John Mateer proves his clutch gene is capable of winning the Oklahoma Sooners any game on their schedule
John Mateer proved his clutch ability to lead the Oklahoma Sooners to wins against the Auburn Tigers
It was a tale of two halves for the Oklahoma Sooners‘ offense and quarterback John Mateer. The Sooners struggled to move the ball consistently, and Mateer struggled to get into a rhythm passing the ball, missing frequent easy throws and creating some unnecessary pressure on himself, leaving the game tied at 10-10 heading into halftime.
It was inarguably the worst Oklahoma fans had seen Mateer play, and the stands felt shellshocked by the end of the half. I received a text from a friend at the game with the quote, “This place is dead”. With the way the offense sputtered throughout most of the first half, the Sooners pulling out a win in the second felt nearly out-of-reach.
Then, John Mateer came alive. It started off with some quick passes trying to get his rhythm back in, then came the spark. Mateer lofted a perfect pass over the shoulder of an Auburn defender to wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, who hauled it in right on the sideline for a 31-yard gain, giving the Sooners the ball at Auburn’s 9-yard line. A play later, Mateer rushed it in himself for the touchdown, retaking the lead for Oklahoma with four-and-a-half minutes left.
Mateer’s Clutch Factor Changes The Game for the Sooners
Mateer finished the game completing 16 of his last 17 passes, giving him a respectable 24-of-36 for 271 yards and a touchdown through the air while tallying up 29 yards and a score on the ground. He made defenders miss and delivered some strong throws over the middle of the field, forming another strong outing with wide receiver Deion Burks and tight end Jaren Kanak.
It was far from perfect for Mateer. He fumbled on an option play, killing what could have been an early dagger scoring drive for the Sooners that could have made it 17-3. He missed some easy reads on throws that could have extended drives, and he often skittered around the pocket, inviting pressure and putting his offensive tackles in poor situations.
However, it didn’t matter in the end. Mateer proved that he was a winner, and made the plays when and where it counted. The Sooners took down a tremendous Auburn team with a truly dreadful day from the offense, thanks to the efforts from Mateer and the defense. If Oklahoma can keep playing complementary football and play even better when players return from injury after their bye week next week, their schedule opens wide open with sky-high expectations.
It’s been a few years since I felt like Oklahoma had a quarterback who could single-handedly win them games with his play. If Mateer can keep it up, who knows where this season could end up?
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