A Year's End Retrospective for 2025

We had some times, y'all.

We started the year in the First Responder Bowl. Drew Mestemaker had a breakout game, and I joked on twitter that everyone should not pay attention, less they try to steal him away. Thankfully, he threw for 4K yards and 34 touchdowns on the way to leading North Texas to 12-wins and a New Mexico Bowl win. Coming into the game, the fans were dour, having lost DT Sheffield, and Chandler Morris to the portal. Morris reportedly agonized over the decision until Eric Morris told him that $1MM is a lot of money, and that he should take it.

The men’s hoops squad would go on to lose to Memphis that week, before starting a six game win streak. They would finish the season 13-3, lose to UAB in the tournament, and go on a run in the NIT — including a win over Oklahoma State in Stillwater that should have been held in Denton but for a previously-scheduled gala. They would lose on April 1, 2025 to UC-Irvine. Ross Hodge would then sign up to coach at WVU.

The summer would be relatively uneventful, as NT built the roster for football. Hopes were high that the soft schedule would allow for some room for error. Eric Morris’ offenses had been good in aggregate, but not in moments (short yardage, red zone, must-score situations) and the defense was god-awful. The MGN Podcast suggested that we simply try to “be average” defensively, and that would change the game. The American isn’t so top-heavy to have completely un-beatable teams, and simple competence (not beating yourself) would give. you a chance.

The start of the year was a bang. A blowout over Lamar. Then a trip to Western Michigan — a tough team! — followed by a ridiculously fun win over Washington State.

The momentum grew, even if the long history of North Texas football was mostly infecting the fun with a sense of Other Shoe fear. For some people that shoe dropped when USF came to town. North Texas kept winning, however, and wouldn’t lose again until Tulane in the championship game. By then Eric Morris had announced he was leaving for Oklahoma State (so had Jon Sumrall) and the game had a cloud over it. If there is a theme of this year, it is probably that. We had a difficult time being present, as there always seemed to be something else to think about.

The football team — Team 110 — finished what they started, and beat San Diego State in the bowl game. A trophy was added to the case, and records were rewritten. A legacy to be remembered and a standard to be met.

The basketball team has a new coach — Daniyal Robinson — but none of the momentum or excitement of the previous two regimes. Football has a lot to learn from college basketball inasmuch as the roster flipping has made it more difficult to enjoy the game and build (parasocial?) relationships. People still care about people, and not just the uniforms. Consider the Luka Doncic trade, and how long it took Dallas fans to make the adjustment. We need time to get to know people and to root for them and to invest in them. We are being asked to invest in people up front, and simply accept the state of things when they leave for greener (as in cash) pastures. I can understand it, but it is difficult to do.

So we end 2025 with a basketball team full of new faces, coached by a brand new staff. The football team will be celebrated, but nearly all are leaving, including the staff.

At least we have Landon Sides (for now) to cheer on.

GMG.