Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer entered the season with expectations of being one of the best QBs in the country, but after just six touchdown passes and three interceptions to start the season that hasn't been the case. Mateer's arm has let him down throughout this season, but former Bulldog Aaron Murray isn't concerned about that because he believes Mateer just needs to run the ball more for Oklahoma's offense to find success against Georgia on Saturday.
Mateer must run the ball 15 plus times https://t.co/pSCqUdxoDw
— Aaron Murray (@aaronmurray11) September 24, 2026
Oklahoma hasn't used John Mateer's legs as much as they should
Mateer is in his second season at Oklahoma after transferring from Washington State. He took the college football world by storm in his last season at Washington State as he was one of the top prospects in the Transfer Portal when he decided to leave, and a big reason for that was his running ability.
In his final season at Washington State Mateer ran the ball 178 times for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. His legs helped open up more opportunities through the air as he threw for over 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns that year as well.
Mateer then transferred to Oklahoma where the Sooners started using his legs less, and as a result he struggled more. Last season he ran the ball 149 times compared to the 178 carries he had at Washington State in 2024. He also was less efficient as he averaged just 2.9 yards per carry last season compared to an impressive 4.6 yards per carry in 2024. So far this year he has only run the ball 26 times for 69 yards.
Oklahoma has to find a way to make him more effective with his legs. That was the formula for him when he was playing the best football of his career at Washington State, but this season they've moved away from that and Oklahoma's offense has struggled as a result. Murray thinks the solution is as simple as letting him run at least 15 times, and in all honesty that isn't a terrible idea.
Georgia's defense is too good for Oklahoma to be predictable
Mateer's stats show that he is a much better quarterback when he is running the ball often and efficiently. It remains to be seen if he can be efficient with his legs against Georgia, but if Oklahoma wants a better chance at winning this game they need to give him more carries.
Even if he ends up not being efficient running the ball against Georgia it is still a good idea for Oklahoma to run with him. At worst this forces Georgia's defense to be honest and respect that he could run the ball on any given play, and that could open up more opportunities in the pass game.
Georgia's offense hasn't faced a defense like Oklahoma's all season, but Georgia's defense hasn't faced this good of an offense either. The Sooners' offense has been struggling recently as they've only scored 12 points per game in their last two outings, but the potential is there for them to have a bounce back game especially if they use Mateer in the run game more.
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