AZTECS LOSE BARNBURNER WITH NORTH TEXAS STATE, DROPPING 49-47

San Diego State loses against the Mean Green in a wild offensive showdown. 

Bert Emanuel Jr. stepped up as quarterback and showed he has the talent to help the Aztecs, rushing for 170 yards before being injured in the second quarter.  

On a beautiful afternoon in New Mexico, the Aztecs and North Texas Mean Green put on an offensive showdown, which probably so far, was the best game of the College Bowl season. With starting quarterback Jayden Denegal and starting receiver Jordan Napier out with injuries, it was up to backup Bert Emanjuel Jr. to take the reins and lead the Aztecs. Over 18,000 fans saw the Aztecs manage to score a season high 47 points, they fell two short of a dynamite North Texas Team in dropping the contest 49-47 in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl. The Mean Green were led by freshman running back Caleb Hawkins, who had three scores and 197 rushing yards on 30 carries. Fellow back Ashton Gray added 152 more yards and two more scores as the Mean Green rushed for 368 yards against a previously stout Aztec defense. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who is set to hit a big payday when he hits the portal for next season, threw for 250 yards and 3 scores on 27/47 passing as he showed he is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. For the Aztecs they were led by Emanuel Jr. who was mostly used for the ground game, carrying for 170 yards on 11 carries including a nifty 72 yard scoring spring. He went down with a shoulder injury in the second quarter and was replaced by third string quarterback Kyle Crum. He went 14/29 for 169 yards and a score as well as two interceptions. On the ground, the Aztecs utilized both Lucky Sutton and Christian Washington to carry most of the load. Sutton rushed for 60 yards while Washington led the team with 77 yards and a score. Nathan Acevedo was an admirable fill-in for Jordan Napier as he accounted for 61 reception yards on 4 catches. He also returned a punt 63 yards for a score. 

The Mean Green showed why they were given serious consideration for the College Playoffs. They finished the season at 12-2, setting a school record for wins. The Aztecs finish their season at 9-4, a stark improvement over both last season as well as pre-season expectations. 

“Our offensive line does a great job in pass protection and the run game,” said interim head coach Drew Svoboda. “And I would say this that when you think o fNorth Texas and all the passing yards that we do rack up, and we’re really good at it, but our ability to run the football, I think, is what probably separated this football team from the different teams we’ve had here before.”

The Mean Green came out early and often, scoring on sustained drives taking a 21-6 first quarter lead. When the Aztecs got the ball to start the second quarter, Emanuel Jr. took the snap and wove his way through the defense for a 72 yard score, narrowing the score to 21-13. North Texas needed only five plays as Ashton Gray took the handoff and went 51 yards to expand the lead to 28-13. The Aztecs would counter with their own, Aztec style drive of 15 plays and 68 yards highlighted by a Crum 3 yard pass to Jackson Ford and a 28-20 lead for North Texas. The Mean Green came out in the third quarter with two scores, a 3-yard run by Hawkins and a 1 yard scoring toss from Mestemaker to Cameron Dorner. This put North Texas up 42-20 heading into the final quarter. This was owned by the Aztecs as they outscored North Texas 27-7 and nearly pulled out the win. Crum rushed for an 11-yard score and when the defense held, Acevedo fielded the punt and returned it for a 63 yard score, narrowing th lead to 42-34. The Mean Green countered with a Mestemaker pass to Dorner for 31 yards and a 49-34 lead. The Aztecs would answer on a 6 play, 75 yard drive, highlighted by a Washington 11 yard scoring run. The Aztec defense would force a punt, but then Crum threw his second interception of the evening with 2:53 left. Fortunately, the Aztec defense was up to the challenge and held North Texas to another three and out. The Aztecs would take over on their own 18 with 1:49 left in the game. They mixed run with mid level passes, moving down the field. The problem was clock was being burned and by the time Kyle Crum went in from one yard out, there was only one second left on the clock. The requisite onside was recovered by the Mean Green as time ran out. The offense finally had a great outing, but the defense had a difficult time containing the exploding Mean Green offense. Heading into the offseason, Coach Sean Lewis will have typical coaching positions to full as well as navigating through the transfer portal in January. They open next season in the new Pac-12 realigned conference, home against Portland State. North Texas, meanwhile, will look for a replacement head coach to take over the reins. They open next season, at Indiana, currently number one in the country. 

AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WEST

The Mountain West ended their bowl schedule with a 2-5 record. Boise State, Utah State, UNLV, New Mexico and San Diego State all lost, while Fresno beat Miami, Ohio 18-3 and Hawaii beat Cal in exciting fashion 35-31. The Mountain West undoubtedly featured the two most exciting and thrilling games so far. The transfer portal is expected to hit the conference hard come January. The conference’s two most dynamic players, UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea and San Jose State wide receiver Danny Scudero, have already put their names in the transfer portal. Each team will be scouring transfers to fill their own coffers. Both Colandrea and Scudero came to their respective teams through the portal. Which gems remain to be found. Stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, we close the book on the 2025 Aztec football season. Exceeding expectations will be a great launching pad for Coach Lewis heading into 2026.