The Michigan Wolverines took care of New Mexico as expected, suffering a few hiccups but still winning by multiple scores. The competition ramps up significantly this Saturday night against the Oklahoma Sooners, with Michigan heading into the primetime contest as the marked underdog. The Sooners defense (7th in SP+) is a scary proposition, but the spotlight will be on quarterback John Mateer.
Brent Venables landed one of the biggest gets in the transfer portal this offseason, brining in Mateer from
Washington State. Like Cam Ward before him, the hope is that Mateer will be the latest ex-Cougar to blow up in his final season in college. Way too early Heisman odds have him in the top five, meaning there will be plenty of eyes on him this fall, starting with the visit from the Wolverines this weekend.
A little bit of everything
Mateer did it all last season, throwing for 3,139 yards on 64.6% passing and 9.0 YPA (7th nationally) with 29 touchdowns (10th) and 7 picks, ranking 8th in passer rating. He added another 826 yards rushing on 14.8 (!) carries per game, scoring 15 times on the ground. This is a dual-threat weapon that is used to being the center of the offense, and he now gets an upgraded cast around him (though the offensive line is both incomplete and of questionable ability).
Understandably, there is not much that can be gleaned from his Sooners debut against FCS Illinois State. Most of his passing (3 TD, 81.1% completion) came against little pressure, allowing him to sit back and let it rip; he did not need to use his legs much (7 carries), though he scored once on the ground. Mateer did throw an interception and missed on a fourth down, but overall it was a strong first outing in Norman.
There is an argument that this is the best all-around quarterback the Wolverines will see this season. Though Julian Sayin and Dylan Raiola have the recruiting pedigree, Mateer has burst onto the scene and could be headed for a first-round selection in next spring’s NFL Draft. Either way, he is not a fun quarterback to play against, and Saturday is sure to bring some frustrating moments due to his escapability.
The big leagues
On paper — and even via the eye test — Mateer appears to be the real deal. However, he simply has not had to run through the gauntlet before and has yet to face a defense like Michigan’s (#5 SP+). In his two games against Power Four opponents last year (Texas Tech and Washington), Mateer completed under 50% of his passes with just 2 touchdowns and 2 picks, far from his season averages.
For the Wolverines, confidence should come from the secondary’s ability to limit and confuse even top quarterbacks. The Mike Macdonald-Jesse Minter-Wink Martindale trio has thrived mixing up coverages and playing games up front, never allowing quarterbacks to know exactly where the pressure is coming from or where the soft spots will be. This has not always worked to perfection, but do not expect Mateer to simply stay clean and pick apart this secondary.
The Wolverines will hope to contain Mateer’s legs in the same way they limited Jalen Milroe (twice). The linebackers will need to stay disciplined, which is tough without Jaishawn Barham for half of the game, and the defense must avoid home runs and long scrambles. While Mateer is a dynamic talent that can do damage in multiple ways, he has yet to face a team like this. Running quarterbacks have caused Michigan PTSD for years, but the pieces are in place to make this a struggle for the new Oklahoma signal-caller.
