North Texas and Texas State are kicking off the new year in the First Responder Bowl. College football always means more in the Lone Star State, and its time for the best of the best to prove it. However, will this game be an offensive shootout or shutout?
First Responder Bowl Preview: North Texas and Texas State
The Mean Green Are In- But is Chandler Morris?
It wasn’t a pretty win that earned North Texas bowl eligibility but, as this year’s Oklahoma Sooners know all too well, a win is a win. However, the Mean Green Eagles are heading into their bowl game without a key player.
Quarterback Chandler Morris, who passed for nearly 4,000 yards this year, is transferring to Virginia. This means he’s likely opting out of the First Responder Bowl. Perhaps this is a calculated move. After all, if Morris stays for the game he’d be playing against his father, Chad Morris, the current receivers coach for Texas State. North Texas will turn to walk-on freshman Drew Mestemaker without the younger Morris onboard.
Faith of the Heart
There’s still some hope, however, that things will work out. “For a freshman, Drew is pretty good,” Ridge Texada, a veteran cornerback, said in a press conference leading into this game. He continued further, saying, “He has an arm on him. He doesn’t have much experience, but going against him in practice, he’s not a freshman who doesn’t know what he’s doing out there. The coaches have done a good job of developing him throughout the year.”
This faith is a good thing because Mestemaker isn’t the only untested player starting the First Responder’s Bowl. The transfer portal, as it is bound to do, is wreaking havoc in Denton. Plenty of starters and veterans are in the transfer portal and opting out of the bowl game.
Brandon Young, another true freshman, is starting at tight end. D.T. Sheffield is also being replaced as he’s heading to Rutgers. Even the receiving core will be seeing plenty of freshmen starting. Like Oklahoma, North Texas is suffering from both injuries and transfer portal shuffles.
Texas State is Cashing in
Despite joining the Sun Belt over a decade ago, Texas State only made its first bowl game in 2023. Now, just one year later, the Bobcats are back in, coincidentally, the same bowl game. Can the Bobcats hold on to their title as reigning First Responder Bowl champions?
There’s a good chance that they can. The trend for this year has been two wins and two losses. They won their last game against South Alabama- which means they’re due for another one. Additionally, their offensive coordinator, Mack Leftwich, was one of the final candidates in Oklahoma’s high-stakes search for a replacement coordinator this year.
The Bobcat Backups
If that’s not enough, Texas State is currently ranking fifth nationally in yards per game, with 474 yards, and seventh in points per game, averaging about 37 points. Senior quarterback Jordan McCloud, running back Ismail Mahdi, and a veteran receiving group all share responsibility for this success. Unfortunately, these team leaders aren’t likely to play much, if at all, in the First Responder Bowl.
McCloud is seeking a top spot in the NFL Draft. While he isn’t fully de-committed from playing, there’s a chance that he will only take a limited amount of snaps to preserve his draft stock. Mahdi, meanwhile, is entering the transfer portal with his eyes on a spot with Arizona. Unlike North Texas, however, Texas State is capable of absorbing these blows through a strong depth chart.
Just one example is R.J. Martinez, who is the backup quarterback for the Bobcats. Martinez may not have seen much action since the 2022 season, but he’s a solid option to rely on. There’s also running back Torrance Burgess Jr., who rushed for nearly 400 yards this season and is more than ready to step up.
Tale of the Tape: First Responder Bowl 2024
If everyone, transfers, and seniors alike, opt-ins, this is going to be one of the greatest games of the bowl season. An offense shootout doesn’t even begin to describe it. The Rose Bowl wouldn’t hold a candle to this one. With everyone onboard, North Texas and Texas State could bring the house down.
That probably won’t happen.
North Texas is looking for a miracle win that’s just not in the cards. Unlike Sam Houston, the opt-outs are probably staying out, and it’s likely going to bring the Mean Green’s season to a rough end. For a school that once had “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on its roster, the days of North Texas dominance seem to be long gone right now. Meanwhile, the Texas State Bobcats have the team and the momentum to win big in Dallas.
No matter what happens on Friday, be sure to check back in with Last Word On Sports as we bring you the best breakdown of this year’s First Responder Bowl and much, much, more.
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