Oklahoma
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.”
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.”
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.
“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.”
Oklahoma
Crews respond after fireworks stand catches fire in Broken Arrow, no injuries reported
Crews responded to a fireworks stand after it caught fire in Broken Arrow Saturday night.
Authorities urged people to avoid E. Kanosha Street near S. 236th E. Avenue as the road is closed and fireworks could spread in the area due to the fire.
Broken Arrow Fire Department released a statement confirming no injuries were sustained as a result of the explosions or fire.
Fire crews quickly controlled the fire in about 20 minutes according to Broken Arrow Fire Department.
The initial cause of the fire is under investigation.
Viewer Leslie Maxey, who lives close to the fireworks stand, sent in video of the ongoing fire.
“We were putting our daughter to bed with a book when we heard an explosion that was gradually getting louder and louder,” Maxey said.
This is a developing story.
Oklahoma
Scouting the Oklahoma Sooners ahead of UNC matchup
What you need to know about Oklahoma ahead of the College World Series
North Carolina will face a dangerous Oklahoma team that is on a roll.
Oklahoma (41-22) has been just as dominant. The Sooners, making their 13th College World Series appearance and first since 2022, surged through the postseason as road warriors. They won the Atlanta Regional by upsetting No. 2 seed and ACC champion Georgia Tech in the final, then swept Big 12 champion and No. 15 seed Kansas by a combined score of 21-3 in the Lawrence Regional.
The Sooners, who are 3-0 in Omaha after beating No. 7 seed Alabama and knocking off No. 3 seed and SEC champion Georgia twice, are seeking their third national championship. Oklahoma won titles in 1951 and 1994 and finished as runner-up to Ole Miss in 2022.
Here are a few things to know about Oklahoma:
Best player: Catcher Deiten LaChance
LaChance is Oklahoma’s most powerful hitter. He is batting .333 with 12 doubles, two triples and team highs of 16 home runs and 65 RBIs.
Throughout the postseason, he is hitting .326 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. In Omaha, he is 5-for-14 (.357) with one home run and five RBIs.
Strengths
Like North Carolina, Oklahoma is a balanced team that is good at a little bit of everything and is built to frustrate opponents.
Oklahoma is a balanced hitting team like UNC, but the Sooners have hit a few more homers with 91, compared to the Tar Heels’ 82. That is largely due to the Sooners smashing 26 home runs in their 10 postseason games. In Omaha, OU has homered eight times, including five homers in its win over Georgia in its previous game.
The Sooners have stolen 129 bases this season. That is good for 24th nationally and second in the SEC.
Pitching-wise, OU is 18th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings and leads the SEC in shutouts.
Weaknesses
The most glaring weakness is the pitching staff, despite its ability to strike out opposing batters and record shutouts.
The Sooners have a 4.98 ERA as a staff. Only one pitcher with 10 or more appearances has an ERA under 3.60.
They also allow 4.51 walks per nine innings, which ranks 138th nationally.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Football Target Israel Hammons Commits to Cowboys
It was a Friday Night Lights in June kind of moment for the Oklahoma State Cowboys as Israel “Izzy” Hammons made his commitment announcement.
The Choctaw, Okla., rising senior announced his decision to commit to Oklahoma State on Friday during an Instagram Live session. The Cowboys beat out a roster of schools vying for the linebacker, most notably Texas.
Hammons made just two official visits — one to OSU and one to Texas last week.
His commitment pushed the Cowboys’ 2027 recruiting class back to nine players after the defection of Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL) offensive lineman Chase Clark to Purdue.
Commitments are non-binding. The earliest that Hammons can sign with OSU is in December.
Izzy Hammons to OSU
Hammons is the first four-star player to commit to the Cowboys this cycle. Their previous commitments all came from three-star players. The 6-3, 225-pound linebacker was considered a Top 200 player in the country by both On3/Rivals and 247Sports. Both services had him ranked as a Top 10 player in the state of Oklahoma at any position. He’s also considered the No. 1 linebacker in the state.
He also runs track and field, competing in the high jump and the 100-meter days, with a personal best of 11.30 seconds in the latter.
The Longhorns came in hot at the end but already had linebackers committed to the program this cycle. For the Cowboys getting a pledge from a player like Hammons is key to shore up a position where they didn’t have a commitment and where they plan to use senior transfers as starters in 2026. That means OSU and head coach Eric Morris must start building a pipeline now.
OSU’s Class of 2027
After Clark’s decommitment the Cowboys were down to eight recruits for 2027 entering Friday, most of which were on the offensive side of the ball and starting with Iowa Colony (Texas) quarterback Carson White, who was the cycle’s first commitment in April.
Up front, OSU has two offensive line commitments Jake Baker of Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tenn., and Sonny Mullen of Troy, Texas. When it comes to skill positions players the Cowboys have three commitments as well, including two wide receivers — Cooper Hooker of Pryor (Quapaw, Okla.) High School and Ake O’Neal of Argyle, Texas. Oklahoma State also has a pledge from tight end Talan Scott of Queen City, Ariz.
Defensively, the Cowboys have commitments from safeties Chayce Davis of Euless (Texas) Trinity High School and Bryson Brown of Broken Bow, Okla.
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