Steve Curtis | October 25th, 2026
John Mateer had shown signs of finding a rhythm over Oklahoma’s previous two games.
He settled in late against Texas and carried that confidence into a strong start against Kentucky. But three interceptions against the Wildcats undid that strong start and left the Sooners with another loss.
Against Mississippi State on Saturday, Mateer sustained what he’d started.
He completed 22 of 29 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns, added 37 yards on the ground and didn’t commit a turnover in his most efficient performance in a Sooner uniform.
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer (10) looks downfield against Mississippi State during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/James Pugh)
Those numbers reflect how comfortably Mateer played. He stayed calm in the pocket, gave downfield throws time to develop and kept looking for them when forced to move, delivering the football with velocity and accuracy.
That showed what Oklahoma can get from him when his aggressiveness doesn’t come with costly mistakes.
For Mateer, playing that way started with letting go of the ones he’d already made.
Asked about his comfort after the game, Mateer described a message that stayed with him throughout the day.
“I woke up in the middle of the night and something told me to ‘Forgive yourself,’” Mateer said.
“All day, all I thought is, ‘The least important thing is whatever just happened.’ So, next play, the focus: being calm and believing in who I am.”
That had been difficult during a season in which his preparation hadn’t consistently translated into the performances he expected. Each week offered something to improve, but the mistakes had often overshadowed the progress.
Kentucky provided the most recent example.
Mateer remembered it during the third quarter against Mississippi State, when another promising performance still needed a finish.
“I played good for 44 minutes last week and I woke up on Sunday and felt terrible,” Mateer said.
That experience gave him a reason to stay focused as the game tightened. Oklahoma still needed to finish possessions with touchdowns, something Mateer took responsibility for afterward. But he also understood that forcing a play could undo what the Sooners had built.
Facing third-and-11 with 1:13 remaining, Mateer had a chance to end the game with a first down. Before receiving the play call, he reminded himself to protect the ball.
“If it’s not there, don’t do anything extra,” Mateer said. “Just go down.”
He rolled out and found Rocky Beers for the first down that secured the win.
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer (10) reacts with tight end Rocky Beers (81) after a touchdown pass against Mississippi State during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/James Pugh)
A week after his late mistakes helped give a game away, Mateer made the throw that closed one out.
“I was just reacting,” Mateer said. “I felt good and was able to make it happen.”
One performance doesn’t resolve the inconsistency that has followed him this season. But it gives Mateer something he couldn’t take from the Kentucky game: a strong performance that held up through the finish.
For Oklahoma, the next step is getting that version of him again.