ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Following his team's 17-10 loss to Michigan on Saturday afternoon, No. 11 Oklahoma coach Brent Venables sat at a table at his postgame news conference in the bowels of Michigan Stadium, staring at the final stat sheet. He rattled off a lengthy list of everything the Sooners need to fix -- quickly.
Against a one-dimensional Michigan team that threw the ball just 17 times, Oklahoma's own offense sputtered and stuttered as it repeatedly failed to overcome horrendous field position and sustain productive drives. While some of it -- like the nine penalties -- is correctable, other issues such as a still-stagnant running game raised questions about how the Sooners will fare with tougher competition looming.
Oklahoma has the fourth-most difficult schedule remaining, according to ESPN Analytics, and it ramps up Sept. 26 at Georgia before a game versus rival Texas on Oct. 10. And those are just the first two SEC opponents.
"It's no more difficult than it was two weeks ago," Venables said. "It's the same schedule, and our guys are ready for it. They understand the challenge. ... They're not going to be fearful of, 'all of a sudden you lost a one-score game on the road in front of 107,000 people.'
"We had an opportunity late with the ball to go down and tie it up," he said. "There's no worry or doubt or fatalistic mindset. That's not this locker room."
Oklahoma was facing a dogged Michigan team determined to change the narrative a week after beating Western Michigan with a (second) Hail Mary and one of the most memorable clock controversies in recent history. The Sooners were coming in confident after a 51-0 drubbing of UTEP, but their offense didn't make the trip with them.
It was Oklahoma's second-fewest points as a ranked team against an unranked team since 2010. OU finished with 100 rushing yards and 3.4 yards per carry, nine penalties for 76 yards, and was just 3-of-13 on third-down conversions. Quarterback John Mateer was off, throwing the ball high on multiple occasions and giving away one interception that was the difference in the game.
With the game tied at 10 and 8:49 remaining, Mateer was picked off by Jyaire Hill, who returned it 24 yards to the Sooners' 6-yard line. Two plays later, Jordan Marshall ran left for a 1-yard touchdown and the 17-10 lead.
Mateer said the pass might have been tipped.
"I looked up at the review, and it was spinning a little weird, but it was man, and that's the man alert, to over-route, I went to the right spot, we'll see," he said. "Tipped, not tipped, can't have it."
Mateer ended the game with just one completion on his final eight attempts for 3 passing yards and an interception. Venables said Mateer has been "criticized all offseason" and "it's not going to be any worse, any louder than it was before."
Venables said his quarterback just needs to slow down and not be so "hurried to make some of the throws," and more of them need to be catchable. But it was hardly all on Mateer, who toughed it out after losing his helmet twice and shouldering the bulk of the anemic running game.
The Sooners lost the turnover margin, had too many missed tackles in the first half, and "seemed like we were pinned up inside of our 5-yard line the whole day," Venables said. Michigan's Cam Brown drilled six punts inside the 20-yard line, and the Sooners started two drives on their 1-yard line.
Venables said OU needs to do a better job in the kicking game, in protection, and has to make plays when in man-to-man coverage.
Venables was asked after the game how he felt the Sooners blocked in both the run and passing games.
"Obviously not good enough," he said.
Mateer said he's confident the entire team can make the adjustments it needs to in time for the SEC schedule -- but he's not overlooking Saturday's game against New Mexico.
"I'll make it happen," Mateer said. "I don't have a choice. The team needs me, and the university needs me, and I believe I'll do it."
