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North Texas QB Making First Start Since Ninth Grade Left It All Out on the Field

Mestemaker, a true freshman, accounted for three touchdown's in North Texas's 30–28 loss.

Tim Capurso

North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker vomits after running the ball 70 yards for a touchdown in the 30–28 loss to Texas State in the First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 3, 2025.
North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker vomits after running the ball 70 yards for a touchdown in the 30–28 loss to Texas State in the First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on January 3, 2025. / Screengrab Twitter @nocontextcfb

An all-district punter and starting safety-turned walk-on quarterback at North Texas, true freshman Drew Mestemaker had yet to take a snap under center as a starting signal-caller for the Mean Green.

But the transfer of fellow QB Chandler Morris opened up the starting job, and it was Mestemaker who got the nod for North Texas in the First Responder Bowl against Texas State on Friday.

The Mean Green fell 30–28, but it certainly wasn't because of Mestemaker, who, making his first start at QB since his freshman year at Vandegrift High School in Austin, left it all out on the field, er, literally and figuratively.

In the first quarter Mestemaker connected with former Vandegrift teammate and wide receiver Miles Coleman for his first career touchdown pass.

But there was more Mestemaker magic to come.

The 6' 4", 210-pound Mestemaker added another first-half touchdown pass for good measure. Then, when Texas State opened up the second half scoring with a touchdown to extend its lead to 23–14, Mestemaker led the Mean Green on a 58-yard scoring drive to cut the deficit to 23–21.

When the Bobcats responded with a 73-yard touchdown run to extend the lead once again, Mestemaker had a response for the ages.

On a third-and-8 from the North Texas 30-yard-line, Mestemaker dropped back to pass, then took off towards the right sideline. After receiving a block, he was gone, scampering the distance for a 70-yard touchdown run.

Moments later, undoubtedly feeling the effects of his heroics, Mestemaker leaned over a trash can on the sidelines and vomited.

Unfortunately for Mestemaker and North Texas, the young QB was intercepted with three seconds remaining in regulation, sealing the win for Texas State.

But not before Mestemaker set the North Texas record for most passing yards in a bowl game, and left his coach, Eric Morris, beyond impressed by what he'd witnessed.

"That's the first football game he started at quarterback since the ninth grade, which is just wild to me," Morris told ESPN. "To see him go out there and compete the way he did, I mean the kid, he has some traits."

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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