Facing a critical third down, Oklahoma had the ball with a chance to take the lead. The Sooners called a timeout just to make sure they were in exactly the right call and that there were no miscommunications. Sooners quarterback John Mateer dropped back and surveyed the field.
He identified Trell Haris coming out of a break upfield, pumping and then throwing the ball downfield for a potential first down. The pass was awful, floating behind Harris and picked off by Jyaire Hill and returned into the red zone. Michigan scored to take a 17-10 lead, which they would not surrender as the No. 11 Sooners lost a stunner in Ann Arbor.
One week after Michigan needed a Hail Mary to escape Western Michigan, the Wolverines dropped the Sooners out of national relevance. Mateer was a massive transfer, the No. 3 quarterback in the 2025 class when he arrived in Norman. He was tasked with rebuilding a faltering Sooners offense that imploded over multiple years under coach Brent Venables.
During Oklahoma's deflating loss to Michigan, Mateer's flaws were put on full display. Mateer was miserable in the first half. The senior completed only 7 of 16 passes for 52 yards, with 21 yards on the ground.
He missed passes high and low. He made bad reads and worse decisions. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle did a solid job making his job easier in the second half, leaning on tight ends and the quarterback run, including a few big passes to tight end Rocky Beers.
But in the final deciding sequence of the game, Mateer completed just 1 of 8 passes for 3 yards with an interception. Only two of his 10 pass attempts to wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III were caught. Granted, Michigan's defense wasn't the problem in their controversial 13-12 win over Western Michigan.
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