Peyton Bowen doesn’t have to guess what John Mateer is dealing with right now. He’s watched it before, up close, and that experience is shaping the way he sees Oklahoma’s quarterback as the Sooners work through the bye week.
Bowen said Wednesday after practice that he has seen a similar kind of pressure hit a teammate and friend before.
“I've seen it first hand in my own household when Jackson (Arnold) was here,” Bowen said Wednesday after practice. “That's hard for someone to go through.”
Bowen and Arnold go back to their days together at John H. Guyer High School, and the safety also lived with him during their first two seasons in Norman. That history makes the current conversation around Mateer feel personal to Bowen.
“I was in the house with Jackson,” he said. “Being his friend from high school and seeing how much he was on a pedestal to just having tomatoes thrown at him.”
The comparisons between Arnold and Mateer have sharpened after Oklahoma’s 41-13 loss to Georgia. Arnold’s 2024 game against Tennessee ended with him getting benched after three first-half turnovers, and Mateer’s three turnovers in Athens made for a similarly rough spotlight. The difference is that Mateer has kept the starting job, and Brent Venables said he has held onto it through bye week preparation.
Bowen has seen enough of Mateer over the last two seasons to know the talent is real. In practice, he said, Mateer can drive the ball into tight windows and put real command on the deep ball. He also makes life difficult for defenders trying to read where the throw is going.
But Bowen also sees a quarterback who seems weighed down by what’s happening outside the practice field. The two are neighbors, and Bowen has made a point of checking in so Mateer isn’t left alone “(sitting) there with his own thoughts.”
As a captain, Bowen feels a duty to help bring his quarterback back around.
“I think he needs to get his swagger back,” Bowen said. “When he came here he was that guy from that transfer portal.
He needs to get that mojo back, that swagger. He just needs to make the plays.
I know the type of player that he is.”
Bowen said he stays off social media, but he knows the criticism Mateer is hearing has been harsh enough to wear on a player.
“I don't think people know the effect words that they're saying,” he said. “He's a human being. I've seen what he's going through, so I hope the best for him.”
For Oklahoma, the challenge is getting the version of Mateer they see in practice to show up on Saturdays. Bowen described practice as a “safe place” for the quarterback, but said the real issue is carrying that confidence into games.
The message from teammates, in Bowen’s view, is straightforward: Mateer still has the tools, the leadership and the presence. He just needs to shake loose from the spiral.
“He's still a leader, still a captain. Getting his confidence and his mojo back, I feel like is the biggest part,” Bowen said.
“He has all the intangibles. He's a great leader, great teammate, great ball player.
He just has to get out of his own head.”
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Oklahomas Offensive Line Battle Just Took A Meaningful Turn
Oklahomas offensive line has been under the microscope for weeks, and Brent Venables said the group showed a little more steadiness in pass protection during the recent game against Georgia. The Sooners also cleaned up one of the issues that had been adding to the pressure, finishing with only one false start, while the staff continues sorting out who can hold up best up front as the season moves along.
One part of that evaluation is giving Peyton Joseph more snaps and seeing whether the depth can keep improving beyond the first group. Venables also said injured tackle Michael Fasusi is making progress, but Oklahoma still does not have a timetable for his return, leaving the lines next step tied to both development and health. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas QB Situation Just Put Brent Venables In A Tough Spot
Brent Venables spent part of the week trying to steady Oklahomas quarterback picture, and for now it still points back to John Mateer. The Sooners coach said he has confidence in backups Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley, but he also made clear that Mateer remains the starter despite recent struggles and turnovers, a reminder of how thin the margin has become at the games most important position.
Venables even acknowledged there were conversations about benching Mateer after the poor performance, yet Oklahoma is sticking with the current plan heading into Texas. Newbauer brings some FCS starting experience, while Bentley has not made his college debut, which leaves the Sooners in a familiar bind: leaning on the quarterback who has already been under fire, while waiting to see whether the depth chart can really offer a safer alternative. [Read more 🡒]
Kip Lewis Sees One Reason Oklahoma Can Still Turn This Around
Kip Lewis has been around long enough to know the mood around Oklahoma changes fast, especially after a 2-2 start and a rough loss to No. 2 Georgia. The veteran linebacker and captain has been one of the voices trying to steady things inside the building, pointing to a defense that, despite the setbacks, has started to tackle better as the Sooners search for something to build on.
Lewis also brings a little more credibility to the conversation after getting back on the field against Georgia following a knee injury that had limited him in earlier games. With the bye week coming at a useful time, Oklahoma now has a chance to clean up details and reset before a matchup with No. 1 Texas, and Lewis sounded like a player who believes there is still time for this team to straighten itself out. [Read more 🡒]