The first of two bowl games on Friday January 3 will have a ton of Texas flair. The North Texas Mean Green and Texas State Bobcats line up on opposite sidelines in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas. It is a shorter trip for the “Dudes of Denton”, as the Mean Green only have about 45 minutes to go, while the “Sons of San Marcos” have more like a 3.5-hour commute.But, the relative home-field advantage for North Texas is not nearly enough in the eyes of the betting market to make up for all of the personnel losses. Texas State is about a two-touchdown favorite for this one, as the Mean Green go to battle with a watered-down roster.
First Responder Bowl: North Texas Mean Green vs. Texas State Bobcats (-13, 61)
How To Watch The First Responder Bowl
When: Friday January 3, 4 p.m. ETHow: ESPN
Where: Gerald Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX
The biggest absence for North Texas here is QB Chandler Morris, who has moved on to the ACC as a Virginia Cavalier. Morris had 510 of the 519 pass attempts for UNT, so this is a really big loss. This is not an accomplished defensive football team, as they need to outscore the opposition to win.
It is also a team that started 5-1 before having to win the finale against a doormat Temple team to get to six wins to qualify for a bowl game appearance. Morris did his part with a 31/12 TD/INT ratio. He threw for over 3,700 yards. True freshman Drew Mestemaker will get the call after throwing just five passes during the regular season. Mestemaker was not rated by 247 Sports going into his commitment.
Head coach Eric Morris is a brilliant offensive mind and should be able to adjust accordingly, but his QB isn’t his only replacement player. Top WR DJ Sheffield is also out and so is C Tyler Mercer. The cupboard isn’t totally bare at the skill positions and Morris’s pass-heavy offense got a lot of guys involved. North Texas entered the week 10th in yards per play, so the scheme should help Mestemaker look serviceable at least.
Simply by virtue of having their QB, the Bobcats are in much better shape. Texas State was thought to maybe be going back a notch or two when TJ Finley transferred, but James Madison transfer Jordan McCloud played well. Although, he did throw 12 interceptions, so it wasn’t all smooth sailing. McCloud had a 35/10 TD/INT ratio last season with the Dukes and saw his numbers regress a bit for GJ Kinne.
It has been reported that McCloud may not factor prominently in the game, as Kinne and his staff do need to evaluate for next season. RJ Martinez and Brad Jackson both got a little bit of run during the season, so those could be the primary options.
To add to the degree of difficulty a bit, starting RB Ismail Mahdi has transferred. He led the team with 991 yards and 5.4 yards per carry. Lincoln Pare will likely carry the load and he actually did better on a per-carry basis than Mahdi.
With so many offensive opt-outs, and some defensive starters missing for both teams, this is a bit of a messy bowl game. Texas State is trying to take the program to new heights and nearly beat CFP automatic qualifier Arizona State earlier this season. But, Texas State hasn’t won a bowl game since the Heart of Dallas Bowl in 2013. I think that’s a good rallying cry in a game where both teams are going to be playing shorthanded.
Pick: North Texas +13
