Oklahoma football lost its first game of the season against Texas, as both sides of the ball didn’t play up to their standards. The offense did not play its best, as well as quarterback John Mateer, who returned after having hand surgery. Mateer finished the game, completing just 20 of his 38 passes for 208 yards and three interceptions.
Though some would attribute his hand for the way he played, Mateer is not using that as an excuse.
“The pain level was nothing,” Mateer said via Dan Wolken of Yahoo. “There’s no excuse. I was ready to go physically. Mentally, I just didn’t perform.”
Oklahoma knows that they have to have a short memory after a loss like this, but at the same time, they need to learn from their mistakes so they can learn from it. For Mateer, the way he’ll bounce back is how he prepares for their next game against South Carolina.
“I think Coach (Brent) Venables said it well in the postgame meeting,” Mateer said via Carson Field of Sports Illustrated. “He said we have to stay together. Can’t flinch. Don’t have time to sit around and mope and be upset.
“It’s important to show my response in the work. Saying it is one thing, but I’ll come ready to go, watch the film tonight, be ready tomorrow and move onto the next week.”
Mateer couldn’t get much going against Texas in the passing game, as he was sacked five times. When they tried to run the ball, Texas stuffed them, as they only had 48 yards. There’s no doubt that the offensive line struggled in the passing and rushing game, and they’ll have to be better moving forward.
For Oklahoma, this could be a loss that turns around their season, and helps them see the problems that they need to fix as the season continues.
