North Texas offense overpowers San Diego State defense in Isleta New Mexico Bowl 

Defense wins championships.

Offense wins New Mexico Bowls.

North Texas’ dynamic offense overpowered defense-oriented San Diego State in a 49-47 shootout Saturday to win the Isleta New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium.

The Mean Green (12-2) scored touchdowns on their first four drives, accounted for 618 yards of total offense and held on amid the Aztecs' 27-point fourth quarter to clinch their first bowl win since 2013 and first 12-win season in program history. 

North Texas did so with an interim coach, Drew Svoboda, and offensive coordinator, Jordan Davis, after head coach Eric Morris left for the same position at Oklahoma State earlier this month.

"This group here, there was no second-guessing by any of them," Svoboda said in a news conference Saturday night. " ... You can kind of count on one hand just how many teams out of the (136) teams every year in FBS football that have the opportunity to win 12 games. And for these young men to be able to do that, that's something they're going to remember (for) the rest of their lives." 

Known for having one of the most prolific passing offenses in the country, North Texas instead dominated SDSU on the ground, racking up 368 rushing yards and four touchdowns against the Aztecs' (9-4) vaunted defense. 

"Our ability to run the football, I think, is what probably separated this football team from the different teams that we've had before," Svoboda added. "... There's so many people involved when you run the football successfully, everybody does their part and a lot of it goes unnoticed." 

Mean Green running back Caleb Hawkins was named the game's Most Outstanding Offensive Player after rushing for a career-high 298 yards and two touchdowns; the 6-foot-2, 200-pound freshman also caught three passes for 25 yards, including one that went for a 23-yard touchdown. 

Entering Saturday, SDSU — the sixth-best scoring defense in the country — had allowed only 109.67 rushing yards per game. 

"We had some gap issues as we went, but the fundamental skill of blocking and tackling is really what this game comes down to, right?" SDSU head coach Sean Lewis said in a news conference Saturday night. " ... We're going to go back and we're going to check the tape, but I feel like we didn't tackle at an elite level, as evidenced by the numbers." 

Safety Will Jones II was named the game’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player after making 14 total tackles and one interception in a game that saw 1,150 total yards and 96 points scored. Jones’ turnover was one of the key defensive plays in a third quarter that saw the Mean Green score two touchdowns and take a commanding 42-20 lead. 

The Aztecs had other ideas, though. 

Trailing by 22 points and playing third-string quarterback Kyle Crum, SDSU scored on three of its four possessions in the fourth quarter and got a 63-yard punt return touchdown from wide receiver Nathan Acevedo to make it a two-point game with one second remaining. 

Only a 31-yard touchdown pass from North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker (27 of 46, 250 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions) to wide receiver Cameron Dorner (six receptions, 66 yards, two touchdowns) with 6:08 remaining stemmed the Aztecs' rally, and proved to be the game-winning score. 

"I think we just had a nothing-to-lose mindset," Crum said after the game. "This is the last game of the season, we're down — let's throw the ball, let's try to get some big chunks, pull out all the trick plays that we worked on. I think everybody just rallied behind that (and) got a little momentum going."

In a back-and-forth first half, the Aztecs initially matched North Texas’ offensive effort behind 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. The 6-3, 230-pound junior left the game in the second quarter with what Lewis said was a shoulder injury, and did not return. 

Crum completed 14 of 29 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in relief of Emanuel. The 6-3, 195-pound junior also rushed for 21 yards and two touchdowns. 

"He's done a tremendous job in whatever role that we've give him this year," Lewis said of Crum. "(He's been) prepared and ready so that when his opportunity came, he could seize it." 

North Texas led 28-20 at the half after Hawkins and Ashton Gray (152 yards, two touchdowns) each scored a pair of rushing touchdowns. 

"Following the game, On3.com's Hayes Fawcett reported that both Hawkins and Gray had informed him they were entering the transfer portal."