OU football QB John Mateer willed the Sooners to victory. It wasn't pretty, but the Sooners' belief in their leader never wavered.

In a must-win game, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is having his worst game of the season. Six minutes into the third quarter, Mateer had as many interceptions as OU has points, and Sooner fans are not happy. A loss to LSU likely means waving goodbye to playoff chances.

Mateer had three interceptions in the game, and could have had another one had the LSU defender not dropped it. His third quarter was some of the worst football you'll see at the position this season. And he has no more thumb surgery recovery as an excuse. This time, it was all him, just playing badly, and he knows that.

John Mateer carried himself with perseverance and embodied the 2025 Sooners’ “Hard to Kill” mantra in a 17-13 win over Louisiana State University.

The Sooners were outgained by nearly 200 yards, but left Tuscaloosa, Alabama, victorious thanks in large part to their defense and special teams. OU didn't muster much yet again through the air, finishing with 138 yards and only two passing plays of 20-plus yards.

It looked like Oklahoma was down and out. Mateer threw his third interception of the game, LSU went up in the game, and Hawkins' mom tweets out a yawning emoji, almost like she's hinting that her son wouldn't be playing that way.

John Mateer embraces the stakes OU (9-2, 5-2 SEC) faces in its final regular season game against Louisiana State University (7-4, 3-4).

On third-and-6 on the Sooners' own 46-yard line, OU quarterback John Mateer's pass was deflected by Patrick Payton and intercepted by Harold Perkins Jr., who almost scored, but was stopped at the four-yard line. On the first play of the Tigers' drive, Sooners safety Peyton Bowen picked off Michael Van Buren Jr.