Brent Venables praises John Mateer’s leadership after loss, adversity

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer scratched and clawed his way back from a hand procedure to suit up for last week’s ‘Red River Rivalry’ showdown against Texas. Mateer struggled in the 23-6 loss, as he passed for just 202 yards and threw three interceptions.

Head coach Brent Venables however took the positive from the loss, and has praised Mateer’s leadership this week coming off the loss. Now sitting at 5-1, the Sooners have no time to rest as they travel to South Carolina this weekend for a clash against the Gamecocks.

“I’ve got even more respect for him,” Venables said on Tuesday. “You want to carry all the weight for your guys, but you can’t do that. That’s part of their responsibility. Man, he wants to take the whole team on his back and that’s not fair to him at all. We try to help him with his perspective, which I think is important. Again, if you don’t play to a standard, shoulder it. It shouldn’t be any different than a mike linebacker or a defensive end or the kicker. That isn’t any different, but that position does require a little more weight. Sometimes a heck of a lot more, and that’s okay.”

Venables applauds Mateer’s sense of responsibility

“He can handle it, but he’s always hard on himself and he has incredibly high standards. I haven’t been around him the depth that coach (Ben) Arbuckle has, but I’ve been made aware of how he’s handled adversity in the past and its been really strong. I’m not surprised with your observation of him.

“He’s a humble guy who likes to work. He doesn’t live in La La Land. He knows what’s good enough and what isn’t good enough. So he’ll go right back to work, and did. The guys really respect that. That helps everybody step back in line.”

Through five games this season, the Washington State transfer boasts 1,417 passing yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. He gave an update on his health following the loss on Saturday.

“Full go,” Mateer said of his status. “I played in the game. So, if anything starts hurting, I’ll chill out.”

Kickoff between No. 14 Oklahoma and South Carolina in Columbia is scheduled for 12:45 PM ET on Saturday. The game can be seen on the SEC Network. The Sooners will be looking for revenge, as they were dominated 35-9 at home by the Gamecocks last season.