The Biggest Game in UNT History
For the first time in probably forever, the nation's attention will be on Denton.
There are always a couple of teams each season that manage to capture the hearts of America. Usually, these programs are lesser-known entities—schools without the tradition or resources of the usual college football powerhouses. What makes them special is how they defy the odds, often riding outstanding quarterback play and exceptional coaching to national relevance.
In 2021, it was the Cincinnati Bearcats, who became the first Group of 5 school to break into the top four and reach the College Football Playoff.
In 2022, TCU broke down barriers of its own, making an improbable run all the way to the national championship game.
In 2023, Washington’s electric offense tore through nearly everyone in its path—save for the last team standing—on its way to a season that fans in Seattle, and across the country, won’t soon forget.
And last season, the Indiana Hoosiers shocked the world by fielding not just a competent football team, but a genuinely great one. Even though their CFP run didn’t end the way they hoped, it’s clear the foundation for sustained success in Bloomington has been firmly set.
It begs the question: Who’s that team in 2025? The field is crowded. Memphis hasn’t lost. South Florida shocked the Swamp. Virginia knocked off a top-10 Florida State team in double overtime. Texas Tech and BYU are unbeaten in the Big 12. And in the Sun Belt, James Madison and Old Dominion are running the show.
But the real answer? It’s none of them. Because if North Texas beats No. 24 (No. 22 according to the D Poll) South Florida on Friday night, they’re the team of destiny in 2025.
North Texas is 5-0 for the first time since 1977, but if you want to get finicky about it, it’s actually their first on-field 5-0 start since 1959, as one of those 1977 wins came via a Mississippi State forfeit.
Third-year head coach Eric Morris has always been known for his offensive prowess, and that’s finally taken center stage with standout quarterback Drew Mestemaker at the helm. So far, the Mean Green are fifth in the country in points per game (43.3), 29th in yards per game (432.3), 23rd in yards per play (6.4), and first in red zone scoring percentage (100%).
Individually, Mestemaker has had a fantastic first season as the full-time quarterback in Morris’ system. You could go as far as to say he’s essentially been perfect—he’s thrown 11 touchdown passes and zero (!) interceptions. He’s an exceptional story: he never started a varsity game in high school, walked on at North Texas, and earned the starting gig this season after putting up a great performance in the First Responder Bowl following Chandler Morris’ departure to Virginia. He’s an unlikely hero for this tale, just like North Texas is an unlikely team to take center stage on a Friday night in the middle of the college football season.
The defense is where the worries may come for folks in Denton. Opponents are scoring 91.7% of the time in the red zone, which ranks 103rd in the country. While it’s been much improved from a year ago—the Mean Green allowed 34 points per game in 2024 and are only giving up 25 this season—against an offense like South Florida’s that features a dynamic quarterback in Byrum Brown, there’s not a lot of room for error. It also can’t be forgotten that this is the same South Florida team that went into the Swamp and beat the Gators. This is a squad that’s been tested against some of the most talented rosters in the country. They’re going to be potent and will be difficult to stop.
The victor of South Florida–North Texas will be right there in the mix to win the American Athletic Conference, alongside Memphis, Tulane, and Navy—which means the winner will be the favorite to make the CFP out of the Group of 5.
Ask any fan of North Texas athletics and they’ll tell you this all feels like a dream. Since the start of the century, UNT is a combined 123-184. The program hasn’t won a conference title since 2004 and hasn’t won a bowl game since 2013. In its first two seasons in the AAC—and the first two under Morris—the Mean Green were 11-14. It’s safe to say this year’s 5-0 start has been, well, shocking.
In this age of transient, ever-shifting rosters, one year’s success can just as easily turn into next year’s disaster. That’s especially true at programs like North Texas, where a breakout season often means your best players—and sometimes your coaches—get poached by bigger schools with deeper pockets. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that if North Texas puts together a great 2025, Eric Morris might be gone for a Power Four job. Mestemaker could be too. Heck, the whole roster might scatter. At North Texas, there’s always someone out there who can outbid you.
That makes this tilt the biggest game in UNT football history. Nothing else compares. Win this one and the team has a direct path to the CFP. Never before has that been said in the history of this program, and it might never be said again. That’s why North Texas needs to take advantage of this moment. You never know when you’ll be back at a special place like this. For some, it never comes again.
So on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. CDT, the country’s collective college football attention will, for the first time seemingly ever, be focused on North Texas football. If you’re a fan of Georgia, Ohio State, or USC, you might not understand why all of this is such a big deal. But for those of us who know what it’s like to root for the underdog, this game, this team, means more than you’ll ever know. For the folks in Denton, this is a moment that, win or lose, they’ll cherish forever. And man, if the Mean Green pull this off, I don’t think they’ll ever be sad again.