John Mateer walked into a strange week and came out of it with one of his best performances in an Oklahoma uniform.
The Sooners’ 23-7 win over No. 24 Florida in their first trip to The Swamp came after a jarring Monday for the program, when Ben Arbuckle - the coach who had been tied to Mateer for the last four seasons - was fired. For Mateer, the victory and the emotions around it were inseparable.
“Difficult week, you can imagine,” Mateer said after the game. “I’ve been with Coach Arbuckle for so long. I love him, and he’s just meant so much to me and my career and my teachings and what I know about the game, so I want to say that I love him and feel for him.”
The quarterback described an abrupt and personal moment when Arbuckle came to him after Brent Venables had already made the decision. Mateer said he was on his way to watch film in Arbuckle’s office, as he often did on Mondays, when the news became real.
“(Arbuckle) just walked in, gave me a hug and said he’s got to go,” Mateer said. “He said he loved me, and he said he appreciated me.
Obviously a wild moment. The way I am as a person, when things like that happen - real change, I didn’t really understand it until that night, but it was hard.”
Venables addressed the situation on Tuesday and made clear the firing was not on Mateer. He also told his quarterback he didn’t “deserve that weight.”
Mateer still had to carry the emotional load through the start of the week, and he admitted it hit him hard after practice on Monday.
“After practice (on Monday) it got me. I’ll be honest, I was pretty upset.
Not mad at anybody. My teammates had my back,” he said.
That support showed up on the field. Mateer finished 21-of-33 for 207 yards and two touchdowns in a game that gave Oklahoma a road upset and a steady response to a messy week.
“Nobody flinched - coaches, players, defense not knowing what’s going on. It was good.
Really good. We came out, and we believed, and we made it happen,” Mateer said.
In Other News...
Jason Witten Just Changed The Feel Around Oklahomas Offense
Oklahomas offense looked noticeably different in its first game under Jason Witten, and that alone was enough to change the mood around the program. After Brent Venables moved on from Ben Arbuckle and elevated Witten from tight ends coach to interim offensive coordinator, the Sooners responded with an upset of No. 24 Florida, putting together a more composed showing than they had managed during the earlier offensive struggles.
The improvement showed up in the details that usually decide close games, from a long scoring drive to better clock management late. It was only one game, but for a unit that had been searching for stability, Wittens first turn calling the shots offered Oklahoma a cleaner, more confident look and left the bigger question hanging over what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Offensive Shakeup Suddenly Looks A Lot More Serious
Oklahomas 23-7 win at Florida did more than steady the Sooners after a rocky stretch. It also gave Brent Venables offensive shakeup some immediate credibility, with Jason Witten stepping in as interim offensive coordinator and helping guide a unit that looked noticeably sharper in the first half. Oklahoma scored on three of its four opening drives, a welcome change for a team that had been searching for rhythm as it worked to get back above water in the Big 12 race.
The timing matters because this was not just a clean win, but a road win in a place where Oklahoma needed to show some poise. The defense did its part by keeping Floridas ground game under control, limiting Jaden Baugh to 35 yards on eight carries, and the Sooners left Gainesville at 5-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play. What comes next for the offense will say a lot about whether this was a one-game spark or the start of something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
John Mateer Just Gave Oklahoma Fans A Real Reason To Reconsider This Offense
John Mateers latest outing gave Oklahoma a much better look at what this offense can be when it is built around his strengths. In the Sooners upset win over Florida, he accounted for 263 of the teams 351 total yards, completing 64% of his passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns without an interception while adding 56 rushing yards. The change at offensive coordinator, with Jason Witten stepping in for Ben Arbuckle, seemed to open things up in a way that fit Mateer more naturally.
For Oklahoma, the encouraging part was not just the production but the shape of it. Mateers running ability was used more effectively, and the passing game looked less cramped, giving the Sooners a more balanced attack than they had shown before. It was one game, but it was the kind of performance that forces a second look at what this offense can be if the new structure keeps working. [Read more 🡒]