Oklahoma Faces Major Quarterback and Rushing Problems After 41-13 Loss to Georgia

If it wasn't already clear as day, Saturday's 41-13 loss to No. 2 Georgia left no doubt: Oklahoma has a major problem at quarterback. Brent Venables now has two weeks to solve it before his team meets No. 1 Texas in Dallas.

Coming into Saturday, Oklahoma could hang its hat on the possibility that its defense could keep it in the game, even if the offense struggled against Georgia. That theory only works if the Bulldogs aren't scoring points on defense, too.

The Sooners got off to a slow start in the first quarter, but disaster really struck in the second quarter. With Oklahoma at the Georgia 2-yard line, Mateer rolled out to pass and fumbled when he loaded up to throw.

Georgia scooped up the fumble and ran it back 85 yards for a touchdown -- a possible 14-point swing.

On the very next possession, Mateer had a clean pocket but waited until pressure was in his face to throw a ball into heavy coverage. The pass was underthrown and easily intercepted by KJ Bolden.

The Sooners' defense bailed out Mateer, forcing a three-and-out, but he made another costly mistake on the ensuing drive. On fourth-and-1, Mateer fumbled, and Georgia returned it to the Oklahoma 11-yard line. Two plays later, the Bulldogs were in the end zone, and the game was never remotely in doubt again.

In his postgame press conference, Venables admitted the idea of changing quarterbacks was considered.

"It was something we discussed, but it's a conversation where you'll look at everything in how to get better," Venables said.

Garbage time production made Mateer's overall numbers -- 231 yards, two touchdowns and an interception -- look better than they actually were, but it was another ugly performance. One way or another, the Sooners need to get better play at that position if they want to beat the Longhorns.

Big mistakes in critical moments

If Mateer were a game manager who took care of the football and avoided major mistakes, perhaps Oklahoma could work around that, given the talent on its defense. However, Mateer has made catastrophic mistakes that have cost his team in each of the Sooners' two losses.

Midway through the fourth quarter in Ann Arbor, Mateer set Michigan up with first-and-goal inside the 10-yard line with an ill-advised throw that resulted in an interception. The Wolverines scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown two plays later.

On Saturday, Mateer made mistakes early and often, digging Oklahoma a hole it simply wasn't equipped to climb out of.

It's one thing to be inefficient or inaccurate. It's quite another to be this mistake-prone, especially when there aren't peaks to counterbalance the valleys.

The Sooners already have two losses, and unless they get better quarterback play, there will be a few more in conference play. Even after Texas, Oklahoma still has to face Mississippi State, Florida, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

Little help for Mateer

Oklahoma could take some pressure off Mateer if it had any semblance of a running game, but the Sooners have been moving backward on the ground far too often.

Entering Saturday, Oklahoma was averaging 110.3 rushing yards per game, which ranked 15th in the SEC. That number will only drop after the Sooners recorded just 65 rushing yards against Georgia. Their leading rusher was Lloyd Avant, who turned carries into 23 yards, and Mateer had the longest run of the day at nine yards.

That's not going to win many games, especially when the passing game has its share of warts, and the frustrating part for Oklahoma is that this is a familiar problem.

The Sooners ranked 13th in the conference last season with 118.5 rushing yards per game, and Mateer was responsible for a large chunk of that production. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle had all offseason to correct those issues, but there hasn't been any improvement. In fact, the ground attack may have regressed if the first month is any indication.

If the Sooners can't get more out of the running game in two weeks, Texas' front seven will do exactly what Georgia's did on Saturday.