first drive of the fourth, running back Christian Washington rolled over a defender, running for extra yards, setting up a rushing touchdown by Crum. Then, return man Nathan Acevedo returned a punt from SDSU 37 all the way to the endzone, cutting the score to 42-34. North Texas would respond on their next drive, going 11 plays, 77 yards, which included two fourth down conversions, the second one finding Cameron Dorner for 31 yards.
With the ball back once again, down 15, SDSU drove down the field again, this time finding themselves on 4th & 7 on the Mean Green 30. Crum would find Jaylon Hawkins on a miraculous play where Hawkins somehow brought the ball down surrounded by four green jerseys. Washington would find himself in the end zone a play later. They would finally decide to go for two, but would not succeed, making it a two-score game. The Aztecs would stop North Texas on fourth down, but throw their second interception of the game on their next drive. Crum and the offense would get one more crack, finding the end zone with one second left on a quarterback sneak by Crum. The final score was 49-47, Mean Green.
Key Stats
In the end, both teams ran for over 300 and passed for over 200 yards. Caleb Hawkins would run for 193 yards and have three total touchdowns. Gray would rush for 151 yards as well. The Mean Green would convert five fourth-down plays and eight third-down plays. San Diego State struggled to get North Texas off the field early and on crucial downs, but they were able to hold Wyatt Young to 47 yards without two of their corners.
Moving Forward
Both teams go into next year without a lot of uncertainty. North Texas enters the Neal Brown era, looking to retain Hawkins, Gray, Young, and Mestemaker. San Diego State will have some restructuring as well, as their lead edge rusher, Trey White, graduates. Additionally, they lost their defensive coordinator, Rob Aurich, to Nebraska. Lastly, the Aztecs will leave for the Pac-12 next year, marking the start of a new era for them as well.
In a milestone matchup for the city of Albuquerque and the New Mexico Bowl, no better game could have been played. Here’s to another 20 years of football in Albuquerque. Enjoy the rest of bowl season, everyone, including the CFP.
Main Image: UNT Athletics
