Three Oklahoma Players Who Need a Strong Performance Against New Mexico

NORMAN — The Sooners have one more chance to get things right before SEC play begins.

No. 24 Oklahoma (1-1) hosts New Mexico (2-0) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN2), needing an improved showing from the offense ahead of next week’s trip to No. 2 Georgia.

Head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle spent the majority of their press conferences on Tuesday fielding questions about quarterback John Mateer and the rushing attack, which Arbuckle abandoned for no real reason in OU’s 17-10 defeat to No. 19 Michigan.

Nobody inside the Switzer Center has a time machine to right the wrongs of last Saturday’s game plan, but three members of Oklahoma’s offense need to have an improved showing against the Lobos to build confidence before conference action gets underway.

QB John Mateer

Nobody had a worse week than Mateer.

The first test of his improved mechanics and offseason of work in the film room resulted in a total failure. Mateer routinely sailed passes high over the middle and struggled to connect on screen passes, which were designed as easy throws to help him get into rhythm.

Expect a better effort from the OU quarterback on Saturday night, but even a record-setting day through the air won’t signal that he’s ready for Georgia.

In 13 career games against Power 4 opponents, Mateer has completed 58.3% of his passes and has thrown 13 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, though eight of those contests came after his thumb injury in 2025.

An incredible performance in the passing game would be an outlier next weekend against Kirby Smart’s defense, but Mateer can only play the defense that is in front of him. He needs to be accurate and efficient against the Lobos — especially in the short passing game — so that Arbuckle has full faith in his quarterback when the schedule picks up in difficulty again next weekend.

RT E’Marion Harris

The OU offensive line struggled against Michigan.

Left tackle Ryan Fodje, who battled through injury to make his first appearance of the year, was the third-worst graded player on Oklahoma’s offense against the Wolverines per Pro Football Focus.

Only left guard Eddy Pierre-Louis and right tackle E’Marion Harris fared worse, per PFF.

Harris, an Arkansas transfer who entered the year with two years of starting experience in the SEC, was the Sooners’ worst-graded player, and he needs to bounce back on Saturday night.

The hope is that left tackle Michael Fasusi can return to his spot against Georgia. That would bump Fodje back to the right side of the line.

At right guard, freshman Noah Best was one of the few bright spots in Ann Arbor, so there’s no guarantee he falls out of the lineup.

That could lead to the Sooners taking a hard look at deploying Fodje at right tackle, who has three years of eligibility beyond 2026, or riding with a one-year rental in Harris, who already struggled while healthy against a good defensive line, with better units coming on the horizon.

Any Running Back Not Named Lloyd Avant

It wasn’t Lloyd Avant’s fault he didn’t have much of an impact against Michigan.

Avant averaged 6.6 yards per carry in a first half where he was only handed the ball five times. Arbuckle hid behind his scheme on Tuesday when asked why he didn’t go back to his running back more in the first half, and by the time Arbuckle remembered that Avant was having success, the Colorado State transfer had cooled off in the second half.

Venables’ view differed from his young offensive coordinator, as he wants to establish the run, so Avant should get plenty of run on Saturday night.

But he’s going to need help if the Sooners are to run the ball effectively in Athens. Mateer’s legs will be a part of that equation, but another running back — Xavier Robinson, Tory Blaylock or Jonathan Hatton Jr. — needs to step up.

Robinson has looked slow and hesitant through two games.

Hatton only had three carries against UTEP before getting banged up, and Blaylock only returned last weekend from a hamstring injury that sidelined him through most of the preseason.

Fans would love Hatton to break out and push for a starting role in the backfield, but Arbuckle can’t be that picky. One of that trio needs to make New Mexico defenders miss to form a 1-2 punch with Avant as the Sooners enter the next phase of their season.

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