As the only ranked college football matchup of the week, all eyes are on the No. 15 Michigan football team and No. 18 Oklahoma as the teams prepare to duke it out Saturday. The last time these two blue blood programs squared off was in 1976, with the Sooners pulling off a 14-6 win. After nearly five decades, the rematch is long overdue.
While the game has garnered national attention, the Wolverines’ defense remains focused on one player: Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer.
Make no mistake, going toe-to-toe with the Sooners — in their home stadium no less — will be no easy feat for a multitude of reasons. Michigan’s robust defensive front will be tasked with not only managing Oklahoma’s bevy of wide receivers but also its revamped offensive line. However, at the end of the day, its offense flows through Mateer, and the Wolverines know that controlling him will be key.
“Good athlete, very good athlete,” graduate edge rusher TJ Guy said Tuesday. “Can throw on the run pretty good. (We’re) gonna have to keep (him) contained and minimize what he can do. Keep our eyes on him at all times. He’s a playmaker, for sure.”
Mateer only recently joined the Sooners after transferring from Washington State at the close of last season. With the Cougars, Mateer was an offensive force, racking up 3,139 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns in addition to 826 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
While the season is still just getting started, Mateer’s debut for Oklahoma last week was record-setting. Mateer passed for 392 yards and three touchdowns against Illinois State, surpassing the Sooners’ record for most passing yards passed in a debut — a record previously held by current NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield.
It’s clear that Mateer is capable of setting an offense alight, but it’s up to Michigan to extinguish it. To accomplish that, according to Wolverines defensive line coach Lou Esposito, the goal isn’t to think outside the box, but to stay within it.
“You have to stop them within the framework,” Esposito said Wednesday. “When you start inventing things, that’s when you get in trouble. So we’re going to stop them within the framework of what we do. If everyone does their job, we’ll be successful, because there’s not a defense that we run that’s unsound.”
This team-focused approach isn’t new for Michigan. When facing former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe — a similarly versatile quarterback who Esposito likened Mateer to — in the 2023 Rose Bowl and 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl, the Wolverines found success by underscoring the importance of working as a cohesive unit.
A platoon centered on physicality, Michigan’s defense is used to being the backbone of the team. But Saturday, the Wolverines’ rigid structure will meet Mateer’s dynamic style of play. An experienced quarterback who can pass and play the run game, Mateer poses a dual threat to Michigan.
Contain him, and the Wolverines notch a road win while evening the all-time record against Oklahoma. Fail, and Michigan is met with the same outcome 49 years later.
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