When Mabrey Mettauer dropped back to pass on a critical fourth-quarter drive against UNLV, the crowd at Sam Boyd Stadium held its breath. What followed wasn’t a game-changing play — it was a nightmare. His underthrown sideline route was picked off by a lurking defensive back, who sprinted 72 yards for a touchdown. The score blew open a game already out of reach, and fans in the stands groaned. This wasn’t just a bad throw. It was, as Badger of Honor put it, "one of the worst pick-sixes of the year." And for the Sam Houston State Bearkats, it was just one more painful moment in a 38-21 season-opening loss on September 2, 2023.

The Offense That Couldn’t Find Its Footing

The Bearkats entered the game under the shadow of a major coaching transition. Phil Longo, the architect of Wisconsin’s explosive 2022 offense, had left Madison after one season to take the same job at Sam Houston State. He brought with him a system built on quick passes, motion, and tempo — a system that had once lit up the Big Ten. But in Whitney, Nevada, it looked like a broken-down engine. The Bearkats managed just 21 points against a UNLV defense that wasn’t elite. They converted only 3 of 12 third downs. Their longest drive lasted 1:47.

Starting quarterback Hunter Watson, a redshirt senior who’d thrown for under 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023 while adding nearly 650 rushing yards, left the game early after a hard hit. That’s when Longo turned to Mettauer — the four-star recruit who’d followed him from Wisconsin.

A Recruiting Gem Who Never Got His Chance

Mettauer was once considered Wisconsin’s future. As a high school standout in Georgia, he was ranked a top-10 pro-style QB nationally by 247Sports. Wisconsin saw him as a long-term solution. But once he arrived on campus, he never got a meaningful snap. His only pass attempt as a Badger? A two-yard completion in garbage time during a blowout loss to Illinois. He spent the entire 2022 season as a redshirt — watching from the sideline as the offense sputtered under Longo’s new system.

When Longo jumped to Sam Houston State, Mettauer followed. It wasn’t just loyalty. It was opportunity. He was one of three Wisconsin quarterbacks to transfer with Longo — alongside Myles Burkett and Cole LaCrue, both of whom had already won starting jobs elsewhere. At Sam Houston, Mettauer pushed Watson for the starting job in fall camp. The competition was close enough that Underdog Dynasty called him a "co-starter" ahead of the Western Kentucky opener.

One Shot, One Mess

His lone appearance against UNLV was a microcosm of his early career: flashes of potential buried under mistakes. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 86 yards, one touchdown, and one interception — the pick-six that sealed the game. But there was a moment. Down 31-7, with the Bearkats’ offense lifeless, Longo gave him another shot. On fourth and one, Mettauer fired a dart to tight end Tim Burns Jr. for a first down. It was the kind of throw that made recruiters drool in high school. But it was also the only one.

"One of the ugliest plays of the year," Avanca wrote. And yet, the final score of 38-21 didn’t reflect how badly the Bearkats were outplayed. UNLV’s offense moved with surgical precision. Sam Houston’s line was overmatched. The receivers dropped passes. The offensive line allowed six pressures in the first half alone.

Who’s Next? The Battle Isn’t Over

After the game, the Bearkats had a bye week. And the question became: Who starts next? Watson’s injury status remained unclear. Rotowire reported on October 16, 2023, that "if Watson isn’t ready to return, it will be interesting to see who gets the start. Mettauer probably has the edge." But there’s another name: true freshman Landyn Locke, who also saw snaps against UNLV. He’s raw, but he’s athletic — and he doesn’t carry the weight of high expectations.

For Mettauer, this wasn’t a failure. It was a baptism. The kind of pressure that separates prospects from players. He’s not a finished product. He’s not even close. But he’s still 19. He’s still learning. And he’s still the guy Longo believed in enough to follow him across the country.

What This Means for Sam Houston State

Longo’s offense isn’t failing because of one quarterback. It’s failing because the entire system is still in flux. The Bearkats lost their best offensive lineman to the NFL draft. Their top receiver transferred after the spring. And now, their QB room is in chaos. The program’s identity — once defined by explosive, fast-paced scoring — is being rebuilt from scratch. This loss wasn’t just about Mettauer’s interception. It was about a coaching staff trying to transplant a Big Ten system into a Group of Five program with limited resources.

There’s still time. The Bearkats play their next game after the bye. If Mettauer gets the start, it won’t be because he’s perfect. It’ll be because he’s the best option left. And if he can avoid another pick-six? Maybe, just maybe, he’ll prove he’s worth the hype.