The Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma continues this year at the Cotton Bowl, though it is possible that the Sooners will be missing their top quarterback, John Mateer. He is currently recovering from a hand injury, which had to be surgically repaired last month, and Oklahoma coach Brent Venables finally answered some questions about him, albeit coyly.
Venables appeared in “That SEC Podcast and spoke with host Michael Bratton, talking about the latest SEC availability report and revealed when Mateer’s availability will be revealed to the public:
“That will come out tonight, and everyone will get it at the same time,” he said.
The Red River Rivalry Game is expected to happen on Saturday, with Arch Manning and the struggling Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma’s eternal rivals visiting. This is considered a very important game, especially given the history between the two teams and the fact that losing to Texas would mean that all of the Sooners’ momentum will be halted, while Texas may finally be getting their wind back.
Mateer’s last game was against Auburn, which the Sooners won 24-17. He reportedly injured his thumb and had it surgically repaired, which means he was expected to be out for at least three weeks, maybe even more. Him returning to take on Texas would be slightly below those expected three weeks, which means it would be very much possible that he would miss that game as well.
Should he not play, Michael Hawkins Jr., the Sooners’ QB2, is expected to start and play in that Red River Rivalry game.
Insider Says John Mateer Is Pushing To Play vs. Texas
As for John Mateer himself, the Oklahoma quarterback may be pushing to play against Texas despite him still recovering from a thumb surgery. This is according to sources that told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that there is a belief that Mateer returning ahead of the expected three-week schedule is possible.
However, Thamel also noted that the decision still lies in Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, who has been very coy on the matter. The coach has saud that the QB1 is going through “his normal protocol” but but also noted that he has “done zero good-on-good work.”
Mateer had surgery on Sept. 24, with the Sooners flying him out to Los Angeles to get surgery. His surgeon, Dr. Steven Shin, placed his return timeline to around a month.
Related:
John Mateer Injury Update: Oklahoma QB’s Possible Return Date Revealed Amid Heisman Ranking Slide
Joel Klatt Predicts Bumpy Future for Oklahoma Following John Mateer’s Injury
John Mateer Surgery: Oklahoma Quarterback Faces Three-Week Absence After Thumb Injury
