A week ago, Oklahoma Sooners Roundtable publisher Tyler Jones declared Oklahoma must move on from John Mateer. After a three-turnover performance in the loss to Kentucky, the consensus was that the Sooners needed a change behind center. Whether that was Whitt Newbauer or freshman Bowe Bentley, change was necessary for the future of the season.
Head Coach Brent Venables was steadfast in his postgame comments following the home loss to the Wildcats, “I saw improvement, and thought he did a really good job most of the game, played well and gave us an opportunity to win,” explained the Sooners head coach.
But for a majority of Sooner fans there was little belief entering a road contest among the cowbells of Starkville that Mateer would correct the wrongs he had committed most of the season. But on Saturday night the cowbells were limited as the Sooner senior quarterback was effective in a 23-15 victory over the Bulldogs of Mississippi State.
Mateer was efficient, completing 22-of-29 passes for 283 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
“I woke up in the middle of the night, and something told me to forgive myself,” Mateer said postgame. “The least important thing is whatever just happened. The next play, to focus, being calm and believing in who I am.”
Mateer appeared calm against the Bulldogs. The Sooners game plan likely helped with 41 rush attempts, just nine of those by the senior signal caller, and 125 yards on the ground from his running backs Tory Blaylock and Lloyd Avant.
The offensive line kept him clean for the most part, allowing just one sack of Mateer, as sophomore left tackle Michael Fasusi was back from the injury for the first time since the season opener versus UTEP.
The Sooners’ second-year QB targeted 10 different receivers while completing passes to nine different receivers. But he was able to focus his passes to his biggest playmakers. Eight completions on 11 targets to senior wide receiver Isaiah Sategna for 164 yards was something the Crimson and Cream fanbase had been hollering for, literally!
It was the 36 yard touchdown pass to Sategna from Mateer just 39 seconds before halftime that was defining in the game. As the embattled QB rolled to his left and neared the sideline, he left his feet and took a solid hit from a Bulldog defender but found the Sooners star wide receiver 14 yards downfield and then the playmaker made a play to race into the endzone and give OU a 10-0 lead at the intermission.
Venables was complimentary towards his quarterback, “His sheer will, determination, a great toughness, the poise under pressure. There’s a few of those plays that he had to make a play, and he did, and made several of them.”
His connection with Rocky Beers was crisp once again with six targets resulting in four completions for 66 yards. Beers had a touchdown and nearly a second if not for a pesky Bulldog pass breakup.
Mateer didn’t have to forgive himself for any of the deadly sins, turnovers, that he has committed throughout much of this season. Sure, there were six field goal attempts that Venables would have liked to see the offense reach the endzone at least a few more times to avoid the eventual eight point differential.
But for a moment, the complimentary play that Venables has harped postgame for nearly every game this season made an appearance and was highlighted in the final possesion for the Sooners.
With just over two minutes remaining, Mateer gained six yards when he needed five on third down and then with 1:11 to go on a 3rd down and 11, Mateer found Beers just six yards downfield and the former Colorado State Ram rumbled for seven more to put the game on ice.
“John did a great job,” Venables commented postgame. “The last drive there, obviously that was a fantastic run to get the first down there to end the game.”
As Venables stated it was a step forward but in a season that has seen many a step back there is a glimmer of hope that the voice in Mateer’s head might keep the quarterback looking forward and not back at what just happened.