Status of John Mateer, Ryan Williams remains unchanged on eve of SEC showdowns
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The status of Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer and Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams remained probable on Friday night when the teams released their availability reports to the SEC.
Mateer, the star signal-caller for the 6th-ranked Sooners, had been listed as questionable for Saturday’s Red River Rivalry against Texas in the team’s initial injury report that was submitted to the SEC on Wednesday. But Mateer, who injured his throwing hand against Auburn on Sept. 20, was upgraded from questionable to probable in Thursday night’s availability report.
That gave Oklahoma and its fans hope that their first-year starting QB could play in the Week 7 showdown against the Longhorns (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Mateer underwent surgery on his hand the week after the injury occurred, and there was hope all along that he could possibly be back for the Texas game. Now that looks like a real possibility.
Meanwhile, Williams continued to be listed as probable on Friday night for the Crimson Tide’s Week 7 matchup at Mizzou (noon ET, ABC). Williams’s season got off to a rocky start when he suffered a concussion near the end of the Week 1 loss at Florida State. He missed the following game against Louisiana-Monroe before returning in Week 3 against Wisconsin.
Williams has been in the lineup for Alabama’s past 2 victories over Georgia and Vanderbilt, and Friday night’s report indicated he was likely to be ready to face Mizzou.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
