Drew Mestemaker leads No. 21 North Texas over Temple 52-25 for spot in American title game

DENTON, Texas (AP) — Drew Mestemaker threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns, including a 77-yarder to Cameron Dorner, and No. 21 North Texas wrapped up a spot in the American Conference championship game with a 52-25 victory against Temple on Friday.

The Mean Green (11-1, 7-1 American) rolled in their first game since announcing that coach Eric Morris had accepted the job at Oklahoma State. North Texas will play either 22nd-ranked Tulane or Navy for the conference title and a possible College Football Playoff berth.

Tulane will host the championship game next Friday with a victory over Charlotte on Saturday night. Otherwise, the Mean Green will be at home against Navy. Tulane is No. 24 in the CFP rankings. North Texas is unranked.

“Super proud of our kids, first and foremost,” Morris said. “Obviously, a ton of distractions this week, and that starts with me. I’m not ignorant enough not to realize that.”

The Owls (5-7, 3-5) pulled even at 7-7 on Evan Simon’s fourth-down touchdown pass to Ryder Kusch in the first quarter, but the Mean Green scored TDs on their first five drives. The nation’s No. 1 offense in total yards had 366 in the first half on the way to a 35-7 lead.

Freshman Caleb Hawkins, who entered the game leading the nation in total touchdowns, is up to 26 after four rushing TDs against Temple. He had 122 of his 186 yards rushing at halftime.

North Texas said Tuesday in the announcement about Morris that the coach will leave after the season. Morris said after the game that would include a bowl game if North Texas’ first 10-win season doesn’t end as the Group of Five representative for the CFP.

There is also talk of Mestemaker, a redshirt freshman who never played quarterback on the varsity in high school, leaving UNT as well, possibly joining his coach in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The nation’s leading passer was 20 of 24 and had three TDs without an interception for the second week in a row. Mestemaker has 29 TD passes with just four picks.

“This offense has been explosive in so many different ways this year,” Morris said. “I thought Drew was phenomenal at seeing it tonight, continues to impress and get the ball out on time.”

North Texas has outscored its two opponents 108-49 since getting in The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in 66 years. The Mean Green celebrated the end of the poll’s longest drought for an FBS school with a 56-24 victory over Rice.

Mestemaker had a 75-yard completion to Wyatt Young to set up Hawkins’ fourth score, which put the Mean Green over the 50-point mark for an FBS-leading seventh time this season.

Young had 127 yards receiving a week after setting an American Conference record with 295. Dorner had four catches for 125 yards.

The takeaway

Temple: The Owls were never really in the game with a chance to qualify for their first bowl game since 2019. But first-year coach K.C. Keeler had already ended a four-season streak of 3-9 finishes.

North Texas: Mestemaker completed his first 11 passes, and the 77-yard TD to Dorner was the fifth play on a 99-yard drive on the Mean Green’s first possession.

Passing Gabriel

Mestemaker, who was a punter and safety in high school in Austin, Texas, before walking on at North Texas, broke Dillon Gabriel’s freshman record for yards passing in the American. He is at 3,835 for the season. Gabriel had 3,654 yards at UCF before going on to play for Oklahoma and Oregon. Gabriel has started six games for the Cleveland Browns as a rookie this season.

Up next

Temple: Rhode Island is the first opponent on the 2026 schedule.

North Texas: The Mean Green didn’t play Tulane in the regular season. They’re in the title game in the case of a three-way tie because of a 31-17 victory over Navy.

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