Despite injury, John Mateer makes no excuses for struggles vs. Texas: 'Just didn't play good enough'
DALLAS, Texas — It just wasn’t a good day for Oklahoma’s offense on Saturday. But the spotlight shined brightest on John Mateer’s struggles in the Sooners’ 23-6 loss to Texas.
After several days of speculation regarding Mateer’s availability for the game, the OU quarterback returned for the Sooners just 17 days after undergoing surgery on his right thumb. But Mateer simply didn’t look like himself, as he finished with 202 passing yards, three interceptions and zero touchdowns while completing just 53% of his passes.
Mateer didn’t resemble the player he was through the first four games, when he established himself as an early candidate for the Heisman Trophy. But he was quick to deflect any excuses after the game.
“The pain level was nothing,” Mateer said regarding the injury. “There’s no excuse. I was ready to go, physically. Mentally, I just didn’t perform. My eyes weren’t as good as they needed to be. When your quarterback doesn’t play good football, hard to win in this league. That’s what happened.
“Honored to play in the game and see the atmosphere. I just didn’t play good enough.”
It was certainly a rough day for Mateer, though it started well. He completed three of his first five passes for 41 yards on the opening drive, which led to a field goal that gave the Sooners an early 3-0 lead.
But the rhythm just wasn’t there for Mateer. His first interception came on an overthrow intended for Jaren Kanak. His second interception just sailed left and directly to a Texas defender in the end zone, which kept the Sooners from potentially putting points on the board before halftime. His third interception hit Isaiah Sategna in the hands, but the throw was well-behind him. He nearly had a fourth turnover in the fourth quarter, when he attempted a backwards pass that rolled out of bounds before Texas could recover it.
After that opening drive, Mateer completed just 17-of-33 passes (51% completion) for 158 yards and three interceptions. He was sacked five times, as he either didn’t have time to throw or didn’t make quick decisions in the pocket.
When asked about how much he practiced during the week, Mateer said it was a “good amount” and reiterated he just didn’t play well enough.
“Learned a lot about myself and about this journey over the past 17 days,” Mateer said. “Everything was leading up to my preparation for this game and getting back for this game. Physically, I did well. Dedicated to it and disciplined to it.
“But mentally or whatever you want to say, I wasn’t prepared. That’s my fault.”
Mateer was far from the only issue for the OU offense, which finished with just 258 yards and an average of 3.7 yards per play. The running game was again ineffective, as the Sooners ran the ball for just 80 yards on 25 carries (not including sacks). Right tackle Derek Simmons left the game with an injury, which didn’t help an OU offensive line that was already struggling.
OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle praised Mateer’s toughness for playing just three weeks after breaking his thumb.
“It speaks to the kid that he is, the leader that he is and the competitor that he is. He wanted to be there with his team. He wanted to let his team know he’s got their back as they’ve always had his back, so he’s a great young man, he’s a great teammate and a great leader.
“John was true to his process, true to his film watching. And the practice that he did get to go do this week, he was really, really intentional with it. And so there’s a lot of things on the film today that he did really well, and there’s some things on the film where I think he’ll be mad about some ball placement and maybe where his eyes were in a few things. But John’s a competitor. John’s a tough kid. John’s a very self aware kid, and I know he’ll respond the right way.”
With Mateer’s struggles, the loss to Texas made it clear how reliant the Sooners are on their quarterback. And the road only gets tougher from here, as the Sooners close their schedule with five of six games against ranked opponents.
The Sooners emphasized that there is plenty of time to bounce back from the loss. But one thing is clear — the offense goes as Mateer goes.
“I think Coach Venables said it well in the postgame meeting. (He) said we have to stay together,” Mateer said. “Can’t flinch. Don’t have time to sit around and mope and be upset. It’s important to show my response in the work.
“Saying it is one thing, but I’ll come ready to go, watch the film tonight, be ready tomorrow and move onto the next week.”
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