As if it wasn't already, Tide loss makes it clear: Sooners have a quarterback problem

Sooner defender Owen Heinecke makes the tackle against Alabama Friday night at Owen Field. (OU Athletics Photo)

We could go with the not ready for prime time angle.

Like, we could really go with it, spend a thousand words on it.

Because Tate Sandell, though he began his night good from 51 yards, was also wide left from 36 and short from 51, marking, clearly, his worst outing of the season.

Punter Grayson Miller also turned in his worst game to date, either dropping the ball accidentally before dropping it on his foot or — what it really looked like — dropping it purposefully, yet out of reach of his foot, leading to a short 30-yard drive that brought Alabama within a touchdown with 2:08 remaining in the second quarter; only to later turn in a 32-yard boot (net 27) in the fourth quarter, setting up the Crimson Tide at the Sooner 35, three snaps after which they forged the opening-round of the College Football Playoff’s 34-24 final score.

Not to mention the touchdown catch Xavier Robinson dropped, even 20 yards from the end zone, after John Mateer escaped the rush to find him wide open, even in stride, with nobody in front of him, what would have been a 53-yard score, reestablishing Oklahoma’s original 17-point lead.

Or Taylor Wein’s silly late hit out of bounds that turned Miller’s best punt of the night, a 54-yarder that would have had ’Bama taking over at its own 25 but instead had it taking over at its own 40, three plays after which Ty Simpson found Lotzeir Brooks for a 30-yard score, pushing the Tide out to a 24-17 advantage.

But let’s not.

Let’s talk about the quarterback, Mateer, instead, because he’s been holding this team back all season long and held it back again Friday night at Owen Field, the Sooners’ season-ender, despite once owning a 17-0 edge.

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In fact, should you bother to go back and look, you’ll notice he played only one terrific game all season, opening night against Illinois State, an FCS program that, though still playing in that division’s playoff, doesn’t count.

Up against the snafus already mentioned, Mateer beat them all, throwing a pick-six interception right at Alabama’s Zabien Brown.

Brown’s dash to paydirt was 50 yards and might have been stopped by Mateer himself, just as he stopped others against LSU three weeks ago. Alas, he took a bad angle at Brown and a game that had appeared in the bag early was now tied 17-17, 1:18 before the half.

Just one bad play, right?

Only it was so much worse.

If you can call him that, Keontez Lewis was the intended receiver, only Lewis had turned upfield, up the left sideline, before Mateer’s arm began forward. So, too, was Brown right there, Mateer looking right at him, before half his throwing motion was complete.

Did he think Brown a Sooner?

For a long time I’ve had a name for the very worst never-should-have-been-thrown passes caught by the other team. I don’t own copyright, but each is a “Landry Jones Special.”

Two things about that.

One, though Jones tossed many right at the defender, I don’t recall him throwing right to the defender when his target had already left the premises.

Two, Jones finished his Sooner career having attempted 2,183 passes, 52 of them interceptions, or 2.38 percent. Attempting 397 this season, Mateer tossed 11 picks, or 2.77 percent.

So, more.

Yes, not much more, but I had to go down the rabbit hole. Sue me.
That and I think it’s time I let Jones off the hook.

It wasn’t his only mistake.

He was just plain bad after ’Bama took the lead, when OU was still in it.

Taking over at their own 7-yard-line, down a field goal with almost 11 minutes remaining, the Sooners had every chance to win the game.

Mateer ran for a yard on first down and, on third down, threw sidearm, incomplete, off a Tide helmet. Had he not thrown sidearm he might have hit a crossing Tory Blaylock with room to run instead.

Three-and-out.

Next, down 10 points with 7:24 remaining at his own 25, Mateer tossed incomplete on first down, hit Deion Burks for 2 yards on second and took a sack on third.

Three-and-out.

Which Sooner quarterback since the Stoops era began would ever have allowed back-to-back three-and-outs in that spot, when a play just has to be made. Only Rhett Bomar in 2005, but we all know Paul Thompson should have been the starter.

Almost worse was the whiplash.

Given the way Mateer played in the first quarter and OU’s first drive of the second — 9 of 14, 116 passing yards, one rushing TD, one passing TD — it was clear he really hadn’t recovered from his thumb injury and surgery through the regular season. Yet, finally, he had, and here he was, back with the old confidence, back with his fastball.

It fell apart anyway.

Despite his tools having returned, he could push only one more drive to the end zone and that only after ’Bama’d run off 27 unanswered points, albeit with plenty of Sooner help, as mentioned.

Mateer’s pass efficiency rating was 191.4 opening night against the FCS Redbirds after completing 30 of 37 for 392 yards, throwing three touchdowns against one pick.

He’s failed to achieve 140 since.

He tossed three picks against Texas and three more against LSU, all but derailing Friday night’s clash before it could be scheduled. He threw picks against Michigan, Temple and Tennessee, too.

He finished the season with 14 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions, not remotely good for a Sooner quarterback.

I presume he starts next season, but perhaps under a new contract, all savings going toward a portal pick that might push him in the offseason, because it’s pretty clear OU’s lost interest in Michael Hawkins given any other reasonable option.

Pushed, perhaps Mateer will maintain his good and overcome his bad, finally becoming the player we thought we saw the first four games of the season, despite never really being that guy in the first place.

Either way, OU figures to be better next season.

Too bad it’s still looking for a quarterback.

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