Why the Sooners don’t need starting QB John Mateer to beat this Texas team

The fear throughout Sooner Nation has been that quarterback John Mateer won't be healthy quick enough to play Texas in the Red River Rivalry, but like Danny Stutsman proclaimed in 2023, the Oklahoma Sooners only fear God.

Mateer injured his throwing hand against Auburn on Sept. 20 and had surgery before missing the No. 6 Sooners' dominant 44-0 win against Kent State on Saturday. If Mateer has to miss another game, sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. will start for the second time in the Red River Rivalry when OU and Texas play at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday in Dallas.

Whoever is behind center for the Sooners, though, won't matter against Texas.

John Mateer could miss Red River Rivalry with injury, but it might not matter

OU head coach Brent Venables made clear during the Sooners' transition into the SEC that he knew games would be won in the trenches, and in just the second year in the conference, the Sooners are more SEC ready.

With Venables now calling defensive plays, OU boasts the best defense in all of college football when it comes to total defense. And the Sooners' elite defensive front has been the driving force in their dominant defense through five games.

At 4.2, the Sooners average more sacks a game than any other team in FBS heading into Week 7. In their SEC opener against Auburn, the Sooners sacked Jackson Arnold a program record-tying nine times. OU had originally broke the school record with 10 before a later stat correction erased history.

Meanwhile, as much blame as quarterback Arch Manning gets, the Longhorns' biggest weakness has been their offensive line, which had to replace four starters from last year. Texas' weak schedule makes its numbers look prettier than reality, but in their SEC opener against Florida last week, the Longhorns gave up six sacks. Before facing Texas, Florida had three sacks total in four games.

The Longhorns also averaged 2.0 yards a carry against Florida. OU has the fifth-best rush defense in the country while giving up 2.44 yards a carry, even after matchups against Auburn and Michigan. Making his first start in the Red River Rivalry, Manning will have no run game to rely on while also scrambling for his life every time he drops back for a pass.

Whether Mateer plays or not, the Red River Rivalry will be a defensive battle, because the Longhorns also have a top-15 defense. The Sooners, though, have the upper-hand against anyone in the country this season when it comes to defense.

There's no denying a Heisman Trophy candidate like Mateer is a benefit and has already been a difference maker for the Sooners. His status trending upward would certainly help OU fans sleep a lot better at night this week. But even with Mateer on the sidelines, the Sooners will still have the quarterback with the best chance to succeed based on experience and situation.

John Mateer will be wanted to beat Texas, but he's not needed.