Oklahoma is sticking with quarterback John Mateer as the offense has continued to struggle in 2026. And offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is shouldering some of the responsibility for the turnovers that have plagued the unit.
A week after taking down No. 1 Texas, the Sooners lost 21-13 at home to No. 15 Kentucky. Mateer was 24-of-40 passing for 270 yards, but he threw just one touchdown and had three interceptions. His final pick of the evening came with just 1:17 to go, when Jordan Castell intercepted him and returned it 41 yards for a game-clinching pick-6.
As Oklahoma trailed 14-13 before the turnover, a field goal could have given the Sooners the win.
“Throughout everything that he’s done, the player that he is, the preparation that he has, we believe that John Mateer gives us the best chance to win,” Arbuckle said Tuesday. “Like I’ve said multiple times, we have to eliminate backbreaking errors, catastrophic errors. For all of the good that he does, we have to eliminate those. And he’s not alone in that. I take full responsibility for those plays whenever they happen.
“Ultimately I’m the one who calls the play out there, ultimately I’m the one who designs it and if something bad happens, I believe it falls back on me. John’s the one out there playing, making the decision in the real moment when it happens, but at the end of the day I have to be better and I take accountability for whenever one of those backbreaking mistakes happen.”
Mateer has not been able to recapture the form that made him the early-season Heisman favorite in 2025 before he suffered a thumb injury against Auburn. Mateer struggled after returning in just three weeks after the thumb injury last season, and is still searching for his form in 2026 despite being fully healthy.
The Washington State transfer threw for 14 TDs and 11 interceptions across the 2025 season. This season, he’s already thrown nine touchdown passes, but he’s also tossed seven interceptions.
His effectiveness as a rusher has also decreased. And Oklahoma’s issues and injuries up front have certainly not helped. After rushing for 431 yards and eight scores across 12 games in 2025, he’s rushed for just 79 yards and hasn’t found the end zone through six games this season.
Oklahoma’s offensive issues are also the primary reason the Sooners are 3-3 ahead of a trip to Mississippi State on Saturday. While the defense is allowing just 18 points per game, the 21.3 points per game the Sooners are scoring ranks 113th out of 138 teams.