OU redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer practiced without hand tape on Monday.

Head coach Brent Venables said that, while Mateer is not fully healed, the lack of tape marks a positive sign in recovery.

"He still has some soreness, so he not pain free," Venables said. "From a stability standpoint, he's better than he's been (with) gripping the ball."

Mateer has been using KT Tape since injuring his right thumb against Auburn on Sept. 20. KT Tape, a sports recovery company, provides therapeutic tape for pain relief and support.

“I wanted a KT tape,” Mateer said on Oct. 20. “I honestly like the black tape. I think it looks cool. There's also a benefit to it. … I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't thick, so it didn't keep my thumb off the ball.”

Mateer averaged 304 passing yards through the first four games of the season before putting up 195 per game after returning from injury.

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