Venables mulled benching QB Mateer after nightmare first half

ATHENS, Ga. -- Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables says there were discussions about benching quarterback John Mateer at halftime in the Sooners' 41-13 loss to No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs. It was a tough Saturday for Mateer, who turned the ball over on three consecutive drives in the second quarter, helping Georgia to a 28-0 lead by halftime. He finished the game 25-of-34 for 231 passing yards, two touchdowns, an interception and two lost fumbles. "It's something that, you know, we discussed," Venables said after the loss. "We'll look at everything, you know, how to get better." Mateer's first turnover was a fumble, which Georgia linebacker Chris Cole returned 85 yards for a touchdown. KJ Bolden picked off the quarterback on the following drive, and Raylen Wilson forced a fumble on a sack minutes later. Cole recovered the fumble a second time, putting Georgia in scoring position. "We discussed all options on the headset and ultimately still felt like John was our best choice to win the game," offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. Both coaches spoke on the quarterback's descending confidence after a tough start to the season. Venables said it's "bruised," while promising that nobody is more disappointed than Mateer. The fifth-year quarterback didn't outwardly admit to confidence struggles after the game. "I think I'm still playing fast," he said. "I'm not questioning what I do during the play. I think the process is where it needs to be. I think it's just not working out, so I wouldn't say so." Mateer has committed six turnovers in the last three games, including a crucial late interception that set Michigan up for the game-winning touchdown in Week 2. He had two early picks against New Mexico in a shaky 14-6 Week 3 win, which sent the preseason No. 10-ranked Sooners tumbling out of the AP Top 25. "Nothing impacts a game like turnovers," Venables said. "No. 1 priority is taking care of the football, and we certainly failed miserably at doing that." Mateer's play is a stark contrast from last season when he led the Sooners to a 10-2 regular-season record and playoff berth despite a brief October slump after returning from a midseason surgery on his throwing hand. Questions have surfaced about his injury leading to recent poor play, but he denied any issues. The Sooners have the week off before facing No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry game in Dallas on Oct. 10. "We're not gonna quit," Mateer said. "It's not who we are. It's not what we do. It's not what our head coach does."