Redshirt junior John Mateer during the game against Illinois State University on Aug. 30.
Redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer, after the Illinois State game, walked in during offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s time at the podium, watched and smiled. Mateer had observed Arbuckle tell the media after a 35-3 win that the quarterback values Michigan preparation no differently.
“He's going to go to work for Michigan the same way that he went to work for Illinois State, the same way as he went to work for teams last year,” Arbuckle said. “He's true to his process. He knows what it takes for himself to be prepared and for the offense to be prepared. … It sets the tone every day because you know No. 10’s going to bring it.”
Mateer put up 392 yards against Illinois State, a new school record for passing yards in a debut. The performance impressed Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore too.
“He’s an electric quarterback,” Moore said at a press conference on Monday. “He’s a gunslinger. … He’s a quarterback that can make every throw, off-schedule throws. He can run the football, so we got to do a good job of keeping him off schedule.”
Redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer during the game against Illinois State University on Aug. 30.
However, Mateer says the output will only improve.
“We’re going to get better,” Mateer said.
As Mateer looks to take the passing game to a higher level, the running dynamic showed to especially need growth.
The team recorded only 103 rushing yards in the game — less than Illinois State’s 117 and Michigan’s 201 in its 34-17 win over New Mexico. Freshman running back Tory Blaylock, who led the Sooners in rushing yards in the season opener, suffered an injury before the end of the game. Senior running back Jaydn Ott, who transferred from Cal after recording 1,305 rushing yards in 2023, had only one carry after health problems throughout fall camp.
However, according to head coach Brent Venables, Ott is expected to play abundantly more in the future.
“He missed a lot of practice,” Venables said on his coaches show. “But you’re going to see a lot more of him.”
Beyond Ott’s number of plays, the offensive line takes responsibility for OU’s poor performance in the run game against Illinois State and are focused on ways to improve.
“It's a lot of things. Communication can be better,” redshirt senior offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu. “Individually, for me, I can be more of a leader out there on the field. I can try to encourage guys and get things going a little bit more to try to be a spark for the offense.”
Per Nwaiwu, shortcomings were also due to inconsistent showings of toughness. Nwaiwu, in his second year in the Southeastern Conference, understands the importance of strength and fundamentals.
“SEC, Big Ten are the most physical leagues. You have to be ready to come off the ball every play, every snap,” Nwaiwu said. “(You got to) make sure you have all your technique right.”
Michigan’s defensive line poses a serious threat to OU, ranking as the No. 6 unit in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus. Specifically, senior edge Derrick Moore and senior edge TJ Guy combined for 55 sacks and 9.5 sacks for the Wolverines in 2024.
The Sooners acknowledge the challenge of matching up against Michigan’s defense.
“They're a physical team; they are who they say they are,” Nwaiwu said. “They're going to bring it, and we have to bring what we can do. We have to bring it every play.”
With the significant matchup ahead, ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be in Norman, bringing excitement to players and fans. Mateer, though, reminds his teammates not to lose a step mentally.
“We got to focus like it's any week,” Mateer said. “It's awesome. Like, (you should) embrace how cool it is because you only get so many opportunities, but you got to play the game.”
For Mateer, Nwaiwu and others, the matchup means fulfillment of childhood goals, and they are not backing down.
“As a kid, I dreamed to be on the big screen on ‘College GameDays’ — all the yellow hats. … I’m just (wanting to) thank God for the opportunity,” Nwaiwu said. “And I'm ready.”
This story was edited by Laurie Jones.
