Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) rushes in the first half of the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorn at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025.

ESPN analyst Booger McFarland has drawn the ire of college football fans following comments he made ahead of the Oklahoma-Texas matchup.

With Sooners quarterback John Mateer returning to action for the Red River Rivalry matchup from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, McFarland said that, if he were playing Matter, he would employ a less-than-sportsmanlike tactic against Mateer:

“That’s a thumb and a hand I would be looking to step on as a defensive lineman," McFarland said on ABC ahead of the Red River Rivalry matchup.

Mateer underwent surgery on Sept. 24 after he broke his hand in a win over Auburn. Following a bye week for the Sooners, Mateer missed the matchup against Kent State last week before returning to action for the matchup against the Longhorns.

McFarland played college football for LSU from 1995 to 1998. He was a first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1999 NFL Draft and won two Super Bowls during his career with the Bucs and the Indianapolis Colts from 1999 to 2007.

McFarland's comment created some negative reaction on social media:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Booger McFarland says he would 'step on' John Mateer's hand ahead of Texas-Oklahoma

Reporting by Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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