Oklahoma football fans have learned that quarterback John Mateer is not perfect, but he already knew that.
Mateer struggled in the Sooners' 34-26 loss to Ole Miss on Saturday in Norman with multiple misreads, especially in crunch time, and received plenty of criticism for his performance as OU dropped to 6-2. At times on Saturday, it seemed like Mateer only made the wrong moves, but he has said all the right things since, before the No. 18 Sooners travel to No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday.
Imperfect John Mateer continues to own his mistakes for Sooners
“You learn so much about yourself every season," Mateer said Monday after practice. "That’s something I’ve learned. Last year wasn’t perfect. And this year hasn’t been perfect. And that’s football. That’s OK.
"But I’m still 21 years old. I’m learning about myself as a man and as a Christian. Yeah, I’ve learned a lot. It’s OK. I think the noise of it, I’ve done a good job blocking it out and that’s not what bothers me — it’s the product on the field.”
Mateer completed just 55% of his passes and had a 45.1 QBR. He had 223 passing passing yards and just one touchdown for the sixth game in a row. Despite leading the Sooners with 13 carries, he had just 17 rushing yards while averaging 1.3 an attempt.
It was the second time this season that Mateer looked more like an Average Joe than the Superman he was early in the season when he emerged as a Heisman Trophy favorite. Mateer was briefly considered one of the best quarterbacks in college football, but then he broke a bone in his thumb on his throwing hand against Auburn and needed surgery.
Mateer had a heroic return only 17 days later for the Red River Rivalry, but he ultimately struggled in the loss to Texas despite the effort. Many fans believed backup Michael Hawkins Jr. would have given the Sooners a better chance. The Sooners then recovered with a win over South Carolina, but even then, Mateer didn't look the same.
Considering timing, many questioned if Mateer's injury was hindering him because he hasn't performed to the same level since. But after Texas, Mateer assured his thumb was fine, and he echoed that statement on Monday.
“It’s definitely not my thumb, I’ll tell you that," Mateer said when a reporter tried to let him use it as a crutch. "I’ll stand by that. My thumb is perfectly fine. I think there’s just ups and downs of the flows of the game.
"I’m a human. I’m not perfect. There’s good times, there’s bad times. Not to say it’s bad. I don’t really think it’s that bad. I’m not, not seeing the field. It’s not like crucial. It’s OK. It’s not just like I don’t know what I’m looking at. I don’t want to put that perspective out there. I’m still confident in what I’m looking at. There’s just a couple that I missed and that happens. It just happened to be at bad times. That’s all it was.”
The Sooners have three ranked opponents in a row ahead, starting with the Volunteers. Fans will respect what Mateer says between taking ownership and not blaming an injury, but they want to see action on the field the most. If things go well on the field the next few weeks, then critics talk less and Mateer doesn't have to worry about saying the right things anymore.
“There’s an opportunity," Mateer said. "That’s all you can dream for as a man and as a football player. Just an opportunity to bounce back and play. I mean, even with the loss, it’s fun to play football. It’s fun to be with the fans in this atmosphere. It’s still fun. I reminded myself of that (Sunday). It’s still fun. It’s still a great opportunity. I’m blessed to be here.”