OU football coach Brent Venables just dropped the five words that are gonna have everyone in Norman either pumped or panicking: “John’s our starting quarterback.” This came after his backup QBs, Whitt Newbauer and Bowe Bentley, took “a lot” of reps in Wednesday’s practice, making everyone wonder if a change was coming before the Red River Rivalry.
The Pressure Cooker on Mateer
Mateer’s been in a tough spot, man. Just last weekend, in that road loss to Georgia, he coughed up the ball three times in the first half alone. Three! Venables admitted the coaches even thought about benching him right then and there. And it’s not just the turnovers, the coach straight up said Mateer’s confidence isn’t “sky high” right now. You gotta wonder how long a guy can stay the starter when the head coach is talking about his confidence like that after a rough outing.
Venables Stands Firm, For Now
Despite all that, Venables is sticking to his guy. He said he has “no idea” if Newbauer or Bentley will see the field against Texas, doubling down on Mateer. But here’s the kicker: Venables did like how Mateer responded during the bye week. He praised Mateer, saying his response has been “really good” and “probably a lot better than you or I, or any of us could ever to be honest.” It sounds like the coaching staff knows they need to build his confidence back up, which is a huge task for a QB who’s had such a visible struggle.
So, John Mateer is still QB1 heading into next weekend’s Red River Rivalry against Texas. All eyes are gonna be on him. Can he shake off those turnovers? Can Venables’ vote of confidence actually get his head right? This next game isn’t just about a rivalry, it’s about whether Mateer can turn this early season ship around.
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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