It will be the Aztec Defense against the Mean Green Offense on Saturday.
The Aztecs hope to close the season on a high note after coming so close to the Mountain West Conference championship.
The future looks bright for the Aztecs as Coach Sean Lewis and squad reenter the bowl season since 2021.
GAME INFO:
Location: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California
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Date/Time: Saturday, December 27, 2:45 (Pacific Time)
Television: ESPN
Streaming:
Radio: San Diego Sports 760
Betting Line: The high flying Mean Green (11-2, 7-1 in American Conference play) are 3.5 point favorites heading into Saturday’s contest. The over/under is 53.5 points indicating the likely score will be 28-25 in favor of North Texas. The Aztecs (9-3, 6-2 in Mountain West action) look to engage their defense against an extremely potent offense. Both teams will need to put recent disappointments behind them. Each suffered losses in their last game of the season, ending their runs at respective conference titles. One can say that the Aztecs might have been a better representative than Boise State who lost in the Los Angeles Bowl and that the Mean Green would have been a better pick than either Tulane or James Madison as the Group of Six representative. This is the second meeting between the teams. San Diego State defeated North Texas 30-12 back in 1975.
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A Contrast in Styles: Aztec Defense vs. Mean Green Offense
Taking each team’s strengths, one can hope and anticipate an exciting Isleta New Mexico Bowl on Saturday. The Aztecs bring one of the best defenses in the country, while the Mean Green sport one of the nation’s best offenses. The Aztecs dominated the conference in defense and was one of the nation’s leaders in several defensive categories. They managed to secure three shut outs and held Boise State and Wyoming to 7 points and San Jose State to 3 points. They faltered at the end, losing 23-17 to New Mexico in double overtime. A win in that game would have sent the Aztecs to the Championship game against Boise State. True the Aztecs offense sputtered most of the season, relying heavily on the defense to both score and control the game. That outcome might not play itself out against a North Texas team. Their lowest offensive production was in the season finale of the American Championship game, losing 34-21 to Tulane. The Mean Green and Aztecs share one common opponent: Washington State. While the Aztecs were being humbled 36-13 by the Cougars, North Texas played with them like a cat toy, demolishing the Cougars 59-10 in a game that saw the Mean Green take advantage of five turnovers.
The Aztecs will play the game without their defensive coordinator, Rob Aurich, who left for redder pastures at Nebraska where he will try to turn around a Husker program. Not to be outdone, the Mean Green will be playing without their head coach, Eric Morris, who took the same position at Oklahoma State. To add to the insults, star quarterback Drew Mestemaker has entered the dreaded portal. He may not be the only one and expect both slides to fill from players who have had limited season game experience. The Aztecs system should be able to plug players into position and play their brand of ball. The offense will have to start over with timing and reps and whoever is the backup for North Texas will likely have jitters to start. With Mestemarker out, it will be either Chris Jimerson Jr. or Reese Poffenbarger who will do the playcalling. Between them, they are 6/9 passing for 73 yards and one score. Both quarterbacks can run as they both have yards in mop up duty. It remains to be seen if freshman running back Caleb Hawkins will play. He amassed 1,236 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, leading the Mean Green on the ground. Catching the ball was another freshman, Wyatt Young who had 63 grabs for 1,209 yards and ten scores.
The Aztecs will counter with Jayden Denegal under center. He’s proven to handle the offense well, throwing for 1,807 yards and rushing for 99 more. His backup is Bert Emanuel Jr., who hasn’t thrown many times, but has come in to run and manage the offense. Running back Lucky Sutton may be a game time decision. He rushed for 1,237 yards and 10 scores. He has said he is returning, but some sources say he will enter the transfer portal. Wideout and return specialist, Jordan Napier, was injured in the Boise State game. He may return if healthy, otherwise expect him to sit out and probably also enter the transfer portal. The Aztecs will be returning to the stadium where they lost to New Mexico in a dramatic, heartbreaking fashion. Can the Aztecs get their ground game going and sustain drives? Will the Mean Green be able to sustain their passing game without their signal caller? Look for momentum to be a key indicator with new players making starts on both sides. The winner of the clock might have an inside track to winning the game. If the Aztecs control the clock, North Texas might be forced to alter their game plan.
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What will be the outcome of the game?
The Aztecs are trending up and will be changing conferences next season, joining the newly formed Pac-12 cluster. A nod to coaching goes to the Aztecs, despite the loss of Aurich. Sean Lewis has got his plan in place, and the success or failure runs through him. Defense is strongly in the Aztecs corner, regardless of personnel. Rushing game again falls with the Aztecs as they lived and breathed ground and pound. The passing game belongs to North Texas if they are able to connect. Expect new faces, simple routes and an emphasis on first downs and ball control. When the dust has settled, expect the Aztecs to pull out a 27-23 win in what should be an entertaining game.
Around the Mountain West Conference
Four bowl games featuring Mountain West teams are already in the books. They are 1-3 so far with some disappointing results. First, Boise State was outplayed, losing to Washington 38-10 in the Bucked Up Los Angeles Bowl. Next up was Utah State who couldn’t handle Washington State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, losing 34-21. In a shocking finale, UNLV lost 17-10 to the Ohio Bobcats in the Scooter’s coffee Frisco Bowl. Finally on Wednesday night, Hawaii defeated Cal in dramatic fashion, winning 35-31 as time was running down in the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl. Of note, Hawaii defeated Stanford to start the season and Cal to finish the season, some great victories for Coach Timmy Chang. Coming up in the Rate Bowl is New Mexico and Minnesota. I’ll pick the upstart Lobo’s to cap a fantastic season. The remaining MWC game features Miami Ohio taking on Fresno State in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl. Going strictly on records I’d take Fresno State to win this one. With the bowl season nearly wrapped up, one already is looking to next season. One thing for sure we all can count on will be change. Conference, personnel, coaches all will present new opportunities and challenges. An early feeling by this writer has the Aztecs finally gaining a conference crown next season. Enjoy the ride.
