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Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer seeks redemption after worst start of his career

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Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer seeks redemption after worst start of his career


NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is coming off the worst start of his career.

He barely completed 50% of his passes for just 202 yards and threw three interceptions in a 23-6 loss to Texas last Saturday that sent the Sooners (5-1, 1-1 SEC) tumbling to No. 14 in the AP Top 25. Now, for the first time since transferring from Washington State, Mateer is forced to try to bounce back from a loss.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Tuesday that Mateer has handled the aftermath of the Texas game well so far, though he might be taking too much of the blame.

“I’ve got even more respect for him,” Venables said. “You want to carry all the weight for all your guys, but you can’t do that. … He wants to take the whole team on his back and that’s not fair to him at all. So (I) try to help him with his perspective.”

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Mateer said after Saturday’s game that the pain in his right (throwing) hand that he played with against Texas less than three weeks after surgery was not a factor. Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who came from Washington State with Mateer, said his quarterback’s mindset was the bigger issue, and that needs to be fixed.

“It’s a mental reset,” Arbuckle said. “Do I trust John Mateer? Absolutely, I do. But I wouldn’t be doing my job as a coach if I just sat back and said, ‘I’m going to just trust that he’s going to get it right.’ So it’s a mental reset. It’s back to the basics.”

Arbuckle said Mateer, who had not thrown more than two interceptions in a college game before Saturday, pressed too hard.

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer (10) is sacked by Texas defensive end Brad Spence, center left, and defensive end Colin Simmons, bottom right, during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Dallas. Credit: AP/Jeffrey McWhorter

“He’s his harshest critic,” Arbuckle said. “And he knows that stuff he did on last Saturday wasn’t what winning requires. He does a really good job of resetting his mind, whether it’s footwork or his reads, and really honing in on that and cleaning that up, making sure he’s very intentional with that in practice.”

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Venables said Mateer has done a good job of picking up the team while trying to absorb the Texas result.

“He’s a humble guy that likes to work,” Venables said. “He doesn’t live in La-La Land. He knows what’s good and what isn’t good and what’s good enough and what ain’t good enough, so he’ll go right back to work, and did. The guys really respect that. That helps everybody step back in line.”

Mateer has moved on, and he sees an opportunity in Saturday’s game at South Carolina (3-3, 1-3).

“First road SEC game, so I’m excited,” he said. “If your confidence is fragile in this league and in this game, you don’t have a chance. So being a man, I mean, it (losing to Texas) was tough … But you’ve got to step up and find a way, and I will.”

Just a few weeks ago, Mateer was considered a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. He still has plenty of opportunities to regain that status. Either way, Arbuckle said Mateer needs to focus on the little things.

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“Stay true to who you are.,” Arbuckle said. “Stay true to the process that has gotten you to where you have been in life and as a player. Don’t listen to the outside noise because that’s nothing pertaining to you.”



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Oklahoma

Women’s Basketball Earns Highest Preseason Rank Since 2009 – University of Oklahoma

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October 14, 2025

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Women’s Basketball Earns Highest Preseason Rank Since 2009 – University of Oklahoma


NORMAN – Oklahoma will open the 2025–26 season ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25, its highest preseason mark since 2009 when the Sooners began the year fourth.

The ranking continues Oklahoma’s rise under fifth-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk, whose program has finished in the AP poll each of the last four seasons, including No. 11 last year — the team’s best final ranking since 2009–10. This year marks the seventh time OU has opened inside the top 10 (2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2024, 2025) and extends its active streak to 30 consecutive appearances in the poll, the fourth-longest in program history.

Picked fifth in the SEC preseason media poll, the Sooners return one of the nation’s most talented rosters. Oklahoma features four McDonald’s All-Americans, highlighted by preseason All-SEC first-team selection Raegan Beers, 2025 All-SEC honoree Payton Verhulst, junior standout Sahara William  and top-ranked freshman Aaliyah Chavez, the consensus national high school player of the year.

OU is one of five SEC teams in the AP top 10, with the league leading the country with eight ranked programs. The Sooners are set to face 10 opponents in the poll in the regular season, including six in the top 10.

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Oklahoma opens the regular season Nov. 3 against Belmont at Lloyd Noble Center at 4:30 p.m. CT. Fans can get an early look at the Sooners in an Oct. 29 exhibition vs. Oklahoma Christian set for 6 p.m in Norman. Admission to the exhibition is free, and no broadcast is scheduled.

On Wednesday, Baranczyk will join Beers, Verhulst, and Williams at SEC Basketball Tipoff in Birmingham, Ala. Oklahoma’s contingent will appear live on SEC Network at 4:20 p.m. and 5:35 p.m. CT.

Season tickets are on sale now starting at just $99 for general admission. Single-game tickets and mini plans are also available. For more information, contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 405-325-2424, email outickets@ou.edu or visit SoonerSports.com/Tickets.

Courtside seats for the 2025–26 season are now available on the west sideline and south baseline near the Oklahoma bench. Fans interested in more information should contact the Sooner Club at (405) 325-8000 or soonerclub@ou.edu.

Stay connected with Oklahoma Women’s Basketball by following the Sooners on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Want to make an impact? Join the 3-Point Club and help power the program’s continued success.

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FULL AP TOP 25

1. UConn
2. South Carolina
3. UCLA
4. Texas
5. LSU
6. Oklahoma
7. Duke
8. Tennessee
9. NC State
10. Maryland
11. North Carolina
12. Ole Miss
13. Michigan
14. Iowa State
15. Notre Dame
16. Baylor
17. TCU
18. USC
19. Vanderbilt
20. Louisville
21. Iowa
22. Oklahoma State
23. Michigan State
T24. Kentucky
T24. Richmond

RV: Washington 79, Ohio St. 46, West Virginia 17, Princeton 17, Minnesota 15, Kansas St 15, Kansas 7, Stanford 3, South Dakota St. 3, Illinois 2, Nebraska 2, Columbia 2.





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Beers Named to Media’s Preseason All-SEC First Team – University of Oklahoma

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1 day ago

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October 14, 2025

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Beers Named to Media’s Preseason All-SEC First Team – University of Oklahoma


NORMAN – For the second consecutive year, Oklahoma center Raegan Beers was named a preseason All-SEC first-team selection by a panel of SEC and national media members.

Also announced Monday, Oklahoma was picked to finish fifth in the league. A coaches’ poll and All-SEC teams voted on by the league’s head coaches will be released later this month.

Beers, a senior from Littleton, Colo., was a consensus All-America honorable mention last season after averaging 17.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 63% from the field. A finalist for the 2025 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, she led the SEC in player efficiency rating (35.9) and was the only player in the country to average 31.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per 40 minutes.

The Sooners were slotted fifth in the poll behind South Carolina, Texas, LSU and Tennessee. All five teams rank inside the top seven of ESPN’s preseason poll, including Oklahoma at No. 6, one spot ahead of Tennessee.

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Head coach Jennie Baranczyk‘s 2025–26 squad features four McDonald’s All-Americans with All-SEC returners Beers and Payton Verhulst, junior standout Sahara Williams and top-ranked freshman Aaliyah Chavez, the consensus national high school player of the year.

OU’s incoming freshman class, ranked No. 8 nationally by 247Sports, joins a veteran core that returns three starters and four of the team’s top scorers from last season.

Oklahoma opens the season Nov. 3 at home against Belmont at 4:30 p.m. CT. Fans can get an early look at the Sooners on Oct. 29 in an exhibition against Oklahoma Christian at Lloyd Noble Center. Admission to the exhibition is free and the game will not be broadcast.

On the media’s preseason All-SEC First Team, Beers is joined by Texas’ Madison Booker (preseason player of the year), LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards and Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes.

The second team includes Clara Strack (Kentucky), Mikaylah Williams (LSU), Cotie McMahon (Ole Miss), Ta’Niya Latson (South Carolina), Talaysia Cooper (Tennessee) and Rori Harmon (Texas).

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Season tickets are on sale now starting at just $99 for general admission. Single-game tickets and mini plans are also available. For more information, contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 405-325-2424, email outickets@ou.edu or visit SoonerSports.com/Tickets.

Courtside seats for the 2025–26 season are now available on the west sideline and south baseline near the Oklahoma bench. Fans interested in more information should contact the Sooner Club at (405) 325-8000 or soonerclub@ou.edu.

Stay connected with Oklahoma Women’s Basketball by following the Sooners on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Want to make an impact? Join the 3-Point Club and help power the program’s continued success.

MEDIA POLL

  1. South Carolina

  2. Texas

  3. LSU

  4. Tennessee

  5. Oklahoma

  6. Ole Miss

  7. Vanderbilt

  8. Kentucky

  9. Alabama

  10. Mississippi State

  11. Florida

  12. Georgia

  13. Missouri

  14. Texas A&M

  15. Auburn

  16. Arkansas

PRESEASON ALL-SEC (MEDIA)

First Team All-SEC
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
Reagan Beers, Oklahoma
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Madison Booker, Texas*
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

* SEC Preseason Player of the Year

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Second Team All-SEC

Clara Strack, Kentucky

Mikaylah Williams, LSU

Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss

Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina

Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee

Rori Harmon, Texas





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Oklahoma’s Tackling Must Improve if Sooners’ Defense is to Maintain Lofty Standards

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2 days ago

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October 13, 2025

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Oklahoma’s Tackling Must Improve if Sooners’ Defense is to Maintain Lofty Standards


Even after Oklahoma’s Red River Rivalry loss to Texas on Saturday, the Sooners’ defense still stands tall.

OU remains first nationally in total defense, second in first-downs allowed, passing yards allowed and scoring defense and in the top 10 in passing efficiency defense and rushing defense.

But there is one category where the Sooners’ defense hasn’t been excellent this season — tackling.

After the 23-6 loss, the Sooners stand 63rd nationally and 11th in the Southeastern Conference in tackling, grading out 68.0 in the category according to Pro Football Focus.

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OU missed 10 tackles vs. Texas, according to PFF. Linebacker Kobie McKinzie, defensive end R Mason Thomas, and safety Robert Spears-Jennings had two each.

“I’ve got to tackle way better,” Spears-Jennings said after the loss. “It’s third downs, I’m missing tackles that I need to make and I’m putting our defense in a tougher position because they’re converting on third downs and that’s not our standard.”

The problem was particularly evident in the second half, when Texas ripped off a pair of long drives — one for a touchdown and another for a field goal. In the first half, the Longhorns had a 12-play, 75-yard drive for a field goal.

The three drives ate up more than 18 minutes of clock, with the two second-half drives taking 13:26 of the third quarter.

Texas was a combined 9-of-11 on third-down conversions during those three scoring drives.

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“It’s hard to play defense like that when you don’t help yourself get off the field,” McKinzie said. “Simply doing the little things like tackling the dude with the ball. That’s going to be really important when we get to practice this week. It’s going to be a good challenge, looking forward to it.”

“I thought we lost some discipline there,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said of his team’s second-half defense. “Lined up offsides and turned guys loose and didn’t tackle well in all three of those drives. They made their plays.”

While the tackling wasn’t good Saturday, it also wasn’t too far outside of the norm for this team this season.

The 54.4 PFF grade in tackling was just OU’s second-worst of the season. The Sooners graded out at 47.1 in the category in the Sept. 20 win over Auburn.

“We didn’t have our best game of tackling, so to not have them wrapped up and letting them run free says a lot,” Thomas said. “We need to work on that aspect of the game.”

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Oklahoma has graded out at 70 or better just once this season — 81.5 in the win over Kent State.



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