Oklahoma Discussed Benching John Mateer During 41-13 Loss to No. 2 Georgia

Sooners coach Brent Venables confirmed a quarterback change was discussed after John Mateer committed three first-half turnovers in Athens.

Oklahoma's 41-13 defeat against No. 2 Georgia at Sanford Stadium put starting quarterback John Mateer's status under open discussion. Head coach Brent Venables acknowledged afterward that the staff talked about pulling him, and Sooners fans were calling for a benching while the game was still going on.

Venables confirmed a switch was on the table. "It was something that we discussed," he said, adding that the staff would review everything in an effort to improve.

The damage came in bunches. Mateer lost two fumbles and threw an interception, all in the opening half, and the costliest mistake arrived on third-and-goal after Oklahoma had driven deep into Georgia territory. Mateer pump-faked, the ball slipped backward out of his hands, and Georgia took it back 85 yards for a touchdown.

Mateer called the play a fluke. He said he pulled back from an inside route when the cornerback jumped it, then looked to a wide-open outside route when the ball simply came out. Similar slips, he said, had happened only a couple of times during cold morning practices at Washington State and never before in a game.

Away from the turnovers, Mateer was productive. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns and moved the offense up and down the field for long stretches. He also got little support on the ground, as Oklahoma managed just 65 yards on 35 carries, leaving the quarterback as the Sooners' primary source of production.

Venables said he senses confidence issues among some players and included his quarterback in that group without needing to ask him directly. He described Mateer's confidence as bruised rather than sky high, and said nobody was more disappointed than Mateer himself. The mistakes, Venables added, disrupt rhythm, confidence and cohesion and get in the way of complementary football.

Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, 31, knows Mateer as well as anyone in the program. This is Mateer's fifth year as a college quarterback and his fourth season in Arbuckle's system, a relationship that dates to their Washington State days. Arbuckle said he has to keep improving for Mateer while the quarterback owns his own play, and that honest, truthful work is the route back to confidence.

Arbuckle noted the shared history cuts both ways. He said Mateer knows exactly what he is going to say before he says it, and that his own responsibility is to coach better and help the quarterback protect the ball on throws and carries. Asked whether the Sooners have viable options behind Mateer, Arbuckle replied: "I love and trust everybody in that room."

Mateer faced the postgame questions head-on and rejected the idea that his confidence had cracked. He said he is still playing fast, is not second-guessing his decisions during plays, and believes his process is where it needs to be, even though the results are not coming. Next on Oklahoma's schedule is No. 1 Texas, a matchup that will arrive with the Sooners' quarterback situation still an open question.