DALLAS — John Mateer stood atop the Schooner wagon with a smile stretched across his face. Beaming, he received the “golden hat” and encapsulated the feeling of taking down No. 1 Texas: “I can’t believe it.”
Mateer went into the Red River Rivalry with turnovers in three consecutive games, including catastrophic ones against Georgia. However, he responded with a turnover-clean performance that culminated in a game-winning drive to defeat the Longhorns.
In just four plays and less than 20 seconds of game action, Mateer had two clutch throws, hitting fifth year wide receiver Isaiah Sategna for a 13-yard reception and then 20 more to set up fifth year kicker Tate Sandell’s game-winning field goal.
Mateer, surrounded by his team’s support, felt he was ready for the moment. And he showed it.
“The last two weeks, everybody in the facility told me how much they believe in me, and I appreciate it,” Mateer said. “I knew I just needed to come play (confidently), and they let me do that. … In that moment, we knew their tendency to go play man, and we had good plays set up for that. … Isaiah’s a great player, so I was confident. We were all confident.”
Mateer’s confidence was scrutinized leading up to the game. His coaches and teammates even said that his Georgia performance affected his headspace, and they sought to help him remain steady.
Senior defensive back Peyton Bowen felt that Mateer needed to get his “swagger” back after Georgia. He said he saw more confidence from Mateer on Saturday.
“He took a lot of deep shots that (I) didn't see him taking (in) a couple of earlier games,” Bowen said. “And … he's getting hit trying to make those throws. I just love that. Like, that's what the quarterback does. I mean, these games take those big plays, … and I think he did a great job managing the game and giving our receivers a chance.”
Head coach Brent Venables felt Mateer did what winning requires.
“I thought he did a great job playing quarterback — taking care of the ball, taking what was there, playing complementary football and not trying to win the game in the first quarter, ” Venables said. “Goes without saying, man, he was fantastic against one of the best, well-coached defenses in the country. There weren't going to be a ton of opportunities, but we took what was there. … It was, really, a classic game of two really good programs (in) an incredibly intense environment, and John was … really, really good when he had to be.”
Mateer was not just looking to bounce back from his Georgia performance two weeks ago or even Michigan before then. He’s been motivated for a strong game against the Longhorns since the 2025 Red River Rivalry game.
Mateer, just coming off an injury then, threw three interceptions and failed to score a touchdown against Texas in 2025. He never let it leave his mind ever since.
“Last year, this game hit real deep,” Mateer said. “I came back, and I wanted to do it. And turns out it's not Hollywood. … I thought about this game every day for 365 days. … And some people can say it and make it (up). … But it's the truth. I did and there's real power in that.”
Despite all the highs and lows of Mateer’s OU tenure, he and the fanbase will be able to look back fondly on how he willed the Sooners to victory in the 2026 Red River Rivalry.
“That was the longest fourth quarter I’ve ever been a part of,” Mateer said. “It was awesome. I'll never forget it.”
