Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham flat out called Oklahoma’s quarterback John Mateer ‘outstanding’ and admitted his Wolverines have their ‘work cut out for us big time’ ahead of Saturday’s critical non-conference clash at the Big House. Coming off a subpar performance in their season opener, Michigan faces a monumental challenge against an Oklahoma squad that already embarrassed them last year. Whittingham has studied the Sooners’ personnel, and what he sees should make any Wolverines fan nervous.
John Mateer Is A Dual-Threat Nightmare, Period.
Forget what you think you know, because Mateer is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate and he absolutely torched Michigan in last season’s 24-13 Oklahoma victory. He stacked up a staggering 344 total yards and three touchdowns in that game, leading the Sooners to a 14-0 first-half lead and a dominant 408-288 total yardage advantage. Whittingham knows the guy, too. He said they did a “deep dive on Mateer” when he was coming out of Washington State and hit the transfer portal, even admitting Utah “would have really liked to have him.” That’s high praise. Mateer is a “dual-threat guy that can really hurt you both ways,” according to Whittingham, and that kind of talent is exactly what you don’t want to see coming to your stadium after a shaky start to the season.
Oklahoma’s Defense And Special Teams Are Just As Lethal
If Mateer isn’t enough to keep you up at night, Oklahoma’s defense definitely will be. Whittingham made it clear they have a “very talented defensive line” and it’s easy to see why. This isn’t just a good defense, it’s an elite unit that led the SEC and ranked third in the nation last season by giving up just 77.3 rushing yards per game. They also racked up 45 total sacks. With defensive linemen David Stone and Taylor Wein leading the charge, alongside linebackers Kip Lewis and Owen Heinke, this Oklahoma front has the potential to be the best defense in the entire country. A lot of that credit goes to head coach Brent Venables, who Whittingham has “a lot of respect for” and called “extremely intelligent” after the two shared ideas for hours a few years back.
Oh, and don’t sleep on their special teams, either. Whittingham described them as “outstanding,” pointing out they have the Lou Groza Award winner in placekicker Tate Sandell, who nailed eight 50+ yard field goals last year, plus an All-SEC punter. The Sooners are “very talented in all three phases,” meaning Michigan truly has its “work cut out for us big time.”
Michigan has a seriously daunting task ahead of them this Saturday afternoon. They have to prove they can hang with a nationally recognized, College Football Playoff contender like Oklahoma, who is hitting on all cylinders in offense, defense, and special teams. This isn’t just another game; it’s an early test to see if the Wolverines can get their season back on track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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