Oklahoma QB John Mateer Stresses Efficiency in Matching Dynamic Ole Miss

"Just staying efficient," Mateer said when asked what the offense needs to focus on against the Rebels. "The explosive plays come, but you can’t force them. Ole Miss has a good defense too, and obviously a good offense. So, you just play the game, play the game that comes to you and stay efficient."

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is known for creating explosive plays for his offense. The Rebels have executed those desires to a high degree. In explosive plays of 20 yards, Ole Miss is ranked sixth in the country with 24 plays. For 30-plus yards, the Rebels are second nationally with 15 plays, and in 40-plus yard plays, they're tied for fourth with seven.

For context, OU's offense is tied for 17th, 18th and dead last in creating explosive plays of 20-plus, 30-plus and 40-plus, respectively.

But OU's offense will face Ole Miss' defense. The Sooners have been battle-tested, having already taken on top-tier defenses like Texas, Michigan, Auburn, and South Carolina. This matchup could present an opportunity for Oklahoma to showcase its explosiveness.

Especially if the Sooners can build upon the strong running attack they employed in their 26-7 win at South Carolina last weekend — an effort of which Mateer said he was proud.

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"Really happy for them," Mateer said. "To see their work come to fruition is awesome. And they know like, one week better, but they got it done last week." 

The Sooner captain credited an interesting coaching tactic from Arbuckle during practice.

"Coach Arbuckle held the whistle and he let the play go for a little bit and then you keep going until you hear that whistle," Mateer said. "And even me, running and chasing the ball, making sure I’m finishing when I run the ball. But it’s everybody."

A more balanced offense will have an easier time matching any potential explosive plays Ole Miss gets over the vaunted Sooner defense. That's where the efficiency that OU showcased last week — where Mateer finished his first game as a Sooner without a turnover — can come in handy.

Mateer knows that the Rebels will have something to say about keeping OU's offense from keeping up with their offense.

"They got a lot of talented players, good scheme," Mateer said. "They mix it up, and they’re going to bring different things at you."

No matter the talent, the Sooner offense will need to build off of a balanced attack against South Carolina for their remaining schedule. Their ability to be efficient and explosive could become a reality against a reprieve in defensive capability on Saturday versus Ole Miss.