One of college football’s greatest rivalries takes place in Week 7 when the Texas Longhorns face the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners in the famous Red River Rivalry. But some of the luster could be off this year’s matchup, largely because of the quarterback situations for both teams.
This was originally billed as a battle between two Heisman Trophy hopefuls — Texas’ Arch Manning and Oklahoma’s John Mateer. Manning has looked nothing like his preseason projections, while Mateer is sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his throwing hand.
That doesn’t mean Texas coach Steve Sarkisian isn’t preparing for Mateer’s possible return.
“We’ll plan for Mateer. We have to. He’s a dynamic player. He’s the heartbeat of that offense. Everything goes through him,” Sarkisian said, via Inside Texas.
When Mateer’s surgery was first reported, it was believed he could be out as long as a month. No official timetable has been given, though Mateer later said the procedure was successful.
“Thank God for a successful procedure,” Mateer posted to X. “Dr. Shin is the GOAT. BOOMER SOONER!!”
Viral Moment at Chipotle Sparks John Mateer’s Return Against Texas
Not long after Mateer’s surgery, a bizarre rumor began circulating that suggested he could return in time to face Texas.
Of all places, a Texas A&M message board — TexAgs — featured a post from a user claiming he spotted Mateer at a local Chipotle. According to the post, an employee asked if Mateer would be ready to play against Texas, and Mateer replied, “100% going to play vs. Texas.”
The story quickly spread across social media, even accompanied by a photo of Mateer with the supposed Chipotle employee.
“It feels like this is too weird and too wild to not be based in some factual happening here,” On3’s JD PicKell said. He noted it made little sense for a Texas A&M fan to invent such a story about a Texas-Oklahoma game.
Texas, Steve Sarkisian Need a Win Against Oklahoma
After a shocking upset loss to Florida, Texas has dropped to 3-2 and stumbled out of the gate in SEC play. The Longhorns have fallen from preseason No. 1 to unranked in just five games. Both of their losses came on the road to Power Four opponents, and Week 7 will be another de facto road game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
This matchup could turn sour quickly for Sarkisian and his quarterback. Sarkisian is 2-8 against top-10 teams at Texas and 5-18 all time. Now he faces the Sooners, another top-10 opponent, looking to make a statement against their greatest rival.
Sarkisian acknowledged that Texas may also have to prepare for Oklahoma sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr., who played in last year’s 34-3 Texas win.
“We played against Hawkins last year. He’s a much improved player. Like most young players, they get better over time. You can see his improvement for sure,” Sarkisian said.
Whether it’s Mateer or Hawkins under center, Texas has no room for excuses. The Longhorns desperately need a bounce-back performance to regain footing in the SEC and salvage their season.
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