Oklahoma got unfortunate news this week, learning that star quarterback John Mateer will be missing time. Mateer injured his throwing hand during the No. 7 Sooners’ Week 4 win over Auburn.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the injury will require surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand. The return timeline is said to be “about a month.”
“He’s set to have the surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Dr. Steven Shin will perform the surgery. He’s considered one of the country’s leading hand/wrist surgeons. He’s worked on Drew Brees, Steph Curry and Mike Trout,” Thamel reported.
This is no doubt concerning for head coach Brent Venables and the Sooners football program, which had jumped out to a red-hot 4-0 start. With Mateer sidelined in the middle of the season—just as SEC play was beginning—Oklahoma faces a crucial stretch that could determine its playoff hopes.
Oklahoma has brutal schedule ahead
The Sooners have already been through a tough opening slate. Aside from wins over Illinois State and Temple, they also hosted ranked Michigan and Auburn and beat both. Those victories came with Mateer at quarterback and in Norman. They were also just the beginning, as Oklahoma could face as many as eight ranked opponents this season, including a brutal five-game stretch to end the year.
If Oklahoma wants to be one of the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff, it must navigate this treacherous schedule—with or without Mateer under center.
First, there’s the question of what “about a month” actually means. A month from Mateer’s scheduled surgery would put his potential return around the Ole Miss game on Oct. 25. That gives the Sooners a bye this week, followed by a matchup against Kent State. After that, things get tricky.
Mateer will almost certainly miss the Red River Rivalry against Texas. He could also miss the road trip to South Carolina and the Ole Miss game back in Norman. If that’s the case, the Sooners realistically need to go 2-1 in those three contests to stay in playoff contention.
Why? Because after that stretch, Oklahoma faces back-to-back road games against Tennessee and Alabama, followed by home dates with Missouri and LSU. At least one or two losses seem likely in that stretch, which makes surviving Mateer’s absence all the more important for the Sooners.
Is Michael Hawkins good enough to fill in for John Mateer?
With Mateer on the mend, Brent Venables will have to turn to a familiar option in backup Michael Hawkins. This isn’t the direction the Oklahoma coach wanted to go for a number of reasons, but it’s also why the Sooners went after Mateer in the transfer portal.
After now-Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold struggled last year, Hawkins earned playing time, appearing in seven games with four starts. He completed 76 of 120 passes (63.3%) for 120 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also rushed for 204 yards and one score.
The Sooners went 1-3 in his four starts, which ultimately led Venables back to Arnold before he transferred. The question now is whether the sophomore is ready to step in again while Mateer recovers.
On3’s Parker Thune believes Oklahoma isn’t in the worst situation with Hawkins.
“John Mateer’s thumb injury sucks for the Sooners; there’s no two ways about it,” Thune wrote. “But you could be much worse off than to have a backup with SEC starting experience. Michael Hawkins will get at least one start, and perhaps multiple, while Mateer is sidelined.”
John Mateer will miss important games
Three of Michael Hawkins’ four starts came against SEC opponents, with his lone win a 27-21 victory over Auburn. One of his losses was a 34-3 defeat to Texas, when Hawkins went 19 of 30 for 148 yards without a touchdown or turnover.
The good news is Hawkins will take over against a very manageable opponent in Kent State, a Group of Five team that’s 1-3. After that, though, comes Texas—a completely different challenge.
Even for Mateer, a Heisman Trophy favorite, the game against the Longhorns would have been considered difficult. For a sophomore with limited experience, it could become a major problem and set off a bad string of losses, all against SEC competition.
Oklahoma doesn’t need to win the SEC to secure one of the 12 College Football Playoff spots, but it must notch enough big wins to prove it belongs among the nation’s best.
If Hawkins can’t deliver against South Carolina, Mateer may return with almost no margin for error. That would be a tall task, especially for a quarterback coming off surgery on his throwing hand.
