Oklahoma reveals latest on John Mateer’s status for Red River Rivalry
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The saga surrounding John Mateer’s right-hand injury has captivated Sooners fans ever since he suffered the ailment against Auburn on Sept. 20, and the Oklahoma faithful finally received some official clarification on their quarterback’s status Wednesday.
Mateer was listed as ‘questionable’ on the Sooners’ SEC availability report, which at least reveals that there is the potential for him to play in the Red River Rivalry this weekend after initial speculation believed he would be sidelined for much longer.
Instead, prior reports from ESPN’s Pete Thamel had suggested that Mateer responded well to the surgery and was doing his best to speed up the recovery process.
The dual-threat quarterback has accounted for over 1,300 yards of offense and 11 touchdowns through just four games, and Oklahoma is undefeated partly as a result of Mateer’s play.
Whether it is Mateer or sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. lining up behind center for the Sooners, neither of them will be facing the scrutiny that their counterpart is. Texas’s Arch Manning is in desperate need of a breakthrough performance on a big stage, and while the Cotton Bowl could provide the perfect opportunity, virtually nobody has been able to find consistent success against Brent Venables’ aggressive defense.
The Sooners and Longhorns will kick off at 3:30 p.m. EST, with the game being broadcast by ABC.
Parker is currently the sports editor with the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
