Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables already said quarterback John Mateer would “push the limits” to return from injury, but now with the Red River Rivalry only days away, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle shared even more details on how Mateer is trying to defy the odds for a quick return after undergoing surgery on his throwing hand just two weeks ago.
Mateer’s status against unranked Texas at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday in Dallas is still unknown with OU coaches being tight-lipped about the situation and ESPN’s Pete Thamel reporting on Tuesday that, “There’s belief (Mateer’s) return is possible” for the Red River Rivalry as Mateer is “pushing to return.”
Arbuckle was still careful not to reveal any real information about Mateer’s status during Tuesday’s weekly press conference, even after Thamel’s report had already broke and Arbuckle was immediately peppered with questions about his starting quarterback. Arbuckle did, though, admit that Mateer is willing to pushing the limits, just like Venables knew he would.
Ben Arbuckle says Mateer will 'lean more toward the darker shade of the gray whenever it comes to recovery process'
“John’s a very processed guy,” Arbuckle said. “He’s going to follow the directions given by the doctor, and if there’s any sort of gray area, he may lean more toward the darker shade of the gray whenever it comes to recovery process, and that’s just because he’s a competitor and that’s just kind of how he’s wired. There’s steps in the recovery process that he’s having to follow right now and doing a really good job with it.”
Mateer already proved he's willing to tough out this specific injury. He broke a bone in his right hand during the first quarter against Auburn, then proceeded to not only finish the game, but ran for the game-winning touchdown while completing his final 11 passes of the game with a broken hand. Mateer's teammates later admitted that they didn't even know Mateer was dealing with an injury during most of the game.
"I think John knows his body," Arbuckle said. "I think he understands ultimately what's best for the team, but he doesn't want to put himself in a compromising position either, so whenever he's trending toward that darker shade of gray, he always has his body in mind also.
"Again, he's a competitive kid, and so of course he's going to try to get as ready as quick as he can, but, ultimately, I don't think anybody wants to put him in a compromising position just personally. "