John Mateer didn’t hide from Oklahoma’s offensive problems after the win over New Mexico. He went straight at them.
The Sooners’ quarterback said the night opened with two interceptions that put his team in tough spots, and he made clear he was putting those mistakes on himself.
“I wouldn’t say it went very well,” Mateer said. “I mean, you know, I start first third down, throw a pick and then another one.”
Mateer said the first interception came when he tried to squeeze the ball back over the middle.
“I thought I could get it in there, obviously didn’t,” Mateer said.
The second one, he said, came with some miscommunication, but he still treated it as his error because other options were there.
“It’s on me,” Mateer said. “I mean, you just can’t do it.”
Even with the turnovers, Mateer said he thought things steadied after that. He pointed to his completion percentage, his willingness to take what the defense gave him and the run checks he made as parts of a better stretch later in the game.
“Other than that I thought it was pretty good,” Mateer said.
One of the brighter moments for Oklahoma came on a deep connection with Isaiah Sategna, and Mateer walked through how it developed. He said the Sooners had shown the same formation on the ground before, and that look helped draw the middle safety down after a fake. Mateer worked left first, then came back through his read as the play unfolded.
That’s when he noticed something unusual.
“I kinda heard everybody screaming,” Mateer said. “And then I’m like, ‘Well, you know, something must be going on,’ and I see Isaiah puts his hand up.”
When asked who was screaming, Mateer laughed and said it was the crowd.
“Normally you don’t hear it, but, you know, sometimes, yeah,” Mateer said.
Mateer also opened up about how he handled the aftermath of Oklahoma’s game at Michigan. He said the Sunday after that game mattered a lot to him and that his faith helped him reset after a rough outing.
“I’m not gonna say I was in a good place after that game,” Mateer said.
With another game only seven days later, he said he had to move on quickly because his teammates and the university were counting on him. He expected a cleaner showing against New Mexico, but the first pass became an interception.
“So I’m like, my God,” Mateer said. “I’m not freaking out, but I’m like, this is, you know, again, not how I thought it would go.”
Then the second pick arrived.
“I’m like, you gotta be kidding me,” Mateer said.
Still, he said he wasn’t backing away from the challenge.
“I’m not gonna tap out, I’m not gonna give up on my guys, they’re not gonna give up on me,” Mateer said.
He added that his teammates keep telling him they have his back, though he’s ready to stop giving them reasons to say it.
“Getting tired of saying that they have my back ‘cause they’re only saying it ‘cause I keep making mistakes,” Mateer said. “And one day it’s gonna, you know, it’ll stop.”
Oklahoma’s run game was another topic Mateer didn’t dodge. He said the Sooners still need to be more physical on the ground and admitted he missed some run checks early that the offense had worked on during practice.
“I think, you know, we just need to be physical and run the ball,” Mateer said.
He didn’t want to overreach on the details up front.
“There’s more detail to it, but it’s not really my place,” Mateer said. “You know, I’m not playing left guard.”
Even so, he said he believes in the players around him and expects the run game to come together. He also singled out Oklahoma’s veteran tight ends, praising their experience, their connection with him and their ability to contribute as blockers and receivers in what he called a “dual threat.”
Mateer’s final message was the same one he kept circling back to all night: Oklahoma knows the offense has to be better.
“It’s not like you don’t need to boo us and, you know, like, sure, do it. You can do whatever you want,” Mateer said. “But, you know, we’re people too.”
He said the offense’s leaders understand the standard isn’t being met.
“This is not, you know, what it’s supposed to look like,” Mateer said.
And he finished with a promise that Oklahoma plans to keep pushing forward.
“We’re gonna get one game better, and I believe in these guys and we love each other, so we’re not gonna give up,” Mateer said. “We’re not gonna go backwards, we’re gonna keep fighting.”
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Brent Venables Just Turned Oklahoma's Offense Into A Bigger Problem
Oklahomas win over New Mexico did little to quiet the noise around the Sooners offense, and Brent Venables made sure of that afterward. The head coach was blunt in his assessment of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, saying the unit has to improve significantly after a sluggish showing that left plenty of frustration behind even in victory.
The tension has been building beyond the sideline, too, with fans chanting for Arbuckles firing during the game as the offense struggled to find a rhythm. Venables stopped short of offering any real backing for his coordinators current work, which only sharpened the focus on what Oklahoma expects to change next and how quickly it has to happen. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma's Win Over New Mexico Raised A Bigger Concern Before Georgia
Oklahoma got the result it needed against New Mexico, but the performance did little to calm nerves around the Sooners. A 14-6 win sounds tidy enough on paper, yet the way it unfolded told a different story, with John Mateer throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions while the offense struggled to sustain drives.
David Stones late stop helped keep New Mexico from turning the afternoon into something worse, but the bigger issue is what the Sooners showed on offense heading into Georgia. Even a missed field goal attempt late in the game drew boos from the crowd, a clear sign that the margin for error is shrinking fast as Oklahoma tries to sort out its rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Escaped New Mexico With A Problem Georgia Will Test
Oklahoma got the result it needed against New Mexico, but the way it got there left plenty to sort through before the schedule gets a lot less forgiving. John Mateer was sharp enough in stretches, finishing 19 of 25 for 238 yards and two touchdowns, yet the Sooners still had to grind out a 14-6 win as the offense never found much rhythm on the ground and the offensive line had its share of problems.
The defense did its part by limiting New Mexico to 185 total yards and piling up six sacks, which is the kind of effort that can keep a team afloat when the offense stalls. The concern now is bigger than one uneven afternoon, because No. 2 Georgia is next and the same issues Oklahoma showed up front will draw a far harsher test in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]