On Saturday, No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0) and Texas (3-2, 0-1) will square off in the annual Red River Rivalry game. The game will take place in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
The Red River Rivalry is one of the most historic feuds in college football. The Longhorns and Sooners first faced off in 1900 and have met annually since 1929. Texas leads the rivalry with a 64-51-5 all-time record.
Last year was no exception. Texas dominated Oklahoma in the 2024 campaign, running away with a 34-3 victory. The Sooners will look to exact revenge this weekend.
Of course, Oklahoma will have a much better chance of securing a victory if starting quarterback John Mateer recovers in time for the game. Check out each team’s latest availability report below:
Oklahoma Sooners
Texas Longhorns
Mateer is recovering from a hand injury he suffered in Oklahoma’s Week 4 win over Auburn. Mateer suffered the injury in the first half of the game, but played on, finishing the outing with 271 passing yards and two total touchdowns.
The injury is on Mateer’s throwing hand and he underwent surgery the following week, which was a bye week for the Sooners. Before the injury, Mateer was a frontrunner to win the Heisman Trophy.
He’s been spectacular for the Sooners this season. He boasts 1,215 passing yards and six touchdowns, but has been even more impressive in the ground game, where he’s logged 190 yards and five scores.
Michael Hawkins Jr. has been serving as Oklahoma’s QB1 with Mateer out. In Oklahoma’s 44-0 win over Kent State in Week 6, Hawkins completed 14-of-his-24 pass attempts for 162 yards and three touchdowns, without throwing an interception.
Earlier this week, there were optimistic reports about Mateer’s status, but Oklahoma’s coaches have maintained they are being cautious with the injury. Despite the claims of Oklahoma’s coaching staff, Texas is preparing for the game as if John Mateer will be playing.
“We’ll plan for Mateer,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “You have to. He’s a dynamic player, he’s the heartbeat of that offense for sure. Everything goes through him. We played against Hawkins last year. He’s a much improved player.
“Like most young players, they get better over time. You can see his improvement for sure. Coach Arbuckle’s got a great scheme. We’ve got to prepare for the scheme. He’s a fantastic coach. They tax you a lot of different ways.”
Oklahoma and Texas will clash at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. The game will air live on ABC.
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