{"id":472708,"date":"2025-12-26T11:44:21","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T11:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/472708\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T11:44:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T11:44:21","slug":"2025-new-mexico-bowl-preview-north-texas-mean-green-vs-san-diego-state-aztecs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/472708\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 New Mexico Bowl Preview: North Texas Mean Green vs. San Diego State Aztecs"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"duet--article--unordered-list _1nfb3k4i feuejx0 ls9zuh1\">\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Time and date: <\/strong>Saturday, December 27 at 5:45 p.m. ET<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Network:<\/strong> ESPN<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Location:<\/strong> University Stadium \u2014 Albuquerque, NM<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Spread: <\/strong>North Texas (-3.5)<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Over\/under:<\/strong> 53.5<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>All-time series:<\/strong> San Diego State leads, 6-1<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Last meeting:<\/strong> San Diego State 30, North Texas 12 \u2014 September 20, 1975<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Current streak:<\/strong> San Diego State, 1 (1975)<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>North Texas last bowl:<\/strong> 2024 First Responder Bowl, 30-28 loss to Texas State<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>San Diego State last bowl:<\/strong> 2022 Hawaii Bowl, 25-23 loss to Middle Tennessee<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>2024 New Mexico Bowl matchup:<\/strong> TCU 34, Louisiana 3<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The New Mexico Bowl features a battle of clashing styles, involving two of college football\u2019s most improved teams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">North Texas (11-2, 7-1 American) aims to build on its winningest season of all-time with its high-flying No. 1 ranked scoring offense, while San Diego State (9-3, 6-2 Mountain West) provides its best counter with the nation\u2019s No. 4 ranked scoring defense. The American and Mountain West opponents meet for the first time in 50 years, arriving to New Mexico with a combined 20 victories on the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Does offense or defense win championships? Only one style will prevail in the beautiful mountains under the fiery Albuquerque sunset Saturday evening.<\/p>\n<p>North Texas Mean Green outlook<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.underdogdynasty.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/172\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2247594603.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2818\" data-pswp-width=\"4227\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img alt=\"HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 22: Wyatt Young #10 of the North Texas Mean Green runs for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Rice Owls at Rice Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kevin M. Cox\/Getty Images)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2247594603.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>HOUSTON, TEXAS &#8211; NOVEMBER 22: Wyatt Young #10 of the North Texas Mean Green runs for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Rice Owls at Rice Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kevin M. Cox\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">North Texas\u2019 dream season is drawing to a conclusion. The Mean Green set a new program record with 11 wins in 2025, earning a spot in the American Conference Championship and sitting one victory away from the College Football Playoff. However, the success came with a price as head coach Eric Morris left for Oklahoma State. Although Morris\u2019 original intent was to coach the New Mexico Bowl, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Drew Svoboda will take the reins as the interim, before the 2026 transition to the Neal Brown era.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Transfer portal rumors are attached to some of North Texas\u2019 star players, but the Mean Green are expected to field a full squad in Albuquerque. One of those stars is American Offensive Player of the Year Drew Mestemaker. The quarterback currently leads the FBS in passing at 4,129 yards \u2014 a 448-yard lead over second place. Mestemaker already has the North Texas single-season passing yards record, and with 31 touchdown strikes, he\u2019s two away from tying and three away from passing Austin Aune\u2019s 2022 record. The star quarterback has kept things remarkably efficient in this breakout season, finishing 10 of his 13 starts without an interception while connecting on 70.2 percent of attempts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Another star freshman who defines North Texas\u2019 No. 1 scoring offense (44.8 points per game) and total offense (504 yards per game) is running back Caleb Hawkins. Hawkins leads the FBS with 23 rushing touchdowns, picking up 1,236 rushing yards on a 6.2 average in arguably the most impressive true freshman season in the FBS. However, he exited the American title game with an injury and if not fully recovered, Kiefer Sibley could see reps as the lead back vs. San Diego State.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">North Texas moves the ball exceptionally through the ground and air, and the Mean Green feature a slew of talented receivers guiding this aerial attack which picks up 323 passing yards per game. Wyatt Young, who generated an FBS-best 295 yards in a single game this year, ranks atop the unit with 1,209 yards and 10 touchdowns, but Cameron Dorner and Miles Coleman are excellent secondary options combining for 96 catches, while Landon Sides and tight end Tre Williams round out the group. Although Young is the statistical leader, Mestemaker doesn\u2019t force much; rather, he takes what the defense allows, making any North Texas receiver a threat on a given day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">On defense, the Mean Green are 70th in points allowed, but it\u2019s a tremendous upgrade from North Texas teams of years past. Missed tackles were sparse among this unit and takeaways were common, providing the fuel the Mean Green needed to evolve from sub-.500 caliber to a near-CFP team. Only five FBS teams currently boast more takeaways than North Texas\u2019 25, and they came fairly equally \u2014 13 as interceptions, 12 as fumble recoveries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Ethan Wesloski and Trey Fields are the top tacklers on this opportunistic defense with 104 and 100, respectively, and they combine for 15.5 tackles for loss. The other all-conference selections form this group are cornerback David Fisher and strong safety Will Jones II, who spearhead the nation\u2019s 9th-best pass defense (163 yards allowed per game on a 56.8 completion percentage). Fisher has a team-best seven deflections while Jones is one of four defensive backs with multiple interceptions on a team that relies heavily on turnovers.<\/p>\n<p>San Diego State Aztecs outlook<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.underdogdynasty.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/172\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2237432514.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2601\" data-pswp-width=\"3902\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img alt=\"SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 20: Trey White #2 of San Diego State Aztecs rushes the passer during the second half of a game against the California Golden Bears at Snapdragon Stadium on September 20, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey\/Getty Images)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2237432514.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA &#8211; SEPTEMBER 20: Trey White #2 of San Diego State Aztecs rushes the passer during the second half of a game against the California Golden Bears at Snapdragon Stadium on September 20, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">San Diego State already tripled its win total from 2024, taking a significant leap under second-year head coach Sean Lewis who constructed a similar rebuild at Kent State. The Aztecs were in a 4-way tie for a trip to the Mountain West Championship, but the computer rankings tiebreaker favored Boise State and UNLV, causing them to barely miss their first conference title since 2016.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">San Diego State attained nine victories primarily through means of a relentless defense. The Aztecs wield the 4th-best scoring defense in the FBS (12.6 points allowed per game), the 6th-best total defense (267 yards allowed per game), the 20th-best run defense, and the 4th-best pass defense \u2014 shining across the board as an elite unit. San Diego State produced three shutouts (taking 7-win California and 8-win Fresno State as victims) and limited seven of 12 opponents to seven points or fewer. The team finished 1-3 when allowing more than 10 points on the season, and this will be its greatest offensive test to date \u2014 facing the best offense in the FBS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The Aztecs are equipped with an elite pass rusher in Trey White whose 7.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss lead the team. The 6\u20192\u201d, 255 pound two-time All-Mountain West First Teamer is potentially NFL bound after this contest despite holding redshirt sophomore status. With White commanding significant attention, other edge rushers like Niles King and Ryan Henderson earn their fix, and those two combine for 13.5 sacks and 19.0 tackles for loss in one of the nation\u2019s better defensive end rooms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Another First Team All-Mountain West selection on this vaunted defense is outside linebacker Owen Chambliss, who boasts 106 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and five pass deflections as a versatile force. Chambliss reached 13 tackles in three separate games this year and his coverage instincts are a reason why the Aztecs hold teams to a low completion rate of 53.3 percent. Also leading the pass defense is star cornerback Chris Johnson. However, Johnson\u2019s availability due to a foot injury is uncertain, but if available, he\u2019ll be instrumental to locking up North Texas\u2019 dominant aerial attack with four picks and nine pass breakups on the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">San Diego State\u2019s offense doesn\u2019t command as much attention as it ranks 90th in scoring offense (24.7 points per game). But Lewis, an offensive guru known for his up-tempo RPO-based schemes, led the program to its best scoring output since its 12-2 campaign in 2021. San Diego State enters the New Mexico Bowl without starting quarterback Jayden Denegal who underwent shoulder surgery in December to advance the recovery process for 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Without Denegal, Central Michigan transfer Bert Emanuel Jr. will earn the start. Emanuel only threw nine passes in his first year as an Aztec, but the quarterback is more renowned for his rushing prowess. In 2022 at Central Michigan, he once attained 293 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a single outing, proving the extent of his mobility. Expect San Diego State to keep things grounded with Emanuel executing frequent zone reads with star running back Lucky Sutton, who ranks 13th nationally with 1,237 rushing yards.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">San Diego State probably won\u2019t throw much besides third-and-longs, and being down top receiver Jordan Napier is another reason why. Thus, Donovan Brown (30 receptions, 475 yards) is the only receiving option with more than 160 yards on the season available Saturday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Elite offense vs. elite defense. Which one gives? San Diego State\u2019s offense \u2014 especially down QB1 Jayden Dengal and WR1 Jordan Napier \u2014 must work incredibly hard to keep pace with North Texas\u2019 multifaceted offense which excels in a multitude of ways. The Aztecs may provide as strong of a counter as the Mean Green have seen all season, but can the offense play good complementary football and win the field position battle?<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">It will be difficult, especially given North Texas\u2019 turnover-producing tendencies. Combine that with the three-headed monster of Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins (if he plays), and Wyatt Young, and the Mean Green likely leave Albuquerque with a dominant victory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><strong>Prediction: North Texas 35, San Diego State 13<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Time and date: Saturday, December 27 at 5:45 p.m. ET Network: ESPN Location: University Stadium \u2014 Albuquerque, NM&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":472709,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,63539,1582,276,8963,3549,7264,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-472708","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-american-conference","10":"tag-ca","11":"tag-california","12":"tag-north-texas","13":"tag-san-diego","14":"tag-sandiego","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-united-states-of-america","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115785701154474391","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472708\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}