How Oklahoma QB John Mateer is 'Responding' After Loss to Texas

NORMAN — John Mateer’s return to the field didn’t go as planned in the Red River Rivalry.

Mateer, just 17 days removed from a surgery on his right hand, threw three interceptions in Oklahoma’s 23-6 loss to Texas at the Cotton Bowl. He finished the game with 202 yards on 20-of-38 passing.

While Mateer struggled, it wasn’t a one-man collapse. The Longhorns dominated all three facets of the game, which led to their third win in the rivalry series in the last four meetings.

Team-wide discipline in Monday’s walk-through helped Mateer mentally reset after his first rough game as Oklahoma’s quarterback.

“It’s important when something like that happens to see how everybody responds,” Mateer said.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said on Sunday’s coaches show with Toby Rowland that Mateer never did any “good-on-good” work leading up to the Texas game. Venables revealed that Mateer threw with the scout team but didn’t do any offense-versus-defense work.

Mateer doesn’t believe that his dismal outing against Texas was the result of his minimal practice reps or because he was in pain.

“I felt ready to go, I was throwing normal,” Mateer said. “I got to where I needed to be, but I just didn’t perform. I think I just made bad decisions and made bad throws, nothing because of practice or my hand.”

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Mateer’s right hand was shown bleeding during ABC’s telecast of the Red River Rivalry game, but Venables said on his weekly radio show on Monday that it wasn’t abnormal.

“I think, (the incision) bled a little bit, but it'll only continue to strengthen and get better," Venables said. "But again, he had full grip and those types of things."

Mateer will be a full participant in practice for the Sooners ahead of their game at South Carolina on Saturday.

While Mateer doesn’t want to blame his performance against Texas on his lack of practice, the quarterback expects certain aspects of his game to be sharper after getting a full week of good-on-good reps.

“I don’t think that was the reason that everything happened, but it’s super important for any player, you need to practice,” Mateer said. “It will be good, getting into a rhythm and working my body and being ready to go.”

In Mateer’s first four games, he compiled 1,215 passing yards, 190 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, leading the Sooners to a 4-0 start and the No. 5 ranking in the AP Top 25.

Even after Mateer’s first subpar performance behind center in Norman, Venables still has confidence in his starting signal caller.

“Had some really good moments and really good decisions, and then a few times, again, he pressed a little bit,” Venables said on his weekly radio show. “He'd be the first to tell you, trying to make a play and kind of going through, you know, a process, a read progression. But overall, man, just, I wouldn't trade him for nobody. Really proud of him and what he stands for, what he's all about.”

Oklahoma plays its first true SEC road game this week against a South Carolina team that has been up and down in the first half of the season.

The Gamecocks are 3-3 overall and 1-3 in SEC play. Most recently, they lost 20-10 to LSU, and before that, South Carolina fell in conference games against Missouri and Vanderbilt.

OU’s hopes of an undefeated season are now in the rearview mirror. But Mateer knows that he and his teammates can get back into contention for the SEC title and the national title — if they respond correctly to this adversity.

“We haven't been through something like this before, so you see what kind of men you have on the team,” Mateer said. “We have a lot of good men, and we know the end goal. We were ready to go today.”