NORMAN — With a couple of ticks over 35 seconds to play, OU quarterback John Mateer kneeled to run the clock out.
Sooners 17, LSU 13.
OU’s sideline erupted, spilling out onto the field. The remaining Sooners in victory formation bolted to join the jubilant celebration that comes with punching a ticket to the College Football Playoff on your home field.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNot Mateer.
The Washington State transfer, who transferred over 1,800 miles and dreamed of playing on this stage as a kid in Little Elm, Texas, needed a minute. He stayed on one knee, reflecting on the courage it took to stay resilient throughout OU’s offensive struggles and tossing three interceptions.
“When you have a third quarter like I did, I knew I had to keep going out there and playing football,” Mateer told the Sooners’ radio broadcast following the game. “I was either going to hate myself forever or become a man.”
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRegardless of OU’s lackluster offensive play and Mateer’s poor decision-making, the Sooners’ leader wore every mistake on his shoulders, put them behind him and kept playing. Mateer’s short-term memory is one of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s favorite qualities about his quarterback.
Mateer wasn’t always able to power through hardships. Ask any of his childhood coaches — once Mateer made a mistake, there was no coming back.
“It's a bad thing that my mood is affected by how football is played,” Mateer said. “It's how I've always been. Football is everything I put my time into. I showed a good deal of discipline and perseverance here, and I'm proud of myself for that. It's not easy to do. I wouldn't have done it two years ago, three years ago, and we got it done today.”
Mateer wasn’t sharp at times Saturday, see those three turnovers (although one of the picks was tipped). But, he completed 61% of his passes for 318 yards — his highest total since OU’s season-opener against Illinois State.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen asked if he ever thought about replacing him following those turnovers with a CFP berth on the line, OU coach Brent Venables didn’t flinch.
"No. Doesn't have anything to do with anybody else, but no,” Venables said bluntly. “I believe in John and what he's got. Absolutely.”
What does that level of confidence mean to Mateer when he’s struggling?
“Knowing they have my back is huge,” Mateer said. “Obviously, it was a tough time, tough couple series. But I knew we'd have a chance, and there'd be a moment to go win this game, and that happened.”
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Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) throws a pass during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the LSU Tigers at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Oklahoma won 17-13.Through nearly three quarters, the Sooners’ offense didn’t appear playoff-worthy. OU finished the game 4 for 15 on third down and never ran a play from the red zone.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut, Mateer and the passing game overcame when it mattered most.
Two pass plays — a 45-yard screen pass touchdown to Deion Burks and a 58-yard wide-open layup to Isaiah Sategna III — were the difference. And Mateer’s touchdown-saving tackle of Tigers linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. during his interception return, which led to a Peyton Bowen interception on the ensuing play.
“Whenever we sit in this team meeting, everybody in this room, in this building has the utmost faith in John Mateer,” Arbuckle said. “John has a short memory, whenever something bad happens, he's quick to wipe it, and he'll do that over and over and over again. But he's the ultimate competitor.
“The play that sticks out in my head is that first interception. Go look at his effort on that play, to push the dude out at the 3-yard line. What happened on the next play? An interception, right? It's little things like that that just keep on giving everybody the confidence in No. 10.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOU’s offense didn’t win any style points with the CFP committee, which will decide the Sooners' fate next Sunday, Dec. 7. But Arbuckle’s unit recorded 393 total yards, its second most this season against a power-league opponent.
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Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) celebrates after a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the LSU Tigers at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Oklahoma won 17-13.It wasn’t pretty, but the Sooners did enough. Again.
At the start of the fourth quarter, OU craved a spark from its leader. Four-year veteran linebacker Kip Lewis wandered over to Mateer — who at this point was still reeling from his blunders — and called him out in front of the team.
“You gotta will us to this victory,” Lewis said, pounding Mateer’s chest. “You gotta do it.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMateer took the message to heart. He made a choice then that he wasn’t going down like this.
After pausing on one knee, Mateer looked up at the exultation around him. This is why he came here — to help lead the Sooners to the playoffs.
“None of it's been easy,” Mateer said. “Going on the road, coming back, a bunch of top defenses and this and that. But, we keep fighting. We go out at practice every day, and we fight.
“We're competitive and we love each other. Not a whole lot of people have that on a team, but we do.”
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: John Mateer's 'short memory' helps OU football top LSU, boost CFP odds
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