North Texas 2025 Season Rewatch: USF Hands Mean Green First Loss of Season in 63-36 Thumping

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GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3 | GAME 4 | GAME 5

As it happens, North Texas didn’t go undefeated last year.

In a big game by Group of Five standards, North Texas hosted No. 24 USF coming out of a bye week, but the battle-tested Bulls got the better of the Mean Green in Denton, winning 63-36.

In preparation for Oklahoma State’s 2026 season, we’re going back and watching North Texas’ 2025 season. Here are some takeaways from this game against USF.

It Was Close Until It Wasn’t

North Texas was set to get the ball back with less than a minute left in the second quarter while holding a 21-14 lead. Less than five minutes of gametime later, USF had a 42-21 lead.

This game was filled with turnovers, but they really started to bite the Mean Green about then.

USF punted with 50 seconds to play in the opening half, but Miles Coleman muffed it. USF fell on it and scored as time expired in the first half to tie it at 21.

USF then got the ball out of the break and stormed down the field in just over a minute to score again.

Then Drew Mestemaker was picked off on UNT’s third play of the next drive, and 24 seconds later the Bulls scored again.

Then a UNT receiver fumbled on the Mean Green’s next drive, and USF returned that fumble for a touchdown. All of a sudden, it was 42-21.

If you take out that five-minute stretch, this game was 42-36, but it got away from that young North Texas team in a hurry.

Mestemaker Throws First Picks

Mestemaker entered this game with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions, but he threw three picks against the Bulls.

The first was a good play by USF linebacker Jhalyn Shuler down deep in the Bulls’ territory. Mestemaker was looking to throw a slant route. It looked as if Shuler was going to run to the flat to cover a receiver before Shuler stood pat in zone and intercepted the pass.

A ballplayer, Mestemaker made the tackle after throwing his first pick of the year, though I’m sure Oklahoma State fans would prefer him not throw his throwing shoulder into a charging linebacker.

The second pick was sort of ugly. He tried to hit a receiver deep down the sideline but left too much space between the receiver and said sideline. A USF defensive back back-pedaled and snagged it.

INT No. 3 came as Mestemaker got crushed by two pass rushers and sailed the ball over the would-be receiver’s head. One of the hits on Mestemaker was reviewed for targeting, but the officials deemed it OK.

Mestemaker finished 30-for-46 (65%) for 336 yards, two touchdowns and two INTs. According to PFF, Mestemaker was pressured 13 times in this game, which is the third-most pressures he faced all season. UNT receivers also dropped four passes, the second-most drops on Mestemaker passes this season.

It’s also somewhat important to remember that this is still just his seventh start since playing on the high school freshman B team.

Other Notes

• This was the first sellout of DATCU Stadium, and even through the TV copy, you could tell that there was a much more palpable buzz than any game North Texas had played previously.

• This was North Texas’ first big game of the year, but it was sort of just another week for USF at that point.

The Bulls had already beaten a ranked Boise State team, a ranked Florida team and lost to a Top 5 Miami squad before this trip to Denton.

• North Texas showed a fun formation on fourth down early. USF called a timeout because there were 12 Bulls on the field.

• North Texas was 3-for-4 on fourth-down attempts in this game. The first of which came after that timeout. Mestemaker handed to Caleb Hawkins who plowed ahead for a first down. Then on the next play, Mestemaker pulled it with everyone running toward Hawkins, and Mestemaker slipped into the end zone.

• Now an OSU corner, Kollin Lewis made the second interception of his sophomore season. It was one he had to work for, too, essentially outrebounding the wide receiver for the ball.

• Another fun fourth down play: North Texas lined up in the wildcat formation with Wyatt Young, a QB in high school, taking the snap and running in for a touchdown.

• Miles Coleman scored on this play by simply being faster than everyone else on the field:

The play-by-play guy had a good line calling the 5-foot-6 Coleman “lightning in a shot glass.”

• Spoiler alert: Despite this loss, North Texas is able to fight back and make the American title game. This is UNT’s last loss of the regular season, but USF dropped games to Memphis (a team UNT didn’t play) and Navy (a team UNT beats 31-17 two weeks after this game).