No. 11 Oklahoma went into Ann Arbor as the favorite on Saturday, Sept. 12, but walked out with a bitter 17-10 loss to Michigan. Instead of proving his worth, Sooners transfer quarterback John Mateer found himself in deep trouble. He tried to take full responsibility after the game, but his emotional words ended up making Oklahoma fans even angrier.
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“I just keep fighting,” John Mateer told reporters after the game, via OU Daily Sports. “We got a game, and nobody cares how you feel. You got a game, you got to perform, and you perform for your brothers. You fight for your brothers, you prepare for your brothers… I’ll make it happen, I don’t have a choice. This team needs me, and the university needs me, and I believe in it.”
It was an answer a QB should give. But some fans were not buying it. The frustration was bigger than one throw. Promises had been made, and the same problems returned.
“Liar, he didn’t ‘improve’ at all this offseason like we were told. Why would we believe him now? Cut bait & take offensive play calls & give it to Witten, TE is the only thing that’s improved on our whole team,” they wrote.
Expectations were sky-high for a reason. After leading Oklahoma to a College Football Playoff spot last season despite playing through a broken thumb, Mateer spent the whole offseason being hyped as a top-tier SEC quarterback who had finally mastered coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s system.
The entire team narrative revolved around Mateer’s mechanical progress and better decision-making. So when he walked into Ann Arbor and fell back into the same panicked, late-read habits that plagued his lower moments last year, fans felt betrayed by the hype.
The first half was a mess, and John Mateer was right in the middle of it. Oklahoma had nothing on the board at halftime for the first time since Texas in 2022. The QB went 7-for-16 for 52 yards and added 21 on the ground. Too many throws were off, and too many reads were late. Then came the throw that changed the game.
Oklahoma had a big third down and took a timeout to get the call sorted out. John Mateer dropped back, saw Trell Harris open downfield, and fired. The ball got behind Harris, though, and Michigan CB Jyaire Hill was there to grab it and turned the pick into a touchdown, and went up 17-10. Oklahoma never recovered.
John Mateer finished with 189 passing yards and a 52% completion rate, but the damage came late. In the decisive stretch, he completed only one of eight attempts for three yards and an interception. Isaiah Sategna III caught just two of the 10 passes thrown his way.
Another fan dismissed his post-game message, saying talk means little until the throws improve. “Empty words. Words don’t matter. Nor do coaches comments or questions from the media/coaches answers,” they posted.
One fan piled on his statement about the team and university needing him. “Until he learns to find the open receiver and actually throw the ball to him, we really don’t need him!” they wrote.
Another showed how their patience is about to blow off when hearing the same excuse. “He’s too lackadaisical. We’ve been hearing this same thing from him all last season. And if I hear him say “I wasn’t seeing the field” again… boy howdy,” they commented.
There was blame to spread around, too, with another taking a shot at OC Ben Arbuckle. “He stunk it up bad, but so was the whole offense in general. The OC called a horrible game plan,” another said.
Still, John Mateer is taking most of the heat. That stings more after what he did against Michigan last year, recording 270 passing yards, 74 rushing yards, and three touchdowns. That game pushed him into the Heisman conversation before injury and tougher opponents changed things. Now fans are left wondering where that version of Mateer went.
“Unfortunately I don’t think it’s there. He’s good not great. In those split seconds against top defenses, the vision and execution just isn’t there,” another disappointed fan said.
Oklahoma’s schedule offers no hiding place. New Mexico comes next, but Georgia arrives Sept. 26, followed by Texas on Oct. 10. Then there’s Ole Miss and Texas A&M. John Mateer has time to change the conversation, but not much time to change the mood in Norman.