Oklahoma appears ready to ride with John Mateer when it faces Florida, even with the Sooners’ offense still searching for traction and the quarterback’s numbers trending the wrong way in a few key areas.
For now, Mateer remains QB1, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. That lines up with the expectation that Oklahoma would stay with its veteran starter, even as the team works through a stretch where the passing game has been uneven and the ground attack has offered little help.
Mateer’s completion rate is up this season - he’s hitting 65.6% of his throws, a career best - but the production behind that number has been modest. He’s averaging just 7.4 yards per completion. That’s a far cry from the version of Mateer who lit it up at Washington State in 2024, when he threw 29 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
His first season at Oklahoma was more of a mixed bag. Mateer completed 247 of 397 passes for 2,885 yards, with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. This year, the big plays haven’t come as often, and the pressure has been building around him.
The sack total tells part of the story. Mateer was taken down 25 times last season, but with four games left, he’s already been sacked 20 times. Oklahoma’s protection has to hold up better if this offense is going to find any rhythm.
The running game has been even more muted. Mateer’s legs were a real weapon a year ago, when he scored eight rushing touchdowns.
This season, he hasn’t reached the end zone on the ground at all. He’s averaging only 1.7 yards per carry and has 145 rushing yards on 86 attempts.
That’s a dramatic drop from what he did in 2024, when he ran for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns, and from his first year at Oklahoma, when he piled up 431 rushing yards and eight scores.
There are signs he’s tried to bring that part of his game back into the picture over the last two weeks. Mateer rushed for 29 yards and then 37 yards in his last two outings. Before that, from Sept. 19 to Oct. 17, he managed just 27 total rushing yards, a stretch that was only two yards shy of what he produced against South Carolina last week.
Florida will need to be alert for that added mobility on Saturday, Nov. 7, even if the bigger concern is forcing Mateer into the kind of mistakes that have shown up before. He has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in two games this season, and not long ago he turned in a three-interception performance against Kentucky.
Oklahoma enters at 4-4, with three ranked opponents still ahead. A loss to Florida would put the Sooners in a dangerous spot when it comes to bowl eligibility, which makes this matchup even more important for a team still leaning on Mateer to steady things.
In Other News...
Floridas Receiver Situation Just Got More Frustrating Before Oklahoma
Floridas receiver room is already thin enough to make every availability report worth watching, and Vernell Browns status has only added to the uncertainty. He was listed as probable for the Georgia game but never took the field, and now he enters the Oklahoma matchup tagged as doubtful, leaving his injury situation unresolved at a time when the Gators can least afford more questions on offense.
The broader picture is just as uneasy. Florida goes into the Oklahoma game with four players ruled out and two more listed as questionable, while the quarterback situation remains unsettled as well. For a team trying to steady itself late in the season, the availability report has become almost as important as the game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Suddenly Has A Major Lineup Problem Before Oklahoma
Floridas depth chart took a hit in a hurry ahead of Oklahoma, with starting defensive tackle Jeramiah McCloud suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. The Gators are also juggling a handful of injury concerns, with receiver Vernell Brown III and defensive end Emmanuel Oyebadejo among the players listed as doubtful or questionable, adding another layer of uncertainty to a lineup that was already set to look different.
The team has already announced changes along the line and at tight end, with replacements needed for starting right tackle Emekga Ugori and Evan Chieca, who will not play against Oklahoma. For Florida, the issue now is less about one absence than how many moving parts it can absorb at once before a game that was already going to demand clean execution. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Faces One Big Question With Bowl Hopes Back At Home
Florida is back at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with its bowl path still in front of it, but the margin for error is getting thinner after the loss to Georgia. The Gators sit at 5-3 overall and 3-3 in SEC play, and now they get an Oklahoma team that arrives at 4-4 and trying to steady itself after falling to South Carolina. The matchup has enough weight on its own, and the betting line reflects that Florida is expected to handle business at home as a one-touchdown favorite.
Even so, the biggest question around this one is still the quarterback situation, which has become a real concern because of recent performances and injuries. Florida does not need perfection to keep its postseason hopes on track, but it does need more stability than it has shown lately, especially with an SEC game that could help define the rest of the season. How the Gators manage that spot will go a long way toward determining whether this trip back home feels like a reset or another missed opportunity. [Read more 🡒]