Oklahoma says Mateer is still the best QB option despite turnovers and inconsistency

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is in his fourth year with John Mateer and knows what the quarterback is capable of, from the 44 touchdowns he accounted for when they were at Washington State in 2024 to making the College Football Playoff last season after they went together to the Sooners.

So despite Mateer's inconsistency this season, Arbuckle still believes he is the best option at quarterback for Oklahoma (3-3, 1-2 SEC). The Sooners play Saturday at Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2).

“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 back-breaking errors, catastrophic errors. For all the good that he does, we have to eliminate those, and he’s not alone in that.”

But Mateer is responsible for nine of Oklahoma's 14 turnovers this season, including seven interceptions.

He has played behind a banged-up offensive line for much of the season. Three regulars missed the Kentucky game with injuries and a fourth, versatile Ryan Fodje, suffered an ankle injury late in the third quarter and struggled to play through it.

After a turnover-free game and two impressive throws on the final drive to set up a game-ending field goal for a 27-24 upset over No. 1 Texas in one of the nation's biggest rivalry games, Mateer matched his career high with a season-high three interceptions in a 21-13 home loss to No. 12 Kentucky last Saturday night.

While he completed 24 of 40 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown, two of his interceptions came in the game's final 16 minutes. The Wildcats turned both picks into touchdowns.

”I take full responsibility for those plays whenever they happen,” Arbuckle said. “Ultimately, I’m the one who calls the play out there. Ultimately, I’m the one who designs it and if something bad out there happens I believe it falls back on me. John’s the one out there playing, making the decision in the real moment whenever it happens, but at the end of the day I have to be better and I have to take accountability for whenever one of those back-breaking mistakes happen.”

Mateer has completed 114 of 175 passes (65.1%) for 1,308 yards and nine touchdowns this season, after 2,885 yards with 14 TDs and 11 interceptions last year. As a third-year sophomore and first-time starter for Washington State in 2024, Mateer had for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns passing while running for another 826 yards and 15 scores.

Kentucky trailed 13-7 in the final minute of the third quarter when Mateer’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and picked off by Ty Bryan, who returned it to the Sooners 44. Seven plays later, Kyle Minchey threw a 12-yard TD to Willie Hernandez for a 14-13 lead.

The Wildcats, who had only 230 total yards of offense, sealed the game on Jordan Castell's 41-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:17 left.

Oklahoma had 346 total yards, but had to settle for field goals at the end of drives of 13 and 10 plays. Another 12-play drive ended with a failed fake field goal.

“I saw improvement,” coach Brent Venables said about Mateer after that game. "I thought he did a really good job most of the game, played well and gave us an opportunity to win. I though he battled his butt off.”

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