Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle Stands by John Mateer Despite Frustration, Eyes Upcoming Prep

Ben Arbuckle's confidence has never wavered with his quarterback. He and John Mateer have been attached at the hip since their days at Washington State. Now, that they have a season in the SEC with the crimson and cream behind them, what's next?

Well, improvement for one. There's no doubt that the foundation laid by Arbuckle is miles ahead of the Seth Littrell experience of 2024. And while Mateer has made timely play after timely play to complement his elite defensive teammates, there's no doubt that there's a lot to be desired.

Even as Mateer tossed his third interception of the game against LSU last Saturday, Arbuckle still never lost faith.

"Any turnover is frustrating," Arbuckle said Monday night. "The thing that I loved about it was the response over and over again. There was never any doubt on the sideline. No fear. Yes, we have to take care of those turnovers, but what made me more confident is that when adversity struck, the kids responded and went back and made plays."

Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooner — Sep 6, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Mateer and the offense certainly did that. While the offense experienced a quick three-and-out following the first and third Mateer interceptions, the following drives resulted in 10 of the Sooners' 17 points.

Even when Mateer made monumental mistakes, he showed more reasons why Arbuckle will continue to ride with the quarterback from Little Elm, Texas.

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"He turns the ball over and turned on the jets and sprinted down there and pushed him out of bounds," Arbuckle said. "What happens next, we pick the ball off. He’s a football player before he’s a quarterback."

Oklahoma concluded their regular season with a 10-2 record, likely good enough to receive an invite to the College Football Playoff — yet Mateer's 12-10 TD-INT ratio is far below the standard enjoyed by Sooner QB1's of the past.

Arbuckle's mindset is now focused internally. Now that OU awaits to learn its next opponent, Arbuckle wants to get back to the basics with Mateer in order to correct those mistakes.

"Always looking to clean up footwork," Arbuckle said. "This is a good time where we don’t need to focus on a specific game, we can focus on just us. Breaking things back down to the basics. Getting the ball out quick, getting the ball to the check down, getting the ball to our running backs."

John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooner — Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the Sooners await their College Football Playoff revelation, Mateer, along with the offense, still has much to be proud for. This is a defensive team, but that doesn't take away from the big plays the Sooner offense made during their Red November run.

Arbuckle identified why Oklahoma was able to dig deep in tight moments throughout the last few weeks and make another play.

"The biggest thing I saw was a collective group of players who made a decision — they were going to force the issue," Arbuckle said. "Go attack that common goal. Couldn’t be more proud of them."