Saturday's loss to the Michigan Wolverines raised many of the same concerns about Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer. The signal-caller completed 17-of-33 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Mateer entered the season with questions about his accuracy and consistency. Early last season, Mateer was a Heisman contender, but his play dropped after the thumb injury. This season, he came in healthy. He looked good in the season-opener but struggled in Ann Arbor.
Running back Lloyd Avant talked about Mateer's leadership in the locker room after the loss.
"He keeps his head up," Avant said via OU Insider. "He's a leader of the team. When we came into the locker room after the game, his head was high. Thinking that you would
probably see a player with his head down, but no, (his head) was high. Make sure the team was up, and make sure that we had a level head."
The Michigan game doesn't erase Mateer's talent, but it does give Oklahoma another data point when evaluating whether he can consistently perform against elite competition. The Sooners will need more from their quarterback when the schedule becomes even more demanding.
For now, the most important thing for Mateer is how he responds. His teammates clearly believe in his leadership, and Oklahoma doesn't need him to be perfect to get back on track. But if the Sooners are going to compete for another playoff berth, Mateer will eventually have to pair that composure and leadership with the consistency Oklahoma expected when it entered the season with him as its quarterback.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Lloyd Avant praises John Mateer's leadership after Michigan loss
