Oklahoma shares rough news about John Mateer

Oklahoma’s strong start to the college football season is now hitting a skid.

The Sooners announced on Tuesday that quarterback John Mateer suffered an injury to his right hand during Saturday’s win over Auburn. The injury is said to be a broken bone in his right (throwing) hand. Mateer will undergo surgery on Wednesday, but there is no timeline yet for his return.

“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” coach Brent Venables said. “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.”

Mateer suffered the injury during the first quarter of his Sooners’ win over Auburn but played through it and helped the team get the victory. Oklahoma has the weekend off before facing Kent State on Oct. 4. Sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. will get the start at quarterback in the team’s next game.

Oklahoma is 4-0 this season. After Kent State, they will face Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, and LSU.

Mateer, a transfer from Washington State, has passed for 1,215 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season.