DALLAS, TX – January 03: In the third quarter of Friday’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl between the North Texas Mean Green and Texas State Bobcats, rushing back Lincoln Pare of the Texas State Bobcats tries to evade a North Texas Mean Green defender.
Dallas (AP) Lincoln Pare ran for a 73-yard touchdown with 2:25 left in the fourth quarter, Jordan McCloud threw for 307 yards and a touchdown, and Texas State defeated North Texas 30-28 on Friday night in the First Responder Bowl.
It was the first time since 1981–82 that Texas State (8–5) had eight victories in consecutive seasons. Since the Heart of Dallas Bowl in 2014, North Texas (6-7) was looking for their first bowl victory.
Pare gained 143 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carrying attempts. Midway through the third quarter, Texas State led 23-14 thanks to a 13-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with his first score from one yard out. The drive took almost seven minutes.
Until Makenzie McGill’s quick touchdown run with 3:20 remaining put North Texas within 23-21, neither team scored again. Texas State took a nine-point lead after Pare sprinted for his big touchdown two plays later and converted the extra point.
With 1:49 remaining, North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker responded with a 70-yard run to pull within two points once more. With forty seconds remaining, the Mean Green recovered possession of the ball at their 8-yard line. However, linebacker Treylin Payne sealed it with an interception across the middle after Texas State defensive end Kalil Alexander had a sack on first down to grind down the clock.
In his first start of the season, Mestemaker led North Texas with 393 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. In program history, it was the most throwing yards in a bowl game. In addition, he gained 55 yards and a touchdown on nine different carries.
Chandler Morris, who transferred to Virginia after throwing for 3,774 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions this season, was replaced by Mestemaker. Mestemaker, a freshman, scored on North Texas’ only scoring drive in the first quarter, matching his season-high passing total of 69 yards.
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