When John Mateer returned to the Oklahoma Soonersfor his final season, the hope was that, with his thumb injury fully healed, the Sooners' offense would take a major step forward. However, that hasn't been the case so far.
The Sooners rank near the bottom in total offense, rushing offense, passing offense and scoring offense. Mateer has completed 62.7% of his passes for 652 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He's been stifled in the run game, rushing for just 69 yards on 2.7 yards per carry.
Mateer has struggled with turnovers, throwing a crucial one late against the Michigan Wolverines that led to the game-winning touchdown. He then threw two interceptions against the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday in Oklahoma's 14-6 win.
Mateer said
he's tired of having to speak about his mistakes, but believes he will persevere.
"I did it again," Mateer said. "I'm tired of getting up here and saying that I can't make mistakes and this and that. I believe it'll change. I do. I'm being tested, but I believe I'll persevere."
That belief is important for a quarterback who entered the season with major expectations after returning to Oklahoma for another year. Mateer showed what the offense could look like in the opener, throwing three touchdown passes.
Since then, though, the production has dropped, and Oklahoma has needed its defense to carry more of the burden. The Sooners followed the Michigan loss with a narrow win over New Mexico, but the offensive concerns remain heading into the most difficult stretch of the schedule.
Mateers' response will be one of the biggest storylines moving forward. He isn't denying the mistakes or trying to avoid responsibility. Instead, he's betting that continued work will eventually lead to the consistency Oklahoma expected when he returned.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma's John Mateer on his mistakes: 'I believe I'll persevere'
