HOUSTON (AP) 鈥� Drew Mestemaker threw for 469 yards and three touchdowns, Wyatt Young set an American Conference record with 295 yards receiving and two scores, and No. 22 North Texas rallied from an early deficit to beat Rice 56-24 on Saturday night.
Mestemaker went 19 of 23 and completed touchdown passes of 74 and 84 yards to Young and 56 yards to Tre Williams III in the first half. The quarterback also rushed for a 1-yard score in the third quarter as the Mean Green (10-1, 6-1 American) scored 42 straight points after Rice jumped out to a 14-0 lead.
鈥淒rew was phenomenal at going through the reads,鈥� North Texas coach Eric Morris said. 鈥淲e protected him well and were able to hit some shots down the field.鈥�
Young had the most receiving yards in a Division I game this season, surpassing TCU鈥檚 Eric McAlister, who had 254 yards against SMU on Sept. 20.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a surreal feeling,鈥� Young said. 鈥淚鈥檓 blessed to be in this position, obviously, but today, me and Drew were just clicking.鈥�
Morris spoke highly of Young, who played in high school just outside Houston in Katy and had between 30 and 40 relatives and friends in the stands.
鈥淲yatt is a great football player who will play for a long time,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淗e continues to get better playing receiver after playing quarterback in high school.鈥�
Young said he didn鈥檛 know his yardage total until the second half when the conference record was within reach. Once he knew where he stood, he wanted to get to 300 yards.
鈥淚 did, but it鈥檚 all right,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 blessed enough to have the conference record. I鈥檓 fine with 295.鈥�
Caleb Hawkins rushed for 97 yards and three touchdowns for North Texas, which is ranked for the first time since 1959. North Texas outgained Rice 640 yards to 397 in winning its fifth straight game.
The Mean Green scored at least 50 points for the sixth time this season.
Chase Jenkins was 14 of 21 for 101 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 75 yards and a score for Rice (5-6, 2-5). Aaron Turner rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown and had 58 yards receiving and a score.
鈥淲hen they scored to make it 14-all, you really felt kind of, I don鈥檛 know if it was tension on our sideline or we lost that energy that we had so much in the first quarter,鈥� Rice coach Scott Abell said. 鈥淪ome of that is we have to grow up. They punched back, so how do you respond after you get punched back? We didn鈥檛 respond very well.鈥�
The takeaway
North Texas: The Mean Green stayed in the hunt for the American championship game. North Texas is in a three-way tie with Navy and Tulane.
鈥淛ust win,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淔or us, that鈥檚 been our motto pretty much all year long. We鈥檝e never gotten ahead of ourselves. We鈥檝e never talked one time about the conference championship until tonight because if we win this one, obviously, we will have a chance to play for it.鈥�
Rice: The Owls missed a chance to become bowl eligible. Rice fell to 0-2 this season against ranked opponents and last defeated a ranked opponent when it won at No. 20 Marshall in 2020.
Up next
North Texas: Hosts Temple on Friday.
Rice: At South Florida next Saturday.
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