Surgery scheduled, return date uncertain
The Sooner’s season dimmed Tuesday with the news that QB John Mateer will undergo right hand surgery Wednesday that will likely sideline him for the next month.
Head coach Brent Venables said he expects Mateer, who is No. 1 on most Heisman watch lists, to return to the field at some point in the season, but when is up in the air.
Mateer sustained the injury to his throwing hand early in Saturday’s exciting win over Auburn. The fact he finished with 271 yards passing and one touchdown through the air while also rushing for a score in the fourth quarter is remarkable, considering he was playing with a fractured thumb.
“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” the Oklahoma coach told reporters. “He’s extremely disappointed he will miss some game action but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible.”
The injury occurred in the first quarter of the win, though Mateer managed to play through it for the rest of the contest, finishing with 271 yards passing and one touchdown through the air while also rushing for a score in the fourth quarter.
Mateer is expected to undergo surgery by a hand specialist in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
The news was a somber message early in what was turning into a promising season for the Sooners, going 4-0 thusfar and likely heading undefeated into the Red River Shootout in Dallas on October 11.
Whether Mateer will suit up for the walk down the Cotton Bowl ramp for that game is highly questionable, with some speculating Mateer will be out of action for at least four weeks while his hand heals from surgery.
The Sooners are off this weekend, a welcome bye under the circumstances.
Meanwhile, the next man up is backup QB Michael Hawkins. Hawkins impressed fans last year, scampering for 48-yard TD run in the first quarter and a 60-yard pass in the fourth quarter in a come-from-behind win at Auburn.
The Sooners will rely upon his running skills during Mateer’s absence, but cannot afford to expose their back-up QB to injury.
The injury bug has hit Oklahoma before. Injuries to all receivers and to much of the offensive line stymied any consistency in OU’s play last year, which ended in a losing season.
Just two weeks ago Venables addressed Hawkins’ redshirt:
“I hate to burn his year unnecessarily, so I think that the course of the season will kind of work itself out, but we’re going to be very mindful not burning his year before we have to.”
But necessity has reared its ugly head.
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