With the Oklahoma football program firing offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, the team will look to keep the ship afloat as the Sooners take on the Florida Gators on Saturday. As the Oklahoma football team has moved on from Arbuckle, there were some questions about what that could mean for quarterback John Mateer, as his status for Saturday has been revealed.
According to college football insider Pete Nakos and George Stoia at On3 Sports, Mateer is “expected to start” for the Sooners against the Gators, as the senior “took most of the first-team quarterback reps” this past week. With how underwhelming the offense has been, there was speculation about whether Mateer would be benched.
“Oklahoma is expected to start quarterback John Mateer at Florida on Saturday night, sources tell Sooner Scoop’s George Stoia and On3’s Pete Nakos. The Sooners fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle earlier this week, prompting questions about whether Oklahoma would make a change at quarterback,” Nakos wrote.
“But sources tell On3 that Mateer took most of the first-team quarterback reps in practice this week, and the plan remains for him to start. In eight games this season, Mateer has thrown seven interceptions,” Nakos continued. “The Sooners currently rank 108th in scoring offense and 111th in total offense. Mateer’s struggles have been coupled with a running game averaging just 3.17 yards per carry, which ranks 128th in the nation.”
Oklahoma football's Brent Venables speaks on Ben Arbuckle firing
So far this season with the Oklahoma football team, Mateer has thrown for 1,835 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. As tight ends coach Jason Witten is the interim offensive coordinator for the Sooners, head coach Brett Venables said in a statement Monday that he believed the team needed a “change” in firing Arbuckle.
Article Continues Below“I believe we still have meaningful opportunities ahead and a responsibility to maximize them. Our expectations remain high, and our commitment to meeting them is unwavering,” Venables said.
Mateer and the Oklahoma football team look to bounce back after the last loss to South Carolina, as the unranked team takes on the No. 24 Florida Gators on the road Saturday.